Is Fort Lauderdale, FL a Good Place to Live?
Fort Lauderdale is a mid-sized city of 182,673 in Florida, with a median household income of $75,376 and a 5.4% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 112 (US average = 100), which is 12% above the national average.
Strengths: Fort Lauderdale stands out for solid school ratings (B), a well-educated population.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Fort Lauderdale is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Fort Lauderdale city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 111.8Fort Lauderdale's overall cost of living index is 111.8, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Fort Lauderdale costs roughly 12% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Fort Lauderdale, FL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $417,600 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,627 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 54.2% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $75,376 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Fort Lauderdale is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
Fort Lauderdale is served primarily by BROWARD. The student-to-teacher ratio is 21.7:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Fort Lauderdale, FL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | BROWARD | — |
| Elementary Schools | 194 | — |
| Middle Schools | 48 | — |
| High Schools | 61 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 21.7:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 40.3% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 89.6% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Fort Lauderdale sees average highs of 76.6°F in January and 90.5°F in July, with 63.0 inches of annual precipitation .
| Metric | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 76.6°F |
| Average High — July | 90.5°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 63.0" |
| Annual Snowfall | Trace / None |
Demographics
| Metric | Fort Lauderdale, FL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 182,673 | — |
| Median Age | 43.2 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.4% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 26.3 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 54.7% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 29.2% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 11.6% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.5% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 16.9% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 19.3% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale, FL is covered by 10 ZIP codes: