Westwood Lakes is an unincorporated community in Miami-Dade County, FL. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.

About

Life in Westwood Lakes

Westwood Lakes is a community of 10,768 people in Florida. The median household income is $86,040, median rent runs about $2,472 per month, and median home values are around $519,000. Unemployment is low at 2.7%, suggesting a relatively healthy local job market.

Westwood Lakes at a Glance

Population, income, housing and more

Median Age

47.6 yrs

Poverty Rate

8.3%

Foreign-Born

61.3%

Broadband Internet

94.1%

of households

Population Growth

-6.4%

recent change · Census Bureau

Median household income

Westwood Lakes$86,040
Florida avg$74,568
US$80,734

Demographics61.3% foreign-born, most often from Cuba

Who lives in Westwood Lakes: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin

In Westwood Lakes, the largest foreign-born group is from Cuba (79.5%), and 85.4% of residents speak Spanish at home.

Under 18

15.8%

of residents

65 and Older

22.0%

of residents

Households with Kids

28.0%

anyone under 18

Living Alone

16.4%

of households

Married Couples

50.7%

of households

Avg Household Size

3.13

people

Race & Ethnicity

Hispanic or Latino87.6%
White11.5%
Asian0.5%

Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic

Top countries of origin (foreign-born)

Cuba79.5%
Argentina4.5%
Colombia3.0%
Mexico2.9%
Nicaragua2.7%
Ecuador2.0%
El Salvador1.4%
Guatemala0.8%
Chile0.6%
Bolivia0.5%

Languages Spoken at Home

Spanish85.4%
English only14.1%
Vietnamese0.2%
Chinese0.1%
Other Asian/Pacific0.1%
French/Haitian0.1%
Tagalog/Filipino0.0%

Cost of Livingrent 48% above FL average

Rent, home values, and income in Westwood Lakes

In Westwood Lakes, rent runs 48% above the FL average, and home values are 44% above the FL average.

Median rent (per month)

Westwood Lakes$2,472
Florida avg$1,669
US$1,413

Median home value

Westwood Lakes$518,500
Florida avg$359,000
US$332,700

Rent Burdened

85.9%

spending 30%+ of income on rent

Severely Rent Burdened

52.9%

spending 50%+

Cost of Living Index

114.2

metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100

Median Property Tax

$3,354

per year, owner-occupied homes

Homeowners

76.8%

of occupied homes are owned

Typical Home Built

1957

median year built

Vacant Homes

1.4%

of housing units

Jobs & Economyunemployment 1.2 pts below FL average

Unemployment in Westwood Lakes and typical pay across the metro area

Unemployment in Miami-Dade County, which includes Westwood Lakes, is 1.2 percentage points lower than the FL average.

Unemployment rate

Westwood Lakes2.7%
Florida avg3.9%
US4.3%

Westwood Lakes: Miami-Dade County rate (county-wide) · BLS annual average

Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend

5.4%
4.7%
3.7%
2.9%
7.9%
5.5%
2.7%
2%
2.4%
2.7%
2016201720182019202020212022202320242025

Miami-Dade County (county-wide) · Annual averages

Westwood Lakes is less than 1% of Miami-Dade County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.

What Westwood Lakes Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry

Education & health care24.2%
Professional & business services14.9%
Transportation & utilities11.6%
Construction10.7%
Retail10.0%
Finance & real estate7.5%
Arts, hospitality & food service4.7%
Information2.4%

City residents, wherever they work

Median Salary by Occupation · metro area

Management$107,340
Healthcare$80,090
Business & Finance$77,760
Education$51,950
Construction$49,170
Repair & Maintenance$48,900
Office & Admin$41,640
Sales$37,640

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL metro area

Commute30.7 min avg

How Westwood Lakes residents get to work, and the nearest airports

In Westwood Lakes, most residents drive alone to work (76%), and 42% get there in under 30 minutes.

