I regret moving to Florida. Living here felt like paradise — until everything changed.

• Cassie Leigh moved from Pittsburgh to Tampa because she wanted a warm place fit for a millennial.
• She loved the weather and lifestyle at first but now regrets moving due to overcrowding and expenses.
• Leigh plans to move out of Tampa soon and is eyeing North or South Carolina for her next home.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Cassie Leigh, a 29-year-old journalist who moved from Pittsburgh to Tampa. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I've always heard people say Florida is a beautiful place to live, and I loved visiting the beach as a kid. I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, and the cold winters started getting on my nerves, so when I was 23, I decided to move to Florida.

I picked Tampa because it seemed affordable, and there were beaches nearby. My research also suggested Tampa as a good place for millennials. The city has many events and nightlife, and it's only a few hours from Miami and Orlando.

In January 2018, I quit my journalism job in Pittsburgh and moved without knowing anyone. The journey felt like a gamble.

After only a few months in, I liked living in Tampa so much that I bought a house. But the city has changed so much since then, and my experience hasn't been great. It's made me regret ever moving in the first place.

Living here felt like paradise — but then everything changed

After 23 years in Pittsburgh, I was mesmerized by the year-round warm weather, living so close to the beach, and being surrounded by people my age.

I knew everything in Tampa became more crowded in the winter because of the snowbirds, but when the pandemic hit in 2020, it became busy year-round.

Tampa was a hot spot because of the relatively loose COVID-19 restrictions, the weather, and the outdoor activities. Over 400,000 people moved to Tampa between July 2021 to July 2022.

The city became unbearable, and the overcrowding is now the worst part of living here.

The traffic is intense, and the beaches are so crowded that you can't find parking or a place to sit on the sand. I went to the beach often when I first moved, but now I hardly go.

Finding a job in my industry is challenging

When I first moved to Tampa, I had a job in marketing for a local lifestyle company that I secured before the move. I tried to get a job in journalism once I got here, but I hardly ever saw any openings. The overpopulation led to more competition for jobs.

After a year, I landed a remote job as a journalist for a Canadian company. It paid double the amount of any jobs I could find in Tampa.

Tampa has become more expensive

I got a good deal on my home, and my cost of living is less here than in Pittsburgh. Many people who came to Tampa to escape life in bigger cities during the pandemic also bought houses.

The boom, however, significantly drove up housing prices — in 2022, homebuyers started paying 43% more on properties compared to prices a few years back. This caused my property taxes to go up drastically. My taxes used to be around $700 a year, and now they're over $2,000.

My homeowner's insurance has also increased because of the Florida storms and inflation. In Pittsburgh, we didn't have natural disasters like hurricanes, so I wasn't aware of the intricacies that go into insurance here.

Wind mitigation is crucial; your insurance company could charge you more if you don't have the right hurricane shutters. My home is also built on a sinkhole, which I didn't initially realize, so my insurance is significantly higher than if it wasn't.

It's time for me to leave

I'm leaving Tampa soon. The only reason I'm still here is because I'm taking a course at a college near my house.

I love the beaches and the weather, but living here is not worth the price tag. I'm unsure if I'll rent out my house or sell it when I leave.

I miss summers in Pittsburgh and seeing my family often, but I want to stay close to the coast and away from cold weather, so I'll likely move to North or South Carolina within the next few years.