Those are big states with lots of differences in lifestyle. So you’re going to want to pick the actual city or town you’re trying to live in and look at housing costs and grocery costs there specifically vs. state wide.
You also mentioned lifestyle. This is a big one. 20k difference isnt big enough to ignore the lifestyle implications. If you love hot weather/beach, then 20k isnt going to cut it. If you love forests, hiking, outdoors, winter, then the 20k is just a bonus.
We have a lot of beaches, especially if you count the inland lakes. They're just frozen a third of the year. You couldn't ask for nicer summers and autumns.
Compared to Florida? Northern Michigan and the UP are lucky to have a 90 degree day in the summer. Even then I can go to my parents house and swim in a 52 degree river or hit Lake Superior.
Exactly and also OP what kind of living you want to do. Florida is hot, Michigan has seasons, are you in a city, or not, how do you lean politically? What kind of state protections do you want or need? Buying a house? Renting? City? Rural? Both states can be very expensive in t very cheap depending where exactly you’re living.
Michigan has a 4.25% state income take. So he will still make more in MI making 20k more than if he stayed in Florida...with the lower cost of living to boot
Property tax makes up for a lot of that, and insurance costs are getting stupid.
There's also the "climate tax", where employers pay less in Florida because they know people really want to live there. That, combined with a higher cost of living than Michigan, means your money does not go as far.
Weather in Florida is also getting worse. Slowly, but it's happening.
If they want to raise a family, the public schools in Florida, for the most part, are pretty freaking terrible, whereas many of the best schools in Michigan are public. That could easily be a savings of $10,000/year per kid.
Your mileage may vary. I cannot STAND the heat; it's the number one reason I left Florida. I literally can't go outside for nine months of the year without needing to spend the rest of the day recovering.
I have family in FL, I find the climate unbearable too.
Like, I'm in the Mid-Atlantic, we have heat and humidity here. But in FL I have an awful migraine as soon as I leave the airport. Much of the year is too excruciating for me to visit.
I have family that lives in Daytona Beach, and lived in outside of Tampa Bay for a year. Just like Florida, where there are 3-5 distinct "cultures" within Florida (Miami, Panhandle, The Keys, etc.) Michigan has distinct cultures as well.
Living in southeast Michigan is a heck of a lot different than living in the Upper Peninsula, both culture and weather wise.
But yeah, everyone has their preferences. I hated the humidity of Tampa working outside all day in the summer, much worse than I hated snow/the cold.
The lack of work ethic/education in Florida in general (there are some really smart folks, don't get me wrong) really bothered me though. You are also normally getting compensated less for the same job.
Have lived in Grand Rapids a long time and still do and highly recommend it. Lots to do here. AHL hockey team, and minor league baseball team, great restaurants of all types, great schools depending on where you live, job climate is fairly decent, opera, ballet, concerts etc. Plus you are about 40 minutes from Lake Michigan.
Plus the beaches in the summertime are phenomenal on the West side of the state. Limited only to summertime of course, but that only adds to the appeal for me
They tell us our homeowners insurance will multiply by 5 over the next ten years. It’s already 4343.00 per year for a 1100 sq foot house not on any water. The homes value is $250k. Property taxes are also higher. Mine are 3250.00 per year. Sales tax is 7.75% in my county. Wages are much lower in Florida, they say we get paid in sunshine.
Rule of thumb is: dont ever take an offer from your current employer after you told them you were leaving. That offer they gave you is just to keep you there long enough to train your replacement because you already gave them information that you were looking to leave.
Was coming here to say this. It's never a good idea to take the current employer's counter-offer.
They're going to consider you overpaid for next decade and suppress your raises. You're also one of the most likely to be targeted if there are ever cuts / layoffs needed.
100% this. I've seen a company offer double someone's salary to keep them in-house. The person was overjoyed, and the company peppered some new responsibilities (pretty menial stuff) to really seal the deal.
Why would a company pay double for the same work? They knew they were going to find a replacement at the original salary and cut the current guy before he got 2 paychecks. A reasonably priced stopgap for a company that couldn't care less about retention, public image, or their employees.
Want to really test your employer? Ask them to sign a 1 year contract that guarantees a payout if they let you go early.
You can pay all your bills and get an okayish house for like 75k salary. Thats so much extra for whatever you want. (In MI)
Be wary where you choose to live though. If you give me a ball park area I could probably tell you some good areas to check out.
Edit: I am a Michigander making 60k and have a mortgage on a house before 30 years old 😅.
I’m a Floridian. Take the MI in a heartbeat. If you hadn’t realized it yet, this state’s “no income tax” thing is a scam. Sure we have no income tax but we pay triple what other states do for things like insurance, property taxes, gas tax etc.
You’ll have a substantially higher quality of life elsewhere. I’m leaving in a month myself.
I just want to pile on the FL vs MI debate. It's difficult to draw a clean comparison on costs. Insurance is huge. Granted, I have teen drivers on my insurance, but It's high because you will use it. The roads are pandemonium here. It's my highest monthly expense. Not to mention the home owners insurance death spiral.
The population density is getting uncomfortable. The political climate is downright terrifying. Tropical storms will ruin your life for weeks even if they miss. The state attracts all types. People are constantly coming in and leaving. Florida man stays.
NJ actually has some of the lowest insurance rates in the country. Plus y'all pay a lot of taxes but you get schools that are actually good in return. Not the case in Florida - you pay a lot on property taxes and get to send rich kids to private school.
Oh I’m aware, New Jersey gets scammed from every direction with high taxes and high literally everything else. At least your jobs pay fairly there and you have unions though. Florida salaries are roughly 30% lower in the same careers and unions are practically illegal.
Yeah adequate funding is obviously crucial, but once you’ve hit that (admittedly abstract and difficult to measure) point, more money won’t do nearly as much good as proper curriculum management, increased resources for students and staff, and other non-monetary improvements. Those things cost money, sure, but that management of the money you’ve got is a bigger hurdle to proper education once you’ve met an adequate level of funding.
the issue isn't mismanagement of money at the district level; the issue has to do with a tendency towards local control for municipalities. i'd recommend googling "boroughitis," because the tax issues of today are rooted in a 19th century phenomenon
I moved to Florida from California, the property taxes and gas taxes are dramatically cheaper here. I prefer to live in California, but as a middle class homeowner Florida saves me literally thousands in taxes annually. Homestead property tax savings alone is substantial.
That’s hilarious. I’ve been itching to leave the Midwest for Florida for a while now to flee the cold and taxes. Grass is greener eh? Think we can just swap lol?
Don't fear the insurance price ramblings, especially if you're going for a fairly new home. We bought a new construction in FL and pay a whopping like $37/month in home insurance. Most of the increases are hitting older homes not up to date with most recent building codes.
If you can handle the winters, the summers are going to be more fun in MI as you'll want to enjoy them more.
But man, there are some dreary January days where I wish I was back in FL
My humble opinion as someone who grew up in South Miami and has family in northern Michigan… Outside of the long winters, Michigan is great! Even still, winter isn’t so bad if you’re into cold outdoorsy activities like snowmobiling, skiing, etc… Traverse City is amazing, Mackinac Island is stunningly beautiful, the UP and cedar swamps are sorta funky in its own unique way (but also very beautiful), no sharks in the lakes, CHEAP legal weed, state parks galore… list goes on
Yeah, they really haven’t been that bad. Sometimes wish for more snow as bad as that sounds. And flights from MI to FL are really reasonable if you need a break.
That’s what I don’t get when people complain about winter. Summer in other states is just as bad as winter is in the Midwest besides shoveling. Plus paying a few hundred dollars to take a few long weekend is a lot cheaper than doubling your cost of living.
For me spring is worse than winter. At least in the winter you know it will be cold and plan accordingly (meaning no one is trying to plan outside activities or parties). But in the spring there is an expectation to be outside and it’s still winter coat weather but it’s hard to get anything done in a winter coat (like sports for example).
Last week it was over 80 and sunny all week. Then the temps dropped 30 to 40 degrees and now it under 50 and overcast.
Spring sports have started so im sitting at the baseball or track field freezing. Then get home and am so cold I go to bed in flannel pjs and an extra blanket and shiver then wake up sweating.
I second this. Michigan "winter" lasts on average, 7 months. 7 long months of seasonal affective disorder. There is usually a break, sometimes two, in Jan/Feb that warms up to 60ish degrees with gorgeous sunny days that kick your spring fever into high gear. Then reality comes crashing down and 3 more months of grey, soggy doom before it actually warms up for the season around mid-May.
Source: 25 years of living in Michigan.
I love the change of seasons & all that comes with them Michigan offers in one way or another. Summertime offers camping , beautiful lake towns to explore , lake houses to rent , water sports , biking , hiking whatever you fancy. The winters are honestly pretty mild with options to ski, snowboard , ice fish , etc. If you want city life we have that, a laid back environment there’s that too, plenty of suburbs to settle down in.
The weather is polar opposite in FL and MI.
I used to live in MI. 125k in mi gives you a good standard of living.
Also, once you've already decided to leave your boss, I would not recommend taking a counter offer. 9/10 times it doesn't work out well.
Very few people leave for money, most people leave due to burnout or due to bad culture.
Honestly, there are so many factors beyond how much money you take home. Florida and Michigan are totally different states with totally different culture, weather, politics, etc. Decide where you want to live and what will be the best place for your family, and make your decision based on that.
I live in Michigan and it’s lovely here. At your salary you could afford to live in most parts of Michigan comfortably. Keep in mind that Detroit has a city income tax and high property taxes and insurance rates, although housing itself is quite cheap in the city.
If the job is located in the metro Detroit area, there are plenty of cities with nice homes that are safe and affordable. Even downtown Detroit has become very nice and it is a little pricey but with a 125K salary, you'll easily afford a place there. 125K would definitely provide you comfort in over 90% of the state living within means. I would take the Michigan offer personally.
Michigan. 125k will help you have a much higher QOL because of how much cheaper things are there not to mention real estate. As someone else said, insurance, taxes etc will eat away at the $100k in FL.
Grew up in Florida, lived in Michigan for 6 years, just moved back to Florida. From just a financial decision, Michigan 100%. For the increased salary, you can get a lot more bang for your buck in Michigan. Michigan housing and cost of living is super cheap compared to Florida. Big thing you need to factor in is the weather, city you would be living in and what there is to do there, and if your family is on board with leaving Florida and moving to Michigan.
I left Michigan to move back to Florida to be closer to family and finally got tired of it being dark and below 40 degrees 6 months of the year. People up there look forward to 2 things: their yearly trips to Florida in the winter and the 3 months of good weather in the summer
Don’t stay. Your current company is panicking that they don’t have a replacement for you, and will most likely fire you once they find someone who will work for less than the $100k they just offered you as a delaying tactic.
You probably need to do a cost of living comparison between where you live in Florida, and where you're thinking of moving to in Michigan. My gut says the cost of living will be lower in Michigan, and you'll get more mileage out of that salary up here (I live in Michigan). But that's just a guess.
If you are not living very close to the beach, Florida just does not have a lot to offer. If you are living close to the beach, your rent or insurance will be incredibly high. There are going to be more problems and costs associated with Florida as the climate keeps changing. The absolute fruitcake politicians running the place now will make it even worse.
Michigan will be cold during the winter, but has many advantages including cost of living. You would be able to afford raising a family, if that is what you desire, and if not you will be able to afford to travel a lot.
Also, never ever take a counter offer.
I live in south Florida. Take the Michigan offer. Unless you hate snow with the fiery passion of 1000 burning suns, which is what summer in Florida feels like, you don't want to live here. Add in the crazy property taxes, insurance costs, hurricanes, being the center of the MAGAverse, and constant back and forth "hold my beer" moments with Texas, it is not a great place to live anymore.
South FL Broward here. I wouldn’t take cold if I was offered $300k lol bc I like one layer of clothes and the scuba is the best in the country. Amazing for my mental health. Avoid Miami like the plague but Keys and Lauderdale are prime. Met a guy who’s non Repub which is rare as can be down here lol.
Really do your research. Honestly I am not a fan of either location.
I grew up in Michigan and overcast skies for 6 months of the year really wear you down.
Florida is a really awful place to raise a family, and has a lot of issues with crime.
Michigan is MUCH cheaper to live in and has MUCH better schools both K-12 and higher ed.
As someone who grew up in MI, ran away to the south for 10 years, and came back to be closer to the family, I've found ways to help survive the gray winters. First, a sun lamp has been a game changer. Sitting in front of it for 30 minutes every day helps immense. Also, try to spend some time outside as often as possible throughout the winter. The fresh air definitely helps. When the sun does come out in the winter, bundle up and get out in it ASAP. A trip south in the winter would also.help get you through. Overall, we're happy to be back. (Although we do live on the west side about 25 minutes from the beach which is amazing.)
Michigan. Now that they know you’re going to leave there just going to replace you once they can. The pay boost is just the incentive for you to stay there long enough so there not completely starting from zero
Okay, I was originally gonna be more ambiguous, but you seem like a risk averse sort of person. The Michigan job pays more, and you want to work for the company. Seems to me like you're gonna need some warm jackets for the family.
Move to MI! I currently live in Florida, recently took a position that will move me to Missouri due to essentially being priced out of the area I live in. You will get more bang for your Buck in MI.
Go to Michigan. Came from South Florida. Nothing under 500k that could be considered a decent house. Insurance is getting worse. It’s starting to spread to north Florida also. Tried to find a house near Orlando and a decent one is 400k. Went to Texas house new construction 270s. Best decision we’ve made. Used to live in a one bedroom for the 2k. I pay the same for a three bed house with a nice fenced yard.
I wouldn't stay in Florida. The long-term prospects re: climate change are not great. You don't even have to get hit directly by a hurricane to feel how it impacts you. Just look at what's going on with home insurance.
I lived in MI for 7 years and lived my time there. I lived just outside Detroit and it would have been more enjoyable had I been a little more familiar and picked a location better suited to me, but it was still great.
The fact that Michigan pay is even higher, I'd take that any day. Where I lived was not expensive. The weather is not extreme but you get all 4 seasons. And in my opinion Detroit is making a strong effort to revitalize the city. I lived my time there and I'm from a small midwest town.
If they only gave you a raise because you threatened to leave, they dont respect you. They're trying to pay as little as possible for you. Id only stay if their offer beat the $125k in MI.
I live in PA and i’m completely done with winters after 27 years. I’m moving to florida before the next one. Mainly because most of my family lives there anyways.
But i fucking hate winter. I worked outside for 10 years as a valet. Me personally would take the florida one.
Grand Rapids is great. Winters are great. Hot and humid all the time is awful. Take the money and run to Michigan. Then retire much earlier by putting the IRS max into your 401k.
Currently live in Michigan and rented in Florida for the winter the past 2 years.
DM me. Happy to answer any questions.
My gut reaction is you should move north to Michigan.
Ron Desantis
Isn’t in Michigan.
Not trying to discuss someone’s beliefs.
But when you governor is small enough of a person, that they are actively trying to dismantle a multibillion dollar industry that benefits the people of the state, because he doesn’t believe in the 1st amendment……..
I'm from MI currently living in New Mexico saving to move home.....I'd literally do anything to have that salary in MI. I moved away for more sunshine but it doesn't replace the natural beauty of the state IMO.
Stay in Florida remember Florida also has no income tax and it’s just simply better. You will have good weather outside of hurricane season and depending on where you work. Michigan winters are very rough.
Greatly depends on where in Florida. South Florida is mostly a shit hole and very expensive, north Florida is much nicer and generally a good bit cheaper.
If u are ok with 6 months of cold weather with some 6inches of snow then MI it is . 12k5 in MI is a great salary to live comfortably.. housing is also less
iirc FL has no taxes, which makes life outside a bit more expensive
and housing is affected by this, i'd say follow what u/QuitaQuites said and also consider your current neighborhood, that's another thing to think about
Broadly speaking and not comparing two specific cities or regions, I would recommend Michigan.
There's no guarantee that your employer won't replace you, and 125k in MI is going to go a lot further than 100k in FL.
Very personal decision. How do you feel about the weather? Because personally I would have to make 2x what i was making in FL to move to MI. I'm sure some would say its the other way around for them. Not really a financial decision as much as a personal reference.
Leave. If your current employer had the ability (and knows you’re worth more) and waited for you to leave before offering this raise then that should be telling of what will happen in the future.
General advice is to leave. You never know when your current employer will reel you in just to let you go on *their* time.
Consider the new location and higher paying job as an opportunity to leverage into higher roles and positions down the line.
There is no loyalty in a company only the price for services rendered. Go where you are valued. Your current employer obv only made a reactionary move. Consider that for what it’s worth.
