About one million Americans live in their RVs full-time. That’s a lot of people! But where exactly do these RVers “live”? Below are the top states that are popular with RVers who live full-time in their RVs.
First, there are a variety of things to consider when looking at a state to full-time in.
Full-time RVing: Factors to consider
- Availability of RV-friendly campsites or RV parks
- Proximity to attractions and amenities
- Climate when planning to stay year-round or seasonally
- Cost of living
- State income and sales tax (more on that here)
- Will you be a snowbird and stay temporarily or will you live in the state full-time?
Top states for full-time RVers
Florida
Florida has many RV parks and campgrounds and is known for its warm climate. Also, there are abundant outdoor recreational opportunities. Because of this, many full-time RVers establish residency in Florida. Things to consider:
- There is no state income tax
- Many RVers establish Florida as their “home” residence
- It can be sweltering in the summer months
- It can be crowded and challenging to find campsites in the winter months
Arizona
Arizona is another state that is popular with RVers due to its warm weather and wide variety of outdoor activities. It also has a number of RV parks and campgrounds.
- Arizona has a diverse climate from northern winters with snow and skiing and southern areas with generally warm winter temps.
- Summers can be brutal, however, with temps in the southern areas up to 125 degrees.
- Quartzsite, Arizona, is known as an RVer’s “mecca” for boondocking.
Texas
Texas has a number of RV parks and campgrounds, and it is known for its diverse landscape and range of recreational opportunities.
- No personal income tax makes it a popular state to establish residency for RVers.
- All vehicles need to be inspected yearly if Texas residents.
- Have many RV parks for overnight, weekly, monthly and seasonal rentals.
South Dakota
South Dakota is a popular place to establish residency for RVers but necessarily stay year-round.
- No state income tax
- Easy to set up residency
- Pleasant summers
- Winters can be brutal
California
California has a number of RV parks and campgrounds and it is known for its diverse landscape, beautiful coastlines, and range of recreational opportunities.
- The cost of living is high.
- Gas prices are extremely high.
- As recently reported, the changing weather can bring natural disasters.
- Depending on location, it can can be a good place for RVers year-round.
Oregon
Oregon is famous for its beautiful natural surroundings and it has a number of RV parks and campgrounds.
- Rainy winters and warm summers
- Great state parks (and many of them)
- Beautiful shoreline
- Oregon can be a full-time RVer’s year-round home
How to decide where to go as a full-time RVer
Ultimately, the best place for an RVer to live full-time will depend on their personal preferences, finances and needs. RVers have the freedom to pack up and leave if they don’t like a place and always check out somewhere else.
You may also like…
- How full-time and extended-travel RVers get their mail
- State residency and tax issues Here’s how long you can stay in a state before you have to pay state taxes
##FT2.48
We were snowbirds and after several years decided to move permanently to Florida, BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE other than marrying my first wife. Lol. We were not prepared for Florida taxes. True as the lady said at the tax assessor office when we got our drivers license and two tags for our pickup and travel trailer and she said “that’ll be $719.11” I said “what?” Her statement was “ but we don’t have income tax” my response to her was “neither does Tennessee and my tags only cost $26 and $25 respectively”! Every time we turn around there is a new expense we weren’t expecting. Our house is for sale and we are returning to good ole TN where it’s cold in the winter, beautiful in the spring and fall and hot like FL in the summer. FL insurance rates will bankrupt you for car insurance because of the drivers inability to observe laws, home insurance is high because of the possibility of a hurricane even though where we live has never be hit by one. Basically it’s a nice place to visit.
I agree! Lived there for 11 years, 28 years ago. Everything you say was the same when I was there, except that reg fee/tax on your truck and trailer. That must be a newer tax, unless they’ve reinstated the impact fee for new residents, that was struck down years ago. Never did like Florida and South Carolina has an even higher cost of living, if you are working age. Tennessee is the place to be. Been full timing for 3.5 years and have no plans of ever leaving. That is, unless somehow a democrat gets voted in as governor and inevitably ruins a good thing. There is a reason Tennessee is seeing the 2nd highest migration rate from other states in the nation.