A History of the Snowbird in Florid

By Joe Marzo

For over a century, Florida has attracted more than just wildlife fleeing the cold. It's drawn in people—millions of them—looking to escape northern winters. These seasonal migrants, affectionately or begrudgingly called "snowbirds," have left a permanent imprint on Florida’s economy, infrastructure, and cultural identity. But behind the image of retirees in golf carts lies a much deeper and more complex history.

From Gilded Guests to Tin Can Tourists

The earliest snowbirds were wealthy Northerners in the post-Civil War era. Industrialists, retired generals, and the upper crust of society took trains built by the likes of Henry Flagler and Henry Plant to palatial resorts in St. Augustine, Tampa, and Palm Beach. Florida was remote, exotic, and exclusive. But everything changed with the car.

By the 1920s, the snowbird class expanded dramatically with the rise of the "Tin Can Tourists" — families from the Midwest who drove down in modified Model T's, camping in tents or sleeping in their cars. Cities like Tampa and Sarasota created automobile camps to accommodate them. While some locals viewed them as freeloaders, these early mobile snowbirds helped democratize Florida's tourism economy.

The Great Depression: Survival Migration

After 1929, snowbirding split in two directions. The upper-class visitors who had once filled luxury resorts began to vanish. Many hotels shut down or converted into boarding houses. Meanwhile, a different kind of snowbird arrived: one fleeing economic desperation rather than cold weather. Entire families drove south with what little they had left, living in makeshift camps or vehicles.

Tin Can Tourists continued to thrive through the 1930s, with over 100,000 members by 1932. The Works Progress Administration even built several tourist camps to help accommodate the seasonal influx. Florida’s climate made it a haven not just for vacation but for survival.

Post-War Prosperity and the Condo Boom

After World War II, millions of Americans had both the means and the motive to winter in Florida. GI Bill benefits, generous company pensions, Social Security checks, and widespread home ownership in the North allowed middle-class Americans to consider a second life in the Sunshine State.

The car culture, cheap gasoline, and the expansion of the interstate highway system through the 1950s made snowbirding more accessible. Families loaded up station wagons or trailers and headed south for the winter. Cities like Clearwater, Fort Myers, and Sarasota became seasonal havens for Midwesterners and Northeasterners.

Then came the condominium revolution. In 1963, Florida passed its first comprehensive condominium law, allowing developers to sell individual units in what had once been hotels or apartment complexes. Condos were affordable, low-maintenance, and came with access to pools, clubhouses, and beaches. This shift transformed cities like Miami Beach, Hallandale, Pompano Beach, Clearwater Beach, and Naples.

Entire coastal corridors were developed into "condo canyons," with snowbirds buying up units as winter getaways. A condo in the 1960s might have cost $15,000–20,000—well within reach of a union worker, teacher, or small business owner with a pension and a mortgage-free home up north. The appeal was irresistible: sunshine, community, and affordability.

1970s: Retirement Communities Take Hold

The 1970s saw the rise of master-planned retirement communities designed with snowbirds in mind. Sun City Center near Tampa, Kings Point in Delray Beach, and early developments in The Villages offered a fully contained lifestyle—golf carts, clubhouses, pools, and social calendars. These communities allowed snowbirds to age in place, eventually transitioning from part-time to full-time Florida life.

Snowbirding became routine. Residents would spend six months in Florida, then return north for the summer. Many of these communities began filling with Midwesterners from Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and Northeasterners from New York and New Jersey. Some were even organized by city or ethnic group—"Little Montreal" in Hallandale, for example.

1980s: Political Clout, Cultural Spotlight, and Infrastructure Stress

By the 1980s, snowbirds were no longer just seasonal visitors—they were shaping Florida’s policies and budgets. Many switched their voter registration to Florida, helping pass property tax protections like the Save Our Homes amendment. Candidates campaigned in condo lobbies and at shuffleboard courts. The snowbird bloc was real.

Meanwhile, the seasonal influx stressed public services. Traffic clogged roads in Pinellas, Lee, and Broward counties. Hospitals operated on seasonal staffing surges. Water systems, built for small towns, groaned under double populations. Condo buildings, now 20 years old or more, began to show signs of structural wear.

This was also the decade when the snowbird lifestyle became part of American pop culture. Sitcoms like The Golden Girls, set in Miami, didn’t just poke fun at retirees—they glamorized the warm, quirky, independent lifestyle of older Floridians. Blanche, Rose, Dorothy, and Sophia weren’t caricatures—they were aspirational. Their pastel-toned world of lanai gossip and early dinners reflected an increasingly real social class: the Florida snowbird.

Developers kept building, but land was dwindling. Environmentalists began warning that barrier islands like Longboat Key and Fort Myers Beach were overbuilt and at risk. Still, the flow of snowbirds never slowed.

1990s: The Last Great Decade

The 1990s represented the last gasp of the traditional snowbird dream. Real estate remained affordable, especially for Canadians flush with a favorable exchange rate. Condos in Venice, Cape Coral, and Port Charlotte were still accessible to middle-class buyers. A two-bedroom condo could still be had for under $100,000.

The Villages began its explosive growth, promising more than a seasonal getaway—a new way of life. The population of this Central Florida mega-community ballooned through the decade, laying the groundwork for a political and social force unlike anything Florida had seen.

