For hundreds of Americans—especially those who have recently retired—moving to Alaska is like a dream come true. Moving somewhere far away from the noise and excruciatingly fast pace of the big city certainly sounds divine.
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The only problem is that, sometimes, when our dreams become true, we realize that they’re not quite as expected. And perhaps that explains why the population of Alaska has been decreasing steadily since 2016.
- Since 2016, Alaska has seen a steady decrease in its population. Most of these people are moving to warmer places, such as California and Florida.
- A plan taking off in Anchorage, Alaska.
While this state is unarguably one of the most scenic in the country, there are several other factors that are driving people out of Alaska. And what’s the best thing after living in a freezing cold state for years? It’s moving to a sunny place like Florida!
According to Stacker, Florida ranks at the second position in the ranking of where people in Alaska are moving the most. Almost 5,000 people moved from Alaska to Florida in 2019 alone, which represented almost 10% of the population at the time.
- For a few years now, Florida has been a popular destination not only for tourists but also for American residents looking for a cheaper and prettier place to live.
- Aerial view of a road in Hollywood, Florida.
The climate is obviously not the only reason why people are moving to the Sunshine State. In this article, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about this relocation; the pros and cons, the best places to move to, the costs of moving, and much more.
Here’s everything you need to know about moving from Alaska to Florida.
Contents:
How Much Does It Cost to Move From Alaska to Florida?
When it comes to moving, there are different factors that you need to take into consideration. First, you need to make sure that you’re moving for the right reasons. Second, you have to establish a timeline that’ll help you organize your relocation process. Third, you need to find the ideal mover.
Several characteristics define an ideal mover, and one of them is its service rates. Each moving company has its own rates and, based on the types of services that they offer, some movers will be more expensive to hire than others.
In order to move from Alaska to Florida, here’s the first thing you have to come to terms with in regards to hiring a mover: it’s going to be expensive. Not only are these two states across the country from each other, but Alaska is also not part of the mainland, so this is a complex relocation process.
The distance between Alaska and Florida is approximately 4600 miles, and this fact alone is enough to make this moving process one of the most difficult ones. It can take up to 21 business days for your items to arrive at your new home!
Below, we’re going to introduce you to three different types of relocation you can choose and how much it costs to move from Alaska to Florida with each of these types.
Hiring a full-service moving company
The most basic definition of full-service movers is that they are the movers who do everything in the relocation process. While this definition may sound rather broad, it is the most accurate one. When you hire a full-service mover, they will do everything indeed.
But what does “everything” include? Well, it includes anything that you want it to include. If you want your movers to pack your belongings for you, they’ll do that. If you want them to disassemble and assemble your furniture, they’ll do it. If you want to simply load your belongings into the moving truck, they’ll do that too.
If you’re moving from Alaska to Florida, hiring a full-service moving company is the best option, for this is the only type of moving in which you won’t have to make any physical effort at all. You’ll understand what we mean by this shortly.
Here are the estimated moving costs of hiring a full-service moving company to relocate from Alaska to Florida.
- Studio/1 Bedroom: $2737 – $4562
- 2-3 Bedrooms: $4162 – $6937
- 4+ Bedrooms: $4875 – $8125
- Office-Commercial Moving: $7395 – $9120
Renting a DIY moving truck
Another option that you have when it comes to relocating from Alaska to Florida is to rent a DIY moving truck. When you choose this type of relocation, you don’t a full-service mover. All you need is to contact a truck rental company, pack your belongings, load them into the truck, and drive all the way to Florida.
While the truck rental price might be cheaper than the rates of a full-service mover, you have to keep in mind that there are other expenses in this type of moving. In addition to the rental itself, you’ll also have to pay for gas, and repairs when necessary, as well as pay for moving insurance in order to avoid financial loss in case anything happens to your belongings.
On top of all of that, you should also consider the distance between Alaska and Florida. While you can get to the Sunshine State by car, or truck, in this case, you’ll first have to drive over 2000 miles to get to the mainland (via Canada) and another 2600 miles to get to Florida. This is an extremely long journey and you’ll be the one driving the DIY moving truck.
Here are the estimated moving costs of renting a DIY moving truck to relocate from Alaska to Florida. Note that these estimates don’t include additional expenses (gas, repairs, insurance, et cetera).
- Studio/1 Bedroom: starting at $3495
- 2-3 Bedrooms: starting at $4477
- 4+ Bedrooms: starting at $5459
- Office-Commercial Moving: starting at $6441
Renting a moving container
The third option that you have when considering moving from Alaska to Florida is to rent a moving container. Unlike renting a truck, you won’t have to worry about driving your belongings all the way to Florida.
