Moving to Homestead: Pros, Cons & What to Know
Moving to Homestead means moving to the southernmost incorporated city in Miami-Dade County -- a community defined as much by its 1992 rebuild after Hurricane Andrew as by its ongoing identity as South Florida's agricultural gateway to the Everglades and Biscayne National Parks.
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Learn moreHurricane Andrew (1992) is the defining event in Homestead's modern history
Hurricane Andrew made landfall near Homestead as a Category 5 storm on August 24, 1992, damaging or destroying more than 730,000 houses and buildings across South Florida and leaving over a million people without power -- Homestead itself was among the most severely hit communities, and the city was substantially rebuilt afterward. The federal government also declined to fully rebuild the heavily damaged Homestead Air Force Base, downgrading it to an Air Reserve Base, which reshaped the local economy going forward.
Homestead-Miami Speedway grew directly out of that rebuild
In the wake of Hurricane Andrew, the Department of Defense gave the City of Homestead a $75 million grant to build an "economic generator" to offset the job losses from the Air Force Base downgrade -- the result was Homestead-Miami Speedway, a 434-acre motorsports facility whose groundbreaking took place on August 24, 1993, exactly one year after the hurricane. The Speedway remains a genuine, ongoing economic anchor and hosts major national racing events.
Homestead is genuinely growing, and genuinely young
Homestead's population skews notably young -- a median age around 32.5, with roughly 29.5% of residents under 18, versus only about 8.4% aged 65 and over (per 2024 Census-based demographic synthesis). Combined with the base record's noted population growth, that points to Homestead as an active family-formation market rather than a retirement destination.
Standard Florida moving mechanics apply
Florida requires a new driver's license and vehicle registration within statutory windows administered by FLHSMV -- confirm current deadlines directly with that agency. Florida has no state personal income tax, so there's no state withholding form to file when starting a new job.
Key takeaways
- Hurricane Andrew (1992) devastated Homestead as a Category 5 storm and remains the defining event in its modern rebuild -- the city and its infrastructure were substantially reconstructed afterward.
- Homestead-Miami Speedway was built directly as post-Andrew economic redevelopment, funded by a $75M federal grant, with groundbreaking exactly one year after the storm.
- Homestead's population skews young (median age ~32.5, ~8.4% aged 65+) -- a family-formation market, not a retirement destination.
- Standard Florida licensing/registration rules apply; there's no state income tax.
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