But signs of change were emerging. Healthcare costs were rising. Air travel became more affordable, allowing for shorter snowbird stays. And younger retirees were less interested in shuffleboard and more interested in resort-style rentals, travel, and mobility.

Meanwhile, land in Pinellas, Lee, and Palm Beach counties was becoming scarce. Builders looked inland to Polk and Marion counties. Snowbirds with modest budgets were increasingly priced out of waterfront living.

2000s: Boom, Bust, and Consolidation

The 2000s began with another massive real estate boom. Condos were flipped like stocks. Entire subdivisions were marketed to snowbirds in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Quebec. Developers offered "pre-construction" pricing and guaranteed rental returns. A condo bought in Cape Coral for $120,000 in 2003 might fetch $240,000 two years later.

Then came the crash. The 2007–2010 housing collapse hit Florida harder than any other state. Condo towers in Fort Myers Beach and Sunny Isles sat empty. Snowbirds who bought at the peak walked away. RV parks in Citrus and Highlands counties lost residents. HOAs went bankrupt. Entire snowbird communities were hollowed out.

The Villages, however, thrived. Its model—debt-free retirees, tight control, political unity—insulated it from much of the crash. By 2010, The Villages had become a full-blown cultural and political force.

2010s–2020s: The Shrinking Snowbird Class

Florida real estate rebounded, but not evenly. Prices skyrocketed. The $90,000 snowbird condo became a $300,000 asset. Insurance premiums surged, especially for coastal properties. After the Surfside collapse in 2021, new safety mandates and massive special assessments drove many snowbirds to sell.

Canadian snowbird migration declined. COVID-19 closed the border in 2020 and 2021. A weaker Canadian dollar and rising travel insurance costs made long-term stays less viable. Many Canadians never returned. Buildings that once flew the maple leaf became short-term rental units.

Meanwhile, the new generation of snowbirds looked different. They rented rather than owned. They came for a few weeks, not six months. They worked remotely. They demanded high-end amenities and Instagrammable beaches. Cities like Sarasota and Naples became luxury destinations, not retirement havens.

Traditional snowbird hubs—Clearwater, Hallandale, Port Charlotte—lost their affordability edge. RV parks closed or were bought out by investment firms. Entire mobile home parks were razed to make room for condos. The snowbird lifestyle, once a middle-class aspiration, became a luxury niche.

What Remains

Today, snowbirds still come—but fewer of them own, and many can’t stay long. The legacy snowbird generation is aging out. The next generation may never fully take their place. Real estate prices, climate risks, and insurance costs have made seasonal living a privilege, not a retirement plan.

Florida still fills up each winter. The traffic still slows. But the soul of snowbirding—the idea that a regular person from Buffalo or Detroit could escape the snow and live affordably in the sun—may be slipping into history.

 Sources

• Desrosiers-Lauzon, Godefroy. Florida's Snowbirds: Spectacle, Mobility, and Community since 1945. McGill-Queen's University Press, 2011.An academic exploration of the cultural and economic impact of snowbirds in Florida post-World War II. Barnes & Noble+4Google Books+4AbeBooks+4

• Smith, Stanley K., and Mark House. "Snowbirds, Sunbirds, and Stayers: Seasonal Migration of Elderly Adults in Florida." The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, vol. 61, no. 5, 2006, pp. S232–S239.This study estimates that Florida had over 800,000 elderly temporary in-migrants at peak times in 2005, analyzing the characteristics and patterns of these seasonal residents. ResearchGate+3EconBiz+3Oxford Academic+3ResearchGate

Recent Trends & Economic Impacts

• Recamara, Josh. "Canadian Snowbirds Selling Florida Properties Amid Soaring Insurance Costs." Insurance Business Magazine, March 25, 2025.Reports a growing number of Canadian snowbirds selling their Florida properties due to rising insurance costs and a weakening Canadian dollar. Insurance Business America

• "Canadians Are Canceling Trips to Florida." WFSU News, April 28, 2025.Highlights a decline in Canadian visitors to Florida, with factors including new U.S. travel regulations and economic considerations influencing their decisions. WFSU News

• "Florida Lawmakers Approve Changes to Condo Safety Law Passed After Surfside Collapse." AP News, April 30, 2025.Discusses legislative responses to the Surfside condominium collapse, including new safety regulations that have financial implications for condo owners and associations. AP News

• "Experts Warn Florida's Condo Market Could Teeter on Collapse Amid Soaring Costs and New Safety Rules." New York Post, September 3, 2024.Explores concerns about the Florida condo market's stability in light of increased costs and stringent safety requirements post-Surfside. 

Canadian Snowbird Migration

• Roy, Mrinalika. "Many Canadian 'Snowbirds' in U.S. Looking to Pack Up and Fly North—for Good." Reuters, April 22, 2025.Analyzes the trend of Canadian snowbirds selling their U.S. properties due to political tensions and economic factors. LinkedIn+1Insurance Journal+1Reuters

• "US Vacation Hotspots Brace for Slump as Angry Canadians Cancel Trips." Financial Times, April 2025.Reports on the anticipated economic impact on U.S. tourism hotspots, including Florida, as Canadian visitors reconsider their travel plans. Toechok