How to Move to Florida From Arizona (Sun City Center Retiree Guide)

Direct answer

You move to Florida from Arizona for lifestyle and family, not tax. The tax case is near zero because Arizona charges only 2.5 percent flat. The real trade is desert versus Gulf, 110 plus degree summers and water scarcity for sea breeze and water access, plus closer proximity to family east of the Mississippi. Establish Florida domicile, file homestead, and move the household by air freight or long haul auto transport.

The tax swap, Arizona versus Florida

The biggest single dollar difference for most Arizona retirees is not on the tax return. On a 100,000 dollar IRA draw the annual swing is only about 2,500 dollars a year. The real move drivers are summer heat, water availability, and family distance, all of which show up on the calendar and the airline invoice, not the tax bill.

Tax disclaimer

Tax information is general and for educational purposes only. It is not tax advice. Rates, exemptions, and thresholds change and vary by county and by individual circumstance. Verify current figures with the Arizona Department of Revenue and consult a licensed CPA or tax attorney before making relocation decisions. Tax data verified July 2026.

The seven step move

• ◆Decide snowbird or outright move. Most Arizona retirees start with one winter rental in Sun City Center before buying.
• ◆Line up Florida financing before you list at home. Get fully underwritten so you can write a non contingent offer once you are ready.
• ◆Pick your neighborhood category: Sun City Center Proper for detached single family, Kings Point for gated condo and villa living, or Renaissance for the higher end.
• ◆Sequence the sale and purchase. Options include buy first with bridge or asset based financing, sell first with rent back, or overlap with a short term rental.
• ◆Establish Florida domicile and document it. See the checklist below.
• ◆Move the household. Full service movers, container pods, or auto transport for one vehicle plus a fly down are the three common patterns. Most Arizona retirees ship the household by long haul mover and fly, or drive one car and ship the other. The drive is roughly 2,100 miles.
• ◆File Florida homestead by March 1 of the year after you close. Miss that date and you lose the exemption for a full year.

Establishing Florida domicile from Arizona

Arizona audits departures at a low rate. Standard domicile documentation carries almost every case. Keep the file: Declaration of Domicile, license issue date, voter card, homestead approval, physician transfer, and a monthly location log.

• ◆File a Declaration of Domicile with the Hillsborough County Clerk of Court.
• ◆Get a Florida driver license and surrender the license from your former state.
• ◆Register vehicles in Florida and cancel the old state registration.
• ◆Register to vote in Hillsborough County.
• ◆Update your address on federal tax returns, Social Security, and Medicare.
• ◆Move primary banking and brokerage relationships to Florida addresses.
• ◆Transfer primary physicians and specialists to Tampa Bay providers.
• ◆Update wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and health directives to Florida law.
• ◆File Florida homestead by March 1 to lock the exemption and the Save Our Homes 3 percent cap.
• ◆Count and document days present. Keep flight receipts, EZ Pass records, and credit card geolocation.

Logistics: drive, flights, and moving

The drive from Phoenix is about 2,100 miles and 30 hours, typically three to four days. Most Arizona retirees fly instead. Nonstop flights PHX to Tampa International run daily on major carriers, about four and a half hours. Household moves for a full three bedroom band 8,000 to 15,000 dollars long haul, and auto transport Arizona to Tampa runs roughly 1,400 to 2,000 dollars per car.

Financing from out of state

Get fully underwritten before you list at home. That means income, assets, and credit verified so your Florida offer can go in without a financing contingency. Travis works multiple retiree friendly programs. Asset depletion qualifies buyers on brokerage and retirement balances instead of monthly income. Social Security and pension income qualification gets you the gross up boost most lenders miss. Kings Point condos need non warrantable condo programs, and Travis has relationships that lend where big banks decline. See the full financing overview. Travis Penny is a licensed mortgage broker, NMLS 1649161, and this is not an offer to lend. Loans are subject to underwriting approval.

Why Arizona retirees pick Sun City Center

Arizona retirees pick Sun City Center for the humidity swap they actually want. Gulf sea breeze, green landscape, and water access replace 110 plus degree dry summers and water scarcity concerns. Sun City Center is cart legal, walkable, and has HCA Florida South Bay inside the community. It is also 3 hours closer by air to family on the East Coast.

Call Rex

Ready to plan the move? Call Rex, your 24/7 concierge, (813) 576.3131. Rex hands warm calls to Dewey for real estate and Travis for financing during business hours, and takes messages the rest of the time.