How People Get to Work

Drive alone76.3%
Carpool7.9%
Public transit2.0%
Walk0.1%
Work from home11.7%
Other2.0%

Commute Time Distribution

Under 15 min10.1%
15–29 min32.2%
30–44 min36.5%
45–59 min14.2%
60+ min7.0%

Nearest airports · with airline service

  • Miami International Airport (MIA)

    Major hub26.5M passengers boarded in 2025

    7 mi

Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.

Safetyabout average for violent crime

Crime rates for 2025

Violent crime in the area policed by the Miami-Dade County Police Department, which covers Westwood Lakes, is close to the national average.

Violent Crime Rate

335.5

per 100,000 residents

About average (329 national, 2025)

Property Crime Rate

1,809.6

per 100,000 residents

Above average (1,552 national, 2025)

Policed by Miami-Dade County Police Department (county-wide rate)

Natural DisastersFlood most common — 30 events in 2025

Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes

FEMA National Risk Index

Very High

99.6 / 100

Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).

Coastal flooding · Very HighCold wave · Very HighHurricane · Very HighLightning · Very HighInland flooding · Very High

Miami-Dade County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025

In Miami-Dade County, which includes Westwood Lakes, the most common type is flood, with 30 recorded events in 2025.

Most common events:

FloodThunderstorm WindFlash FloodCoastal FloodDrought

Storm events by year

YearEventsTop TypeProperty Damage
202530Flood$229,000
202428Flood$3.9M
202340Flood$170,000
202230Flash Flood$19,000
202125Flood$1.5M
202037Flood$67,000
201941Flood$355,000
201821Funnel Cloud$21,000

Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.

0 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year

Miami-Dade County, county-wide

Westwood Lakes is less than 1% of Miami-Dade County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.

Air Quality47 median AQI — Good

Days by air quality category (2025)

Air quality in Miami-Dade County, which includes Westwood Lakes, is typically good — 206 good-air days per year.

Median AQI

47

Good Days

206

per year

Moderate Days

158

per year

Unhealthy Days

0

per year

Miami-Dade County, county-wide

Westwood Lakes is less than 1% of Miami-Dade County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.

Climate91°F summers, 60°F winters

30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation

Westwood Lakes has hot summers (avg high 91°F) and warm winters (avg low 60°F).

Spring (Mar–May)

84°/67°F

avg high / low

Summer (Jun–Aug)

91°/76°F

avg high / low

Fall (Sep–Nov)

86°/72°F

avg high / low

Winter (Dec–Feb)

78°/60°F

avg high / low

Annual Precipitation

69.7"

Annual Snowfall

0.0"

Hot Days/Year

93

days above 90°F

Freeze Days/Year

0

days below 32°F

Rainy Days/Year

146

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)
50°60°70°80°90°100°11"Jan: 2.03" precipitationFeb: 2.20" precipitationMar: 2.27" precipitationApr: 3.43" precipitationMay: 6.44" precipitationJun: 10.39" precipitationJul: 8.65" precipitationAug: 10.84" precipitationSep: 9.32" precipitationOct: 8.38" precipitationNov: 3.40" precipitationDec: 2.39" precipitation59°JJan: high 77°F, low 59°FFFeb: high 78°F, low 61°FMMar: high 81°F, low 63°FAApr: high 85°F, low 67°FMMay: high 87°F, low 71°FJJun: high 90°F, low 75°FJJul: high 91°F, low 76°F91°AAug: high 91°F, low 76°FSSep: high 90°F, low 76°FOOct: high 87°F, low 73°FNNov: high 82°F, low 66°FDDec: high 78°F, low 62°F
Show month-by-month table ↓
MonthHighLowPrecip
Jan77°F59°F2.03"
Feb78°F61°F2.20"
Mar81°F63°F2.27"
Apr85°F67°F3.43"
May87°F71°F6.44"
Jun90°F75°F10.39"
Jul91°F76°F8.65"
Aug91°F76°F10.84"
Sep90°F76°F9.32"
Oct87°F73°F8.38"
Nov82°F66°F3.40"
Dec78°F62°F2.39"

