The 10 Best Fort Lauderdale Suburbs To Live In For 2024


The best Fort Lauderdale suburbs are Highland Beach and Lauderdale-By-The-Sea for 2024 based on Saturday Night Science.

While big cities like Fort Lauderdale offer culture, cuisine, and charisma, they also deliver terrible traffic, towering expenses, and a taxing quality of life.

With that in mind, we wanted to uncover the best suburbs around Fort Lauderdale. These burbs have all of the benefits of being near Fort Lauderdale without actually having to be in the city.

Of course, not all suburbs of Fort Lauderdale are created equally, which is precisely why we set out to find the best ones. Using Saturday Night Science, we delve into the factors that matter most, from commutes and housing costs to community vibes, to help you uncover the perfect suburban spots in the Greater Fort Lauderdale area.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


What’s the best suburb of Fort Lauderdale? Highland Beach ranks as the best suburb of Fort Lauderdale for 2024 based on the most recent Census and FBI data. If you happen to be a resident of Highland Beach, you’re probably not too surprised to find it on the top our list.

We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 Fort Lauderdale ‘burbs better than the rest–but first, a bit about our methodology.

Feel free to check out some more reading about Florida:

The 10 Best Fort Lauderdale Suburbs To Live For 2024

Highland Beach, FL

Source: Wikipedia User | CC-BY-SA-3.0
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 4,261
Median Income: $140,045
Unemployment Rate: 4.8%
Poverty Rate: 4.3%
More on Highland Beach: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Highland Beach is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the Fort Lauderdale area. We’ll tell you the good about “Awesome Highland Beach.”

Everyone here is rich; families average $140,045 a year, which is the 3rd highest in the Fort Lauderdale region. And only 4.78% are out of work. Homes average more than $934,974 each.

Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, FL

Source: Wikipedia User Infrogmation | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 6,202
Median Income: $76,855
Unemployment Rate: 3.0%
Poverty Rate: 7.4%
More on Lauderdale-By-The-Sea: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea is the second best ‘burb we looked at near Fort Lauderdale for 2024.

It ranks 19th for incomes in the area and only 5.03% of residents lack insurance, good for 3rd best.

Lighthouse Point, FL

Source: Flickr User eoringel | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 10,496
Median Income: $86,586
Unemployment Rate: 2.2%
Poverty Rate: 6.6%
More on Lighthouse Point: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Here in Lighthouse Point, it’s really safe, and residents are just about as rich as you’ll see in the Fort Lauderdale metro area.

The bad side? Schools are more crowded, and the cost of living puts a large part of the city out of reach for most families.

But price is based on demand and a lot of people want to live in Lighthouse Point.

Southwest Ranches, FL

Source: Wikipedia User | CC BY 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 7,589
Median Income: $165,556
Unemployment Rate: 1.6%
Poverty Rate: 4.7%
More on Southwest Ranches: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Southwest Ranches ranks as the 4th best suburb of Fort Lauderdale for 2024.

You won’t find many better places to raise your kids in the region than in Southwest Ranches and the schools are some of the best around.

Weston, FL

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 68,029
Median Income: $132,832
Unemployment Rate: 3.6%
Poverty Rate: 5.8%
More on Weston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Coming in as the fifth best is Weston.

Weston gets kudos for having the 9th most expensive homes in the Fort Lauderdale area, where houses sell for an average of $717,713. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.

Review Of Weston by HomeSnacks User

Weston is very safe very quiet place to live. All of the neighborhoods’ associations are strict and keep the communities looking very nice. The schools are good but are overflowing. They used to be great but not anymore. There is a large Venezuelan community that started moving here in the last 10 years. It’s almost not necessary to speak English here. There are a lot of restaurants to choose from and businesses. A lot of small parks for kids to play in, activities for kids and also a large dog park at Markham Park. Highways are extremely accessible from both sides of the city and we’re 10 minutes away from Sawgrass Mills. City buses and 18 wheelers are not allowed through the city so it’s very quiet. Weston has a lot of restrictions but that’s what keeps the city very safe and clean. There is also a large regional park and the YMCA and community center are both inside the park. We have an athletic club and tons of karate schools, music schools, gyms, learning centers etc. Cleaveland Clinic is also here and plenty of spas and doctors offices. All in all it is a very family friendly city and they have done a great job in making sure you don’t need to leave Weston, we have everything here.

