Good state. It produced the best band ever (Lynyrd Skynyrd) SO it gets a 5.

The only time I went there was in February and it was 80 degrees and incredibly muggy. Also very expensive, even outside of the resort areas. I don't care much for it one way or the other, but I think Florida (like Texas, New York and California) is one of the states everyone should see at least once.

Moved here because I love it! Only problem is that it is only HOT for about 4 months, then it is just beautiful. Yes, there ARE seasons here, just none of that snow crap.

With the reality of climate change becoming all the more a reality, it might be best to reconsider moving to Florida. Firstly it is not cheap in the most 'livable' areas. It is very difficult too find affordable housing in Miami, Sarasota, Fort Lauderdale, and even Orlando- very pricey, considering the low paying jobs. Crime is high, and there are other 'quality of life' issues that make Florida undesirable. Beware of future cyclonic weather, sea rise, flooding, and climate born diseases.

Wish i could give this state 0 stars! Full of yuppies and rednecks. Tampa is a sh++hole and Miami is a playground for loser yuppies. The most overrated state by far, avoid.

All you people bashing Florida....DON'T COME BACK! It'll be less traffic with all you idiotic tourists clogging the roads. And may you all eat yellow snow. GOOD RIDDANCE! We LOVE FLORIDA. PERIOD.

I've been to Florida and my mom grew up there. Freaks that she knew growing up aside, I have positive things to say about almost everything there. They need to ditch some of the retired folks, but we in Arizona have the same affliction.

Say what you want about the weather, that's a matter of opinion. But to say that the people in Florida suck and that many of them are rednecks or yuppies shows a real lack of insight. I live in Florida and I am neither a redneck or a yuppie, just a middle class guy trying to keep eveything together and there's a lot more people like me than you believe. (I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and say there's more people like me than you saw when you were here) But I think you're going out on a limb (and I really resent it) when you attempt to give the impression that you know me better than I know myself because you are willing to pass judgment on me and give me a label when I'll bet that you haven't even bothered to read 25 of my RIA posts. It also seems that you did not seek out the finer attractions in Florida, or visit any of their historical sights, or make a geunine effort to see those things that are good, modern, and enjoyable. Sure, there are rednecks and yes, there are yuppies but just because someone has a southern accent doesn't automatically mean that they have a front yard littered with junk cars or their washing machine is located on the front porch. (by the way, I do not have a southern accent. I am an ex New Yorker) Be careful my friend, your intellectual dishonesty is showing.

Hands down the most overrated state in the USA!! Too hot and humid for me and the people suck, lots of rednecks and yuppies (esp. in south Fla) who think they are so cool, i'd rather live anywhere but this God awful state!!!

No income tax--good climate. It has lot's to do year around.

I live in a beautiful state that actually has 4 seasons, unlike Florida. Illinois has snow in the winter and is hotter than Florida in the summer. I wouldn't mind living in Florida if it wasn't for the HURRICANES that they get??? Give me a break. I am still mezmerized by the fact that they are called the Sunshine State. I have been in Florida ALOT of times... it is either sunny or RAINING. 50% for either pretty much. NO THANKS, I think I would rather have a Christmas where my kids can build a snowman -- and a summer where my kids can say ha, ha... its hotter here than it is in Florida right now!!! Florida is crap.

No way i could ever live there, don't see how anyone else can. Walt Disney World is a great place to vacation, but that is it. I find it hard to believe that so many elderly people live there, they have a harder time breathing anyways, and durring summer, a 20 year old olympic athelete would need oxygen after 30 minutes of being outside.

I used to enjoy going to Florida as a kid, but as I've grown older, my feelings toward it are pretty ambivalent. The pace of life is far slower than it is up North, and that can be a seductive lure at times. Unfortunately, once I've arrived in Florida in search of that tranquility, boredom rapidly sets in after a day or so. I used to go to Cocoa Beach and the swimming there was great...a warm, peaceful ocean; a welcome change after the turbulent, icy waters of NJ...but swimming is not among my favorite activities. In fairness, I never spent any appreciable time in Miami, Florida's cultural center, but I know that once you get off the coast, East or West, you're in hillbilly country. Also, the highways are among the most boring in America...flat swampland with a seemingly infinite number of scraggly pine trees. I'll always have a grudging sort of affection for it, I guess, but I'd never want to live there.

The trouble with Florida is the humidity and heat- which I do not like-especially when it lasts from April to November. There are some nice beaches to be sure, and Naples, Ft. Lauderdale and south beach are very nice. The rest of the state is hard to describe- perhaps cheap and tacky is a good description.

Florida is an ideal vacation but not somplace I'd consider living year round (maybe Fort Lauderdale as an exception). A Florida vacation is a great remedy for winters up north. The gulf coast has amazing beaches with powder white sand and emerald green water and occasionally dolphins are spotted leaping out of the water. The sunsets here are very nice as well. Orlando offers a world of fun but of course that go's without saying. Disney World can make any jaded adult feel like a kid again. Miami has a big city pulse and cosmopolitan environment not found anywhere else in the state. I did find Fort Lauderdale to be the nicest of all cities in Florida as it is very clean and it has a very inviting beach and just seemed a bit more liveable than Miami or Tampa. On that note Tampa is crap, if you're ever in the area, skip it and head straight to the gulf beaches.

Overrated! As Vic Chesnutt sang so gloriosuly many years ago, Florida, Florida is the Redneck Riviera!

Lets hope this summer the hurricane events are not too numerous. Used to be a cheap place to retire- not now- very costly. Too hot for me- lots of crime, and has a bad school system.

I like visiting Florida for vacations, they have gorgeous beaches. Even the airports are prettier than northern airports. Everytime I have been there and they've had rain, it lasts like 10 min max and goes away and the sun is back same as if there never was a rain. I look forward to my next Florida vacation.

I've been to Florida approximately 8 times and loved it everytime to the point where I use to cry when I returned home growing up. Disney world, EPCOT, MGM studios and Seaworld are fantastic. International Dr is the place to vacation. Its beautiful and the landscaping is awesome. I dont think I could live there thoguh simply because of the snakes, bugs, lizards, alligators, hurricanes and etc. But its one of the most beautiful states I've ever seen. Wonderful vacation spot. .

it is very nice and i love it but it is really hot there

Florida is my state; I am a true Florida Cracker. I was born in Miami and grew up there and in the Keys. My mother was from Maine and my father from Chicago. I spent many summers visiting between the beautiful state of Maine and the diverse city of Chicago. I have lived in Cocoa Beach, Amelia Island and I now reside on a small island community in the Gulf of Mexico. Years ago I used to think that I would like to live somewhere else, but I realized that I love this state with all of its good points and bad. I have gone swimming, fishing and diving in these waters for years and have only encountered a shark on a couple of occasions, usually I see a lot of barracuda eyeing me with bored curiosity. Yes, it is hot in the summer here, until today I have not had to run my air conditioning since mid October, and I used my heat maybe a total of 2 weeks collectively. Most days the temperature has been a mild 72 F. Yes, we have mosquitoes, Skin So Soft really does work to repel the buggers, with an added benefit of keeping my skin girlishly supple. I enjoy a fresh abundance of clams, oysters, scallops and shrimp, as well as all the fish I can catch. Inland, at the Farmers Market I buy produce that has been picked that day, mangos, watermelon, corn, strawberries, and big juicy tomatoes. The oleander, hibiscus and plumbago are in full bloom all around me, with jasmine perfuming the air at night. The neighborhood Giant White Heron with a gimpy leg lands on the railing of my balcony near dusk looking for a hand out. An osprey uses a 400-year-old oak tree in my yard during the winter months like a sentry scanning the horizon with his sharp eyes. Flat? We may not have towering mountains, however if you journey though the center of the state through Ocala and down to Lake Wales you will find gently rolling hills and think that you have crossed into another state. Ocala also is the winter training ground for several of the thoroughbred racehorses. Some of the farms there have grass as lush and blue as Kentuckys. I know it is not for everyone, I just had to throw my five bucks in for the defense of the state the Spanish called the land of flowers, mi estato, Florida.

too over-crowded, but nice weather

Too hot, too expensive and over rated.

I love it there, It is a lot of fun but way to HOT all the time!