The one thing you’ll have to do is to pack your items and load them into the truck. Once you’re done with that, the moving company will send professional workers to pick up the container and then drive it from Alaska to Florida.
- You can also opt to rent a moving container from companies such as PODS. When you rent a moving container, all you have to do is pack your items and load them into the container. Check our PODS guide for more info!
- A My Moving Estimates PODS guide.
Once again, the downside of choosing this type of option is that, given the complexity of this relocation, you’ll probably have to spend quite a lot to relocate a container over 4600 miles. That’s because moving companies charge per hour but they can also charge you per mile, and that’s going to make this type of move quite expensive.
Another disadvantage of this type of relocation is that the top companies, such as PODS, still don’t operate in Alaska. This is another factor that can make the moving process pricier.
Here are the estimated moving costs of renting a moving container to relocate from Alaska to Florida.
- Studio/1 Bedroom: starting at $3500
- 2-3 Bedrooms: starting at $3975
- 4+ Bedrooms: starting at $4450
- Office-Commercial Moving: starting at $4925
How to Hire Movers from Alaska to Florida?
Considering that Alaska is not located on the mainland and that Florida is across the country from it, you won’t be able to rely on any mover to help you. And that’s not because some moving companies don’t want to help — it’s because they don’t have the licenses and documentation necessary to perform this kind of relocation.
On top of that, it’s not always financially viable for companies operating in Alaska to help families relocate back to the mainland. They can’t always help you move by land, and moving by ferry gets really expensive sometimes.
- There are different types of movers available, and not all of them will be able to help you relocate from Alaska to Florida. Read more below to find out what type of mover is ideal for you.
- Movers loading a family’s belonging into the moving truck.
So, instead of contacting multiple movers at once, it’s important that, first, you learn the different types of movers available. This way, you’ll narrow your search and it’ll be easier to find a moving company. If you’re wondering how to hire movers from Alaska to Florida, we’ll explain everything you need to know about that below:
Interstate Movers
When a family wants to relocate from one state to another, they need to hire an interstate mover. However, this type of mover can help you relocate from Washington to Oregon, for instance, but not from Alaska to Florida.
That’s because Alaska and Florida are really far from one another, which makes this relocation process quite complicated. Instead, you can rely either on a long-distance mover or a cross-country mover, which are terms we’ll explain shortly.
Long-Distance Movers
The general rule of thumb is that any relocation process over 100 miles is considered a long-distance moving process. As such, when you make a long-distance move, you need to hire a moving company that offers this type of relocation specifically.
While Alaska and Florida are well over 100 miles away from each other, you’ll find that not every long-distance mover will be able to help you. And this is not just because of the distance between the two states — it’s also due to the complexity of moving from Alaska to the mainland.
Hence why you will likely need to hire a cross-country mover.
Cross-Country Movers
As the name suggests, cross-country movers help families relocate across the country. In general, their work is already quite complex, and that’s why these movers are ideal to help you relocate from Alaska to Florida.
For starters, cross-country movers hold a special license that allows them to perform these moves across the country. On top of that, they have all the equipment and staff necessary to transport your belongings all the way from Alaska to Florida.
Even still, before you hire a cross-country mover, make sure to confirm that they can help you relocate to Florida. Depending on where you live in Alaska, you might have to rely on moving companies that operate nationwide or you’ll have to find other means to relocate (such as renting a DIY moving truck, for instance).
Moving Brokers
When the time to find a mover comes, it’s not unusual for clients to feel overwhelmed. On top of having a lot of information to digest, you’ll see that there are thousands of movers to compare before you choose the ideal one.
In case you don’t feel like having the trouble of doing research or if you don’t feel confident enough to find a reliable and budget-friendly mover, you can get professional help from a moving broker.
Don’t mistake things: moving brokers won’t be responsible for helping you relocate to Florida. They’ll simply connect you to the mover that best fits your preferences and budget. That’s because moving brokers operate independently and have connections to different movers.
Best Moving Companies to Help Relocate from Alaska to Florida
Choosing a moving company is a difficult task in general. Now, finding the ideal moving company to help you relocate from Alaska to the continental United States is even harder. Due to several reasons, most moving companies won’t be able to help you move to the mainland.
However, that doesn’t mean that you won’t find a reliable mover. Your list of options might not be too long, but the options are good enough. To help you get started on this search, here are 3 of the best moving companies to help you relocate from Alaska to Florida.
