Long story short, our family is ready for a break from Northeast winters. My mother struggles with eczema during the colder months, and our oldest has asthma, so warmer weather has been a frequent topic of discussion for the past couple of years. We’ve seriously talked about making the move and have spent time in both Tampa and Boca on vacation, loving each for different reasons. Of course, visiting is very different from day-to-day living. Our kids are in middle and high school, and I work remotely. I’d love to hear from locals in Tampa and Boca about the real pros and cons of each area. TIA!
So your kids asthma is going to get worse down here. I live in Central Florida and have a lot of asthma problems and if any of y'all have allergies you're going to be sneezing up a storm half the year. Personally I would not live in Boca or Tampa. Also be sure to watch the house inventory that is coming out of some of these locations because they technically are not up to code and things like that. There are some areas that are having to lift their house 12 ft off the ground and there are a lot of flippers and companies that aren't doing that and are just redoing the insides poorly then reselling them. The problem is a lot of these houses aren't getting homeowners insurance because of some of these issues.
https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/nbft-03-the-price-is-wrong/
The 99% invisible podcast did a really good episode about Florida going all the way back into like the 60s with the paper subdivisions. They talk about Cape Coral which is also over by Tampa closer to Fort Myers though. But they talk about the overall State and homeowners insurance and the issues that stem from things like hurricanes. It's a interesting podcast.
Thank you! This is the kind of information I need. I’ll def. look into it.
As far as the ashtma, I’ve heard a few people tell me that it may actually get worse. The longest we’ve stayed in FL was a month and that was in September. My son did have to use his inhaler once, however his ashtma/allergy was not getting triggered daily as it would be up here. That could potentially change as you stay in a certain area long enough so I’m hoping that doesn’t happen. I really appreciate the heads up.
Mold is major issue because of the humidity and climate. You have to be diligent about cleaning showers and bathrooms. Fixing leaks quickly or your whole house can be consumed which will cause obvious issues with asthma. Make sure you don't cheap out on AC filters and might need to buy dehumidifiers for bedrooms.
What triggers his asthma? Our allergy season runs nearly year round since there is always something new blooming at different times of the year.
What times of year have you been down here? That plays a role too.
I don't know. I left Boca 22 years ago (rude ass people and horrid traffic) and I left Tampa last year (rude ass people). Second generation lifelong Floridian and I'm in Georgia now. ✌🏽
Lol I moved from Tampa to Boca to be with my fiance. I miss Tampa a lot mostly because what South Florida offers I do not care for. It's hot, all the freaking time. We get random cold days but if you want more of the "seasons" you are better off in Tampa as it will be chilly there for a majority of the winter season - beautiful but definitely a bit chilly. Summer in South Florida is brutal and I'm not even saying that to be funny, it's horrible.
Tampa has a lot more to do, you have access to downtown, St. Pete, Dunedin, Sarasota, even Orlando - I prefer what the west coast offers WAY more than what South Florida does. If you want access to Miami then sure, Boca is fine. Jupiter is beautiful and even West Palm is nice. But it's expensive.
And honestly Tampa traffic is horrendous - the job market also sucks there.
Boca is a family town, there are a lot of family oriented events, you are close to Delray if you want the nightlife aspect - the beaches are insanely well kept along with everything else in town, and it's quiet. It has its perks for sure.
Boca has the most miserable old people in the world, I truly think they move there to die and make everyone around them miserable. The thought of having to drive for two seconds in or near Tampa makes my skin crawl. And the level of pollution should make anyone’s skin crawl in both those places. I wouldn’t bet on either being better for asthma at all.
I had much worse breathing/allergy problems in Boca in the winter when they burned the sugar fields.
Where are these sugar fields? I've been everywhere in Boca from the beaches to 441 - havent seen any farming there. And 441 to Everglades is all gated communities and development now.
The entire middle of the state is sugar fields. Basically everything from Okeechobee to the Everglades.
If your family can afford Boca then you have the money to buy anywhere in the country. So don't pick Florida at ALL
Right, socal or even Arizona is where it’s at. Low humidity and warm weather, should be better for asthma
If your family can afford to live in Boca, choose Boca.
