AreaScoop
Fort Lauderdale, FL

Photo: Wikipedia

Fort Lauderdale, FL

Find The Best Places To Live
in Fort Lauderdale

PRO TIP! You can paste a Zillow or Redfin link.

Demographics

DiverseSimpson's Diversity Index: 67
Population183,032
Foreign Born12.5%
Population Density5,293people per mi²
Median Age42.9 yrs
Demographics Trajectory
StableSince 2010, this city has held a relatively stable population and racial composition.
Current Race / Ethnicity Breakdown
Population Trends

Quality of Life

Overall Quality Of Life
A-
Great

A high quality of life with strong walkability, manageable living costs, healthy neighborhood signals, and solid amenity access.

Quality of Life blends cost of living, nearby amenities, socioeconomic signals, and neighborhood character. City-level scores represent the whole municipality; individual neighborhoods can differ.

Cost of Living

156/100

56% above national average

B-

The Real Cost of Living in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

TierIndividualFamily (4)
Survival $28k$53k
Comfortable $89k$130k
Luxury $144k+$224k+
Elite (Top 5%) $234k+$363k+
Affordability Ratio

61%

The Hood Index™

A metric tracking the socioeconomic signals of the area.

A+
Hood Index scan area
Luxury Lean92%
RisksNeutralGrowth
Premium
40
Positive
40
Poor
0
Negative
14

Groceries

3 within 10 miles

2.4mi

Gas

0 within 10 miles

Hospital

3 within 20 miles

7.6mi

Airport

FLL — Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International

3.5mi

Post Office

USPS — Plantation, FL

7.7mi

Critical Amenities

Golf2Nearest 6.5 mi
Camping20Nearest 0.6 mi
Marina12Nearest 1.3 mi
Winery0 
Ice Rink0 
Gun Range11Nearest 0.5 mi

Affluence Level

Overall Affluence Grade
C+
Average

A middle-class area roughly in line with national averages across income, home values, education, and employment.

Median HHI
$80k+6.0%
6% above US avg
Est. Avg Net Worth
$702k
7% above US avg
College Educated
39.8%
14% above US avg
WFH
17.5%
22% above US avg
Homeownership
53.8%
18% below US avg
Median Home
$456k
62% above US avg

Crime

Overall Crime Grade
D
Elevated

Higher crime rates than 74% of comparable U.S. locations.

Crime Rate
35.9
Incidents per 1,000 residents
5yr Trend
+358590.0%
Overall crime change since 2020

Violent Crime

5yr+121040.0%
Homicide
0.06 / 1k Residents176% above state avg
Robbery
1.41 / 1k Residents520% above state avg
Aggravated Assault
4.11 / 1k Residents229% above state avg

Property Crime

5yr+596140.0%
Burglary
3.94 / 1k Residents380% above state avg
Larceny-Theft
22.24 / 1k Residents265% above state avg
Motor Vehicle Theft
3.55 / 1k Residents728% above state avg
Source: FBI Crime Data · 2025

Political Climate

Cook PVI: D+2Tilts Liberal

District shown is the primary district for this city’s centroid. Cities may span multiple districts.

Presidential Voting Trends for Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Dem Rep
40%50%60%2000200420082012201620202024

Personal Sovereignty

Personal Sovereignty measures your capacity for self-reliance and independence with minimal government friction. Higher scores mean fewer barriers between you and the way you want to live... but it assumes you have the space you need and good neighbors.

Overall Sovereignty Grade
B
Self-Reliant

Viable for self-reliance. Generally workable, though some barriers may limit total independence.

State Policy

Tax Burden
B-
Fair9.1% of income
Property Rights
B+
GoodIJ Grade B+
Firearm Rights
B-
GoodFPC Grade B-
Homeschooling
A+
GreatNo notice required

Energy independence: Importer (10% of energy produced in-state)

Personal Liberty

Raw Milk
F
ProhibitedIllegal
Gambling Laws
B
Broadly OpenTribal · Poker · Sportsbetting
Marijuana Laws
C+
LimitedMedical only

Homesteading

Growing Season365 days365 frost-free
Annual Rainfall72.4"
Elevation16 ft

Strategic Assessment

Strategic Assessment grades tactical survivability using Joel Skousen's Strategic Relocation framework. Major population centers, blast zones, natural disasters, and border exposure all drive risk — lower exposure means a more defensible position in a crisis.

Learn more about Strategic Relocation ($)
Overall Strategic Grade
D
Vulnerable

Multiple tactical vulnerabilities. Population density, target proximity, or disaster risk are likely compounding. A retreat property and exit planning is required.

Strategic Pillars

City Proximity
C-
Weak25 mi to nearest major city
Pop. Density
D-
Poor5,293/sq mi
Fallout Danger
C-
Weak16 within ~30 mi
Natural Disaster
F
PoorInland Flooding
Border / Coast
D
Poorborder 1076 mi · coast 0.0 mi
FEMA Expected Loss$648.0M/yrfor the county

Key Distances

Nearest Major CityMiami442k people are 25 mi away
Nearest Major AirportFLL3.5 mi away
Distance to State Capital390 miTallahassee, FL
Nearest Prison5.2 mi3 within 25 mi

* Values derived from national, state, county, city and local statistics and may differ in a specific area. Last updated: 2026-04-19T06:56:05.000Z

What your realtor won't tell you!

Find the best place to live

Go beyond the listing to get the inside scoop on any home in the US.

PRO TIP! You can paste a Zillow or Redfin link.