One kid in high school and one in elementary. FL has been #1 on my radar but lately I've been concerned about sea level rising. A 10 foot rise would render a large swath of the state submerged. Are you in FL?
Central TN here. My $0.02 ... Zero income tax, zero tax on retirement withdrawals, four seasons, 60 days more sunshine than a few deg lat north. Cumberland Plateau a la Joel Skousen ... 'Strategic Relocation' pub. 90 min away from all SMSAs. Gig-E comes in Jan. Three times more cattle than people. Land ~$3000/acre. Lots of secluded space for revitalization. Ppty Tax for a small farm w/house ~$1000/yr. Peace, quiet and near zero crime. Exurban, local Cops are peace officers. State Troopers/urban cops will take cash from your car and you will never see it again. Two local realtors just resettled 25 LEOs and their families from SoFla in one shot over two counties. Real eye opener for everyone involved. State public schools will turn your student into an obedient serf afraid of their own shadow. Go private or home school. Don't consider if your family consists of sophisticated delicate flowers that love to joke about hillbillies/people of faith, love open borders, never talk to your neighbors, bow to political correctness, don't own more than one firearm, have never got you hands dirty in a garden/compost or ... can't handle 10+ acres ... never have thought about self-sufficiency or self defense. If so, look elsewhere. You will not be happy with plateau culture.
I get it, I get it, but ... the whole point of making a lot of money is so I don't have to get my hands dirty unless I want to
Fukin A', I could deal with that. It would be so quiet and peaceful. And who does not like cows, and has not shoveled horse shit? What is the big deal? The refreshing break from "city life" would be like a vacation. Oh, your horse has colic? Let me just shove my arm up it's ass and untwist the intestine lead from the bottom of its stomach.
LOL ... jeez my imagination is way too good ... SLE hit it on the head. Financial independence gives you all the options and control you desire. I am right there. My point though is that many people can easily afford the benefits of Xurbia, but they really can't handle the cultural change if they have nothing in common or can't stand alone. My neighbor is ex-Cali, exAF, exCop. He raises quarter horses just because he likes them as pets. Smart guy, ethical guy, do anything for you guy. Local born folks generally won't give him time of day, but like me, he's immune to the stuff. Seen folks move in and move right back out a few years later. Like going anywhere, it's good to know what you are trading for.
Florida public schools are not that great compared to schools near NYC. There are great private schools, but again benefit of tax benefit vanishes.
Most states take approximately the same amount in taxes from the 3 main sources.... income, property, sales. Those that have low or none of one category, tend to have higher other. Your best tax treatment will be one that suits your investment profile best. Heavy into RE? Avoid "high property tax" states... that sort of thing.