The Florida American Dream: Sun, Growth and Strain

Main results:

Floridians Still Believe in the American Dream

53% say the American Dream “still holds true today,” versus 42% who think it “once did but no longer does.”
→ A majority still believe- but it’s a fragile optimism.
31% believe future generations will definitely have a better life; another 23% say “probably.”
→ That’s over half of Floridians still holding faith in upward mobility.

Narrative: Despite cost pressures, belief in opportunity remains surprisingly resilient.

Cost of Living Is the State’s Pressure Point

90% are at least somewhat concerned about inflation; 56% are very concerned.
80% are concerned about housing affordability, with *49% very concerned.
Nearly 50% say they’ve considered moving out of Florida due to cost of living.

That “moving consideration” rate is striking - it suggests that while Florida attracts new residents, many current ones feel squeezed enough to think about leaving.

Narrative: Florida’s boom economy is shadowed by affordability anxiety - a “sunshine squeeze.”

Homeownership: Still the Dream, But Out of Reach for Many

77% still see homeownership as part of the American Dream.
Yet only 51% are at least somewhat confident they could buy a home today, and 79% say buying a home is harder than five years ago.
The top barriers:

Home prices (36%)
High interest rates (15%)
Down payment cost (11%)

Narrative: Homeownership remains emotionally central but financially distant — a defining feature of Florida’s affordability paradox.

Living Paycheck to Paycheck Is the Norm

43% say they live paycheck to paycheck.
Another 26% say they sometimes do - meaning nearly 70% experience that strain at least occasionally.
Only 48% have an emergency fund covering three months of expenses.

Biggest reason for not saving more:

“High cost of living” (43%) - far ahead of debt (15%) or income constraints (13%).

Narrative: For most Floridians, financial security feels one expense away from collapse.

Economic Optimism With a Pragmatic Edge

41% rate the U.S. economy as excellent or good - higher than expected given cost-of-living pressures.
36% are very confident their household will improve in 2–5 years, and another 43% are somewhat confident.

Narrative: Floridians aren’t pessimistic - they’re realists: concerned about affordability, but still betting on themselves.

Demographic and Attitudinal Texture

Regionally: 39% of responses came from the South (consistent with Florida demographics).
Party ID: Roughly balanced (38% Republican, 33% Democrat, 24% Independent).
Religion: Majority Christian, but 22% report no religion - showing continued secularization even in a traditionally religious state.
Education: 37% have a bachelor’s or higher - a solidly educated sample.
Income: About half earn below $75,000, so the affordability concerns are grounded in middle-income reality.

The Big Story

Floridians believe in the Dream - but they’re paying dearly for it.
They still trust hard work and opportunity, yet most feel squeezed by rising housing costs and everyday expenses.
The “Florida Promise” - of sun, growth, and upward mobility - remains alive, but it’s getting expensive to hold onto.