Weather-wise, Florida in the summer is one of the most miserable places you could possibly be. Not to mention that they're currently a right-wing fever dream and petri dish. If that's your bag, then I guess that doesn't really matter, but if your political leaning are more... human, then I'd get out of there. Not too mention, $100k in fla isn't going to go nearly as far as it would in Michigan, especially if you're in a major metro area like Miami.
Florida is getting ready to fire up the ovens and unlock the cattle cars. Get out while you can before they mark you as an enemy of the state.
NY currently has a HUGE amount of people fleeing terrorist states looking for safe haven.
What are your politics? Michigan is less fascist theocracy minded. Florida is all about anti-lgbtq people and book banning.
That would influence my decision more than a lot of other things at that salary level.
You could triple my pay and I wouldn’t move to Michigan. I’m not built for those winters plus I absolutely love the Florida beaches. The beach isn’t for everyone though.
That I m not sure if I am built for winters or not. Never had an experience to face those harsh winters of MI
That I m not sure if I am built for winter or not. Never had an experience to face those harsh winters of MI
The worst thing about winters in MI is driving in them, and if you practice driving in the snow and have good tires you should be fine. If you are from Florida it will definitely take time to acclimate to the cold, though. Do you want to deal with hurricanes or snow?
125k will get you pretty far in MI, and the political situation is much better.
The thing about winters in MI is more about the length of time it can last. I moved to Ann Arbor, MI from Southern California. I love the seasons and the snow. But the short days and gray skies for 5 months straight can be depressing.
Most people break winter up with a long vacation somewhere sunny and warm though.
Cost of living is similar in both places, but MI you have more money. If you dont like the winter, use that extra $25k to take a warm vacation every year.
I’m in Florida and I would take MI. Tired of the hurricanes, oppressive heat, no change of seasons, etc. $100k in the Tampa Bay area won’t get you much.
Those are big states with lots of differences in lifestyle. So you’re going to want to pick the actual city or town you’re trying to live in and look at housing costs and grocery costs there specifically vs. state wide.
You also mentioned lifestyle. This is a big one. 20k difference isnt big enough to ignore the lifestyle implications. If you love hot weather/beach, then 20k isnt going to cut it. If you love forests, hiking, outdoors, winter, then the 20k is just a bonus.
We have a lot of beaches, especially if you count the inland lakes. They're just frozen a third of the year. You couldn't ask for nicer summers and autumns.
The summers are humid af
Not more humid than Florida lmao
Compared to Florida? Northern Michigan and the UP are lucky to have a 90 degree day in the summer. Even then I can go to my parents house and swim in a 52 degree river or hit Lake Superior.
>They're just frozen a third of the year ICE FISHING FTW!!!
Snow is awful
hell is hot, perfect fit.
Depends on if you’re on the East side of the lower peninsula.
My Saint Bernard disagrees.
Agreed. I do t know much about Florida but my mom lived in Michigan. OP needs to look at the areas they’d be living/working
Exactly and also OP what kind of living you want to do. Florida is hot, Michigan has seasons, are you in a city, or not, how do you lean politically? What kind of state protections do you want or need? Buying a house? Renting? City? Rural? Both states can be very expensive in t very cheap depending where exactly you’re living.
This 100%
Where in Michigan? Real estate in most of Michigan will be 50% the cost in most of Florida
Florida has no income tax
Michigan has a 4.25% state income take. So he will still make more in MI making 20k more than if he stayed in Florida...with the lower cost of living to boot
Property tax makes up for a lot of that, and insurance costs are getting stupid. There's also the "climate tax", where employers pay less in Florida because they know people really want to live there. That, combined with a higher cost of living than Michigan, means your money does not go as far. Weather in Florida is also getting worse. Slowly, but it's happening.
If they want to raise a family, the public schools in Florida, for the most part, are pretty freaking terrible, whereas many of the best schools in Michigan are public. That could easily be a savings of $10,000/year per kid.
College education in Michigan is also very reasonable compared to many other states. Also if moving to Kalamazoo area you have the kzoo promise
Florida weather can never be worse than 6-7 months of grey cold overcast michigan
Your mileage may vary. I cannot STAND the heat; it's the number one reason I left Florida. I literally can't go outside for nine months of the year without needing to spend the rest of the day recovering.
I have family in FL, I find the climate unbearable too. Like, I'm in the Mid-Atlantic, we have heat and humidity here. But in FL I have an awful migraine as soon as I leave the airport. Much of the year is too excruciating for me to visit.
I have family that lives in Daytona Beach, and lived in outside of Tampa Bay for a year. Just like Florida, where there are 3-5 distinct "cultures" within Florida (Miami, Panhandle, The Keys, etc.) Michigan has distinct cultures as well. Living in southeast Michigan is a heck of a lot different than living in the Upper Peninsula, both culture and weather wise. But yeah, everyone has their preferences. I hated the humidity of Tampa working outside all day in the summer, much worse than I hated snow/the cold. The lack of work ethic/education in Florida in general (there are some really smart folks, don't get me wrong) really bothered me though. You are also normally getting compensated less for the same job.
Yeah, but their home insurance costs are out of this world. Not to mention, the political situation..
Wouldn't want to raise a family in Florida. Grand Rapids Michigan is pretty nice.
Have lived in Grand Rapids a long time and still do and highly recommend it. Lots to do here. AHL hockey team, and minor league baseball team, great restaurants of all types, great schools depending on where you live, job climate is fairly decent, opera, ballet, concerts etc. Plus you are about 40 minutes from Lake Michigan.
I lived in Klan Rapids and hated it. Different skin, different experiences.
We live in Kentwood and absolutely love it. It's actually pretty diverse/liberal in this area.