I Love Florida...I Dont Care What anybody Say...Have of These people never been here..We Got Beautiful Cities and Beaches...and Alot of Big Cities,Attractions everything...Florida The Best

The Panhandle - I laugh when people say they're going to Florida but don't make it past Destin. This ain't the real Florida, its an extension of Alabama. Even though the Redneck Riviera is getting so overbuilt, it still remains its Deep South character along with the whitest beaches in the Country. Pensacola was voted the friendliest city in America by some big poll a while back. Besides the beaches, check out Apalachicola and Blackwater River. North Florida - I like this area with its horse farms and rolling hills alternating with cypress sloughs. Its a lot like Georgia (i.e. The Old South) It has a lot of wild areas with beautiful springs and such. Jacksonville is basically a very large town, not a city. I've met a few locals that refer to it as The Armpit of the South, but I don't think its all that bad even if it is rather unispiring. Daytona has some super wide beaches that you can drive on and good surfing by US standards. Central Florida - a variable area that has some of the best and worst that Florida has to offer -A Land of Mickey, citrus and traffic. South Florida may as well be in the Caribbean but thats whats so good about it. The Keys are unique and beautiful.

Governor Bush has vetoed every attempt to raise the minimum wage- in a state with spiraling housing costs- how do you live? In the streets....? I have seen too many rednecks and cockroaches (not that the two are related) Some really jazzy toney places like Naples and Palm Beach- but you gotta have $$$$ to live here- and in many other areas of this state now. That Cole Porter tune...'It's Too Damn Hot'..well thats Florida- and becoming wetter as well. Average classroom size 40- dreadful- this state may have wonderful winter escapes and Theme Parks- but its not cheap now- the overall quality of life is much lower then the number given here.

I agree with Gator-Bait, the jobs and pay in Florida SUCK BIG TIME! Some people might be fortunate to find something good, but most will come up empty and find competition for what's available very steep. Things are getting very very expensive, some parts of Florida will be like California on a cost of living scale very soon, although salaries won't be California levels. Yeah they say no personal state income tax on individuals but salaries are lower and jobs are less plentiful. If you want to lower your standard of living and don't mind working a job your way over qualified for to make barely enough money to pay the bills, then by all means move here and enjoy it! The only good thing about some parts of Florida is the weather during the winter and the interesting animal and plant life which is disappearing. Developments and ugly cookie cutter houses built on zero lot lines is the norm, malls and strip malls are overkill and people love to eat out on a daily basis. Probably a great place to live 20 years ago.

5 stars for Disney World. 1 star for hurricanes and humidity!

Naples is nice- and St. Augustine is very old and charming. South Beach and its art Deco buildings are wonderful. The west coast is less crowded and has many nice beaches. Ft. Lauderdale is now a popular destination area to live and visit with its beaches and many amentities. But thats the best- the bad is nearly everywhere- most of the state is flat, hot and humid and in many areas crime ridden. Also the education system is way below average. With global warming heating things up in the future, the state will be subjected to flooding and potentially devastating sea rise. Also it seems very likely there will be an increase in the number of intense storms and hurricanes. Enjoy the nice beaches, palms and sunshine while it lasts- otherwise relocate at your own risk.....quite frankly,how anyone can rate this hot and humid,cockroach and alliagor infested state above is 2 is beyond me.Jeb Bush is a stooge - who has no more brains then his brother. Poor schools, and higher costs then many believe. Again beware- as I alluded to earlier- climate change is escalating fast- which will have dire consequences for the 'Sunshine state'. UPDATE- I am glad texana understands the empirical evidence about climate change- not only in Florida- but every state.

To bad they can't vote or count there.

Floridians luv Bush. Morons. ... Gator fans are the biggest losers in sports. The peeple there suck! Everything sucks! ... Christ even the criminals down there suck. They commit their crimes by using squirt guns.