Schools are very overcrowded because there are so many people who want to live here. Cypress Bay High School is a very good school but it’s huge. There are two middle schools Falcon Cove and Tequesta Trace and five elementary schools. There are also private schools, Sagemont and Weston Christian Academy and plenty of pre-schools.

Parkland, FL

Source: Flickr User digitalbookmobile | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 34,832
Median Income: $188,544
Unemployment Rate: 4.5%
Poverty Rate: 3.9%
More on Parkland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Parkland is proud of its 6th place finish on this list. And here’s why.

Most residents have great jobs and the unemployment rate sits at 4.49%.

According to online reports, Parkland is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the Fort Lauderdale area, meaning you need to get in soon.

Surfside, FL

Source: Wikipedia User | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 5,625
Median Income: $73,160
Unemployment Rate: 3.6%
Poverty Rate: 14.0%
More on Surfside: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Surfside.

Surfside schools are some of the best in the region, and crime is really low. The cost of living makes it a lot more desirable for many families, especially first-time home buyers.

And, it’s only 18.2 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.

Miami Lakes, FL

Source: Wikipedia User Farragutful | CC BY-SA 4.0
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 30,621
Median Income: $90,339
Unemployment Rate: 3.2%
Poverty Rate: 4.6%
More on Miami Lakes: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Miami Lakes is growing quickly, and for a good reason. Crime is far below average, and most residents are gainfully employed. Even the cost of living is reasonable.

A solid 10.26% of people lack insurance, good for 17th in the area.

Review Of Miami Lakes by HomeSnacks User

I love how Miami lakes is so beautiful and safe also very quiet. They have many markets and places to eat they are a nice people also in Miami lakes.

The area is very good and the people are friendly.

Bay Harbor Islands, FL

Source: Flickr User miamism | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 5,843
Median Income: $73,587
Unemployment Rate: 3.4%
Poverty Rate: 8.8%
More on Bay Harbor Islands: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Is ‘Everything Better In Bay Harbor Islands?’

Almost.

It placed 9th on our list thanks to the fact that it’s really expensive to live here, but the schools are great, so you get what you pay for in that regard.

10. Hillsboro Beach, FL

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 2,225
Median Income: $86,250
Unemployment Rate: 6.3%
Poverty Rate: 6.1%
More on Hillsboro Beach: Crime | Real Estate

And rounding out the top ten for 2024 is Hillsboro Beach.

This city is far above average in every category, and the best part? It’s far more affordable than the other cities listed above. So, you get a big bang for your buck here.

Methodology: How We Determined The Best Suburbs Around Fort Lauderdale for 2024

Figuring out the best suburbs around Fort Lauderdale was simple. We used Saturday Night Science to find things people like about living in the suburbs and then locate the suburbs with those things.

We analyzed the newest American Community Survey data for 2018-2022 to research each suburb. We decided upon the following criteria:

  • Low unemployment rate
  • High median household incomes
  • Population density (lots of things to do)
  • High home values
  • A lot of college-educated people
  • Low poverty
  • High rate of insured families

We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of Fort Lauderdale.

Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 2,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 53 suburbs to evaluate around Fort Lauderdale.

We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 53 in each category, where 1 was the “best.

Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality-of-life index.

Finally, we crowned the city with the best quality of life index, the “Best Suburb near Fort Lauderdale.” We’re lookin’ at you, Highland Beach.

This result may differ from our state-wide data as we did not include commute times and crime for this analysis to allow for a more extensive selection of suburbs.

We updated the data for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the best Fort Lauderdale suburbs. Skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from best to worst.

