Boston Snowbirds in Florida: 2026-27 Tax & Travel Guide

Fort Myers Beach, Florida. Photo: qwesy qwesy via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.

For Boston snowbirds planning a Florida winter in 2026-27, the practical questions are less about beaches and more about taxes, residency, travel dates and paperwork. This guide pulls together what Massachusetts and Florida officials and federal data sources say, so New Englanders heading south for the season can plan with verified numbers rather than rumor.

How many people move from Massachusetts to Florida

Florida is the top destination for people leaving Massachusetts. In the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey state-to-state migration table, an estimated 21,834 people living in Florida had lived in Massachusetts one year earlier, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4,803. Traffic runs the other way too, but at about half the volume: roughly 10,580 Massachusetts residents had moved up from Florida over the same period.

Those figures count people who changed their residence, not seasonal visitors, so the true number of New Englanders spending part of the winter in Florida is larger and is not measured by the same survey. Boston.com reported that Florida drew more Massachusetts movers than any other state, ahead of New Hampshire and New York.

Florida’s population keeps climbing

Florida’s population reached 23,462,518 on July 1, 2025, according to the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 estimates, released Jan. 27, 2026. The FRED series FLPOP from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis shows the state grew from about 21.5 million at the 2020 Census base to that level in five years. Massachusetts, by contrast, stood at 7,154,084 in the same release (FRED: MAPOP).

The Census Bureau also noted a shift in where Florida’s growth comes from. Net domestic migration to the state, people arriving from other U.S. states minus those leaving, fell to 22,517 in the year to mid-2025, down from 183,646 in 2023 and 310,892 in 2022. Florida ranked eighth among states on that measure in 2025, while net international migration (178,674) was the highest in the country.

Taxes and residency: the rules snowbirds ask about most

Florida has no state personal income tax; the ban is written into Article VII, Section 5 of the Florida Constitution. That is a major reason some Massachusetts retirees consider changing their legal home.

Spending the winter in Florida does not by itself end Massachusetts tax residency. Under Massachusetts General Laws chapter 62, section 1, a person is a Massachusetts resident if domiciled in the state, or if not domiciled there but keeping a permanent place of abode in Massachusetts and spending more than 183 days of the tax year in the state. The Department of Revenue’s guidance counts any part of a day spent in Massachusetts as a day in the state. Anyone who keeps a home in Massachusetts and plans to switch domicile should keep careful records and talk to a tax professional.

Those who buy a Florida home and make it their permanent residence can apply for the homestead exemption. According to the Florida Department of Revenue, the exemption can reduce a home’s taxable value by up to $50,000. Owners must hold the property and use it as their permanent residence on Jan. 1, and file with the county property appraiser by March 1. The exemption is not automatic.

Timing the trip south

The Atlantic hurricane season officially runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, according to the National Hurricane Center, so many seasonal residents plan arrivals for December or later. The Southwest Florida coast is still rebuilding in places after Hurricane Ian in 2022, and Fort Myers Beach, pictured above, was among the hardest-hit communities.

Flight options from Logan change each winter. Our companion guide to Boston-to-Florida flights this winter covers new and returning nonstop routes. Baseball fans can line up a visit with the Red Sox 2027 spring training schedule at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, which opens Feb. 19.

Jobs and the economy at a glance

For snowbirds who work remotely or part-time, the two state job markets look similar on paper. FRED data show Florida’s unemployment rate at 4.4% in September 2026 (FLUR), compared with 4.3% in Massachusetts (MAUR). Both figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and are seasonally adjusted.

Massachusetts readers following how state spending affects residents can also see our Massachusetts state budget hub, which tracks enacted budgets since fiscal 2016.

Checklist before leaving Boston

Decide whether you are a seasonal visitor or changing domicile, and document your days in each state.
If buying a home, note the Jan. 1 residency date and March 1 homestead filing deadline.
Arrange mail forwarding with the U.S. Postal Service and check vehicle registration and insurance rules for extended stays.
Book flights early for February and April school-vacation peaks.

Sources

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Boston Snowbirds’ Guide to Wintering in Florida, 2026-27