Where the snowbirds go?

[Docere]

In terms of the destination of "snowbirds" from northern cities and states, at what point does Florida give way to Arizona?

[Boisebro]

Originally Posted by Docere

In terms of the destination of "snowbirds" from northern cities and states, at what point does Florida give way to Arizona?

can't ignore Texas, either. plenty of retirement communities, such as Sun City north of Austin, catering to retired snowbirds.

[Docere]

Among Canadians, Texas isn't really on the radar for snowbirds. It's mainly Florida (Eastern Canada) or Arizona and to a lesser extent California (Western Canada).

Texas probably represents too much of the negative stereotypes about America for Canadians.

[Crawford]

I'm guessing Texas doesn't get a huge number of snowbirds. No ocean and no dry heat (at least not the heavily populated parts). Florida, the Carolinas and Arizona have obvious leisure draws.

[Steely Dan]

I have nothing but anecdotal evidence to base this on, but I get the sense that chicagoland sends more snowbirds to Arizona than florida, though florida still has good chicagoland representation too, primarily gulf coast - middle class to Tampa bay, wealthier folks to naples area.

[Docere]

Rich Torontonians like Palm Beach.

[pdxtex]

midwesterners go to the gulf, east coasters go to the atlantic. i dont know where canadians go.

[Capsicum]

Originally Posted by pdxtex

i dont know where canadians go.

Cuba?

[Jaborandi]

Originally Posted by Capsicum

Cuba?

Cuba si!

[JManc]

Originally Posted by Crawford

I'm guessing Texas doesn't get a huge number of snowbirds. No ocean and no dry heat (at least not the heavily populated parts). Florida, the Carolinas and Arizona have obvious leisure draws.

No ocean? Texas has a huge coast and it's fairly dry out by about by Austin and San Antonio but snowbirds prefer FL and the Carolinas. Nicer beaches and far More convenient to get to...straight down 95. Texas is out of the way. Especially the better beaches.

[jd3189]

I work at a Publix near a beach in my current town and many of my customers have been people from New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Massachusetts, and Quebec. My specific Publix is the second most busiest because of them.

[Sun Belt]

This is the first year my dad is doing the snowbird thing and he loves it.

Charleston, South Carolina or rather a barrier island outside of Charleston.

[Buckeye Native 001]

Anecdotally, I am in Mesa for the weekend and during a trip to Walmart this afternoon saw cars with license plates from Minnesota, Saskatchewan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and Manitoba in the parking lot.

Seems that most Upper Midwesterners (MI, WI, NE, IA, IL) come to Arizona. The only Ohioans that come here with any regularity are mostly from northern Ohio (Cleveland).

I've seen a lot more cars with license plates on the Phoenix freeways from Saskatchewan, Alberta and sometimes Manitoba since the 2008 financial crisis. I don't remember seeing that many (if at all) when my family first moved to Arizona n 1996.

[lio45]

Originally Posted by pdxtex

midwesterners go to the gulf, east coasters go to the atlantic. i dont know where canadians go.

Out East here it's 100% Florida 0% Arizona.

(Also, nearly's everyone I know is on the Atlantic coast, not the Gulf coast.)

[Metro-One]

I seem to know quite a few people who snowbird in Palm Springs. A few in Hawaii and Arizona.

[AviationGuy]

Originally Posted by Crawford

I'm guessing Texas doesn't get a huge number of snowbirds. No ocean and no dry heat (at least not the heavily populated parts). Florida, the Carolinas and Arizona have obvious leisure draws.

South Texas (the Valley) has large numbers of snowbirds. There are RV parks and typical palm tree lined snowbird communities all over the place down there. That happens to be near or on a part of the Gulf where the beaches and water are nice. They arrive in the fall and leave in the spring. The weather in the Valley is usually mild in the winter (although it can get much colder than south Florida).

Edit: Here's some information:

http://www.wintertexaninfo.com/wtlifestyle.html

I haven't found information on where these snowbirds come from. My understanding has been, however, that there are a lot of Canadians among the snowbird population in South Texas.

[AviationGuy]

Originally Posted by JManc

No ocean? Texas has a huge coast and it's fairly dry out by about by Austin and San Antonio but snowbirds prefer FL and the Carolinas. Nicer beaches and far More convenient to get to...straight down 95. Texas is out of the way. Especially the better beaches.

Austin and San Antonio are still in the humid belt, but not as much as east Texas (Houston). Humidity can often be a problem here because we so often have a flow off the Gulf, but not very far west of here it's much, much nicer.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by Boisebro

can't ignore Texas, either. plenty of retirement communities, such as Sun City north of Austin, catering to retired snowbirds.

Actually, here in Arizona I see a fair number of Texas plates on cars. There are retirement communities in Texas for sure, but they are for full time residents, not so much snowbirds. There are retirement communities in every state but some of the people living in them have second homes where it's warm.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by AviationGuy

South Texas (the Valley) has large numbers of snowbirds. There are RV parks and typical palm tree lined snowbird communities all over the place down there. That happens to be near or on a part of the Gulf where the beaches and water are nice. They arrive in the fall and leave in the spring. The weather in the Valley is usually mild in the winter (although it can get much colder than south Florida).

Yes, the Rio Grand Valley near the Gulf--but even from West Texas and the panhandle, Arizona beckons.

[AviationGuy]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

Actually, here in Arizona I see a fair number of Texas plates on cars. There are retirement communities in Texas for sure, but they are for full time residents, not so much snowbirds. There are retirement communities in every state but some of the people living in them have second homes where it's warm.

No, the communities in South Texas are full of snowbirds who spend only the winters there.