Moving from Salt Lake City to Orlando

The Story

SLC-to-Orlando is dramatic cost+tax+theme park move. UT 4.65% → FL 0% saves $4,650/yr. Housing 30% CHEAPER ($530K → $370K), COL 10% lower. Pull: theme park economy (Disney + Universal employ 100K+), Lake Nona Medical City, tech (EA Tiburon, Lockheed Martin), no LDS cultural overlay.

Why This Move

Why people move from Salt Lake City to Orlando.

Housing 30% cheaper — $530K SLC becomes $370K Orlando
UT 4.65% drops to FL 0% — saves $4,650/year on $100K
Cost of living 10% lower
Theme park economy — Disney + Universal employ 100K+
Tech jobs — EA Tiburon, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, AdventHealth
Lake Nona Medical City — UCF Medical, Nemours, VA Hospital
No LDS cultural overlay (more secular)
Family-friendly culture

Cost Comparison

The money side of UT → FL.

Salt Lake City

Median home$530,000
Income tax4.65% (UT flat)
Cost index117

Orlando

Median home$370,000
Income tax0% (FL)
Cost index105

What to Do in Orlando

Things you'll want to know about your new city.

Bookmark this page — these are the icons of Orlando, organized by what kind of day you're planning.

Outdoors & Recreation

Lake Eola Park — Downtown lake, swan boats, farmers market Sundays
Harry P. Leu Gardens — 50-acre botanical garden in Orlando
Wekiwa Springs State Park — Crystal-clear spring; tubing, kayaking

Culture & Arts

Orlando Museum of Art — Notable American art collection

Family-Friendly

Walt Disney World — Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom
Universal Orlando Resort — Universal Studios + Islands of Adventure + Volcano Bay
SeaWorld Orlando — Marine park with rides; Discovery Cove sister park
Kennedy Space Center (1 hr east) — Active rocket launch site; Atlantis exhibit
ICON Park — International Drive entertainment complex; Ferris wheel
Gatorland — 1949 'Alligator Capital of the World'; zip line over alligators

Where to Eat

Orlando's essential restaurants.

The dining list every Orlando resident knows by heart. Save the spots, work through them.

Capa Spanish Lake Buena Vista (Four Seasons)

Michelin-starred Spanish from Andrew Zimmerman
Soseki Modern Omakase Japanese Winter Park

Counter-style omakase
Kadence Sushi tasting Audubon Park

9-seat omakase counter
Sette Italian Lake Nona

Modern Italian; chef Eric Schmidt
Black Rooster Taqueria Mexican Mills 50 District

Cult-favorite tacos
The Boheme American Downtown (Grand Bohemian)

Hotel restaurant with chef-driven menu
Chau's Cafe Vietnamese Mills 50

Best banh mi in town
Ravenous Pig Gastropub Winter Park

Farm-to-table; brewery

Where to Live

Best Orlando neighborhoods for Salt Lake City transplants.

Mapped to the Salt Lake City neighborhoods that probably feel like home to you.

Winter Park

If 9th and 9th was your vibe — walkable historic, top schools
College Park

If Sugar House was your scene — walkable, hip, restaurants
Lake Nona (suburb)

If Holladay was your model — master-planned medical/tech hub
Baldwin Park

If Federal Heights was your goal — master-planned, walkable, family, lakes
Mills 50 / Audubon Park

If you wanted hip walkable — art, food
Dr. Phillips (suburb)

If Park City affluent was your model — affluent, top schools, near Disney

Climate & Walkability

What daily life feels like in Orlando.

Climate

Humid subtropical. Hot, humid summers (72-93°F, May-Oct) with daily afternoon thunderstorms. Mild winters (50-72°F). Hurricane season June-November (inland is safer than coast). 233 sun days/year.

Summer72-92°F
Winter50-72°F
Sun days/yr233
Rainfall51 inches

Walkability

Walk Score41/100
Transit Score33/100
Bike Score55/100

Orlando is car-dependent — most errands require driving.

Outdoors & Recreation

Wekiwa Springs State Park — crystal spring, tubing, swimming
Lake Eola — downtown park with swan boats
Kayaking on Winter Park's Chain of Lakes
St. Cloud Lake — boating, fishing
Atlantic beaches (1 hr east) — Cocoa Beach, New Smyrna
Gulf beaches (90 min west) — Clearwater, St. Pete

Reality Check

What changes about your daily life.

Housing 30% cheaper — meaningful savings
UT 4.65% becomes FL 0% — $4,650/yr savings
COL 10% lower
Climate flips mountain semi-arid to humid subtropical — major humidity adjustment
Property taxes higher (FL 0.9% vs UT 0.6%) — partial offset
Hurricane risk arrives (Central FL still gets storms)
Skiing access disappears
Sports — gain Magic, lose Jazz

Driving Routes

How to drive there.

I-80 E to I-70 E to I-65 S to FL Turnpike

2,230 miles via Denver, KC, Nashville, Atlanta. 33 hours / 4 days.

Move Logistics

What it takes to move 2,230 miles.

Full-service (3BR)$8,000-$14,500
Container/PODS$5,500-$9,000
DIY (26-ft truck)$4,200-$7,500
Best monthsOct-Apr (avoid hurricane season)
Lead time8-10 weeks ahead

USDOT-registered.

Common Questions