Royal Alaskan Movers
One of the leading Alaska-based moving companies, Royal Alaskan Movers has been in the business for over 10 years and they have built quite a reputation for themselves. Whether you want your items to be transported by land, air, or sea, this mover can help you.
Royal Alaskan Movers offer a wide variety of services, from packing and unpacking to storage services. They operate in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Ketchikan, Kodiak, and a few other locations in Alaska.
AAA Moving & Storage
Another mover that can help you relocate from Alaska to Florida is AAA Moving & Storage. This company is an agent of Allied Van Lines, a company that has agents all over the continental US and also in Alaska and Hawaii.
Moving from Alaska to Florida can take some time and may even be divided into different phases. In this case, lots of people need a place to store their belongings that aren’t going to be relocated initially. AAA offers high-quality moving services and storage services, so they may be ideal for your relocation process.
Mayflower Moving
Mayflower is one of the largest moving companies in the entire country. As such, it’s not a surprise that they also provide their moving services in remote locations such as Alaska. While they only operate in five different Alaskan locations, their service is top tier, so it’s certainly worth giving them a chance.
No matter the types of moving service you may need, you can count on Mayflower to offer that service. This company offers discounts and it also allows its clients to create their own customized moving plan that fits their budget.
Why Are People Moving to Florida?
Florida is one of the most popular destinations for people moving from all over the country. The Sunshine State may be the target of multiple jokes, but the truth is that most people would love to live in a place like this state.
While we could write a whole book on the different reasons why people are moving to Florida, we will briefly mention the three main reasons that most new residents think are dealbreakers. Here’s why people are moving to Florida:
- Lower taxes
- When compared to other states, Florida has considerably lower taxes. This is a dealbreaker for lots of people because it means spending less money on things like food and clothes.
- Affordable housing
- Another reason why people are moving to Florida is the prices of houses. Unless you’re moving to Miami, you can expect to pay somewhere around $360,000 on a nice house for a family of four. This is relatively cheap, especially when compared to a place like Alaska, where the median home price is above the national average.
- Job opportunities
- The unemployment rate in Florida is around 3.2%, whereas this rate in Alaska is 5%. In other words, people are moving to Florida thanks to the job opportunities that they can find in this state.
What Are the Top Benefits of Moving from Alaska to Florida?
There are plenty of reasons why people move to Florida, but does that mean that relocating to the Sunshine State is advantageous at all? The answer to this question will vary based on the family and/or person who’s considering moving from Alaska to Florida.
Each state has its pros and cons, and it’s up to you to compare them and decide which state best fits your needs and preferences. For instance, you may love the cold weather, which makes moving to Florida a con. If you hate the cold, then moving to Florida is a pro.
Here are some pros and cons of moving from Alaska to Florida for your consideration:
Pros of Moving from Alaska to Florida
- You’ll be part of a diverse community.
- Florida is an incredibly diverse place, and you’ll get to fit in with large communities of diverse people here. This is a great opportunity to broaden your horizons and learn more about different cultures and people.
- You’ll get to enjoy the sunny weather.
- Lots of retirees move to Florida so they can enjoy the sunny weather. Getting to escape the brutal winters in Alaska and move to a state where it’s sunny most of the year? That’s just dreamy.
- You’ll have plenty of things to do and places to buy from.
- One of the biggest downsides of living in Alaska is that you don’t have access to some of the largest stores in the US. Moving to Florida will not only give you the opportunity to choose from a huge list of things to do, but you’ll also get to shop from many different stores.
Cons of Moving from Alaska to Florida
- You’ll have to deal with lots of tourists.
- The entire population of Alaska consists of approximately 77% of the most populous city in Florida. Moving to the Sunshine State means living in a state with over 21 million people, but it also means dealing with lots—and we mean lots— of tourists from all over the world.
- You won’t get to enjoy the snow anymore.
- While you may be excited about the prospect of living in a sunny state, you’ll probably miss the Alaskan weather when it’s supposed to be winter and you don’t see any snow and the coldest temperature you get is something around 50 °F to 65 °F.
- You’ll have to endure the traffic.
- Considering the number of people living in Florida, one thing is for sure: there is a lot of traffic in this state. Once you start working, you’ll see just how annoying the traffic and thousands of cars roaming the roads can be.
Comparison: Price of Living in Alaska vs. Price of Living in Florida
Considering that Alaska is not part of the continental United States, it only makes sense that the cost of living in this state would be higher. That’s because of all the logistics involved in transporting foods, clothes, electronics, and other goods to this state.
