Thinking of Moving to Fort Lauderdale?
Discover what living in the gold coast is like.
If you're considering relocating or moving to the Fort Lauderdale area and currently researching various cities around the state of Florida, you've landed in the right place. This page has been assembled to help you gain a top-level overview of the Fort Lauderdale area, what this beautiful beachfront city offers residents in terms of lifestyle, amenities, activities, employment and real estate. We also encourage you to connect with Julie Harris, our Fort Lauderdale relocation expert, as she is glad to answer any questions you may have about the area, including the Fort Lauderdale real estate market, top communities, housing costs and annual living expenses.About Fort Lauderdale, FL
Located in Broward County, Fort Lauderdale is known for its extensive network of waterfront canals, miles of white sand Atlantic beaches and famous Las Olas Boulevard, which is lined with upscale shoppes, elegant eateries and art galleries. With a population of approx 194,000 persons (2025), Fort Lauderdale offers residents a high-quality of life with an average temperature of 75.5' degrees year-round and 246 sunny days each year, perfect for the outdoor enthusiast. The City of Fort Lauderdale offers a strong employment market and has recently been recognized by WalletHub as a "Best Place to Retire" and by TripAdvisor as a "Best Beach in Florida."Experience the majestic beauty of Fort Lauderdale and what life could be like in this 60-second video. Make sure your volume is on.
Fort Lauderdale Awards & Accolades
The Fort Lauderdale area commonly receives awards and accolades for its top-rated beaches, quality healthcare and high-quality of life for residents and tourists alike. View recent awards below.- 2026
- 2025
Hollywood Beach Ranks as the 3rd "Best Beach in Florida" - TripAdvisor
Top Reasons to Relocate to Fort Lauderdale
- Fort Lauderdale is a "Best Place to Retire" In 2026
Fort Lauderdale was recently ranked as a Top 10 "Best Place to Retire" in the U.S. by WalletHub for 2026. While Fort Lauderdale ranked #7 nationally, it also took the #4 slot within Florida. View the complete best places to retire city ranking list.
# City, State Average Home Price Average Age 1 Orlando, FL $367,475 35.1 2 Miami, FL $572,304 39.7 3 Tampa, FL $365,037 35.9 4 Fort Lauderdale, FL $499,806 42.9 5 St. Petersburg, FL $339,385 43.5 Average Home Prices as of Jan 1, 2026 - Fort Lauderdale has Great Beaches
Hollywood Beach was recently named as the "3rd Best Beach in Florida" by TripAdvisor (2025) and Fort Lauderdale Public Beach was recently recognized as the 9th Best Beach in the country by U.S. News & World Report. Broward county also offers beachgoers many great beach options (with public restrooms and parking) including Deerfield Public Beach, Pompano Public Beach, Dania Public Beach, Hollywood Public Beach and Hallandale Public Beach. There's also great local parks with beachfront to explore such as North Ocean Park and Hugh Taylor Birch State Park. - Fort Lauderdale Has Top-Rated Healthcare & Hospitals
The greater Fort Lauderdale area has several top rated hospitals including Cleveland Clinic Florida, Holy Cross Hospital and Memorial Regional Hospital. Recently, US News & World Report ranked Fort Lauderdale's Cleveland Clinic as the #6 overall Best Hospital in the state of Florida. View Cleveland Clinic Rating. - Florida Has No State Income Tax
As a Floridian, you will definitely appreciate not having to pay a state income tax. In lieu of a state income tax, the state of Florida earns annual revenues from the millions of tourists that visit the state every year through a 7% sales tax (state level) and a 5% tourist tax (county level) from revenues on rental properties and hotel visits that are for six months or less. Once you declare Florida as your permanent residence, you will definitely appreciate the many tourists who are paying your share of the state taxes. - Fort Lauderdale is a Top Rated Real Estate Market
Fort Lauderdale's real estate market has been steadily appreciating in recent years with many persons seeking to relocate to the area. At the start of January 2026, the median Fort Lauderdale home price is now $499,806 which represents a 5.3% year-over-year decrease. To find out exact housing and living costs, the most popular neighborhoods people are moving into, contact Julie Harris, our Fort Lauderdale relocation expert listed on this page. - Fort Lauderdale Has Strong Employment Market
Fort Lauderdale's employment market remains strong with an unemployment rate of 4.1%, below the national average of 4.4% (January 2026). Top sectors in the Fort Lauderdale economy include healthcare, professional services, manufacturing, education, and retail. The largest employers in the greater Fort Lauderdale area include Broward County Public Schools, Broward County Government, Nova Southeastern University, Broward Health and Memorial Healthcare System. - A Year-Round Playground for Outdoor Activities