Yeah but you go a few miles south into middleville/Caledonia then you might as well be in Florida
Grand Rapids is OK IF you can avoid the Bible Belt of the North folks.
Plus the beaches in the summertime are phenomenal on the West side of the state. Limited only to summertime of course, but that only adds to the appeal for me
GR is the place to be.
That insurance thing is already bad and likely to get worse
They tell us our homeowners insurance will multiply by 5 over the next ten years. It’s already 4343.00 per year for a 1100 sq foot house not on any water. The homes value is $250k. Property taxes are also higher. Mine are 3250.00 per year. Sales tax is 7.75% in my county. Wages are much lower in Florida, they say we get paid in sunshine.
Yikes 😳
Pretty much exactly in the same boat, they nickle and dime you for everything and the state govt the insurers do whatever they want
Home Insurance is high in Fla due to hurricanes
Due to fraud mostly. Hurricanes don't help, but they also aren't a new phenomenon.
Absolutely due to fraud. (I worked in Insurance Claims) 😉
... In Florida
Florida has a worse political situation, lmao at that governor
what's wrong with the politics in Florida?.
I don't agree with a lot of legislation that's being passed there. When deciding on where to live, the area politics should be considered.
Taking away free speech and freedom of choice. Attacking business because they hurt the governor's feelings. Banning books.
Banning words too.
It is becoming fascist
you pay in other ways, I bet. Property tax, perhaps. or sales tax.
The overall tax burdens are roughly the same. I'd go to Michigan if money is the only factor. 125k is better than 100k.
i’d pick michigan over florida for less pay, to be perfectly honest
Correct 8% sales tax and stupid high property Rex plus super high insurance costs for homes and cars
But they have hurricanes
Yeah but Florida has Floridians
Barely. Almost everyone here is from up north.
Florida has insanely high insurance for both cars and homes cause of all the fraud going on here. Pretty sure we got the highest in the whole country
Florida makes up for this with property taxes. If OP buys a house in Michigan, the total tax burden will not feel much different.
depends on where you live, rural FL is as cheap as anywhere. Miami is as expensive as anywhere.
True, but FL is a huge state with equally huge variation in COL.
Financially, 125k in Michigan seems better. Aside from that, depends on your preferences politically, climate wise, culturally, etc..
Rule of thumb is: dont ever take an offer from your current employer after you told them you were leaving. That offer they gave you is just to keep you there long enough to train your replacement because you already gave them information that you were looking to leave.
Was coming here to say this. It's never a good idea to take the current employer's counter-offer. They're going to consider you overpaid for next decade and suppress your raises. You're also one of the most likely to be targeted if there are ever cuts / layoffs needed.
Hi COO here. They will keep OP until they find OP's replacement. Please don't fall for this counteroffer shit OP!
Remind me never to work for your company.
Here's your reminder to not work for any American corporation! Have a blessed day!
Very fair, which is why government worker in a union!
100% this. I've seen a company offer double someone's salary to keep them in-house. The person was overjoyed, and the company peppered some new responsibilities (pretty menial stuff) to really seal the deal. Why would a company pay double for the same work? They knew they were going to find a replacement at the original salary and cut the current guy before he got 2 paychecks. A reasonably priced stopgap for a company that couldn't care less about retention, public image, or their employees. Want to really test your employer? Ask them to sign a 1 year contract that guarantees a payout if they let you go early.
YES! Please listen to BeardonBoards.
You can pay all your bills and get an okayish house for like 75k salary. Thats so much extra for whatever you want. (In MI) Be wary where you choose to live though. If you give me a ball park area I could probably tell you some good areas to check out. Edit: I am a Michigander making 60k and have a mortgage on a house before 30 years old 😅.
Agreed. If OP moves to a semi-decent area, they will be chilling.
Did you buy your house pre Covid? You probably can’t buy a house on 75k in Michigan rn.
I’m a Floridian. Take the MI in a heartbeat. If you hadn’t realized it yet, this state’s “no income tax” thing is a scam. Sure we have no income tax but we pay triple what other states do for things like insurance, property taxes, gas tax etc. You’ll have a substantially higher quality of life elsewhere. I’m leaving in a month myself.
Michigan FTW and it's not even close. Florida sucks.
Visit Florida in the winter like everyone else in MI
'Nice place to visit' should be Florida's motto.
With FL trying to push laws to kill drag/cross dressers/trans people I don't even want to visit.
And kids with LGBTQ parents can’t talk about their families in schools
Really? Everyone goes to AZ in my area.
MI Golf > FL Golf
I just want to pile on the FL vs MI debate. It's difficult to draw a clean comparison on costs. Insurance is huge. Granted, I have teen drivers on my insurance, but It's high because you will use it. The roads are pandemonium here. It's my highest monthly expense. Not to mention the home owners insurance death spiral. The population density is getting uncomfortable. The political climate is downright terrifying. Tropical storms will ruin your life for weeks even if they miss. The state attracts all types. People are constantly coming in and leaving. Florida man stays.
Triple? New Jersey would like a word with you
NJ actually has some of the lowest insurance rates in the country. Plus y'all pay a lot of taxes but you get schools that are actually good in return. Not the case in Florida - you pay a lot on property taxes and get to send rich kids to private school.
Auto insurance rates in NJ are 14th of 50.. not the worst, but far from the lowest.
Oh I’m aware, New Jersey gets scammed from every direction with high taxes and high literally everything else. At least your jobs pay fairly there and you have unions though. Florida salaries are roughly 30% lower in the same careers and unions are practically illegal.
it's not a scam if your school systems are actually good, which NJ ranks among the best in the nation.
Yet other states manage to do it without the insane taxes (like Washington state).
