Moving to Florida from Wisconsin
What to Expect
Considering a move from Wisconsin to Florida? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Wisconsin to Florida, you would find that Florida is 3.0% more expensive than Wisconsin. A $75,000 salary in Wisconsin would need to be roughly $85,106 in Florida to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Tallahassee averages 80°F vs 56°F in Madison, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Wisconsin and Florida.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $85,106
To maintain the same standard of living in Florida
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 10.7% more
Groceries
pay 11.2% more
Transportation
pay 3.8% more
Housing
pay 34.8% more
Childcare
pay 41.3% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Florida compared to Wisconsin.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Wisconsin generally does better on safety, though Florida leads in violent crime rate.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Wisconsin generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Florida leads in adult obesity rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Wisconsin performs better than Florida across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Wisconsin generally does better on infrastructure, though Florida leads in internet access.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Wisconsin performs better than Florida across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Wisconsin generally does better on family life, though Florida leads in bachelor's degree or higher.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Madison | Tallahassee |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 33°/17°F (1°/-8°C) | 68°/43°F (20°/6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 68°/46°F (20°/8°C) | 86°/61°F (30°/16°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 78°/57°F (25°/14°C) | 91°/71°F (33°/22°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 44°/28°F (7°/-2°C) | 73°/48°F (23°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Madison | Tallahassee |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26°/11°F (-3.1°/-11.6°C) | 64°/39°F (17.5°/3.9°C) |
| Feb | 31°/15°F (-0.5°/-9.4°C) | 67°/42°F (19.7°/5.5°C) |
| Mar | 43°/25°F (6.2°/-4.0°C) | 74°/47°F (23.2°/8.4°C) |
| Apr | 57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C) | 80°/52°F (26.6°/11.3°C) |
| May | 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C) | 87°/62°F (30.6°/16.4°C) |
| Jun | 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.4°C) | 91°/69°F (32.8°/20.8°C) |
| Jul | 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C) | 92°/72°F (33.4°/22.2°C) |
| Aug | 79°/59°F (26.3°/15.0°C) | 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.3°C) |
| Sep | 72°/50°F (22.1°/10.1°C) | 88°/68°F (31.3°/20.1°C) |
| Oct | 59°/39°F (14.9°/3.8°C) | 81°/57°F (27.4°/14.1°C) |
| Nov | 44°/28°F (6.7°/-2.1°C) | 73°/47°F (22.8°/8.6°C) |
| Dec | 30°/16°F (-1.0°/-8.9°C) | 65°/41°F (18.5°/5.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Florida than Wisconsin?
On average Florida is around 13% pricier than Wisconsin, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Florida?
Budget about $21,276 for 3 months in Florida (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Florida safe?
Wisconsin generally does better on safety, though Florida leads in violent crime rate.
How is healthcare in Florida compared to Wisconsin?
Wisconsin generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Florida leads in adult obesity rate.
What's the weather like in Florida compared to Wisconsin?
The average high temperature in Tallahassee is 80°F, compared to 56°F in Madison. Tallahassee receives around 59.2 in of rainfall per year, while Madison gets 34.5 in.
