Which State would you rather live in: Michigan or Florida

[Del Tachi]

More than 20,000 Michiganders moved to Florida in 2019 (i.e., pre-covid) and Florida is the top out-of-state destination for Michigan residents.

Florida has no state income tax and an overall lower cost of living than Michigan.  Tampa and Miami are better, more amenity-rich cities than Detroit; Orlando is too, actually (it's a top international tourist and conference destination) but I really wouldn't consider living there for other reasons.

You don't get swamp ass in Michigan. Their lakeside beaches are actually much nicer than Florida in the summer due to it not being super f--king hot.

Try going to a Michigan beach between Oct and May LOL

They also have actual seasons

Yes, and one is them is called "spend all day shoveling snow."

underrated scenery in places like the UP

Have you ever heard of Dry Tortugas?  Florida is the imminently premier state for year-round outdoor or water-adjacent activity (i.e., boating, fishing, diving, golf, etc.)

the tourist traps that make up most of Florida

Most of Florida is not particularly touristy unless you're right on certain beaches or near Orlando.  FL is the #1 tourism state in the country, but that's just more evidence of how great it is!

nicer smarter and less crazy people

Michigan has more violent crime than Florida (478.0 vs 383.6 per 100k population in 2020.)

and a better flagship university and college town to go with it

U.S. News and Report actually ranks Florida #1 in the country for higher education, given they have 3 public universities in the top 100 and the lowest tuition and fees of any state

They have an actual, unique and interesting culture,

Uhm, excuse me but is unique or interesting about the Upper Midwest of all places?  The only kind of cool thing I immediately associate with Michigan is Motown.

Also, the foreign-born population of FL is something like 4.4M (~21%) versus 700k (~7%) in MI.  Do vibrant Cuban, Haitian, Venezuelan and Jamaican  (among others) immigrant communities not combine to create something unique in FL?  lmao

whereas Florida feels like one big Jimmy Buffett/Disney resort

Does it?  St. Augustine is the oldest city in the United States.  Miami is more international than any American city except NYC/LA/SF.  Key West was Hemingway's muse.  Glitzy, Art Deco South Beach is one of the most architecturally distinct cities in America.  Wilton Manors is the gayest city in the country.  If you think Florida is 100% Kenny Chesney-land then you need to work on branching out while you're down here, LOL  


It's always amusing to watch the Red Atlas' contrived reactions to this hugely successful, dynamic and diverse state.  They hate it so much only because of how it has consistently shifted away from their party for over 20 years now, exposing their "demographics is destiny" hubris.
 

[Del Tachi]

They also have actual seasons

Yes, and one is them is called "spend all day shoveling snow."

What.

I've never spent a whole day shoveling snow in an even snowier climate. In fact I never really shovel at all except when it's necessary to get my car out.

In fairness Michigan has some of the snowiest places on the planet. Grand Rapids has 26 inches more of snow on average than Minneapolis, and 12 more snowy days. Lake effect snow is very powerful.

Then they must be even more prepared to clear it than Minneapolis is. Even after a huge snowfall it all gets cleared in like two days anyway. There's no reason for anyone who isn't a municipal employee or private property owner to spend all day shoveling. Actually even they don't, they just use a snowblower for most of it. Shoveling is just for things like clearing your driveway if you have one or digging your car out on the street.

Yes, and who wants to do that?

[Del Tachi]

snip

I just want to remind you that you live in a state that is so unanimously agreed by everyone to be the worst state in the country that it has its own Wikipedia page:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thank_God_for_Mississippi

Despite your snide remarks, I can assure you that the only reason I dislike Florida is NOT its politics and certainly not the "demographics are destiny" BS; I live in and love Kentucky for God's sake! I have actually spent a lot of time in both states (indeed possibly more in those two states combined than any other combination of states that doesn't include Kentucky) but genuinely just admire the qualities I mention more in Michigan and am unpersuaded by a single one of your so-called counter-arguments. (Such as not caring at all how many snowbirds move from Michigan to Florida.)

And yeah I exaggerate some of my Florida hate for comedic effect. I wouldn't have spent as much time as I have there otherwise! I'd still in all seriousness take it over, say, Ohio, and certainly Mississippi! (Which is like ONLY the worst parts of Florida.) But as a place to actually live, it just strikes me as somewhat soulless and empty (partly for the reasons Torie described), and I'd just get too f--king sick of the goddamn heat too fast. Even Arizona, which I've compared to Florida in other threads, has places in the Northern part of the state with more varied climates where you can escape the heat. Florida is just pure swamp ass.

The "so-called counterarguments" that Florida has one of the most diverse populations and best public university systems in the country, among others.  Sorry these facts don't care for your feelings LOL

If you don't like Florida, that's fine (even though you apparently do, since you've spent much time there LOL) but the contrived overreactions you and other posters have to it is 100% pure cringe.  You're so blinded by your performative hate of the state, its people and politics that you made a silly post of nothing but overplayed stereotypes and then got smacked down for it (JD's post is the same, btw)

P.S.  Cute of you to try to shift the topic of this thread onto Mississippi, LOL.  Do people from the Magnolia State not get to have opinions on other places?  Kentucky is typically a bottom five state when it comes to measures of development, health and wealth too, so does that mean you don't get to have opinions on the ~45 states (including Florida!) that consistently outperform y'all?  lmao

Like you, I have lived many places.  I was born and grew up in MS, but have also lived for multiple years in DC, GA and LA.  Lived a whole summer in CA (Marin County), too.  I've got family and friends in AL, TN, NC, GA, VA, FL, ME, NY and UT that I regularly visit.  Plenty of comparison points to know that the bad parts of FL (i.e., bland exurbia) are replicated pretty universally across any new growth areas while the best parts of FL (i.e., the best beaches in the country and friggin' Miami) stand out as America's creme de la creme.     

[Del Tachi]

I've been to Florida a couple times and you couldn't pay me to return. Almost everything about it is the exact opposite of what I would want in a state to live in.

Wow.  The WHOLE Florida!?

Now where did you actually go, bozo?