Boomers fed up with Florida are moving to southern Appalachia, fueling a population spike in longtime rural communities [View all]

Boomers fed up with Florida are moving to southern Appalachia, fueling a population spike in longtime rural communities

https://www.yahoo.com/news/boomers-fed-florida-moving-southern-152041744.html

Boomers who once flocked to Florida are increasingly ditching the state for southern Appalachia.

A recent Wall Street Journal report highlighted the so-called "halfbacks" who have settled in the region.

Many of the new arrivals sought an escape from the continual threat of extreme weather in Florida.

For decades, Florida has remained a top destination for retirees looking to settle down roots as they enjoy their golden years.

But despite the Sunshine State's warm weather and lack of an individual income tax, a wave of more affluent baby boomers is ditching the state for a newer destination: southern Appalachia.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that many so-called "halfbacks" — or boomers who moved from the Northeast and Midwest to Florida before settling in environs midway — are starting to populate once-heavily rural counties in areas that include Southwest Virginia, North Georgia, parts of both North Carolina and South Carolina, and portions of Alabama and Tennessee.

Many boomers moving into southern Appalachia have also bypassed Florida altogether.