After a winter at home, a summer survey found that over 90% of Canadian snowbirds plan to spend their winters in Florida this year. While this percentage has dipped slightly since the delta variant sparked a new COVID wave, the Sunshine State is still expected to attract 50% to 60% more Northerners this winter than last, Florida Realtors reported.

Most Canadian snowbirds opted to stay home during the first year of the pandemic, said Stephen Fine, president and managing editor of Snowbird Advisor. The publication’s survey found that only 30% of snowbirds traveled south for the winter last year.

This year, a pent-up desire to return to a warmer climate is common among regular snowbirds, according to Wallace Weylie, legal counsel for the Canadian Snowbird Association. “The sentiment is that they’re not going to spend another winter in Canada,” he said in the press release.

Although more people will resume their annual winter migration this season, the number of Canadian buyers purchasing homes in Florida has decreased since the pandemic began. Older Canadian home owners are selling their Florida properties, while younger adults in their 50s and 60s are holding onto their assets, hoping for better post-pandemic days.