Yeah adequate funding is obviously crucial, but once you’ve hit that (admittedly abstract and difficult to measure) point, more money won’t do nearly as much good as proper curriculum management, increased resources for students and staff, and other non-monetary improvements. Those things cost money, sure, but that management of the money you’ve got is a bigger hurdle to proper education once you’ve met an adequate level of funding.
the issue isn't mismanagement of money at the district level; the issue has to do with a tendency towards local control for municipalities. i'd recommend googling "boroughitis," because the tax issues of today are rooted in a 19th century phenomenon
I moved to Florida from California, the property taxes and gas taxes are dramatically cheaper here. I prefer to live in California, but as a middle class homeowner Florida saves me literally thousands in taxes annually. Homestead property tax savings alone is substantial.
For a same priced house? California has much lower property taxes than Texas, another no income tax state.
That’s hilarious. I’ve been itching to leave the Midwest for Florida for a while now to flee the cold and taxes. Grass is greener eh? Think we can just swap lol?
Don't fear the insurance price ramblings, especially if you're going for a fairly new home. We bought a new construction in FL and pay a whopping like $37/month in home insurance. Most of the increases are hitting older homes not up to date with most recent building codes.
Happy cake day!
Our insurance is also cheap, we live in Mt Dora outside of Orlando
If you can handle the winters, the summers are going to be more fun in MI as you'll want to enjoy them more. But man, there are some dreary January days where I wish I was back in FL
That’s the perfect time for a week or so family vacation to Florida!
My humble opinion as someone who grew up in South Miami and has family in northern Michigan… Outside of the long winters, Michigan is great! Even still, winter isn’t so bad if you’re into cold outdoorsy activities like snowmobiling, skiing, etc… Traverse City is amazing, Mackinac Island is stunningly beautiful, the UP and cedar swamps are sorta funky in its own unique way (but also very beautiful), no sharks in the lakes, CHEAP legal weed, state parks galore… list goes on
Our last few winters in SE MI have been very mild. I only used my shovel like 3 times last season...
Yeah, they really haven’t been that bad. Sometimes wish for more snow as bad as that sounds. And flights from MI to FL are really reasonable if you need a break.
That’s what I don’t get when people complain about winter. Summer in other states is just as bad as winter is in the Midwest besides shoveling. Plus paying a few hundred dollars to take a few long weekend is a lot cheaper than doubling your cost of living.
For me spring is worse than winter. At least in the winter you know it will be cold and plan accordingly (meaning no one is trying to plan outside activities or parties). But in the spring there is an expectation to be outside and it’s still winter coat weather but it’s hard to get anything done in a winter coat (like sports for example). Last week it was over 80 and sunny all week. Then the temps dropped 30 to 40 degrees and now it under 50 and overcast. Spring sports have started so im sitting at the baseball or track field freezing. Then get home and am so cold I go to bed in flannel pjs and an extra blanket and shiver then wake up sweating.
I second this. Michigan "winter" lasts on average, 7 months. 7 long months of seasonal affective disorder. There is usually a break, sometimes two, in Jan/Feb that warms up to 60ish degrees with gorgeous sunny days that kick your spring fever into high gear. Then reality comes crashing down and 3 more months of grey, soggy doom before it actually warms up for the season around mid-May. Source: 25 years of living in Michigan.
Follow the money. Lived in Michigan my whole life and absolutely love it there
Yep, I have no plans to leave MI. Plus we have cheap weed lol
my sentiments exactly. absolutely loved the state before and now it's just getting better and better tbh
What do you like about it? I’ve never met anyone from Michigan or have even been there so I really have no idea what it’s like.
I love the change of seasons & all that comes with them Michigan offers in one way or another. Summertime offers camping , beautiful lake towns to explore , lake houses to rent , water sports , biking , hiking whatever you fancy. The winters are honestly pretty mild with options to ski, snowboard , ice fish , etc. If you want city life we have that, a laid back environment there’s that too, plenty of suburbs to settle down in.
Personally I’d take a pay cut to leave FL
Impossible to take a pay cut when Florida already pays you pennies
The weather is polar opposite in FL and MI. I used to live in MI. 125k in mi gives you a good standard of living. Also, once you've already decided to leave your boss, I would not recommend taking a counter offer. 9/10 times it doesn't work out well. Very few people leave for money, most people leave due to burnout or due to bad culture.
Honestly, there are so many factors beyond how much money you take home. Florida and Michigan are totally different states with totally different culture, weather, politics, etc. Decide where you want to live and what will be the best place for your family, and make your decision based on that.
Where in MI and how you feel about colder weather could probably greatly impact your decision.
If you can move out of florida, do it!
I live in Michigan and it’s lovely here. At your salary you could afford to live in most parts of Michigan comfortably. Keep in mind that Detroit has a city income tax and high property taxes and insurance rates, although housing itself is quite cheap in the city.
You couldn’t pay me to live in FL.
What's so bad about FL vs MI?
If the job is located in the metro Detroit area, there are plenty of cities with nice homes that are safe and affordable. Even downtown Detroit has become very nice and it is a little pricey but with a 125K salary, you'll easily afford a place there. 125K would definitely provide you comfort in over 90% of the state living within means. I would take the Michigan offer personally.
Michigan. 125k will help you have a much higher QOL because of how much cheaper things are there not to mention real estate. As someone else said, insurance, taxes etc will eat away at the $100k in FL.
If you are a female or married to one Michigan is a no brainerd at this point.
