Region preview · 2027 Edition

Moving to Southeast Florida: what to know

Florida's big-city coast. Miami, Fort Lauderdale and the Palm Beaches run together into one of the largest metro areas in the country, with the Treasure Coast quieter to the north.^1,3,4,5 Warmest winters on the mainland, the most international culture in the state, and the highest home prices of the regions so far.

Counties: Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie. Includes Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Stuart, Port St. Lucie.

76° / 61°¹January high / low, Miami

91° / 78°¹July high / low

67 in¹rain a year, wettest June to October

$463,000²median home value, Miami-Dade County

18.3%²aged 65 and over, Miami-Dade County

$71,753²median household income

Weather

Tropical. Winters are warm and dry; the last freezing temperature at Miami International Airport was on Christmas Day 1989.^1,5 Summers are hot, humid and stormy, with heavy afternoon downpours. Rain totals vary a lot from place to place across the metro.¹

Storms and hazards

Hurricanes. Andrew came ashore near Homestead on August 24, 1992, as a Category 5, destroyed about 63,000 homes in Florida and led to the statewide building code.⁶
Flooding: heavy summer rain, and in many low areas tidal flooding on sunny days during the fall king tides, when groundwater rises through the porous limestone.⁷
Condo safety: after the 2021 Surfside collapse, older condo buildings three stories or taller need milestone inspections and fully funded structural reserves, which has meant large special assessments in some buildings.⁸

See every hurricane near Southeast Florida since 1851, mapped

Who it suits

Our judgment, from the facts in the full profile.

People who want big-city jobs, culture, nightlife and international flights
Anyone who wants frost-free winters and a tropical garden
Spanish speakers and people who want a truly international place to live
Retirees who want world-class hospitals close by

A few things to see

Everglades National Park, by airboat, tram or the Anhinga Trail⁹
Miami Beach's Art Deco district and Ocean Drive^1,3,5
Little Havana's Calle Ocho, for coffee and dominoes¹⁰

Only in Florida

Coral Castle was built over decades by a Latvian immigrant who worked alone and wouldn't let anyone watch.¹¹ He said it was for his 'Sweet Sixteen'; the story goes that his young fiancée called off their wedding the day before. It isn't even coral: it's limestone.¹¹

Visitor information

The official, non-commercial places to ask about things to do, events and local services.^12,13 Many tourism offices also offer a free visitor guide.

County tourism offices

St. Lucie County: Visit St. Lucie
Martin County: Discover Martin County
Palm Beach County: Discover The Palm Beaches
Broward County: Visit Lauderdale
Miami-Dade County: Greater Miami & Miami Beach

State-certified visitor information centers

Cultural Council for Palm Beach County Visitor Information Center, 601 Lake Avenue, Lake Worth Beach
Visit Palm Beach Visitor Information & Adventure Center, 138 S. Flagler Drive, West Palm Beach
Fort Lauderdale Historical Society Visitor Information Center, 219 SW 2nd Avenue, Fort Lauderdale
Flamingo Gardens Visitor Information Center, 3750 S. Flamingo Rd., Davie

The full Southeast Florida profile is in Choosing Your Place

Every county's people, income, home value and rent
Costs, insurance, hospitals, getting around, jobs, culture and history
166 town cards for this region, each with home value, rent, median age and the nearest 24-hour ER and airport
Side-by-side compare with any other region, and the monthly-cost calculator

Get Choosing Your Place · $9.99 What's inside

Moving here for sure? Living Here & Staying Ready has Southeast Florida's county emergency and special-needs numbers, and a household plan. Get the Complete Edition for $19.99.

Written by Charles Squires, North Port, Florida. 40 years living in Florida, in eight places.

I lived in Coral Gables for two years and called on schools across Miami-Dade and Broward.

More about the author and how this manual is made

Towns in Southeast Florida

Free basics for each of the 166 places with 1,000 or more people: home value, rent and the nearest ER.

Atlantis · Aventura · Bal Harbour · Bay Harbor Islands · Belle Glade · Biscayne Gardens · Biscayne Park · Boca Raton · Boulevard Gardens · Boynton Beach · Broadview Park · Brownsville · Cabana Colony · Coconut Creek · Cooper City · Coral Gables · Coral Springs · Coral Terrace · Country Club · Country Walk · Cutler Bay · Dania Beach · Davie · Deerfield Beach · Delray Beach · Doral · El Portal · Fisher Island · Florida City · Fort Lauderdale · Fort Pierce · Fort Pierce North · Fort Pierce South · Fountainebleau · Franklin Park · Gladeview · Glenvar Heights · Goulds · Greenacres · Gun Club Estates · Hallandale Beach · Haverhill · Hialeah · Hialeah Gardens · Highland Beach · Hillsboro Beach · Hobe Sound · Hollywood · Homestead · Homestead Base · Hutchinson Island South · Hypoluxo · Indian River Estates · Indiantown · Ives Estates · Jensen Beach · Juno Beach · Juno Ridge · Jupiter · Jupiter Farms · Kendale Lakes · Kendall · Kendall West · Kenwood Estates · Key Biscayne · Lake Belvedere Estates · Lake Clarke Shores · Lake Park · Lake Worth Beach · Lakewood Park · Lantana · Lauderdale Lakes · Lauderdale-by-the-Sea · Lauderhill · Leisure City · Lighthouse Point · Limestone Creek · Loxahatchee Groves · Mangonia Park · Margate · Miami · Miami Beach · Miami Gardens · Miami Lakes · Miami Shores · Miami Springs · Miramar · Naranja · North Bay Village · North Lauderdale · North Miami · North Miami Beach · North Palm Beach · North River Shores · Oakland Park · Ocean Ridge · Ojus · Olympia Heights · Opa-locka · Pahokee · Palm Beach · Palm Beach Gardens · Palm Beach Shores · Palm City · Palm Springs · Palm Springs North · Palmetto Bay · Palmetto Estates · Parkland · Pembroke Park · Pembroke Pines · Pine Air · Pinecrest · Pinewood · Plantation · Plantation Mobile Home Park · Pompano Beach · Port Salerno · Port St. Lucie · Princeton · Richmond Heights · Richmond West · Rio · River Park · Riviera Beach · Roosevelt Gardens · Royal Palm Beach · Royal Palm Estates · San Castle · Seminole Manor · Sewall's Point · South Bay · South Miami · South Miami Heights · South Palm Beach · Southwest Ranches · Stuart · Sunny Isles Beach · Sunrise · Sunset · Surfside · Sweetwater · Tamarac · Tamiami · Tequesta · The Acreage · The Crossings · The Hammocks · Three Lakes · Virginia Gardens · Washington Park · Watergate · Wellington · West Little River · West Miami · West Palm Beach · West Park · West Perrine · Westchester · Westgate · Westlake · Weston · Westview · Westwood Lakes · White City · Wilton Manors

Other regions: Southwest Florida · Tampa Bay · Central Florida · Heartland · North Central Florida · Northeast Florida · Space Coast and Daytona · Florida Keys · Big Bend and Nature Coast · Panhandle