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
The 10 best suburbs to live around Fort Lauderdale for 2024:
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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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.
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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
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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 |