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

Direct answer

You move to Florida from Hawaii by establishing legal domicile, filing homestead, and unwinding Hawaii ties. Hawaii exempts Social Security and employer funded defined benefit pensions, but taxes IRA and 401k withdrawals at up to 11 percent, the highest top rate in the country. Hawaii also carries an estate tax with an exemption around 5.49 million dollars and rates up to 20 percent. Florida taxes none of it.

The tax swap, Hawaii versus Florida

The honest picture: this is one of the largest tax swings on the map. A retired Hawaii couple pulling 100,000 dollars a year from IRAs saves roughly 8,000 to 11,000 dollars a year on income tax. Higher net worth households on the estate side save far more. Cost of living falls on top of that, groceries and utilities alone often 30 to 40 percent lower.

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 Hawaii 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 Hawaii 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.
• ◆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 Hawaii

Hawaii audits high income departures aggressively. The state loses meaningful revenue on each 11 percent bracket resident who leaves, so document everything: Declaration of Domicile, license issue date, voter card, homestead approval, physician transfer, and a monthly location log. Break Hawaii ties fully, including club memberships tied to residency status.

• ◆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

There is no drive. Honolulu to Tampa International has no nonstop, plan two legs through LAX, SFO, or SEA. Household goods move by ocean container, roughly 8,000 to 15,000 dollars for a full home depending on volume. Vehicles ship via Matson or Pasha at roughly 1,500 to 2,500 dollars each. Time the move for shoulder seasons to avoid peak container rates.

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 Hawaii retirees pick Sun City Center

Hawaii retirees pick Sun City Center for the tax swing, the family access on the mainland, and a 55 plus community with a hospital inside. Sun City Center is cart legal, walkable, has HCA Florida South Bay inside the community, and puts Tampa International 45 minutes north. Gulf beaches are 30 minutes west, and the culture stays coastal.

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.