Even when you take all the good things about Alaska into account, they don’t always counterweigh the high costs of living in this state. On the other hand, Florida is well-known for having affordable costs of living and housing.
To help you get an idea of how much money you could save by moving to Florida, we have prepared this table illustrating a comparison between the price of living in Alaska and the price of living in Florida:
EXPENSES | ALASKA | FLORIDA |
| Housing | $1,220 | $1,551 |
| Food | $758 | $902 |
| Child care | $1,990 | $1,200 |
| Transportation | $1,258 | $1,070 |
| Health care | $1,502 | $1,240 |
| Other necessities | $717 | $889 |
| Taxes | $846 | $698 |
| Monthly Total | $8,290 | $7,549 |
| Annual Total | $99,476 | $90,589 |
All estimates presented in the table above were calculated considering the expenses of a family of two adults and two children. The data was retrieved from the Economic Policy Institute’s Family Budget Calculator.
Best Places to Move to in Florida
It’s one thing to consider moving from Alaska to Florida, and it’s a completely different thing to actually plan and go through this relocating process. In case you have decided that Florida is the ideal state for you, now you have to choose the ideal city.
The only problem is that Florida is home to some pretty amazing cities, which means that this is not an easy task. Once again, we suggest that you come up with a list of pros and cons of each city that seems interesting to you. This is the only way that you’ll be able to make a good choice.
If you haven’t thought about any cities in particular, here are some of the best places to move to in Florida.
- Hollywood
- If you don’t want to live close to the rush of big cities, moving to Hollywood may be the best option for you. This beautiful city is approximately half an hour from Miami and has everything that you need.
- Fort Lauderdale
- Another city that is not as big as Miami but is still incredibly good is Fort Lauderdale. If you’re younger and want to enjoy the nightlife but still stay away from the big city, you’ll be happy to know that there are plenty of bars and clubs in this city.
- Miami
- It’s impossible to talk about Florida and not mention Miami. While it is not the most populous city in the Sunshine State, Miami is certainly one of the most popular. With beautiful beaches and lots of job opportunities, you’ll love this city.
- Tallahassee
- The capital of Florida, Tallahassee is another great option for younger people. While this is not a coastal city, you’ll be a couple of hours away from the beach. On the hand, there are plenty of nightlife options here, especially considering this is a college town.
In the end, is Moving from Alaska to Florida Worth It?
Deciding whether moving to Florida is worth it or not is a decision that will depend on different factors. What exactly is your priority here? Are you more interested in moving to a place where you’ll spend less money on living expenses? Are you looking forward to having more entertainment and shopping options?
If you answered yes to both those questions, then you should certainly move from Alaska to Florida. The Sunshine State is significantly larger than Alaska, and not just in terms of geographical area. There are millions of people in this state and hundreds of different options for entertainment.
Politically speaking, both Alaska and Florida are red states, so your political views will probably align with those of the residents of this state. On top of that, people in Florida tend to be quite welcoming and friendly once you move to a new neighborhood.
The main downside of moving from Alaska to Florida is that the crime rates in Florida are on the rise, and you’ll also have to deal with awful traffic during rush hour and millions of tourists roaming the streets of popular cities, such as Miami and Orlando.
Overall, moving from Alaska to Florida is worth it.
How to Move from Alaska to Florida?
Moving to a different place can be quite overwhelming. Even if you hire a full-service mover, you’ll still have to deal with plenty of things. The good news is that there are different ways of making this process bearable — and even enjoyable.
- Before you contact a mover, it’s important that you first take the time to learn more about the different moving services available.
- A happy family looking forward to start their moving process.
The key to having a successful relocation process is to be methodical about it. If you plan everything and stick to your plan and schedule, you’ll see that moving is not as scary and complicated as it may seem.
To help you plan your relocation process, we have come up with 10 easy steps on how to move from Alaska to Florida that you can follow.
- Plan Ahead
- Being methodical means creating a plan and sticking to that plan step-by-step. You’ll see that, if you plan ahead of moving, you’ll be able to predict and deal with possible problems during the process. You can use our free downloadable moving checklist to get started with planning.
- Downsize
- Moving from Alaska to the continental US is quite complex and it can be pretty expensive as well. Because of that, our recommendation is that you either sell or donate some of your belongings. This way, you’ll save money in the moving process.