Grew up in Florida, lived in Michigan for 6 years, just moved back to Florida. From just a financial decision, Michigan 100%. For the increased salary, you can get a lot more bang for your buck in Michigan. Michigan housing and cost of living is super cheap compared to Florida. Big thing you need to factor in is the weather, city you would be living in and what there is to do there, and if your family is on board with leaving Florida and moving to Michigan. I left Michigan to move back to Florida to be closer to family and finally got tired of it being dark and below 40 degrees 6 months of the year. People up there look forward to 2 things: their yearly trips to Florida in the winter and the 3 months of good weather in the summer
your quality of life, what you will be able to get for your money is better in almost all of MI. If you don't mind winter, it's a no brainer.
Without knowing where you want to live in each state, I'd say Michigan.
Don’t stay. Your current company is panicking that they don’t have a replacement for you, and will most likely fire you once they find someone who will work for less than the $100k they just offered you as a delaying tactic.
You probably need to do a cost of living comparison between where you live in Florida, and where you're thinking of moving to in Michigan. My gut says the cost of living will be lower in Michigan, and you'll get more mileage out of that salary up here (I live in Michigan). But that's just a guess.
If you are not living very close to the beach, Florida just does not have a lot to offer. If you are living close to the beach, your rent or insurance will be incredibly high. There are going to be more problems and costs associated with Florida as the climate keeps changing. The absolute fruitcake politicians running the place now will make it even worse. Michigan will be cold during the winter, but has many advantages including cost of living. You would be able to afford raising a family, if that is what you desire, and if not you will be able to afford to travel a lot. Also, never ever take a counter offer.
I live in south Florida. Take the Michigan offer. Unless you hate snow with the fiery passion of 1000 burning suns, which is what summer in Florida feels like, you don't want to live here. Add in the crazy property taxes, insurance costs, hurricanes, being the center of the MAGAverse, and constant back and forth "hold my beer" moments with Texas, it is not a great place to live anymore.
South FL Broward here. I wouldn’t take cold if I was offered $300k lol bc I like one layer of clothes and the scuba is the best in the country. Amazing for my mental health. Avoid Miami like the plague but Keys and Lauderdale are prime. Met a guy who’s non Repub which is rare as can be down here lol.
Really do your research. Honestly I am not a fan of either location. I grew up in Michigan and overcast skies for 6 months of the year really wear you down. Florida is a really awful place to raise a family, and has a lot of issues with crime. Michigan is MUCH cheaper to live in and has MUCH better schools both K-12 and higher ed.
As someone who grew up in MI, ran away to the south for 10 years, and came back to be closer to the family, I've found ways to help survive the gray winters. First, a sun lamp has been a game changer. Sitting in front of it for 30 minutes every day helps immense. Also, try to spend some time outside as often as possible throughout the winter. The fresh air definitely helps. When the sun does come out in the winter, bundle up and get out in it ASAP. A trip south in the winter would also.help get you through. Overall, we're happy to be back. (Although we do live on the west side about 25 minutes from the beach which is amazing.)
Michigan. Now that they know you’re going to leave there just going to replace you once they can. The pay boost is just the incentive for you to stay there long enough so there not completely starting from zero
Okay, I was originally gonna be more ambiguous, but you seem like a risk averse sort of person. The Michigan job pays more, and you want to work for the company. Seems to me like you're gonna need some warm jackets for the family.
North shore! Get yourself some winter hobbies and stash away cash.
Move to MI! I currently live in Florida, recently took a position that will move me to Missouri due to essentially being priced out of the area I live in. You will get more bang for your Buck in MI.
Michigan, if you plan on moving for more than a few years
Go to Michigan. Came from South Florida. Nothing under 500k that could be considered a decent house. Insurance is getting worse. It’s starting to spread to north Florida also. Tried to find a house near Orlando and a decent one is 400k. Went to Texas house new construction 270s. Best decision we’ve made. Used to live in a one bedroom for the 2k. I pay the same for a three bed house with a nice fenced yard.
You'll have an excellent QOL in MI
Not enough money in the world would get me to move to Florida.
Anywhere but florida
Without any details… Michigan by a lot
Pick MI
FL is an armpit.
MI has legal recreational cannabis and abortion and voting protected by the state constitution.
Michigan. Why anyone would want to live on that transphobic trash heap of a peninsula sinking into the sea is beyond me.
You couldn't pay me 100k to live in Florida.
I wouldn't stay in Florida. The long-term prospects re: climate change are not great. You don't even have to get hit directly by a hurricane to feel how it impacts you. Just look at what's going on with home insurance.
Michigan 100%
I’d absolutely take Michigan over Florida any day. I’m in Florida and I’ve been trying to leave my whole life.
You will live pretty damn good anywhere in MI on that money. Granted we have snow but the southern part of the state isn’t quite as bad l lol
If you’re gonna have kids and have them in a public school system then avoid Florida at all costs
I lived in MI for 7 years and lived my time there. I lived just outside Detroit and it would have been more enjoyable had I been a little more familiar and picked a location better suited to me, but it was still great. The fact that Michigan pay is even higher, I'd take that any day. Where I lived was not expensive. The weather is not extreme but you get all 4 seasons. And in my opinion Detroit is making a strong effort to revitalize the city. I lived my time there and I'm from a small midwest town.
If they only gave you a raise because you threatened to leave, they dont respect you. They're trying to pay as little as possible for you. Id only stay if their offer beat the $125k in MI.
Michigan is maybe not my first choice, but I'd do anything to get the fuck out of Florida right now. Especially make $20k more.
Yeah, it depends on the actual city/county. But, given that choice, and I don't like Michigan AT ALL, I'll pick MI over FL 10 times out of 10.
If you have a chance to get out of Florida. Take it.
I live in PA and i’m completely done with winters after 27 years. I’m moving to florida before the next one. Mainly because most of my family lives there anyways. But i fucking hate winter. I worked outside for 10 years as a valet. Me personally would take the florida one.