To think that Florida earns the same rating as New Jersey is really sad. But unfortunately the state is like a beautiful flower that got ravaged by big ugly insects, meaning overdevelopment of tourist and retirement structures. I'm a beach-lover so I still welcome the opportunity to visit the coastal regions of Florida. But if I wasn't, I would definitely feel overwhelmed by the multitudes of old people and rednecks. They also seem to be lax on education and crime; the death penalty doesn't stop this from being a popular place with murderers and serial killers. Finally I agree with celticprince that few seem to be aware of the warming trend going on in Florida. I live in Texas and it's also happening here. Twenty years ago summers were tolerably hot and winters were mild - now summers are scorching and winters are warm. It forces the older people to stay indoors as much as if they had remained up north. I go outside in Florida or Texas almost any time of year, and I can feel the sun burning my arms. That's disturbing.

Florida is a state with many things that are diserable- a mild climate with little or no winter, some great beaches, and sparkling diamonds like south beach and regions south of St. Pete and Tampa that are idealic. It does however have high crime, increasing high costs, poor services and a at best a lackluster educational system. It seems if you are rich or have a great income you can live very well- if not, good luck.

I've been in Tampa for 3 years now and love it! Wish it was a little less right-wing though.......

I would give a better star rating for the Natural Florida but that doesn't exist anymore so...A little advice for those who are thinking of moving to South Florida. Unless you are rich and don't have to work think twice before pitching your tent, because you will be hard pressed to find a high paying job here. The salaries are terrible, yet the cost of living is very high and rising. Even if you do get a decent paying job, you'll never be able to afford a house at the current median price ($325,000 and rising) that is unless you already have a ton of money. Rentals are priced high, a 1 bedroom can cost you $1000/month in a nice area, car insurance is high, murder rate is high, traffic is bad, grid lock on I-95 is a daily routine. People from New York and New Jersey moving here in droves, can I say anymore??? Yes the old people, well there are plenty of those and during season the snowbirds from all over clog the roadways, restaurants and shopping centers. Another motto for Florida should be, A place where everyone has a job, but no-one seems to be working....if you live here you will think that the most of the people here are on vacation, because it looks that way everyday of the week, and these people aren't old either. Another annoying site is the very materialistic people, status and stature is judged by Louis Vuitton, BMW, Bentley and Gucci. Keeping up with the Jones is a daily requirement here. Used to be a nice place to live, now it's becoming a nice place to visit and I can't say how long that will last?

Hot, humid and flat. Crime ridden. Poor educational system. Roaches from here to forever.

Alligators. Enough said.

It's amazing of all the people who bash Florida and give it a bad rating, to each is their own but with the number of people who move to Florida each day at 1,000, it seems that that alone speaks in volumes. To say the overall quality of life is less then average is totally ignorant. Humidity comes with the terrority and you can't even escape it during the summer months in the northern states. Dry heat is wonderful isn't it? With dried out sinus passages, dry chapped skin, dehydration and static electricity shocks being a daily nuisance. If you think that is easier to live with then a little sweat, then knock yourself out. Air Conditioning is as common in Florida as Heat is during the winter months up North, if you live near the coast you will get a nice daily breeze, further inland yes it can be brutal. It all depends where you live, but it's the people who don't live in Florida who aren't use to it that complain. Some parts of Florida are getting overcrowded, especially South Florida, housing is a problem, that is expensive to either rent or buy. Traffic and Crime varies where you live but with more people comes more issues. It's a tough place to make a living and jobs (good ones) are sparse and salaries are below average. With the rising cost of living and lack of high paying jobs, some parts of Florida are becoming very hard to live in for the average Joe. Everybody want's a piece of the pie, but all that's left is the crumbs. 5 stars for great weather, beautiful beaches, Palm trees and etc. especially from October thru May when the rest of America with a few exceptions is staring at gray skies and frozen blocks of ice.

Some great vacation places, some real nice beaches-however the overall quality of life is less then average. Summer weather is too extreme with heat and super high humidity- dry heat is easier to live with- an alternative is AZ.

In my opinion, badly overrated. Tons of crime, a conservative mentality, humid as hell... it can't get much worse than Florida. Beaches are pretty, though.

Some attractive places to live-along the three coasts (east- west- and 'redneck rivierra' but not cheap anymore-housing is going through the roof in the state. Florida is too flat for my tastes, and I dislike the high humidity and heat. Another 'rater' here pointed out the ramifications of a warming climate and the possible problems it could cause in the near future- a point to seriously consider. Florida also has a high crime rate in many areas-

Hot, sticky, smelly, rainy, bug-infested, and very overrated. I went there once, stayed there for two months and did not enjoy it.

