State relocation profile · Federal data
Florida
Florida sits in the dearer third of BEA RPP states, rent, wages, safety, schools and childcare below.
- 103.4
- Cost index (US=100)
- $1,525
- 2BR rent / mo
- $67,772
- Median salary
- 41.4
- Life Score
The verdict
As of June 2026, Florida ranks #42 of 51 scored US states on the composite Life Score (41.4/100, F), with its strongest marks in schools and safety.
- #42 of 51
- Life Score among scored states
- 41.4
- Life Score · F
- 103.4
- Cost of living (US=100)
- $67,772
- Median annual salary (BLS)
Weakest dimension: wages (18/100). State-level figures are a benchmark, individual metros can diverge sharply, so weigh each dimension against your own priorities.
According to PlainRelocate's state Life Score composite (BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, and EPA inputs), Florida ranks #42 of 51 scored US states by Life Score (highest score = #1). Cost-of-living index 103.4 (100 = national average), median 2-bedroom rent $1,525/mo, median salary $67,772; Life Score 41.4/100 (F), strongest in schools and safety.
Signature: Florida lists 22 MSAs in this dataset, a dense metro book for state-level averages.
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP 103.4 lands in the dearer third of US states (cuts at 93.3 / 100.7). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent averages $1,525/mo statewide, against a BLS median salary of $67,772.
Composite Life Score 41.4/100 (F) puts Florida in the bottom third (#42 of 51).
Metro book is dense (22 MSAs); drill a named metro before treating the state average as a destination.
Life Score plate
Sheet FL · Florida 41.4/100 · F · #42 of 51
LIFE-F · RANK-BOTTOM · PHOTO-FINISH · RPP-DEAR · LEAD-SCHOOLS · BOOK-FULL
- LIFE-F Life Score F
- RANK-BOTTOM #42/51
- PHOTO-FINISH ±0.3 pts
- RPP-DEAR RPP 103.4
- LEAD-SCHOOLS Lead · schools
- BOOK-FULL 7/7 dims
Nearest Life Score peer: New Hampshire ( -0.3 pts)
Instrument codes from this state’s Life Score grade, corpus rank, peer gap, BEA RPP posture, lead dimension, and dimension book, not a moving recommendation.
Life Score neighbourhood around Florida
Lowest/highest poles plus states nearest Florida on composite Life Score. Full ladder: /rankings/.
Florida childcare costs
DOL state-average center rates for Florida (infant $10,505/yr leads the book).
Florida Life Score breakdown
Florida composites to 41.4/100 (F) across 7 of 7 dimensions; corpus place #42 of 51.
Florida - Life Score dimensions
Percentile vs all US states (100 = best in the nation for that dimension)
- Schools
Schools
88 /100
- Safety
Safety
80 /100
- Childcare
Childcare
57 /100
- Environment
Environment
40 /100
- Rent 22
Rent
22 /100
- Cost of living 20
Cost of living
20 /100
- Wages 18
Wages
18 /100
What this shows Florida's strongest dimensions are schools and safety; its weakest among scored dims is wages at 18/100. Each dimension is a federal-data percentile; the composite folds 7 of 7 into one comparable figure.
States near Florida on cost or Life Score
Nearest neighbors to Florida on BEA RPP or composite Life Score, a different lens than the in-state metro list below.
Similar cost of living (BEA RPP)
Metros in Florida
Explore detailed relocation data for 22 metropolitan areas in Florida. Florida contains 22 metropolitan statistical areas in our dataset - Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach and more - each with its own rent, wage and crime profile that can diverge sharply from the statewide average.
Cape Coral-Fort Myers metro · Compare metros · Cost vs quality · Methodology
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026
Florida cost figures follow BEA Regional Price Parities and HUD Fair Market Rents; Florida wages and safety follow BLS OEWS and FBI UCR. Research use only, verify at the agency source before you move.