People flock to Orlando, FL. from all over the world to visit one of its many theme parks. But there’s more to Orlando than its thriving tourism industry. Living in Orlando certainly has its perks, and we are happy to show you just what those are!
1. Real Estate is Booming
Orlando is one of the fastest-growing cities in the US. If you are contemplating moving to Orlando, you should consider a move to Sanford, FL. You might be thinking to yourself, where is Sanford, Florida? Sanford is an Orlando-area suburb located just north of downtown Orlando and easily accessible via I-4, a major roadway in the area that connects Central Florida from coast to coast.
Dena Scroggins of the Sunshine and Rollercoasters blog says, “If you’re considering a move to Central Florida, Sanford is a great option. Nestled along the St. Johns River, Sanford provides many unique shopping opportunities as well as a vibrant downtown community. New construction in the area allows for more affordable housing than in some areas of Central Florida. Sanford has all of the conveniences of a big city, but with the charm of a small town.”
According to Zillow, real estate in Sanford, Florida, is “hot.” As of late summer 2019, the median home value in Sanford has increased by 7.7% in the last year and is predicted to increase by another 3.4% in the next year. So it’s a great time to move to the Orlando area and get some built-in equity on a home. This suburb offers close to 20,000 homes and apartments; half of them owned and half of them rented. Half of them are considered single-family, and 70% have 2-3 bedrooms, and over 12% have 4 or more bedrooms; making it easy to find a home in Sanford for your family.
2. Beautiful Weather
Living in Orlando, you can experience year-round sunshine. In fact, the sun is out 95% of the year. Stepping outside your door will make you feel like you are on a permanent tropical vacation. The temperature rarely goes below 60 degrees, but note that you may need to keep some warm clothes on-hand for those rare times when the temperature dips into the lower register. The tropical climate also leads to some rain – usually, rain showers are quick and can even happen while the sun is out. Tropical rain actually comes as a relief after a day full of sun.
3. Affordable Cost of Living
The cost of living in Orlando, FL, is about 3% lower than the average Florida cost of living; making Orlando an excellent choice if you are planning to move to Florida. Orlando enjoys a lower cost of living in comparison to Florida in all categories except housing. While the median home price in Orlando is $245,400; the median home price in Sanford is just $203,900 making this a desirable suburban community on the outskirts of Orlando.
Living in Florida has some pretty fantastic tax benefits. When you move to Orlando and become a resident, you won’t have to pay income tax, inheritance tax or estate tax. Best of all, when you retire, you get an exemption from paying taxes on pension income, Social Security retirement benefits, and income from most other retirement plans.
4. Major Travel Hub
Whether you need to travel for business or pleasure, Orlando is a great location to move. It offers three airports in the area: Orlando International Airport, Orlando Executive Airport, and Orlando Sanford International Airport. Amtrak currently runs train lines through Orlando. And Virgin Trains is extending its super-fast train line to the Orlando International Airport, expecting to transport 6.6 million passengers a year between Miami and Orlando. The SunRail also travels between South Florida and Sanford, FL. Some bus lines go up and down the East Coast, making stops in Orlando, and other bus lines offer transportation between Orlando and South Florida. Municipal bus lines run throughout Orlando, and some areas even offer free shuttles between different segments of the city. Additionally, Orlando’s central location gives access to cruise lines and ports on both coasts within about an hour and a half drive. Many cruise lines offer shuttles between Orlando and Port Canaveral.
5. Lots of Recreational Opportunities
In addition to the area theme parks like Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, SeaWorld, and LEGOLAND Florida (where Florida residents enjoy steep discounts); Orlando offers hundreds of recreational activities that you could enjoy if you decide to move to Orlando, FL.
Some of these opportunities include the Boggy Creek Airboat Rides, Orlando Watersports Complex, Andretti Indoor Karting & Games, the Crayola Experience, iFLY Orlando Indoor Skydiving, and the Orlando Tree Trek Adventure Park. There’s so much to see and do, even if you live in Orlando, FL, you will always find something new.