Apparently the people say New Jersey smells have never been to the Sunshine state. I went to the Outback bowl in 1996 at it didn't stop raining the whole 4 days I was there. Tampa is so dangerous we were told to leave the hotel at our own risk at night. The place is a run-down cesspool. Then there's Miami. I though Southbeach would be nice, but there was an aweful smell in the air. One time I flew out of Jacksonville Apt. I had to park in a grass field!This whole state is nothing but asphalt, except where there needs to be some. And when they say they have Palmetto bugs, it actually means the state is infested with roaches. Don't be fooled. Only Georgia is worse. Take your family to Arizona instead.

People seem to love Florida, but at least to me, it doesn't have a lot to recommend it. The state makes Illinois look mountainous - it's dead flat, everywhere you go. The humidity is absolutely stifling in the summer. Several cities, especially in the southeastern portion of the state, make up endless sprawl from Fort Lauderdale to Miami. I will give Florida the weather in winter - you have to respect that - and some beautiful beaches, as well as the spectacular drive to Key West. But to me, it's overall not one of the more interesting states.

Generally speaking, FL is a very livable place. Prices are skyrocketing, especially with regards to real estate prices. But there's still plenty of room for growth here overall, however the cost of living seems to be highest along the coasts. Good climate overall, especially from October through May, when temperature average out in the mid-70's, with the exception of the far north around Tallahassee, which is much cooler; they actually have 4 seasons! Summer can be very hot and especially humid. Generally speaking, it rains daily at that time of year; hurricanes are also major consideration. Crime is a n issue in many of the larger cities like Miami; the public school system also faces overcrowding. Lots of people have been moving into the state, from the rest of the country and from Latin America, that has placed an immense burden on the infrastructure. Traffic is a problem, especially in South Florida and Orlando. The topography isn't very diverse either, some rolling hills in the central part of the state around Ocala are the only peaks you'll find around here. But that doesn't mean it lacks natural beauty necessarily. FL is home to one of the largest areas of unspoiled wetlands in the world. The beaches can't be beat; the NE coast isn't as good, but South Florida and the Gulf Coast have the best beaches in the nation. You may have to deal with these factors, but FL is an interesting place. Lots of amenties, interesting cities (except Jacksonville), and lots of cultural and natural sites. Very accessable to the rest of the country as well. Overall, I would say that Florida is probably one of the best states to live in, once you get around the heat and mosquitos.

FYI: The high temperature in New York for 4 of the last 5 summers has beaten the ALL-TIME HIGH for the city of Miami (98 degrees F). And people complain about Florida being hot? On a negative note, it is hard to rate a state higher than a 4 when it still does not know who it voted for in the last presidential elections before this one...

Too hot!? I find it funny that people that live up north say it is too hot. I admit it is hot in the summer, but how about the other 9 months? That is right, it is beautiful. Other people's justification for living in cold weather is that you get all 4 seasons! Seasons! Screw seasons. I would rather be hot than cold any day of the week. You can take your season of winter (snow, heating your car, ice, and overall depression) and shove it.

A top destination spot, great beaches, some friendly people in certain areas. I would never live there though, it is waaaaay to hot and humid during summer, and way too touristy. Florida is a great place to visit, but not to live. UPDATE: I HAD IT AT THREE STARS, NOW ITS GOING DOWN TO ONE!!!! YOU LOSERS MADE GEORGE BUSH THE PRESIDENT AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!UPDATE: but please let me add to this smart ass mr political guy, that i am not a liberal, i am bipartisant, also, he is a major hater and has some major issues with listenting to other people's OPINIONS, do you not realise that it is an opinion website, get a life, i don't believe in this whole right wing left wing crap, its such a load!

People like opinion585 are different from some of the other liberals on RIA. You see, opinion585 doesn't care what reality is or what logic says, rather he/she just wants to twist everything to an anti-Bush message. ANYWAY, Florida is a great state! The beaches are pretty good and the resturants are wonderful! It doesn't get a five only because every time I go there, my glasses fog up as a result of the humidity (lol)!