What it's like to live in Hollywood
Hollywood is a mid-size 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. Hollywood 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
- Very rainy — 65" of rain per year
How Hollywood compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Hollywood
Based on Hollywood's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,306
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $66,120 a year
- 64% of Hollywood renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$82,120
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $41,060
- Homes cost 6.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 17% above US
$1,653/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,653 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices run above average, with a median around $410,600. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $410,600 · 64% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 16% below US
3.6% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.6%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 13% below US
347 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 2122/100k · Hollywood Police Department · 2020 data
Getting around▲ 13% above US
29 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 29.4 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 89°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
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 3.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
34% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 34% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
38 public schools inside the boundary
There are 38 public schools inside the boundary and 19 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 (37 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Hollywood'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 ($1,653/mo) equals 30% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. Whether it fits comes down to the specifics: the neighborhood, the job, and what matters most in the move.
Other places near Hollywood
All Florida guides →Moving to Dania Beach →
2 mi away · pop. 32,180
Rent $1,781/mo · Income $52,748
Compare with Hollywood →Moving to Hallandale Beach →
3 mi away · pop. 41,854
Rent $1,653/mo · Income $52,340
Compare with Hollywood →Not sure Hollywood is the one?
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