6. A Variety of Sports
Sports fans would be pleased to know Orlando offers tons of opportunities to appreciate sports. With three arenas and stadiums in downtown Orlando alone, there’s no shortage of sporting events you could attend. The Orlando Magic call the Amway Center their home. The Orlando City SC soccer team is based in the Exploria Stadium. And the former Citrus Bowl, now Camping World Stadium, plays host to a variety of traveling sports events, such as the recently held WWE Wrestlemania and the Monster Jam World Finals. Well-known university, UCF, has its own stadium to host UCF Knights games. Full Sail University plays host to the WWE Performance Center where NXT stars go to train and fight in hopes of moving onto the WWE superstar stage. Not to mention the numerous sprawling golf courses that can be found in the area. And the icing on the cake is ESPN’s Wide World of Sports inside Walt Disney World. Teams travel from all over the world to compete and perform here, and ESPN actually broadcasts from this location.
7. Arts & Culture
Orlando’s diversity lends itself to a vibrant arts & culture community. The recently opened Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts is a state-of-the-art facility offering access to world-class arts, culture, and entertainment. In addition to the Orlando Science Center, The Orlando Museum of Arts, The Osceola Center for the Arts, The Orlando Fringe Festival, The Zora Neale Hurston Festival, the Orlando Repertory Theatre, the Mad Cow Theatre, and the Broadway Across America Orlando series, there are endless entertainment options. The area is also home to hundreds of museums, galleries, theatres, gardens and historic homes.
8. Connection to Nature
While Orlando is an urban city, it has a secure connection to nature. With numerous parks and lakes in the area, residents can connect to the abundant life that surrounds them. Some of the standout places to visit include the Harry P. Leu Gardens, the University of Central Florida Arboretum, Gatorland, the Tibet-Butler Preserve, The Great Florida Birding & Wildlife Trail, and Central Florida Nature Adventures.
9. Food and Drinks
Foodies abound in Orlando. There’s no need to rely on chain restaurants when there is such a wide range of culinary options available to experience in the area. You may have heard of some of the best places to eat in Orlando, but chances are local residents will dispute it. That’s because there are so many places to dine out with family or friends when you move to Orlando that you could literally eat at a new restaurant every single day for years. Plus, Orlando plays host to Disney’s annual Food & Wine Festival, drawing attendees from all over the globe.
10. Opportunities to Shop
The Orlando International Premium Outlets, the Orlando Outlet Marketplace, and the Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets are just some of the places offering the chance to purchase luxury and name brand items at discounted prices. International visitors travel from afar to shop these outlets. Other notable shopping locations include The Florida Mall, The Mall at Millenia, and Waterford Lakes Town Center.
11. Plenty of Jobs
According to a study conducted by WalletHub in 2019, Orlando ranked #3 overall for finding a job out of 180 cities. It ranked #1 for job opportunities, the job market, as well as job security. There’s been a recent increase in jobs, and a decrease in unemployment in The Sunshine State, providing you with ample opportunities to find employment when you move to this city. The most recent measurement of unemployment placed Orlando at just 3.2% in comparison to the national unemployment rate of 3.7%. Most of the jobs, as expected, are in the hospitality industry. With major employers in the area, such as Walt Disney World Resort, UCF, JetBlue, the Golf Channel, and Electronic Arts (known for EA Sports), Orlando offers tremendous opportunity for those willing to put in the work.
12. Tech & Business Hub
In addition to the hospitality industry, Orlando is becoming known as a hub for both new technology, as well as a popular location for business, trade and industry conferences or expos. Its colleges and universities offer some of the best MBA programs around and are home to one of the largest technology-focused meetups in the US. Orlando has even opened up the possibilities of being considered a hub for automated, self-driving automobiles, also known as driverless vehicles.
Downtown Orlando is dotted with shared or co-working spaces, popular amongst startups. And the Orlando Public Library features the Melrose Center, and co-working type of space that contains a photography studio, a video studio, a maker lab, sound booths, editing rooms, work stations, free trainings, use of software, use of equipment, and more. All of it open to area residents, or at a low cost to outside visitors. It also offers meeting rooms for rent.
According to Inc Magazine, people are leaving Silicon Valley and heading to Orlando to take advantage of its affordability, access to capital, and available tech talent pools courtesy of the local colleges and universities where entrepreneurship is being cultivated.
13. Quality Education
The educational system, both public and private, is top-notch in Orlando. Schools within this system receive national honors. Schools in Sanford, FL rank even better than the Orange County school district schools, making this Orlando suburb even more desirable. The University of Central Florida (UCF), Full Sail University, Florida A & M University College of Law, Florida Technical College, and Valencia College are among the best learning institutions in the world.
If, after reading all about life in Orlando inspires you to actually move here, CubeSmart has more than 20 locations for your personal and business storage convenience in the greater Orlando area while you’re transitioning to your new home, including CubeSmart in Sanford.
