What it's like to live in Deerfield Beach
Deerfield Beach is a smaller city in Florida with unemployment below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Deerfield Beach deals with rent well above the national average, household incomes below the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and larger class sizes than the national average.
The good
- Low unemployment
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- Below-average household incomes
- Above-average commute times
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
- Hot summers
How Deerfield Beach compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Deerfield Beach
Based on Deerfield Beach's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,548
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $70,960 a year
- 63% of Deerfield Beach renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$61,920
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $30,960
- Homes cost 5.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 26% above US
$1,774/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,774 a month median. That premium adds up quickly for renters whose income hasn't kept pace with local prices. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $309,600. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $309,600 · 63% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 14% below US
3.7% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.7%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 13% below US
349 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 1962/100k · Deerfield Beach Police Department · 2020 data
Getting aroundNear US average
28 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 28.2 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 90°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 62°F. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 20% below US
29% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 29%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
10 public schools inside the boundary
There are 10 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Biscayne National Park (57 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Deerfield Beach's strongest point is unemployment below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,774/mo) equals 36% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near Deerfield Beach
All Florida guides →Moving to Lighthouse Point →
3 mi away · pop. 10,600
Rent $1,880/mo · Income $92,135
Compare with Deerfield Beach →Moving to Coconut Creek →
4 mi away · pop. 58,330
Rent $2,102/mo · Income $75,014
Compare with Deerfield Beach →Moving to Pompano Beach →
4 mi away · pop. 114,147
Rent $1,724/mo · Income $67,195
Compare with Deerfield Beach →Moving to Boca Raton →
5 mi away · pop. 100,234
Rent $2,508/mo · Income $106,273
Compare with Deerfield Beach →Not sure Deerfield Beach is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.