- Get Moving Quotes
- We understand that your options are limited when you live in Alaska, but it’s really important that you get moving quotes from the different companies operating in your state. This is the most efficient way to find the mover with the best rates. You can also use our free moving costs calculator to get moving quotes from multiple companies.
- Book Movers
- Once you have found the mover with the best prices and that offers all the moving services you need, it’s time to book their services. The sooner you do this, the bigger the chances of paying a reasonable price to relocate.
- Visit Your New Area
- In case you are still unsure about moving to Florida, one of the things you can do is visit your new area. If you’re getting paid time off work, perhaps you could schedule a short trip to Florida. Not only will you get to decide if you want to live there, but you’ll also get to enjoy the sun and the beach for a few days!
- Start Packing
- At this point, you should already have booked a moving company. Now, it’s time to start organizing your belongings and packing them into boxes. This is a lengthy and demanding task, so you’ll want to start packing weeks before the big day. Alternatively, you can always pay your mover to pack for you.
- Create an Essentials Box
- A box of essentials is a box where you’ll keep all the important items that you want to have access to once you get to Florida. Keep in mind that the journey from Alaska to Florida can take a couple of days even if you travel by air. See why having an Essentials Box will come in handy?
- Say Farewells
- Whether you were born and raised in Alaska or if you moved there a few years ago, you’ll want to take your time saying farewells. Moving from Alaska to Florida means that you will be over 4,000 miles away from everyone and everything you’ve always known. Depending on how many people you know, you’ll probably need a couple of weeks to say farewells.
- Get Some Rest
- If you mix the excitement of relocating to a different place with the headache of moving to a different place, you’ll see that finding the time to rest during the moving process is hard. But it’s important that you get some rest whenever you can — or else you won’t fully enjoy this process!
- Enjoy the Move
- Now that everything is ready, you can finally lay back and enjoy the move. Keep in mind that you’re turning a page in the book of your life and it’s time to start writing a new chapter. Moving from Alaska to Florida is quite a journey, and it’s a journey that will change your life!
Moving Services to Help You Relocate from Alaska to Florida
You’re probably tired of hearing that moving from Alaska to Florida is a complicated process. Still, we have to highlight this point so that you know what you’re getting into. However, this process doesn’t have to be so complicated.
Moving companies offer a wide variety of moving services. Before you contact a mover, it’s important that you know exactly what you need so that you can hire a moving company that offers those services.
With that in mind, we have compiled a list where we briefly explain the most common services you can hire. Once you understand what each service is about, you can finally look for movers and hire those that offer the services that you need, thus making this process much easier.
Here are 9 moving services to help you relocate from Alaska to Florida.
- Furniture Transportation
- Some people prefer to sell their furniture and buy new items once they relocate. However, you can always move furniture from Alaska to Florida. For this type of service, you need to find a mover that works with furniture transportation — which means you’ll easily find this, for most movers offer this service.
- Residential Movers
- There are two main types of movers that you can hire: commercial movers and residential movers. Residential movers are the professionals that will help you relocate your belongings from your current home to your new home in Florida.
- Piano Transportation
- If you have a piano that you love dearly and don’t want to sell, you are probably worried about transporting it. The good news that we have for you is that you can relocate a piano from Alaska to Florida quite easily — you just need to find the right mover.
- Art and Antiques Movers
- Art and antique movers hire highly skilled professionals that receive training on how to transport fragile items. As such, if you have a piece of art or an antique that you to relocate to Florida, you can hire these movers and you won’t have to worry about the integrity of your fragile items.
- Hot Tub Movers
- Even the smallest of hot tubs is still pretty large and heavy, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t relocate a hot tub from Alaska to Florida. In fact, if you choose to transport your hot tub, it’s going to be less costly than buying a new one once you get there.
- Pool Table Movers
- Once again, we want to remind you that you can easily transport bulky items to your new home. Yes, that includes moving a pool table to Florida all the way from Alaska. And no, you won’t spend a lot of money on it.
- Office Movers
- As we mentioned earlier, there are two main types of movers and commercial/office movers are one of them. These are the trained professionals that will be able to assist you in transporting items from a store or business.
- Long-Distance Movers
- In order to relocate from Alaska to Florida, you might need to rely on the assistance of a long-distance mover (in case there are no cross-country movers in your area). These professionals help families relocate between places that are over 100 miles apart.
- Last-Minute Movers
Planning ahead is the key to a successful moving process. However, you never know when or if your plans are going to change. In case you have to move from Alaska to Florida earlier than expected, you can hire a last-minute mover.