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Moving to
West Little River.
West Little River is an unincorporated community in Miami-Dade County, FL. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.
What it's like to live in West Little River
West Little River is an unincorporated community in Florida with county unemployment below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. West Little River deals with household incomes below the national average, commute times longer than most cities, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and college degree attainment below the national average.
The good
- Low unemployment in the county
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
How West Little River compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to West Little River
Based on West Little River's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,964
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $59,280 a year
- 51% of West Little River renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$75,060
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $37,530
- Homes cost 6.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,482/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,482 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $375,300. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $375,300 · 51% 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
West Little River 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 around▲ 19% above US
31 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 30.9 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. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 8% take public transit; 7% 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▼ 49% below US
18% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
9 public schools inside the boundary
There are 9 public schools inside the boundary and 4 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 (25 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
West Little River's strongest point is county unemployment below the national average; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and commute times longer than most cities. A year of median rent ($1,482/mo) equals 32% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low).
See all the data for West Little River →·All Florida cities →
Other places near West Little River
All Florida guides →Moving to Gladeview →
1 mi away · pop. 16,655
Rent $1,341/mo · Income $47,469
Compare with West Little River →Moving to Pinewood →
2 mi away · pop. 18,114
Rent $1,532/mo · Income $59,410
Compare with West Little River →Moving to Brownsville →
3 mi away · pop. 16,936
Rent $1,252/mo · Income $40,795
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