Boca Raton sits between Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale on Florida's southeast coast, forty minutes from either airport, with a walkable downtown, five miles of beach, a dozen private clubs and some of the best schools in the state. For relocating families at the top of the market, East Boca Raton, east of I-95 and especially east of Federal Highway, is where the waterfront, the clubs and the downtown all meet.
Start with where you're coming from
Each guide covers taxes and residency specific to your state, the neighborhoods where your neighbors landed, flights home, schools and clubs.
From New York
NYC, Long Island, Westchester and the Hudson Valley.
Read the guide →From New Jersey
Bergen, Essex, Morris, Monmouth and the Shore. Exit tax explained.
Read the guide →From Connecticut
Greenwich, Darien, Westport and Hartford.
Read the guide →From California
Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Orange County and San Diego.
Read the guide →From Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, the Main Line, Bucks County and Pittsburgh.
Read the guide →From Massachusetts
Boston, Wellesley, Weston and the Cape.
Read the guide →From Illinois
Chicago, the North Shore and Hinsdale.
Read the guide →From Maryland, Virginia & DC
Bethesda, Potomac, McLean, Georgetown and Annapolis.
Read the guide →From Ohio
Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati.
Read the guide →From Michigan
Detroit, Bloomfield Hills and Grosse Pointe.
Read the guide →From Canada
Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and snowbird rules.
Read the guide →The questions every relocating buyer asks
How to establish Florida residency
Domicile, the 183-day rule, the Declaration of Domicile and the checklist.
Read →Florida homestead exemption
What it's worth, the Save Our Homes cap, deadlines and the 2026 ballot amendment.
Read →New York "exit tax" and residency audits
What New York actually does when high earners leave.
Read →New Jersey exit tax
The withholding at closing, who's exempt and how refunds work.
Read →California exit tax
Fact versus rumor, and the FTB residency audit that does exist.
Read →Boca Raton cost of living
Taxes, insurance, clubs and everyday costs compared with the Northeast and California.
Read →Is Boca Raton a good place to live?
An honest answer: safety, weather, hurricanes, schools, culture.
Read →Best neighborhoods in Boca Raton
East Boca's waterfront, country-club and downtown enclaves compared.
Read →Why families relocate to Boca Raton
- No state income tax, no estate tax, no inheritance tax. Florida's constitution prohibits a personal income tax. For high earners leaving New York, New Jersey, California, Connecticut or Massachusetts, the savings are substantial; for estates, the absence of a state death tax matters as much.
- The water. Deep-water canals with direct ocean access and no fixed bridges in Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club, Intracoastal estates in Lake Rogers Isle, and oceanfront residences along A1A.
- The clubs. Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club, St Andrews Country Club, Boca West, Broken Sound, Woodfield, Boca Grove, The Polo Club and more, plus The Boca Raton resort's private club.
- A real downtown. Mizner Park, Royal Palm Place, the Boca Raton Museum of Art and the restaurants of the Golden Triangle, with Delray Beach's Atlantic Avenue ten minutes north.
- Schools. Saint Andrew's School, Pine Crest, Grandview Prep, American Heritage; strong public high schools and FAU's laboratory school.
- Access. Palm Beach International and Fort Lauderdale each about 30 minutes; Boca Raton Airport for private aviation in the city; Brightline to Miami and Orlando.
- Health care. Boca Raton Regional Hospital (Baptist Health South Florida) and the Lynn Cancer Institute in town; Cleveland Clinic Florida and the University of Miami system in the region.
A simple order of operations
- Talk to Ricky before you fly. A 20-minute call narrows the search from "Boca" to two or three neighborhoods that fit how you live.
- Tour in a day or two. Ricky previews homes, including off-market opportunities, and builds the itinerary around your flights.
- Line up the advisors. CPA and attorney for the domicile change, insurance broker for the coastal property, club membership directors, school admissions. Ricky makes the introductions.
- Close, then establish residency. Declaration of Domicile, Florida driver's license, voter registration and the homestead application by March 1 of the following year. See the residency checklist.
How a long-distance purchase works with Ricky
- A call before you fly. Where you're coming from, who's moving, timing, club and school priorities, and whether you want a primary residence, a seasonal home or both.
- A curated tour, not a scavenger hunt. Ricky previews homes in advance, including quiet off-market opportunities, and builds a one- or two-day itinerary around your flights into PBI or FLL.
- Introductions that take months on your own. Club membership directors, school admissions, builders and architects, insurance brokers who understand coastal property, and CPAs and attorneys experienced with domicile changes.
- Closing from a distance. Remote notarization, inspections and walk-throughs are routine for out-of-state buyers; Ricky manages the moving parts so you don't have to be here for every step.
This page is general information for people considering a move to Boca Raton. It is not tax, legal or financial advice. Rates, exemptions and deadlines change; verify current figures with a CPA or attorney licensed in the states involved.
