What it's like to live in Pinecrest
Pinecrest is a small city in Florida with county unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above 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. Pinecrest deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and larger class sizes than the national average.
The good
- Low unemployment in the county
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Highly educated workforce
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
- Above-average rainfall
How Pinecrest compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Pinecrest
Based on Pinecrest's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,892
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $77,840 a year
- 56% of Pinecrest renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$281,280
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $140,640
- Homes cost 6.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 38% above US
$1,946/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $1,946 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $1,406,400. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $1,406,400 · 56% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
2.7% county unemployment
Unemployment in Miami-Dade County is 2.7%, well below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Miami-Dade County (county-wide)
Safety
336 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Pinecrest doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Miami-Dade County Police Department jurisdiction as a whole, which runs close to the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 1810/100k · Policed by Miami-Dade County Police Department (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
28 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 27.6 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; 27% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 88°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 65°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 101% above US
72% 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
5 public schools inside the boundary
There are 5 public schools inside the boundary and 4 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 22:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Biscayne National Park (13 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Pinecrest's strongest points are county unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,946/mo) equals 11% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), remote workers (27% 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 Pinecrest
All Florida guides →Moving to South Miami →
3 mi away · pop. 12,277
Rent $1,764/mo · Income $94,507
Compare with Pinecrest →Moving to Palmetto Bay →
3 mi away · pop. 24,639
Rent $2,101/mo · Income $142,447
Compare with Pinecrest →Moving to Glenvar Heights →
3 mi away · pop. 19,395
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