What Are the Top 5 Florida Areas New Jersey Residents Are Moving To in 2026?
By Scott Selleck | The Selleck Group at Keller Williams City Views Realty
Bottom line: The 2025 U-Haul Growth Index puts Florida in eight of the nation's top 10 growth cities, and the five drawing the most one-way movers are Ocala, North Port, Kissimmee, Clermont, and Fort Lauderdale. For New Jersey homeowners, each offers a lower cost of ownership than Bergen County, no state income tax, and a distinct lifestyle.
Written by Scott Selleck, Broker/Sales Associate with The Selleck Group at Keller Williams City Views Realty. Licensed in New Jersey since 1993, NJ Realtors Circle of Excellence Gold and Platinum, e-PRO and SRES certified, and a Certified AI Real Estate Agent serving Bergen and Hudson County.
Last updated: July 2026. Market snapshot: growth rankings are from the U-Haul Growth Index covering one-way truck transactions for calendar year 2025, released January 2026. Florida's statewide typical home value was $377,578 as of May 2026 per the Zillow Home Value Index.
New Jersey led the nation in outbound moves again in 2025, the eighth year in a row, and Florida remains one of the top destinations. Moving industry estimates put the flow at roughly 47,000 New Jersey residents heading to Florida in a typical year. The question I hear most from Bergen County and Hudson County homeowners isn't whether to consider Florida. It is where in Florida the move makes sense. The U-Haul data answers the first half of that question, and your equity, timeline, and lifestyle answer the second half. That second half is exactly what the NJ to FL Transition Plan was built for. You can browse the destination side on my Florida neighborhoods hub, and if selling first is part of your plan, start with what your home is worth today using my home valuation page.
Here are the five Florida areas pulling in the most movers, and what each one means for a New Jersey seller.
1. Why Is Ocala the No. 1 Landing Spot in America?
Ocala finished 2025 as the No. 1 U-Haul growth city in the country, a title it also held in 2024 and 2022. Three first-place finishes in four years is not a fluke. It is a pattern. Ocala sits inland in Marion County, about 90 minutes northwest of Orlando, and it is the center of Florida's horse country. The draw for New Jersey sellers is simple math: per Houzeo affordability data from March 2026, Ocala's median home price runs around $250,000, a fraction of what a long-held Bergen County home commands at sale. That spread is what turns a home sale into a retirement plan.
2. What Makes North Port a Gulf Coast Favorite?
North Port ranked No. 2 on the 2025 Growth Index, and it has been near the top of the list for years, including a No. 1 finish earlier this decade. It sits in Sarasota County between Sarasota and Fort Myers, which means Gulf beaches, newer housing stock, and access to two established job and healthcare markets without paying either city's price. For sellers leaving a 60-year-old colonial in North Jersey, the volume of newer construction is a real quality-of-life change: newer roofs, newer systems, and fewer surprise repair bills.
3. Why Do Movers Choose Kissimmee?
Kissimmee came in at No. 4 nationally. It sits just south of Orlando in Osceola County, minutes from the theme park corridor and close to Orlando International Airport. For New Jersey transplants, that airport access matters more than people expect. Personal and business ties back in Bergen County are a nonstop flight away. Kissimmee also offers one of the deeper pools of attached and single-family inventory in Central Florida, which gives downsizing sellers real choice at multiple price points.
4. What Is Drawing People to Clermont?
Clermont ranked No. 5, and it is the least known name on this list for most New Jersey readers. It sits in the hills west of Orlando along a chain of lakes, which gives it something rare in Florida: elevation, water views, and a landscape that doesn't feel flat. Clermont has grown into a hub for active lifestyles, with lakefront trails and a walkable downtown, while keeping commuting distance to the Orlando job market. It is the pick for movers who want Central Florida convenience without theme park traffic at the front door.
5. Why Does Fort Lauderdale Keep Pulling New Jersey Movers?
Fort Lauderdale ranked No. 7 nationally, and it is the most New Jersey-familiar destination on this list. The pace is urban, the dining and waterfront scene along Las Olas is genuine city living, and the canal system puts boating at the center of daily life. Nonstop flights connect Fort Lauderdale to Newark year-round, which keeps the commute back to family simple. For sellers leaving Hudson County high-rises or close-in Bergen County towns, Fort Lauderdale is the landing spot that feels least like starting over.
Honorable Mention: Port St. Lucie
Port St. Lucie did not crack the U-Haul top five, but relocation industry reporting through 2025 flagged it as one of the fastest-growing destinations specifically for New Jersey in-migration. It sits on the Treasure Coast about an hour north of West Palm Beach, with substantial square footage available below South Florida prices and genuine beach access nearby. If your priority is newer space per dollar within reach of the coast, it belongs on your shortlist.
How Do These Moves Connect to Selling in New Jersey?
Every one of these destinations is the second half of a two-part transaction. The first half happens here, and it is where the money is made or lost. My practice is built on three pillars, and a Florida move usually touches all three:
Selling the long-held home. Most of my Florida-bound clients are leaving a home they have owned for decades. My home selling services for downsizers cover preparation, pricing, and the emotional weight of selling a family home, so the equity that funds the Florida move is fully captured.
