What it's like to live in Miami Beach
Miami Beach is a smaller 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. Miami Beach deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, crime rates above the national average, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Highly educated workforce
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Crime above national average
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
How Miami Beach compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Miami Beach
Based on Miami Beach's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,652
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $73,040 a year
- 58% of Miami Beach renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$111,340
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $55,670
- Homes cost 7.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 29% above US
$1,826/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,826 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 $556,700. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $556,700 · 58% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 47% below US
2.3% unemployment
Unemployment here is 2.3%, well below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 170% above US
1074 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 8575/100k · Miami Beach Police Department · 2022 data
Getting aroundNear US average
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26.7 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 5 in 10 workers drive to work; 6% take public transit; 24% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 87°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 63°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▲ 47% above US
53% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
7 public schools inside the boundary
There are 7 public schools inside the boundary and 11 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 20:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Biscayne National Park (23 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Miami Beach'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 ($1,826/mo) equals 30% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers, remote workers (24% 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 Miami Beach
All Florida guides →Moving to Miami Shores →
4 mi away · pop. 11,752
Rent $2,657/mo · Income $144,050
Compare with Miami Beach →Moving to Pinewood →
6 mi away · pop. 18,114
Rent $1,532/mo · Income $59,410
Compare with Miami Beach →Moving to North Miami →
6 mi away · pop. 60,344
Rent $1,702/mo · Income $57,188
Compare with Miami Beach →Not sure Miami Beach is the one?
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