The 7 Worst Cons of Living in Florida

I recently posted some of the best things about living in Florida, but now I want to focus on the other side. Though the Sunshine State is a gorgeous place to live with beautiful beaches and so much to do, there are definitely some cons of living in Florida.

If you live here, you are probably familiar with many of these Florida problems. And if you are considering moving here, consider how much these things will bother you before you do! I have lived here for over a decade and here are the top seven cons of living in Florida I have found.

Hurricane Season

For me, one of the biggest cons of living in Florida is the risk of hurricanes. I have been here for Matthew, Irma and Dorian and luckily made it out okay in all of them. However, we live right across from the beach, so there is a lot of stress and prep to do before incoming hurricanes.

After Irma we did get some roof damage and had leaks, as did many across the state. So many people did, that it took forever to get it fixed! Even worse though, was the lack of electricity for a week after Irma in the grueling September heat. It is definitely a stressful time, so make sure to live further inland with power lines underground if you are worried about hurricanes!

The Oppressive Heat and Humidity

Speaking of the heat, that is definitely another con of living in Florida. Though the eighty-degree weather is lovely most of the year, June through September can be absolutely brutal. In Central Florida is at least 90 degrees all summer and extremely humid.

During this time of year, I tend to stay inside more. When I am outside, I am usually sweating in minutes. And getting in a hot car becomes something you dread as well! I also have found the beach can be too hot to be fun in the summer too, with the sand burning your feet and the water not refreshing. However, everywhere has AC and there are plenty of pools to cool off in, so I still prefer the too hot weather here to too cold winters elsewhere.

No Fall Weather

Though I do not miss the winters I grew up dealing with in New Hampshire, I definitely miss the pretty autumns. The lack of fall is another one of most peoples cons of living in Florida. Fall is actually one of the worst seasons here, as it is still hot and humid, and there are frequent thunderstorms as well.

When most people are drinking PSLs in September, I wait until November to break out any fall beverages and attire. I also really miss a crisp evening perfect for bonfires! Luckily, it’s not too far of a drive to Georgia or the Carolinas for a little fall weather.

So Many Bugs

When I moved to Florida, I was often warned of all the mosquitos I would have to deal with. I have found that mosquitos are not as bad as expected with so many towns spraying for them. I only worry about bites when I am in a more secluded nature spot. Unfortunately, there are tons of other bugs that are a big con of living in Florida!

I was pretty shocked to learn cockroaches are relatively common and even worse are the flying Palmetto bugs. One flew into my hair once and I freaked out! Ants and other bugs getting inside is much more of an issue here and I learned quickly to embrace food storage containers much more than I needed to before. I also have had a few run ins with no-see-ums, which are invisible gnats that leave bites much more painful that mosquitos! Another nuisance you never get used to in Florida is love bugs. Twice a year there are swarms of them everywhere, and though they don’t bite, they get all over your car and can even damage the paint. You see car washes everywhere here and that is part of the reason why!

Publix Being the Main Grocery Store

This is probably the most controversial take of my cons of living in Florida, but I am not a diehard lover of Publix like many Floridians. Their subs are quite delicious, but otherwise I find it pretty subpar compared to other regional grocery chains. The worst part is they have such a monopoly, so the groceries are so expensive here. Florida ranks 21st out of 50 for grocery cost. That is in the middle of pack, but coming from New Hampshire, which was the cheapest state for groceries, it is shocking!

Compared to Market Basket that I grew up with and Wegmans that my husband had in Virgina, Publix is worse in price, selection and experience in general. I find the produce selection to be pretty subpar and the generic brand to be lesser quality than other stores. Worst of all, nearly every Publix I have been to is so slow! The deli frequently takes me half an hour and check out is so slow too. That might just be southern hospitality, but it is hard to get used to.

Snowbird Traffic

Traffic in the cities is pretty comparable to most in the country and where I live in Brevard County, it is manageable. During the winter months, when many retirees come down to escape the cold, there is a noticeable slow down. This varies based on how many snowbirds your area sees, but I find it to be noticeable in most coastal towns.

The worst I have seen of this in the Palm Beach area. When my husband and I were planning our wedding in Jupiter, it took us much longer to drive around in the winter than the summer months. But even Melbourne, Florida has this issue. I think spring breakers also contribute to this. We live right by the beach and on a nice weekend day, it can take forever to go north on A1A. If you are coming from a more populated area, this may not phase you, but rural residents should be aware this is a frequent issue.

Red Tide

Increasingly, one of the biggest cons of living in Florida is red tide, especially on the gulf coast. This is a type of toxic algae that kills marine animals and can be harmful to humans. Usually, it is not at a high enough concentration to hurt humans, but it can still be at levels that make going to the beach not fun.

We have had it once on the east coast and it made for an extremely bad month. Every time I went outside, I would get a tickle in my throat and start coughing if I was out for a while. I live within walking distance to the beach, and it is not as bad inland, but people with asthma or respiratory diseases definitely have to stay away. Worst of all, the beach was covered in dead fish from the red tide creating a horrible smell! This does happen almost every summer now on the gulf coast and we haven’t been able to go to the beach there on our past two summer visits, so it is something for beach lovers to keep in mind.

Know Before You Go: The Cons of Living in Florida

These are my top seven cons of living in Florida, but still the pros definitely outweigh these negatives. If you love warm weather, beaches and theme parks, this is still a great state to live in. And if you need any more convincing, check out my Florida bucket list, which has 101 awesome things to do in this state!