What it's like to live in Sunny Isles Beach
Sunny Isles Beach is a small city in Florida with county unemployment below the national average, crime rates well below the national average, a highly educated workforce, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Sunny Isles Beach deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, household incomes below the national average, and commute times longer than most cities.
The good
- Low unemployment in the county
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Below-average household incomes
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- High rent burden for renters
How Sunny Isles Beach compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Sunny Isles Beach
Based on Sunny Isles Beach's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,192
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $83,840 a year
- 61% of Sunny Isles Beach renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$109,820
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $54,910
- Homes cost 8.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 48% above US
$2,096/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,096 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 $549,100. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $549,100 · 61% 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▼ 72% below US
91 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 802/100k · Sunny Isles Beach Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 27% above US
33 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 33 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 24% 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
Education & workforce▲ 48% 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
1 public school inside the boundary
There is 1 public school inside the boundary. 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 (31 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Sunny Isles Beach's strongest points are county unemployment below the national average and crime rates well below 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 ($2,096/mo) equals 41% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (24% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and people who dread long commutes.
See all the data for Sunny Isles Beach →·All Florida cities →
Other places near Sunny Isles Beach
All Florida guides →Moving to Aventura →
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Rent $2,513/mo · Income $89,274
Compare with Sunny Isles Beach →Moving to North Miami Beach →
3 mi away · pop. 43,898
Rent $1,750/mo · Income $63,280
Compare with Sunny Isles Beach →Moving to Ojus →
3 mi away · pop. 19,198
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Compare with Sunny Isles Beach →Moving to Hallandale Beach →
3 mi away · pop. 41,854
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