Considering moving to Orlando, Florida? Whether you’re relocating to Orlando with your family, for work, or to retire, moving to a new city always requires learning about it ahead of time—and we have you covered with details about transportation options, weather, family attractions, and more. Here are 12 pros and cons of living in Orlando!
Pros of Living in Orlando
The City Beautiful has a thriving arts scene, colorful theme parks, and more. Check out these pros of moving to Orlando!
Pro: Growing Job Market
One major perk of moving to Orlando is the abundance of job opportunities! In 2022, Orlando was deemed the second-fastest growing job market in the country. Florida’s market as a whole grew by 4.2%, while Orlando’s job market grew by 4.6%. In 2024, Orlando even placed in the top 15 for the best cities for jobs! Some of The City Beautiful’s top industries are tourism, hospitality, aviation, and health sciences, while the biggest employers in Orlando include Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando in the leisure and tourism sector. You can also find plenty of jobs in areas like aviation and business administration at the Orlando International Airport and Lockheed Martin. Or work in the healthcare industry at top local hospitals such as AdventHealth Orlando and Orlando Health Regional Medical Center.
Pro: Top-Notch Orlando Colleges
You can find plenty of higher education opportunities at one of the many excellent Orlando universities. Study business, marketing, or psychology at the innovative University of Central Florida. Enroll in programs like liberal arts, business administration, and criminal justice at ten Orlando locations with Valencia College. Explore the departments of biomedical science, nursing, and physical therapy at the private AdventHealth University. Attend classes in social work, tourism management, and accounting in both English and Spanish at Ana G. Mendez University – Orlando. Learn what you need to become a medical assistant, pharmacy technician, or dental hygienist at Concorde Career Institute Orlando. Or find what you were meant to do with majors offered in computer science, mechanical engineering, and technology management at Polytechnic University of Orlando.
Pro: Lots of Transportation Options
Getting around a huge city doesn’t have to be a headache thanks to all the public transportation options in Orlando! Move throughout the city of Orlando and its neighboring counties on your choice of 68 routes with LYNX Buses. Ride around Downtown Orlando on the orange, lime, or grapefruit lines to avoid car congestion with LYMMO. Venture all over the city the healthy way and on your schedule with the environment-friendly Orlando Bike and Scooter Share programs. Head to one of four Orlando stations to go anywhere from DeBary to Poinciana along a 49-mile route on the SunRail. Visit major Florida cities like Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami with Brightline, the only privately owned passenger railroad in the U.S. Or travel farther within the U.S. or on non-stop flights to over 150 countries like Mexico, France, and China at the Orlando International Airport.
Pro: Fun for the Whole Family
With so many family-friendly things to do in Orlando, you may never get to them all! Watch the dolphin show, get up close to penguins, manatees, and sea lions, and visit Sesame Street Land at SeaWorld Orlando. Experience fantastic lands like the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, enjoy rides like Kilimanjaro Safaris and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and meet iconic characters like Mickey Mouse and Princess Belle at Walt Disney World Resort. Discover themed attractions like The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Jurassic World, ride the E.T. Adventure and Revenge of the Mummy, and see exciting shows like The Bourne Stuntacular at Universal Orlando Resort. Walk underwater during a SeaVenture, see otters, rays, and sloths, and go swimming at Discovery Cove. Learn about the science of colors, see how crayons are made, and make creative crafts at Crayola Experience Orlando. Challenge your perception in the mirror maze, go into the Vortex Tunnel, and touch a real 3,197-pound meteorite at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Or immerse yourself in galleries like History & Leaders and TV Stars to see realistic wax sculptures of celebrities like Harry Styles, Ryan Gosling, Audrey Hepburn, and more at Madame Tussauds Orlando.
Pro: Accessible & Top-Notch Arts Scene
With an array of galleries, museums, theaters, and performance spaces, Orlando is a haven for artists and performers of all kinds. Admire traveling exhibitions, permanent collections like Art of the Ancient Americas, and recurring events like Art’s the Spark at the Orlando Museum of Art. Score tickets to see Broadway musicals like Peter Pan, shows by Opera Orlando, and comedy performances at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Connect with Shakespeare’s plays, including The Comedy of Errors and Henry VI, or see children’s productions and cabaret shows at Orlando Shakes. Celebrate the art of dance with shows like The Sleeping Beauty and The Great Gatsby or take dance classes with the Orlando Ballet Company. Catch performances such as Brahms Third Symphony and Aesop’s Fables, and bask in the music of the annual Resonate Festival, with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. Or check out various galleries such Snap! Orlando, performance venues, and art programs in the Downtown Arts District Orlando.
Pro: A Great Foodie City
The City Beautiful is considered a wonderful city for foodies, so don’t miss out on some of the best places to eat in Orlando! Start your day with a Ham Morning Biscuit or the Southern breakfast, or get the Nighttime SkyPie for a treat at Se7en Bites, a bakery once featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Try inventive Japanese fare like Amaebi Nigiri and the Hokkaido Rolls with Plum Sake at Kabooki Sushi. Sample The Inner Harbor or Glen Rhee Bao with Fakenit Tators at King Bao. Grab classic Indian street foods such as Onion Bhaji, Dilli Ke Tandoori Chicken, and Malabari Paratha at Bombay Street Kitchen. Take a seat on the patio to enjoy Mexican dishes like Queso Fundido, Esquites, and Masa Dumplings at Reyes Mezcaleria. Or consider the Crab Cakes, Wagyu Picanha, and Baked Florida for dessert at Four Flamingos, located inside the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Resort.
