I lived in Orlando for 10 years and believe me, I am glad I moved away. The weather is unbearable, it is so humid all the time that you will have to shower several times a day. Unemployment rate in Orlando is super high, several friends and family have been unemployed for months, and the pay is extremely low. Traffic is also pretty bad and the current transportation system is useless (I believe they are building a rail for the central FL area). Crime rate is very high as well - Orlando is a terrible place to raise a family. I lived there half of my life and I consider it my hometown but I would NEVER go back. There are more people in the city than there are jobs because people from the north move to Orlando trying to escape from the winters - it is not worth it. Without a degree the opportunities of finding a job are very small, you might find something PT at minimum wage ($7.25). The state of FL has a really bad educational system, schools are bad and overcrowded. The cost of living is high if you want to live in a decent neighborhood. I know that the beaches and the warm weather are very appealing but in my opinion it would not be a wise decision to move to Orlando. I hope this helps! :)
SciGrl | Dubuque, IA | Report Abuse

The Good: I like warm weather, so while Much of June through August are unbearable, I'll take it for beautiful days and gorgeous skies the rest of the year. It sure beats 5 or 6 mos of winter in NY and PA where I've lived before. There are a LOT of amenities to be found here. If you need a store or grocery store or something to do, it's here. What's left of the Florida landscape is absolutely gorgeous. (Wekiva State Park is an example) Proximity to beaches is awesome. Jobs are plentiful if low paying. Downtown is quite pretty. Traffic is light compared to many other cities even though people call I-4 a parking lot. DC, Toronto, LA, NY, Boston are all MUCH MUCH worse. The Bad: Not much room left for small business owners. Sprawl and chains have overtaken it. It's very hard to live in a nice community that has a community feel outside of the city. You have to make quite a commute to do so. I don't think it's the best city for children. Education is subpar in Florida and in Orlando in particular. You have to make a lot of money to do well for your kids here I think. In short, there are pockets of lovely neighborhoods, but it can be hard to find them. It is probably much better than Flint, MI, but there are also much smarter choices to raise a family. It depends on what you want. If your dream is to work for Disney, then it may be worth it. I work for Disney and happen to like it very much, but the pay is certainly not stellar. There isn't much culture or art scenes to be found. It's ok, but not good. Crime rate is VERY high right now. Cost of living is so so, but not when compared to the
Barbra | Orlando, FL | Report Abuse