St Augustine. Avoid the mess, get sone nature. Southern hospitality and loads of history along with the best schools in Florida.
Too cold and damp in the winter compared to south Florida. It's been a couple of years since I've been there but the southern hospitality aspect isn't what it used to be there. Parking is horrible and the tourists are everywhere.
not anymore, it's empty now... you should visit
Really? I haven't been there since COVID, did that have an impact on the tourists or just a general decline because of the economy?
Boca small , expensive , old and over crowded. Tampa better for younger folks. They are night and day. But most Floridians will say don’t come. Already full. It’s so out of control on the commutes. Hate seeing those out of state plates. It’s HOT. You say you want out of winter and come here and complain.,it’s sweltering in Boca. Not as bad in Tampa. All get hurricanes. All have crazy high home insurance or condo have assessment fees which are unbelievable. It’s not a great time to come
FYI Boca has two universities: FAU and Lynn plus Palm Beach county college. Old is old cliche.
Boca - mostly because of the hurricanes. Jupiter would be my #1 choice though!
Tampa gets less hurricane activity than Palm Beach county.
Have you watched the news the last couple of years?
The west coast storms are quicker to hit, form in the Yucatan/ Cuba and can hit in 3-4 days. but are generally weaker winds but the flooding is worse.
East coast storms form off Africa/Caribbean can be much stronger, and if you get the eye, devastating. Having grown up here in the 60's, I thought I knew what they could do, until we had a cat 5 storm. total game changer. I saw 2story homes, left with only a toilet and bathtub on the 2nd floor.
Winds do damages, but water kills. location matters.
Have you seen historical trends? I've lived my entire life in South Florida Tampa historically has had less hurricanes hit it than PBC. Wilma, Jean, Francis all hit us in a very short timeframe.
Then you should def move to Tampa
Lol I don't like the West Coast of Florida and I've had generational experience with hurricanes. Unless you live on the coast or get hit by a 4 they really aren't a big deal. More inconvenient than anything else.
I grew up in tampa and have lived near/worked in boca. Unless you have tons of $ I would go tampa just on that alone. Boca is just developments and plazas full of rich folks. It all looks the same
Boca is a retirement community. If you want to spend time in heaven’s waiting room, Boca is an easy choice. Tampa is a city, affordable for Florida standards. Plenty of fun things to do if you’re younger. Your mother would like Boca more, you and your children would like Tampa more.
Both are choices you’ll make where you are going to make sacrifices. Both locations traffic is ridiculous. Rush hour is from 4-7. Both places have grown exponentially the last 10 years with 0 invested in infrastructure to accommodate growth. I was playing golf with a group the other day, a guy in a similar situation was bragging about how he moved down here and overpaid for his house in a bidding war. Someone in my group replied “So you’re part of the problem, you overpay for your house because you hate Connecticut most likely driving out a local family. You work remote so you’re not contributing to the local economy with your salary beyond gas and groceries. And then you’ll bitch about the rain and heat in summer and lost your mind on the first named storm No thanks” Insurance on all fronts have doubled in the last few years. Florida is amazing and I am glad I live here, I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else or raising my amazing family. But Florida isn’t the dream it was 20 years ago.
Boca has much better schools for what it’s worth.
Florida is better for asthma because of the warm but pollen, molds and mildew naturally occurrence can aggravate my allergies, hence asthma in some ways.
Still much better for me than cold up north healthwise. I live in Tampa so either place is great.
Tampa and this side of Florida is traditionally more of a Midwest vibe. Boca or South Florida in general from Jupiter to Miami, even the near Keys is more of a Northeast vibe.
