CA vs FL
 

Whereabouts are you on CA? We live half time here, half time San Diego...hard to make the big commitment to FL, and life is pretty sweet as it is. Message me and we can hash it over!

I don't know anyone living in The Villages that moved here solely based on the cost of living. Folks come here for the lifestyle. If it happens to cost less to live here versus wherever you came from, that's a nice bonus. I was born and raised in SoCal, and it was a great place to grow up. But, the best move I ever made was back in 1977 when I put Kalifornia in my rearview mirror for good. You will find the vast majority of people in The Villages to be friendly and very open. But, one thing that is disliked HERE is when folks move away from THERE (pick any place) to come HERE, and then proceed to try and make HERE like it was THERE.

Cheaper Outside
 

Generally speaking, it is cheaper to live outside The Villages than inside. There are many decent retirement developments in Florida, however, most do not include the number of amenities that The Villages has. If you choose to live in a regular town or city as compared to a retirement development, it will depend on the community you choose. The better municipalities will be more expensive than The Villages. Bottom line: you get what you pay for.

why
 

For the activities, golf, pickleball .... and house cheaper than CA

I’m a native California Gal myself. San Francisco to be exact. Moved east to Georgia in 2002. Then down to Florida in 2015. We moved to The Villages two years ago. Best thing we ever did. The pace of life is much less stressful here. No more rolling blackouts, no more horrendous traffic, lower taxes, and you can get a much nicer home without selling your first born. And yes, no income tax is nice.
The heat and humidity do take getting used to. I personally like the heat. You do have to be careful in the summer not to get overheated. Many people go north to the mountains of North Carolina, North Georgia or Tennessee. Or you just stay inside during the heat of the day and hug the shade.

I suggest you come for a long visit if you can and explore. Good luck in your search and don’t let the naysayers yuck your yum. Take care.

Monetary reasons should not be the main factor in moving anywhere. Take into consideration the weather, access to things, lifestyle of the areas, ages of neighbors, safety of the neighborhoods etc. You can always find a cheaper state to live in but does it have the thing you are Interested in?

If your only concern is money, you should stay put. You’ll be happier there.

There is far more than just that. You need to consider, lower taxes (RE), no state taxes, easier on your SS checks, lower cost of living (our minimum wage isn't ridiculous), we don't have a crazy idiot for a governor, housing prices across the state are far less than CA, the atmosphere is far different. We are far different from CA, we had looked years ago at a relo to SoCal, I am so happy I turned it down. I would be totally miserable now.

Keep in mind all the advantages don't have to be just monetary.

Monetary advantage?
 

Having come from California, I believe you are too late for any monetary benefit here in Florida. Having no State Tax does not seem to line my pocketbook. Of course, this also depends on where in Cali you are coming from and what you are retiring from.

The Villages lifestyle is amazing. The homes are much more reasonable than most of Califirnia. We have no income tax, you are within an hours drive of the beach, over 3,000 clubs to join, tons of free golf, free swimming pools, tons of friends, cheap gas, cheaper food, and just a great place to live. Moved here from Florida would never go back. Come and rent a home here for a month in the summer and a month in the winter and then decide for yourself.

We moved from SoCal to The Villages 4-½ years ago. The property tax and homeowners insurance are about equal to CA. Everything else is far less. For instance, to register our motorhome in CA it cost $ 2,000 a year. In Florida it’s $ 87. The multi tiered electricity system in CA peaked out at around 52 cents a KWH and it’s 11 cents in FL. And with no personal state income tax nor capital gains tax, there’s a substantial savings. And of curse there’s the fuel cost differential. Financially it’s a no brainer. And generally after a year your body will adjust to the summer humidity. So come on down!

Nana, we have a similar trajectory. I did my first lifestyle visit to The Villages in July 2022 and closed on my home in Richmond in December 2022. I’m a California native, living there through my mid 30s, then 20 years in Colorado. Like you, I moved here for the fabulous community that The Villages is, NOT because it is in Florida. With that being said, I’ve taken quite a liking to this state.

Played 18 holes of golf last evening for 23.54. This is the safest place to retire in the US.

I moved here from Ca in 2020. Move because of a different life now in retirement. More to being here that just your house purchase. I would be happy to speak with you and/or help with a tour of the place if I knew how to get in touch with you.

$180-$190