Mini-Post: You Get What You Pay For

Yeah... we have high taxes. Yes, the cost of living is high. But you get what you pay for... our schools are some of the best in the nation. Our libraries are above par. Our healthcare is some of the best in the nation. And... we have more freedom.

I'm moving my family from Florida to Connecticut. I was blown away by the differences in schools and safety.

Business Insider

As told to Kelly Burch

May 25, 2025

• Ellie Doyle is a mom of three moving from Florida to Connecticut.
• In Florida schools, libraries had some bare shelves after book bans.
• In Connecticut, she saw more diversity in schools.

I was born and raised in Miami, but I don't want to raise my kids in Florida. That's especially true since the pandemic. That's when I feel like Florida became really crazy. My state was well-known for not enforcing COVID-19 precautions. My sister was in kidney failure, and I donated my kidney to her, so we needed to be extra cautious. It felt really unsafe and scary to live in Florida, so much so that we moved to South Carolina temporarily. I also saw a shift toward more conservative politics, displayed more aggressively.

[...]

I want religion to be less of a part of daily life

Where we live in Florida, everything from day care to the local fair is organized by churches. That's fine for people who are religious, but we're not, so I don't want religious stories in my kids' day-to-day experiences. Here, everything seems, in a roundabout way, guided by religion.

Connecticut felt much warmer and open to me. I loved seeing the diversity in my daughter's soon-to-be school. In Florida, she's never had a Black or Hispanic classmate, and as a Hispanic mom, I feel it's really important to me that she sees an array of cultures.

That says a lot! 

Florida: You want good schools... be religious.

Connecticut: You want good schools... there are public schools and charter schools.

I think my kids will have more choices in Connecticut

Nowhere is perfect. People are quick to point out problems with Connecticut, like high taxes or the fact that the Sandy Hook school shooting happened here. Personally, I'm sad to be farther from my family. I know my parents are going to miss the kids so much.

Yet Connecticut is the best choice for our family right now. I'm looking forward to the kids experiencing four seasons, but I'm even more excited for them to have quality education and choices, no matter who they grow up to be.

Who's moving out of Connecticut? Seniors! They are moving to lower taxes and they don't care about schools.