Moving from Florida to Colorado: Pros, Cons and What Homes Cost

Moving from Florida to Colorado trades hurricane season for ski season, humidity for 300 days of sun, and a flat coastline for the Rocky Mountains. This guide covers the real pros and cons of moving from Florida to Colorado, what homes for sale in Colorado cost city by city this week, and how Florida buyers get into a Colorado home with as little as $1,000 down. Call or text 303-955-4220. A live person answers.

Why Floridians move to Colorado

• No hurricanes, no flood zone. The Front Range has zero hurricane risk. Hail and wildfire are the Colorado risks, and homeowners insurance still runs about half of a Florida coastal policy.
• Dry air and real seasons. Summer highs in the 80s and 90s with low humidity, fall color in the aspens, winters with sun between storms.
• Outdoor life within an hour. Skiing, fourteeners, trout rivers and lake days sit 30 to 90 minutes from every Front Range city. See Colorado mountain homes and golf course homes.
• Jobs. Aerospace, health care, tech and the military anchor Denver and Colorado Springs. Northern Colorado adds a university economy in Fort Collins and Greeley.
• Lower property tax bills. Colorado's residential assessment rate keeps the annual tax bill below what most Florida owners pay on the same price.

The cons, stated plainly

• Homes cost more. The Denver median asking price this week is $515K against Sebring's low-$300Ks. Pueblo and Colorado Springs close most of that gap.
• State income tax. Colorado charges a flat 4.4%. Florida charges none. On a $100,000 income that is about $4,400 a year, offset in part by the insurance and property tax savings above.
• Altitude and dryness. Expect a week of adjustment, a humidifier in the bedroom, and lotion.
• Snow days. The Front Range averages 55 to 60 inches a year. It melts fast, and every homeowner owns a shovel.
• Hail. Roofs get replaced on insurance every 8 to 12 years along the Front Range. Ask for the roof age on every home you tour.

What homes cost in Colorado this week

Live asking prices from the MLS feed on this site, updated daily. Click a city for today's listings.

Where Florida movers land

• Colorado Springs: the largest military community in the state, Pikes Peak in every window, a $375K median. Closest thing to a Florida price with a Colorado view.
• Pueblo: the value end of the Front Range at $279K, warm summers, Lake Pueblo State Park, a downtown riverwalk.
• Denver and Aurora: the jobs, the airport, light rail, and the widest choice of condos, lofts and patio homes.
• Fort Collins and Loveland: college-town energy, breweries, the Poudre River, an hour from Denver.
• Castle Rock and Parker: newer neighborhoods south of Denver with new construction and open space.
• Retiring? Colorado's 55+ communities run from Denver's Windsor Gardens to golf communities in Colorado Springs.

How to buy a Colorado home from Florida

1. Sell smart in Florida first. Your Florida equity is your Colorado down payment. Get the number before you list.
2. Pick two cities, not one. Save a search on each on kennarealestate.com/homes. New listings hit your inbox the morning they post.
3. Tour from your couch. Every listing has a fly-around of the house and the block. Our agents walk the rest on video.
4. Use Colorado's down payment help. State and county programs plus an FHA or conventional loan put buyers in for about $1,000 out of pocket. VA buyers go in at zero. Every way to buy with $1,000 down.
5. Not ready to commit to a city? Rent-to-own homes in Colorado let you live in the house first with the right to buy it.
6. Look at the rate on the house. Hundreds of Colorado listings carry an assumable low-rate mortgage a buyer takes over.

Questions Florida buyers ask about Colorado

Is Colorado cheaper than Florida to live in?

Housing costs more in Colorado; almost everything else costs less. Colorado homeowners insurance runs about half of a Florida hurricane-zone policy, property tax bills are lower, and there is no flood insurance line on most Front Range homes. Colorado does have a flat 4.4% state income tax that Florida does not. Run both columns before you decide. More: how Colorado buyers finance a home.

Which Colorado city feels most like Sebring, Florida?

Pueblo is the closest match on price and pace, with a $279K median asking price and a lake at the edge of town. Colorado Springs gives you a bigger job market at a $375K median. More: Pueblo homes for sale.

How much snow does Colorado really get?

The Front Range cities get around 55 to 60 inches a year, in storms that melt within days under the sun. The mountains get many times that. Denver averages about 300 days of sunshine, more than Miami. More: Colorado mountain homes.

Can I buy a Colorado home from Florida without flying out?

Yes. Every listing on this site has a fly-around and full photo set, our agents walk homes on video, and Colorado allows remote closings. Buyers who want to try a city first use rent-to-own homes in Colorado. More: free buyer guides.

What down payment do I need in Colorado?

Colorado down payment assistance plus an FHA or conventional loan puts many buyers in a home for about $1,000 out of pocket. VA buyers go in at zero down. More: every way to buy with $1,000 down.

Is altitude a problem when you move from sea level?

Most people feel it for the first week: shorter breath on stairs, more thirst, better sleep once you drink more water. Denver sits at 5,280 feet, Colorado Springs at 6,035, Pueblo at 4,692. Move in, drink water, go easy on the first hike. More: Denver homes for sale.

Ready to compare a Colorado city to where you live now? Call or text 303-955-4220. A live person answers. The Kenna Real Estate Group has helped out-of-state buyers land on the Front Range since 2002. Start with the free buyer guides or talk to a real person.