What it's like to live in Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale is a mid-size city in Florida with unemployment below the national average and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Fort Lauderdale deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, crime rates above the national average, and larger class sizes than the national average.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Highly educated workforce
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Crime above national average
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
- Hot summers
How Fort Lauderdale compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Fort Lauderdale
Based on Fort Lauderdale's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,708
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $74,160 a year
- 56% of Fort Lauderdale renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$97,340
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $48,670
- Homes cost 5.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 31% above US
$1,854/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,854 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are steep, with a median around $486,700. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $486,700 · 56% 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▲ 104% above US
673 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is a real factor here, with violent rates significantly above the national average. That doesn't make the whole city a write-off, but it does mean specific neighborhoods deserve real research before signing a lease.
Property crime 3288/100k · Fort Lauderdale Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26.1 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 19% 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 61°F. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
3 hospitals
There are 3 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 3.3 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 13% above US
41% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 41% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
33 public schools inside the boundary
There are 33 public schools inside the boundary and 25 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Biscayne National Park (45 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Fort Lauderdale's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and a highly educated workforce; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,854/mo) equals 27% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (19% of workers here already work from home) and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near Fort Lauderdale
All Florida guides →Moving to Wilton Manors →
1 mi away · pop. 11,511
Rent $1,871/mo · Income $85,392
Compare with Fort Lauderdale →Moving to Oakland Park →
3 mi away · pop. 44,682
Rent $1,804/mo · Income $72,708
Compare with Fort Lauderdale →Moving to Lauderdale Lakes →
4 mi away · pop. 36,404
Rent $1,663/mo · Income $50,006
Compare with Fort Lauderdale →Moving to Lauderhill →
5 mi away · pop. 74,896
Rent $1,684/mo · Income $51,165
Compare with Fort Lauderdale →Not sure Fort Lauderdale is the one?
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