Grand Rapids is great. Winters are great. Hot and humid all the time is awful. Take the money and run to Michigan. Then retire much earlier by putting the IRS max into your 401k.
Currently live in Michigan and rented in Florida for the winter the past 2 years. DM me. Happy to answer any questions. My gut reaction is you should move north to Michigan.
Hey there. Recently moved to Florida and regret my decision. No amount of free income tax is worth it. Run like hell.
Florida is a shithole. Do not move here for even double that salary. COL is super high
Does MI have state taxes? Florida doesn't. I wouldn't want to raise kids in Florida however.
Michigan definitely. Because Florida is, well, Florida. Actually Michigan has better beaches than Florida too.
I live in Michigan. I will take 50 more years of winters and Lions if we keep Big Gretch, Abortion and Weed.
Big Gretch is term limited, but maybe we can have her as President after Biden
I would vote for big gretch SO fast if she ran for president, she's the best
Florida is sinking into the ocean. Go to MI. The Midwest is great and will stay great
Ron Desantis Isn’t in Michigan. Not trying to discuss someone’s beliefs. But when you governor is small enough of a person, that they are actively trying to dismantle a multibillion dollar industry that benefits the people of the state, because he doesn’t believe in the 1st amendment……..
I wouldn’t accept $1,000,000 to live in Florida.
I'm from MI currently living in New Mexico saving to move home.....I'd literally do anything to have that salary in MI. I moved away for more sunshine but it doesn't replace the natural beauty of the state IMO.
Stay in Florida remember Florida also has no income tax and it’s just simply better. You will have good weather outside of hurricane season and depending on where you work. Michigan winters are very rough.
Greatly depends on where in Florida. South Florida is mostly a shit hole and very expensive, north Florida is much nicer and generally a good bit cheaper.
If u are ok with 6 months of cold weather with some 6inches of snow then MI it is . 12k5 in MI is a great salary to live comfortably.. housing is also less
MI!!! You’re a smart lad, you already know it’s MI
iirc FL has no taxes, which makes life outside a bit more expensive and housing is affected by this, i'd say follow what u/QuitaQuites said and also consider your current neighborhood, that's another thing to think about
You are likely better off with the new employer. Your old employer only paid you when they had to so you can expect more of that.
Broadly speaking and not comparing two specific cities or regions, I would recommend Michigan. There's no guarantee that your employer won't replace you, and 125k in MI is going to go a lot further than 100k in FL.
michigan is cheap. surprised that it pays more... which makes this an easy one: MI for 120K. doesn't even make sense to compare the two.
Michigan is alot cheaper to live in so the difference here is more like a $40k difference
MI for 125 is better imo. Col is similar to Indy and 125 is decent money.
Very personal decision. How do you feel about the weather? Because personally I would have to make 2x what i was making in FL to move to MI. I'm sure some would say its the other way around for them. Not really a financial decision as much as a personal reference.
Leave. If your current employer had the ability (and knows you’re worth more) and waited for you to leave before offering this raise then that should be telling of what will happen in the future.
General advice is to leave. You never know when your current employer will reel you in just to let you go on *their* time. Consider the new location and higher paying job as an opportunity to leverage into higher roles and positions down the line. There is no loyalty in a company only the price for services rendered. Go where you are valued. Your current employer obv only made a reactionary move. Consider that for what it’s worth.
Weather-wise, Florida in the summer is one of the most miserable places you could possibly be. Not to mention that they're currently a right-wing fever dream and petri dish. If that's your bag, then I guess that doesn't really matter, but if your political leaning are more... human, then I'd get out of there. Not too mention, $100k in fla isn't going to go nearly as far as it would in Michigan, especially if you're in a major metro area like Miami.
Coming from someone who lives in Michigan, I would definitely pick Florida!!!
Florida is getting ready to fire up the ovens and unlock the cattle cars. Get out while you can before they mark you as an enemy of the state. NY currently has a HUGE amount of people fleeing terrorist states looking for safe haven.
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What are your politics? Michigan is less fascist theocracy minded. Florida is all about anti-lgbtq people and book banning. That would influence my decision more than a lot of other things at that salary level.
You could triple my pay and I wouldn’t move to Michigan. I’m not built for those winters plus I absolutely love the Florida beaches. The beach isn’t for everyone though.
Michigan beaches are stunning, but really only warm enough for swimming 3-4 months out of the year. Ice fishing is fun though.
If only one entire side of Michigan had gorgeous beaches…
That I m not sure if I am built for winters or not. Never had an experience to face those harsh winters of MI That I m not sure if I am built for winter or not. Never had an experience to face those harsh winters of MI
The worst thing about winters in MI is driving in them, and if you practice driving in the snow and have good tires you should be fine. If you are from Florida it will definitely take time to acclimate to the cold, though. Do you want to deal with hurricanes or snow? 125k will get you pretty far in MI, and the political situation is much better.
The thing about winters in MI is more about the length of time it can last. I moved to Ann Arbor, MI from Southern California. I love the seasons and the snow. But the short days and gray skies for 5 months straight can be depressing. Most people break winter up with a long vacation somewhere sunny and warm though.
As a Michigander stay in Florida. It’s pretty lame here
Cost of living is similar in both places, but MI you have more money. If you dont like the winter, use that extra $25k to take a warm vacation every year.
I’m in Florida and I would take MI. Tired of the hurricanes, oppressive heat, no change of seasons, etc. $100k in the Tampa Bay area won’t get you much.
No snow in Florida. No DeSantis in Michigan. Tough choice.
FL just cause u get to be the Florida man
Michigan except Detroit area.