Summary: Welcome to the Best Fort Lauderdale ‘Burbs of 2024

We said it once, and we’ll say it again–life in the big city isn’t for everyone. At least not all the time.

The best suburbs of Fort Lauderdale are .

So if you’re craving the amenities of a larger city like Fort Lauderdale but don’t want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might be for you.

For more Florida reading, check out:

Table: Best Fort Lauderdale Suburbs

Rank City Population Median Income Average Home Price
1 Highland Beach, FL 4,261 $140,045 $934,974
2 Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, FL 6,202 $76,855 $649,632
3 Lighthouse Point, FL 10,496 $86,586 $777,160
4 Southwest Ranches, FL 7,589 $165,556 $1,256,520
5 Weston, FL 68,029 $132,832 $717,713
6 Parkland, FL 34,832 $188,544 $1,077,923
7 Surfside, FL 5,625 $73,160 $1,161,290
8 Miami Lakes, FL 30,621 $90,339 $630,644
9 Bay Harbor Islands, FL 5,843 $73,587 $608,277
10 Hillsboro Beach, FL 2,225 $86,250 $556,558
11 Wilton Manors, FL 11,451 $81,424 $603,112
12 Miami Shores, FL 11,638 $120,833 $1,025,122
13 Aventura, FL 39,621 $75,211 $510,079
14 Sunny Isles Beach, FL 22,202 $57,145 $701,954
15 Miami Springs, FL 13,729 $88,196 $678,387
16 Boca Raton, FL 97,980 $95,570 $574,246
17 West Miami, FL 7,104 $73,525 $620,895
18 Biscayne Park, FL 3,098 $69,830 $888,928
19 Cooper, FL 2,034 $80,139 $471,206
20 Pembroke Pines, FL 170,472 $77,657 $485,196
21 Coral Springs, FL 133,801 $87,488 $536,819
22 Bal Harbour, FL 3,035 $86,172 $1,722,574
23 Doral, FL 74,891 $83,823 $534,476
24 Miramar, FL 135,158 $81,812 $506,754
25 Virginia Gardens, FL 2,419 $75,455 $552,168
26 Miami Beach, FL 82,400 $65,116 $525,643
27 Davie, FL 105,821 $84,346 $517,729
28 Coconut Creek, FL 57,574 $72,740 $325,475
29 Margate, FL 58,396 $56,324 $334,085
30 Sunrise, FL 96,510 $66,001 $372,339
31 Delray Beach, FL 66,646 $76,558 $358,548
32 Hialeah Gardens, FL 22,815 $58,497 $415,761
33 North Miami Beach, FL 43,269 $56,122 $452,270
34 Boynton Beach, FL 80,068 $68,875 $421,925
35 Hollywood, FL 152,764 $61,958 $452,509
36 Hialeah, FL 222,996 $49,531 $445,753
37 Sweetwater, FL 19,399 $53,159 $423,752
38 Tamarac, FL 71,578 $59,140 $317,289
39 Miami, FL 443,665 $54,858 $569,425
40 Oakland Park, FL 44,056 $64,989 $380,204
41 North Lauderdale, FL 44,635 $60,168 $351,157
42 Hypoluxo, FL 2,723 $76,510 $348,484
43 Miami Gardens, FL 111,618 $56,071 $440,066
44 Hallandale Beach, FL 41,102 $45,417 $328,630
45 West Park, FL 15,074 $58,712 $403,262
46 North Miami, FL 59,854 $49,069 $401,072
47 Lauderhill, FL 73,987 $48,523 $233,276
48 Deerfield Beach, FL 86,455 $53,741 $300,832
49 Dania Beach, FL 31,700 $46,330 $373,346
50 Pompano Beach, FL 111,790 $61,155 $363,916
51 Lauderdale Lakes, FL 35,914 $41,644 $162,956
52 Pembroke Park, FL 6,266 $41,875 $256,411
53 Opa Locka, FL 16,230 $30,101 $356,499
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.