With an average year-round temperature of 75.5' degrees and 246 sunny days per year, Fort Lauderdale is a top Florida destination for the outdoor enthusiast to enjoy activities by land, sea and air. If you enjoy watersport activities, try kayaking or stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) through the mangroves or local canals such as Las Olas Isles, Whiskey Creek or the Middle River. By land, play a round of golf or explore our many recreational parks and nature trails. If you're feeling more adventurous, try parasailing or paragliding along the coast. - Fort Lauderdale Offers Endless Events to Explore
Fort Lauderdale offers a full plate of year-round events to choose from including food festivals, musical performances, car and boat shows and film festivals just to name a few. Popular Fort Lauderdale events include the Las Olas Art Festival, the Florida Renaissance Festival, the Fort Lauderdale Air Show and the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. - Fort Lauderdale Has Great Dining & Cuisine Options
The greater Fort Lauderdale area offers a wide variety of cuisines for all tastes and budgets from casual, pet-friendly sidewalk cafes to fancy, five-star restaurants. There's also a popular scene of craft pubs and beer gardens to check out such as Tap 42, Fat Tap Beer Bar & Eatery, Tarpon River Brewing and The Craft Beer Cartel. Many of these trendy places offer a pet-friendly vibe, live entertainment and some even offer corn hole, darts and foosball while you enjoy a fresh, locally-crafted brew and local eats. - Many Wildlife, Parks & Nature Trails to Explore
The Fort Lauderdale area offers miles of natural Florida beauty and wildlife to explore via local state parks including Hugh Taylor Birch State Park and the Stunson Nature Trail. The nearby Florida Everglades State Park, which spans more than 2,400 square miles, provides for bicycling, bird watching, camping, fishing, hiking, slough slogging, wildlife viewing, nature trails, and guided tours.
Julie Harris
Realtor®Your Fort Lauderdale Relocation Expert
954-240-8074
Please mention Moving to Florida Guide when calling so I can track my marketing efforts. Thanks!
License # BK3093200
The Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Market
Market outlook, trends and relocation advice by Julie Harris.
The Fort Lauderdale real estate market continues to see consistent housing demand in the new year, which is keeping available inventory slightly constrained, but not nearly as extreme as was during the market peak. Housing inventory in Broward County, for single family homes, still remains a smidge low at a 5.2 month supply of homes which is keeping home prices near record levels. For homes in high-demand areas, we are once again experiencing multiple offers taking place, near or slightly above ask price, but again, nowhere near the level we experienced during the market peak.
Fort Lauderdale Housing Market Outlook
My forecast for the Fort Lauderdale real estate market in 2026 is that we will likely see more buyer activity and increased competition going forward, and that this trend will likely continue as the Fed continues to make additional rate cuts later this year.Market Trends I'm Observing
We continue to see less cash buyers in the Fort Lauderdale market (roughly 20%) than we experienced about two years ago. We are also noticing where a larger number of sellers are willing to offer concessions to buy down credits for buyers.My Relocation Advice
When considering relocating to the Fort Lauderdale area, first and foremost, you will need a real estate pro to help guide you through the home buying process. There are various real estate markets throughout the Fort Lauderdale area, each with their own little nuances, and some of these areas/neighborhoods are seeing more activity than others. It’s no secret that we have had a lot of people coming from higher priced and cost of living markets moving to Florida. If you are planning to get a loan for your purchase, you will also want to get connected with a local loan officer who can review all your documents and get you initially underwritten to allow a short loan approval contingency. If you are planning to pay cash, make sure you have all the funds easily accessible and ready to go. If you are not in the area to see the property in person, video and virtual tours are available. As always, reach out to me with any questions you may have!Fort Lauderdale Relocation Reviews:
Read what Julie's past clients are saying.
Rose L.
Past Client
Past Client
"I would recommend Julie to any out-of-towner looking to purchase property in Florida (I am from NY). She was always very responsive to requests and in constant communication. She made the entire process very easy and enjoyable!"
Jay T.
Past Client
Past Client
"Julie went above and beyond the call of duty to find me the perfect home! She spent over a year working for me while I was attempting to relocate to South Florida. I know there is not a realtor out there who will work as hard, or care as much for you and your home search. Thank you Julie!"
Kelli M.
Past Client
Past Client
"From our first telephone conversation, Julie showed interest in my needs and listened to all my requests and the things I wanted. She takes a genuine interest in her clients. Her attention to detail is great, very thorough and hands on. She's fantastic!"