Healthcare

Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Westwood Lakes

Uninsured

14.0%

of residents

No hospitals inside Westwood Lakes's limits — nearest hospitals · within 15 miles

HCA Florida Kendall Hospital

Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 1 mi away · Miami

Baptist Hospital of Miami

Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 3.4 mi away · Miami

Keralty Hospital

Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 3.7 mi away · Miami

Adult Health · vs. the typical US place

Obesity28.2%US 36.8%
Diabetes16.6%US 12.6%
High blood pressure34.2%US 37.1%
Current smoking10.3%US 15.0%
No leisure-time physical activity35.0%US 26.6%
Depression12.7%US 23.0%
Asthma7.9%US 10.7%
Routine checkup in past year76.1%US 78.2%

Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.

Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.

Education16.6:1 student/teacher ratio

Schools and degree attainment in Westwood Lakes

Westwood Lakes's student/teacher ratio is 16.6:1 (higher than the national average of 16:1), and 26.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Public Schools

5

within city limits

Private Schools

2

within city limits

College Degree Rate

26.2%

adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher

Student/Teacher Ratio

16.6:1

National avg 16:1

Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year

Colleges Near Westwood Lakes (within 15 miles)

Florida International University

2.2 mi away

Public · 4-year · 39,508 students · in-state tuition $6,565 · 74% graduate · median earnings $65,722 (10 yrs after entry)

University of Miami

5.8 mi away

Private nonprofit · 4-year · 12,913 students · in-state tuition $65,430 · 84% graduate · median earnings $84,093 (10 yrs after entry)

Florida National University-Main Campus

9.9 mi away

Private for-profit · 2-year · 2,449 students · in-state tuition $17,368 · 35% graduate · median earnings $38,806 (10 yrs after entry)

Florida Memorial University

14.8 mi away

Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,183 students · in-state tuition $20,174 · 35% graduate · median earnings $40,290 (10 yrs after entry)

West Coast University-Miami

6.1 mi away

Private for-profit · 4-year · 961 students · in-state tuition $24,008 · 55% graduate · median earnings $104,344 (10 yrs after entry)

New Professions Technical Institute

7.5 mi away

Private for-profit · 2-year · 514 students · 100% graduate · median earnings $32,575 (10 yrs after entry)

Degree-granting colleges with 100+ students, placed by campus location (main campuses only — branch campuses are reported under their parent school)

Parks & Recreationclosest: Biscayne National Park, 19 mi

Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Westwood Lakes

Westwood Lakes has 3 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Biscayne National Park (19 mi away).

Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas

Biscayne National Park

National Park

19 mi away

Everglades National Park

National Park

40 mi away

Big Cypress National Preserve

National Preserve

47 mi away

Cities Near Westwood Lakes

The closest cities within 60 miles

Planning a move to Westwood Lakes?

Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.

Moving to Westwood Lakes →

Westwood Lakes FAQ

Is Westwood Lakes, Florida affordable?⌄

Westwood Lakes's median rent is $2,472/month, which is significantly above the national average. The median household income is $86,040/year. Median home value is $518,500.

Is Westwood Lakes, Florida safe?⌄

Westwood Lakes is policed by the Miami-Dade County Police Department, whose violent crime rate across its service area was 336 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is close to the national average of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 1810 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.

What is the job market like in Westwood Lakes, Florida?⌄

Miami-Dade County, which includes Westwood Lakes, has an unemployment rate of 2.7%, which is strong — well below the national average of 4.3%.

What is the cost of living in Westwood Lakes, Florida?⌄

The cost of living in Westwood Lakes is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $2,472/month and median household income is $86,040/year. The median home value is $518,500. About 86% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.

How is the commute in Westwood Lakes, Florida?⌄

The average commute in Westwood Lakes is 31 minutes, which is about average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.

Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from