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A Record Number Of California And New York Residents Moved To Florida Last Month

Joe Winner September 22nd, 2022
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

It’s no secret that New York City Mayor Eric Adams and California Governor Gavin Newsom hate our Florida Governor. So why have so many of their people moved here to Florida? I’m not going to turn this into some political thing. As a Florida resident I would just like the wave of people moving here to slow down. Just a little. Instead – we’re seeing record numbers.

For the data, we go to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles who have released information from August license applications. The New York Post reported “A record-breaking number of Empire State residents switched their driver’s licenses to the Sunshine State version last month, according to a Post analysis of Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles data.”.

And now the data. In August  5,838 New Yorkers switched their licenses to Florida. That’s the most we’ve ever had in one month. Ever. For the year that’s 41,885 New Yorkers who have switched their license over to Florida ones. But it’s not just New Yorkers.

Who else has Moved To Florida?

A record number of people from California also switched out their residency to Florida. 3,059 last month. A new record. There’s more. Washington, Oregon and Pennsylvania — all set new records for Florida driver’s license applications as their residents moved to Florida. In total for the month of August, there’s been 321,881 out-of-state license trade requests in 2022.

So, what’s the draw? Why leave New York to come here? Renowned fashion designer Alvin Valley told the New York Post “A lot of families just began to feel like New York was becoming unlivable,” Valley said. “Especially for younger couples with kids in their 30s and 40s. They don’t want to get on the subway. It’s a safety issue, it’s a schools issue.”  A retired NYPD lieutenant who has relocated to Florida “argued that vaccine mandates for public-sector employees left thousands of working-class New Yorkers disillusioned with city government and eyeing the exits.”

Snowbirds don’t usually switch their driver’s licenses over to Florida ones. These are people leaving other states and moving here. To stay. And the trend doesn’t appear to be slowing.

I don’t get it. Why would anyone want to move here to Florida?

3 Florida Roads Make List Of Worst Traffic In U.S.

No one likes traffic, and to get stuck in it can be a real pain no matter where you are, but 3 Florida roads made a list of the worst traffic spots in the U.S.

I was just talking to a friend in Chicago, where I’m from, about how I miss the city sometimes but do NOT miss the traffic. Sometimes it would take me 3 hours in traffic to get downtown, a drive that would usually take just over an hour.

You forget living in SWFL about big city traffic until you drive to Miami, Orlando, or even Tampa sometimes you can get stuck.

Well, a study by INRIX, that was done last year about hours lost sitting in traffic found that the average American lost 36 hours on the road thanks to congested lanes.

For Florida drivers, there’s 3 roads that contributed in a big way to time being lost sitting at a standstill on the highway.

When I was driving to Orlando last Friday, I got stuck in that lovely I-4 traffic, and it took me an hour longer than usual. On I-4, going westbound, an average of 74 hours are lost. US-17 South also made the list, as did I-95 North in Miami.

If you think that’s bad, it’s WAY worse in L.A. On I-5 South, from Euclid Avenue to I-605, 89 hours are lost each year on just that one part of the road. Drivers in L.A. also get stuck on I-10 East, losing another 55 hours per year during their commute.

The Top 10 U.S. Roads with the Worst Traffic:

  • 10. I-10 East- Los Angeles, CA

    Average Hours Lost: 55

  • 9. I-95 South- New York, NY

    Average Hours Lost: 55

  • 8. I-95 North- Miami, FL

    Average Hours Lost: 57

  • 7. US-17 South- Orlando, FL

    Average Hours Lost: 59

  • 6. I-95 North- Stamford, CT

    Average Hours Lost: 61

  • 5. I-580 East- Dublin, CA

    Average Hours Lost: 62

  • 4. I-95 North- Bridgeport, CT

    Average Hours Lost: 72

  • 3. I-4 West- Orlando, FL

    Average Hours Lost: 74

  • 2. I-27 West- New York, NY

    Average Hours Lost: 77

  • 1. I-5 South- Los Angeles, CA

    Average Hours Lost: 89

 

 

Joe Winner spends his days combing through memes and off beat stories to bring you the side of Florida not always seen.
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