Pro: Orlando Offers A Lot of Exciting Nightlife Options
With an array of bars, live music, clubs, and more, there are many places to go out in Orlando when night falls. Jump back in time to the Roaring ’20s with live music at The Edison, order a glass of red or white at Wine Bar George, and check out Celtic dancing at Raglan Road Irish Pub—all at Disney Springs. Sit down to a cheese board at iLounge Istanbul, or grab a drink in the Icon Park Sky Bar before riding The Wheel at ICON Park. Listen to authentic Mediterranean music with Ouzo at Taverna Opa, sip a beer while you practice your swing at The Greens Indoor Golf, and admire the planet’s beauty through unique sights and sounds at Earth Illuminated when you visit Pointe Orlando. Reserve a private cabana, dance the night away, and attend events like Lazy Sundays at Aero Rooftop Bar & Lounge. Find the password to enter this stylish speakeasy for craft cocktails like the Hard to Find or El Monumental at Hanson’s Shoe Repair. Or laugh it up at shows like The Duel of Fools and the King of the Hill competition and take improv classes at SAK Comedy Lab.
Cons of Living in Orlando
Every city has its positive and negative qualities, and Orlando is no exception. Here are five cons of relocating to Orlando.
Con: Lower Wages
Unfortunately, wages in Orlando are lower than the national average. Despite the recent minimum wage increase, residents still earn lower wages than those in most of America’s large metro areas. The cost of living in Orlando is also a little higher—it’s 2% above the Florida average and 1% higher than the national average, and with the already low wages, Orlandoans feel this more than other Florida residents. However, Florida has no state income tax and ranks as the fourth best state for business taxes in 2024. Orlando’s cost of living is also much better than other major Florida cities like Miami, which has a cost of living that’s 15% higher than the Florida average. Plus, the job market in Orlando is doing well, so this could be the right city in which to pursue your career.
Con: Stifling Weather
Those not fond of heat and humidity may find living in Orlando uncomfortable. This Florida city experiences long, hot summers with an average high of 90 degrees. Orlandoans also endure mugginess throughout the year with an average of 79% humidity in August. Nevertheless, some residents feel Orlando’s climate is a perk because it’s sunny about 233 days per year, while the national average is 205. Many Americans and Canadians agree, as Orlando is a popular city for snowbirds (people escaping the cold of the north to stay in The City Beautiful for the winter). In fact, the most pleasant time of year in Orlando is often the winter, with average highs of 73 degrees and minimal rain.
Con: Irritating Pests
Insects are common due to Florida’s warm, humid climate—and Orlando is not exempt. Urban areas also tend to be hotter and have more garbage than rural areas, which can attract more pests. The most prevalent bugs in Orlando are love bugs, palmetto bugs, chiggers, and mosquitoes. Beside being annoying, pests can carry diseases, so you need to be aware of what to do about them. Preventing pests in your home includes sealing up any holes or cracks, storing food in tightly-sealed containers, and keeping all spaces in your house dry. When engaging in all those fun outdoor Orlando activities, use EPA-registered insect repellants to avoid bug bites. And though Orlando residents deal with more pests than some, The City Beautiful doesn’t even rank in the top ten worst cities for pests in the U.S.
Con: Terrible Orlando Traffic
One thing that makes Orlando residents groan is the awful traffic conditions. Two Orlando corridors ranked high as some of the worst in the nation, with commuters sitting in traffic for an average of 70 hours per year more than a non-delayed commuter. On top of that, Orlando isn’t very walkable, so most are forced to drive a car or use public transportation. The good news is that Orlando has multiple transportation options, so moving around the city and nearby areas isn’t always a giant hassle. While the city isn’t that walkable, Orlando is certainly bikeable, and commuters take advantage of that. How bad the traffic and walkability are also depends on where you live—for example, if you live in an Orlando suburb, you can’t walk to most places, but the traffic is more bearable.
Con: So Many Tourists
As the most-visited city in the U.S.—and with over 18 different theme parks—Orlando sometimes receives more than 70 million tourists per year. This contributes to Orlando’s traffic issues, so you’ll want to avoid areas with tourist-heavy parks during opening and closing times. With that said, Orlando tourism is one of the main contributors to the city’s economy, bringing in billions annually and opening up thousands of jobs to Orlandoans. You can also benefit from Orlando tourist destinations with special discounts for Floridians, including at Walt Disney World and Universal Studios! If you simply want to avoid most tourists altogether, there are a slew of wonderful things to do that draw mainly locals, such as experimenting with science firsthand at the Orlando Science Center and paddling in swan boats at Lake Eola Park.
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This post was originally published 05/11/2020, and last revised on 02/14/2024 with updated information.