The Wild, Weird & Wonderful Side of Florida
Think you really know Florida? It's a state with flamingos (real ones and the yard ornaments), manatees, "pirates", and live mermaid shows you'll have to see to believe. Here, hurricanes are both terrifying and expected to help meet yearly party-quotas. Let's run through the local facts, stats, and gator gossip that showcase what makes Florida's sunshine-soaked chaos so irresistible.
Vanessa, Our Local Expert Guiding Your Move
Vanessa has moved so many times she basically has her own punch card — seventh move is free, right? After ping-ponging from Massachusetts to Fort Lauderdale, St. Pete, and now Tampa (with yet another move on deck), she’s a master of the “shove-it-through-the-doorframe” school of moving. When she’s not plotting how to downsize from 3,000 sq. ft-worth-of-stuff, she’s watercolor-painting, slinging dumbbells like a wannabe bodybuilder, or serving as parakeet wrangler and dog foster mom. She swears Florida sunsets beat California’s, and she has no regrets about trading in her New England clam chowder and lobster rolls for Florida's grouper bites and Cuban coffee. She'll pass on the gator bites, though. At Snappy Scout, her moving scars and Floridian street cred make her the trusted local to guide your next move.
Read moreWritten with local insight from Snappy Scout relocation experts
What Makes Florida Florida?
The weird, useful, and surprisingly relevant facts that shape everyday life here.
Common Nicknames For Florida
The Sunshine State, Alligator State, Peninsula State
Local Reality Check
Not everyone lives near the beach; hurricanes and humidity are real; Florida DOES have seasons... Kind of.
You're Most Likely Moving From
Ohio, Wisconsin, New York, New Jersey, or Illinois
Strangely Large Concentration of
retirees, theme parks, wild peacocks, and people from Ohio.
Music Scene
Reggae, Latin pop, Southern rock, country, and EDM festivals
You'll Have to See It to Believe It
Mermaid shows at Weeki Wachee Springs - it's worth the drive
Unique Geography
Flat peninsula surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico (or... uhm mean America.)
Florida is Home To
Everglades National Park (alligators and mosquitos) and NASA's Kennedy Space Center
Well Known For Its
Pleasant beaches, orange groves, Disney World, and hurricanes
Fun History Fact
Florida is home to the oldest city in the U.S (St. Augustine, which was founded in 1565.)
Celebrity Sightings
Pitbull, Tom Brady, Dwayne Johnson, and Gloria Estefan
Noteworthy Census Stat
Florida gained over 400,000 new residents between 2022 and 2024
Most Interesting Sub-Culture Within Florida
Florida's "Burner" and "Flow Arts" communities, inspired by Burning Man culture.
Population
3rd by population, 22nd by land size
Florida is Roughly the Same Geographic Size As
England
Locals Know Best
Everyone knows the big, main beaches - Miami Beach, Daytona Beach, Clearwater Beach...but what not everyone realizes is that just a few miles from most of these main beaches, is a smaller, more private and quiet "locals" beach. So if you want to blend in, skip the main entrance and look a couple miles out.
— Vanessa Leikvoll
Florida Local Expert
Ready to See If Florida Fits You?
Compare cities, check the routes, or head back to the full Florida guide for the bigger picture.