The Left has spent years trashing Florida and Governor Ron DeSantis.
They claimed his policies would destroy the state.
And Florida landed one top honor that had Democrats making excuses to explain away this stunning reality.
Florida crushes liberal states in major quality of life ranking
WalletHub released their annual study this week, and Democrats won’t like what they found about conservative states.
The Sunshine State grabbed sixth place nationally in WalletHub’s 2025 ranking of America’s best states to live in, putting the lie to years of media predictions about Florida’s supposed decline under DeSantis.¹
WalletHub examined all 50 states using 51 different measurements across five key areas to determine where Americans actually want to build their lives.
Florida earned an overall score of 58.51, placing it ahead of liberal darlings like New York, California, and Illinois.
Even more embarrassing for Democrats, Florida was the only southeastern state to crack the top 20.
The Sunshine State particularly excelled in quality of life, ranking fourth nationally behind only New York, California, and Illinois.
Florida also showed strong performance in safety (12th nationally) and boasted the 11th best economy in the country.
“Florida secured an overall score of 58.51, placing it behind Minnesota and just ahead of New Hampshire and Utah,” the study revealed.²
The state’s success comes despite years of vicious attacks from the mainstream media and Democrat politicians who predicted economic catastrophe under DeSantis’ leadership.
Instead, Florida ranked third nationally in income growth – a metric that measures how much residents’ paychecks have grown from 2019 to 2023.
Housing costs reveal the real story behind Democrat failures
California topped the list of most expensive housing, followed by Hawaii and Nevada – all states dominated by Democrat policies for decades.
Look deeper and you’ll see what really drives up housing costs.
Years of environmental lawsuits have choked off development in states like California and Hawaii.
Endless zoning battles make it nearly impossible to build new homes where people actually want to live, while millions of illegal border crossers compete for whatever housing exists.
Florida’s housing costs reflect its incredible popularity and economic success, not policy failures.
People are fleeing Democrat-run states in record numbers and flocking to Florida because they want to live somewhere with economic opportunity and common-sense governance.
“WalletHub notes Florida’s high ranking stems from strong income growth. The state ranked third nationally in that metric,” the analysis found.³
Compare that to the economic disasters Democrats have created in states like California, where residents are literally fleeing to escape crushing taxes and regulatory insanity.
The Democrat meltdown over Florida’s success continues
Democrats spent years predicting DeSantis would wreck Florida’s economy – instead, the state keeps climbing these rankings.
Remember when they claimed his COVID policies would create mass death and economic ruin?
Instead, Florida kept its economy open while blue states destroyed their small businesses with endless lockdowns.
The media predicted tourists would boycott Florida over DeSantis’s anti-woke education policies.
Instead, Florida broke tourism records while families fled states like New York and California.
Democrats claimed corporate America would abandon Florida after DeSantis fought back against Disney’s woke activism.
Instead, major companies continue relocating their headquarters to the Sunshine State to escape the socialist policies destroying blue states.
Wall Street giants, tech companies, and major manufacturers have all chosen Florida over the high-tax, over-regulated nightmare states controlled by Democrats.
The study found Florida tied with New York and California for having the most restaurants per capita – hardly the sign of an economic wasteland the Left predicted.⁴
Florida also ranks as one of the safest states in the country, ranking 12th nationally while Democrat-controlled cities see skyrocketing crime rates.
This success hasn’t happened by accident.
It’s the direct result of conservative policies that prioritize economic freedom, public safety, and individual liberty over the woke ideology that’s destroying Democrat states.
While Democrats waste time on identity politics and climate extremism, Florida focused on the policies that actually matter to working families.
The results speak for themselves – Florida is thriving while Democrat states are collapsing under the weight of their own failed policies.
¹ Michelle Vecerina, “Florida ranks No. 6 among Best States to Live, but housing costs hurt affordability,” Florida News, August 14, 2025.
² Adam McCann, “Best States to Live In,” WalletHub, August 11, 2025.
³ Ibid.
⁴ Sophia Fanning, “Florida makes list of top 10 best states to live in: WalletHub,” WFLA, August 12, 2025.
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Author: rgcory
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