What finger-shaped Florida lacks in breadth it makes up for in length; Tallahassee is 480 miles from Miami (farther than New York City is from Cleveland). -Philip Caputo
Tallahassee gets a bad rap, but there’s a lot to love about the capital of Florida! It’s a panhandle city, which means you won’t be getting the same kind of swampy heat that you get in southern Florida. And given its proximity to Georgia, you also get some hills (if you’re from a mountainous city you’ve got to adjust your expectations, pronto). Locals enjoy Tallahassee because there are so many outdoor activities to enjoy, while also getting the benefit of living in a big city. You can explore the state parks, take easy day trips to south Georgia, go for a float down Bear Paw, or take an awesome hike! If you’re at FSU, consider joining the Outdoor Pursuits group as well to see some nature and make some new friends at the same time.
**Here's a fanatic local on what they love: **
Incredibly humbling and amazing. It is the best of a transitional metropolitan-like city, bursting with cultural influences from all over the country, while simultaneously giving you the the small town, connected community vibes.
hands down, some of the most kindest and welcoming people that I've met in my life all came through Tallahassee, and if it wasn’t for the HORRIFIC flight prices to get in and out of the city, I would move back there tomorrow, have a whole gang of babies, teach for my Alma mater and love my soul mate/loved ones on the daily. Tallahassee is the perfect foundation for good living.
For more reviews of what living in Tallahassee is like from locals check out: The Buzz
Although it’s the capital, Tallahassee isn’t as big as Miami, Daytona, or many other big cities in Florida. This means that when it grows, the city feels it like when you try on your pre-pandemic jeans– a little too snug. The city is trying really hard to expand well, which means not sacrificing the city just for the sake of growth. The intent is to grow in a responsible manner without endangering the surrounding forest and protected lands. This means that we’re seeing compact growth in the city and, on top of a huge influx of tourists and out-of-towners for the FSU home games, it can make this very reasonably sized city seem crowded.
Cons of living in Tallahassee from a local:
-Summer is HOT and long
-Airport facility is nice, but it’s small and flight options are VERY limited. Expect to connect to almost anywhere you want to go, and for prices to usually be a good bit higher than you expect. Most locals end up driving to Jax, Orlando or even Atlanta to catch better flights. (This is, without question, the thing I like least about living here.)
-Tallahassee is kind of remote. It’s 2+ hours to Jacksonville, which is the closest city-like place. In-between is a whole lot of nothing.
-There’s still kind of a dearth of options for young professionals. Tons of college students. Tons of established families who’ve settled down. In-between is way better than it used to be, but still kind of a lost population here.
Tallahassee is a true college town at its core. With three colleges in the city, including Florida State University, there is always something going on. The biggest draw towards campus, yearly, is going to be college football. With one of the most competitive programs in the US, FSU brings in almost 50 million in direct spending during the 6 home games every year. Despite also being the capital of Florida, FSU is really the heart of the city. This also means that the median age is younger than you’d see in most of Florida. At just 34 years old being the median age, it defied the FL standard which is widely associated with retirement and snowbirds. Standard to most college towns is going to also be the affordable cost of living. Everything you need to do is within a 10 mile radius and everything you need to buy is going to be way cheaper than larger cities like Miami and Daytona.
If you want to check out what happens in Tallahassee here's the calendar of events: https://www.eventbrite.com/d/fl--tallahassee/events/
Put a huge college town in the same space as the capital of Florida and what do you get? The top employers are in education and government. This is a city of college kids, young professionals who loved the city too much to leave, and families who enjoy all of the activities and low cost of living afforded to them. There are several large companies based in Tallahassee and the top employers are the State of Florida, FSU, and Leon County School board. The city also has a huge retail industry that supports the campus and students year round. Although you might not have a hard time finding a job in Tallahassee, be aware that if you’re moving from a larger city and finding a job locally, you might be making significantly less than you’re used to. Local young professionals suggest keeping that remote Silicon Valley money and living big in the city if you can.
It’s no secret that people are abandoning large tech cities in favor of a more relaxed lifestyle. States like Florida and Texas are receiving an influx of residents seeing if they can find a more affordable city without the stuffy atmosphere of other areas (cough Bay area *cough). Tallahassee will be much more easy to adjust to than other smaller cities and if you’re moving from California or New York, it’ll be much less of an environmental shock than its other FL city counterparts.
Use our friends at VRBO and Expedia to help get you going!
Being a college town, there are a ton of areas that boast an active nightlife alongside other amenities like grocery stores, parks, and more. Check out these neighborhoods if you’re looking for decent walkability and a ton of nightlife!