I was born and raised here in Tampa… my friends with asthma suffer badly here. I have horrible allergies here. My husband’s eczema is the worst it’s ever been here, he’s 61 and grew up moving a lot with a military dad. We will be moving away in a few years when he retires. Maybe plan to rent for a year to see how y’all do. I pulled my son out of public school when he was in 3rd grade. He is now 30 years old. From what I’ve seen and heard the schools haven’t gotten any better, but I also think that’s true everywhere. The traffic is awful. Cost of living has become ridiculous. If you really are considering moving here, make sure you get insurance quotes for homeowners, vehicles, and be mindful of flood zones, and do some research into utilities cost, my electric bills never broke $100 until 3-4 years ago and now we are lucky to keep it under $250, 2 adults 1300 sq ft single story and our ac is set to 79. The heat and humidity suck big time. Yep, definitely moving away asap.
born in raised in tampa its a great place as long are you stay north and to the east of the city. or south in brandon area even sarasota.
but, im no doctor, but wouldnt humidity be worse for asthma? i would think somewhere warm and dry (phoenix?/vegas?) may be better?
I would seriously look at schools in both areas - the schools in florida in general are not good.
Double check re those health issues and our extreme heat.
That said, both are nice but as a native from sw Fl I’m partial to Tampa. It’s become a very vibrant city. Tons to do.
I had a professor who moved to South Florida because her kid had asthma. Her kid got much worse and she moved back to Ohio within a year. She was a law professor and an RN. She thought the climate would be better for him but that wasn’t so. Florida is very polluted. The water is polluted. And that pollution evaporates into the air more than anywhere else in the country. In Boca, you are really close to the most polluted lake in the country. Tampa has other major environmental health concerns. I moved to the northeast because of these issues. I feel much better up here. I was constantly sick in Florida.
Interesting, I thought maybe the humidity would make the asthma worse, I didn’t even think about the pollution
I'm no fan of Boca but she's overstating the pollution. I'm assuming she's talking about lake O which is about 30 miles west and the prevailing winds in Boca blow east to west so not sure how that pollution is going to evaporate and drift eastward, disregarding how that even would be possible. Dry air can trigger an asthma attack, my sister has asthma and she usually would be worse in our dry season in South Florida. However as someone else mentioned summer is incredibly hot, it's literally like living in Hell's armpit. The beaches in northern Palm Beach county have incredibly clear water in the summer.
Also if you go to the American lung association website you can search the pollution index and no Florida city is in the top 25.
I would vote for Boca. At least when you live in Boca, you are close to a lot of other bigger cities and you’re not so far away from taking a small road trip to do something fun. Boca is expensive though. Basically all the New York Jews from the northeast move to Boca. I don’t know Tampa well so I cannot speak on that. I just know if you live in Boca you’re about a 30 minute ride to downtown West Palm Beach, maybe 45 minute south to Fort Lauderdale and depending on traffic, maybe one hour and 30 minutes drive to Miami. And you’re about a 3 Hour Dr. N. to Orlando. Hope that helps.
Boca
Boca is the nicer spot
If you absolutely must move to Florida, my suggestion is to stay away from the coasts. Go inland. Nice smaller towns.
Boca 💯
Tamca
Georgia
Tampa has a cold winter and Boca does not.
Central ,northern Florida has some insane Pollen seasons, kids car was covered inches thick, so Not sure if good for Asthma,climate is definitely moderate,especially Boca the summers are hellish heat humidity. High cost of living,jobs pay horrendously, good luck
Tampa is generally more family friendly and livable day to day. Boca is nice but much pricier and skews older.
SoCal might be a better option
Tampa is cold in winter. We live an hour north, we have our heat on at night and into the morning. I am living in sweatshirts and layers right now. I would kill to be able to afford to live near Boca again. I went to college there and grew up 20 mins away. It’s probably longer now with traffic. It’s warmer and it’s more of a melting pot down there but it cost more money to live there.
So, If we could afford it, Boca. Tampa is great, too, but it’s much colder, and I personally prefer the east coast because I grew up there.
The schools down here suck compared to the north. I know there are gatekeepers that just say to stay out of their area/town, but for real, think of the children...dont hurt their education.
Your children will likely receive a much better education where you currently live.
If you don't speak Spanish, Tampa is probably a better bet. But we've had a huge rush of people moving here since 2021 and it is pretty crowded, traffic has gotten a lot worse as has the housing and rental market.