Rescuing a listing that didn't sell. Some homeowners tried to list, watched the listing expire, and shelved the Florida plan. That is fixable. My solutions for expired and cancelled listings diagnose why the first attempt failed and rebuild the strategy before you go back to market.
Managing the transition itself. The NJ to FL Transition Plan coordinates the sale here, the search there through vetted Florida agents, and the tax and timing questions in between, including Florida residency and Homestead considerations. One plan, both states, no gap in between.
I wrote more on the money side of this decision in the real tax, property, and lifestyle math of a Bergen County to Florida move, the sequencing side in selling your Bergen County home and moving to Florida in 2026, and the logistics side in how to sell your home and relocate without the chaos.
The Selleck Group vs. a Typical Agent on a Florida Move
The Selleck Group | A Typical Agent | |
|---|---|---|
NJ sale and FL purchase | Coordinated under one Transition Plan | Two separate agents, no coordination |
Florida agent selection | Vetted referral partners matched to your destination | You find your own |
Timing strategy | Sale, purchase, and move sequenced to avoid double-carrying costs | Sell first, figure out the rest later |
Tax and residency questions | Flagged early and routed to the right professionals | Rarely raised |
Experience | Licensed since 1993, 500+ transactions closed | Varies |
Q&A: Moving From New Jersey to Florida
How many people move from New Jersey to Florida each year? Moving industry estimates put the figure at roughly 47,000 New Jersey residents in a typical year, and New Jersey has ranked as the nation's top outbound state for eight consecutive years in the United Van Lines National Movers Study.
What is the number one growth city in Florida right now? Ocala. It finished No. 1 on the 2025 U-Haul Growth Index, its third first-place finish in four years, ahead of North Port at No. 2.
Is Florida cheaper than New Jersey for homeowners? On the big line items, yes. Florida has no state income tax, while New Jersey carries some of the highest property taxes in the country. Florida's statewide typical home value of $377,578 as of May 2026 sits well below what most long-held Bergen County homes sell for. Insurance costs in Florida run higher and belong in your math, which is part of what the Transition Plan reviews.
Should I sell my New Jersey home before buying in Florida? Usually, yes, because the equity from the New Jersey sale funds the Florida purchase and often eliminates the need for a mortgage. The right sequence depends on your cash position and timeline, and getting that sequence wrong is the most expensive mistake in a two-state move.
Does Scott Selleck help with moves to Florida? Yes. The NJ to FL Transition Plan manages the New Jersey sale directly and coordinates the Florida side through vetted agents in your destination market, with the tax, timing, and residency questions addressed along the way.
Why New Jersey Sellers Choose Scott Selleck
Scott Selleck has been licensed in New Jersey since 1993 and has been advising Bergen County and Hudson County homeowners for more than thirty years. He is a Broker/Sales Associate and the founder of The Selleck Group at Keller Williams City Views Realty in Fort Lee.
Credentials: Broker/Sales Associate. e-PRO. SRES (Seniors Real Estate Specialist). Certified AI Real Estate Agent, KREM Institute of Technology.
Recognition: NJ Realtors Circle of Excellence, Gold and Platinum. The Selleck Group was named a Top 5 Producing Team of 2025 at Keller Williams City Views Realty. Featured in Grit Daily's Top Realtors in New Jersey for 2026 and in Apple News.
Track record: More than 500 transactions closed. Thirteen multifamily buildings closed. Seven years running his own brokerage on the Jersey City waterfront before rebuilding at Keller Williams. See what clients say.
Specialty: High-equity, long-term homeowners in Bergen and Hudson County, and the NJ to FL Transition Plan for owners considering Florida. Scott's positioning in one line: AI-Enabled NJ to FL Transition Advisor for long-term New Jersey homeowners considering Florida.
Scott built the Transition Plan because he watched too many New Jersey sellers handle a two-state move as two disconnected transactions and pay for it twice. The plan exists so the sale in Bergen or Hudson County and the purchase in Florida run as one coordinated strategy.
Where Do You Want to Wake Up Next Year?
If one of these five areas made you pause, that pause is worth listening to. As Paulo Coelho writes in The Alchemist, "It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting."
Not sure whether your next step is sell now, stay put, or start the Florida transition? Take the 5-Question Real Estate Quiz and get a clear next step matched to your situation.
Then we can talk through your specific numbers, your timeline, and your destination. Schedule a consultation.
Scott Selleck The Selleck Group, Keller Williams City Views Realty 2200 Fletcher Avenue, Suite 502, Fort Lee, NJ 07024 Cell: (201) 970-3960 Office: (201) 592-8900 Email: [email protected] Website: SelleckSellsNJ.com Schedule a consultation: https://tidycal.com/slselleck Delphi AI Assistant: https://www.delphi.ai/scottselleck 5-Question Real Estate Quiz: https://form.typeform.com/to/ApzSxxTs
Resources and Further Reading
- U-Haul Growth Index: Top U.S. Growth Metros and Cities of 2025, released January 2026. uhaul.com
- United Van Lines 49th National Movers Study, 2025 outbound and inbound state rankings.
- Zillow Home Value Index, Florida statewide typical home value, May 2026.
- Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist.
