Imagine a place where you can be on vacation 365 days a year. A place where you can clock out from work and be on the beach drinking a cocktail and watching the sunset to the west within the hour. Somewhere where the sun is almost always shining, and the weather is never frosty or frigid. Think this sounds a bit too good to be true? Think again!
When you’re living in the city of Fort Lauderdale, this utopian life is a reality! This city has become well known for its seemingly endless wealth of practical and convenient benefits to its residents, with hardly a word to be said to its discredit. In this article, we’re going to answer any questions you might have about this beautiful city, and give you an idea of what it’s like living in Fort Lauderdale. Let’s get started!
Ft. Lauderdale facts and stats
The city of Fort Lauderdale has a population of nearly 183,000 residents. The bulk of its economy is built on its thriving tourism industry, due in large part to its beautiful beaches, a long list of tourist attractions, and its wide variety of luxury hotels and resorts. The tourism industry here is so big that, in 2018, the city saw the arrival and departure of over 13 million visitors!
Another thing that draws tourists and home buyers alike is the balmy, breezy weather. Fort Lauderdale has an average temperature of 75 degrees Fahrenheit, with over 3,000 hours of sunny weather a year! Considering how temperate this weather is, it’s easy to see why so many people think that living in Fort Lauderdale is a good idea.
As for the landscape of Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding area, you can expect lots of low marshy areas and beautiful natural scenery. Fort Lauderdale is just a short drive from the Everglades National Park, and you’ll see lots of similar landscapes in the area immediately adjacent to Fort Lauderdale.
Wondering where the city of Fort Lauderdale got its name? Then let’s talk history for a moment! The first settlement to bear the name “Lauderdale” was not a settlement at all, but rather a group of military stockades constructed before the Second Seminole War and named after the local colonel, William Lauderdale.
Things to do in Ft. Lauderdale
Before we dig into the meat and potatoes of what you should expect if you’re planning on living in Fort Lauderdale, let’s enjoy an appetizer: attractions! No matter how attractive a city might seem on paper, you’re going to want to have something to do after you clock out of work on Friday evening. Fortunately, the city of Fort Lauderdale delivers!
One of the most popular attractions in Fort Lauderdale is its thriving boating scene. Whether you’re a hardcore enthusiast with a 30 foot speedboat or a casual Saturday afternoon sailor, you’ll find that the city of Fort Lauderdale is the perfect place to enjoy this hobby. Boat ramps are everywhere, and rentals are widely available.
Then, of course, there are the beaches. Fort Lauderdale is known throughout the state and even the country as a great place to spend some time sipping on a cocktail or sunbathing on the shore. The water is a crystal clear cerulean, the sands are a gleaming white and the facilities are simply immaculate. You have to pay these beaches a visit!
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the culinary scene in Fort Lauderdale because it’s simply delectable! There’s a near-overwhelming amount of variety on display, with everything from sumptuous Asian delicacies to tantalizing all-American classics. Long story short, food culture in the city of Fort Lauderdale is on an entirely different level!
The housing market in Fort Lauderdale
If you’re in the market for a home and you’re considering buying in Ft. Lauderdale, you’ve made a good decision; now is a great time to invest! There are several highly compelling reasons why you might want to invest sooner rather than later, among which you’ll find a low median home price, excellent property appreciation rates, and a very attractive resale market.
First off, let’s take a look at the median home price. At around $350,000, homes in Fort Lauderdale aren’t exactly cheap, but they’re still far from being outrageously expensive. This price is low enough to make purchasing feasible for lower-income buyers, while still being substantial enough to allay the danger of rapid depreciation.
Speaking of median home prices, let’s talk about investment values for a minute. Investment values in Fort Lauderdale are some of the best in the state, with high appreciation rates and very promising projections regarding property values into the foreseeable future. If you buy a home in Fort Lauderdale, you can rest assured that it is not only a great place to live but a great place to invest.
If you’re a renter, things are a bit more pricey, even when you take into account the considerable population size and high demand for housing. The average cost of a monthly rental is upwards of $2,000 a month, a price that is comparable to many larger U.S. cities. If you have the means to buy rather than rent, you might want to consider that option instead.
If you want to buy or rent property in this delightful city, you’ll want to get in touch with one of the real estate agents in Fort Lauderdale FL. These exceptionally skilled real estate professionals will do their utmost to find you a home that suits your needs and your budget in as little time as possible. They’re the best people you could have for the job!
The job market in Ft. Lauderdale
Speaking of jobs, let’s take a look at the job market in the city of Fort Lauderdale. We think you’ll like what you find! The local job market in the city of Fort Lauderdale is thriving, and there are plenty of positions available to anyone who’s willing to do an honest day’s work in exchange for an honest day’s pay.
If you have a college education or professional certification, you’ll find that Fort Lauderdale has a wide variety of jobs that you might be a suitable candidate for. This isn’t to say that there aren’t any cities better for professionals, but if you seek employment, you shall find employment.
On the other hand, if you’re an unskilled worker, you’ll find an abundance of available jobs, primarily in the tourism and hospitality industries. If you’ve got a good work ethic and a strong drive to succeed, you’re sure to find a position with good career prospects and the potential for upward mobility.
Cost of living in Ft. Lauderdale
If you’re on a budget, you may want to pay close attention during this next section. For those with lower incomes, the cost of living is a very important factor in the decision-making process when deciding where to move. Fortunately, you’ll find that the cost of living in Fort Lauderdale is fairly reasonable, considering its substantial population.
Basic necessities in the city of Fort Lauderdale shouldn’t end up costing you significantly more than in any other city in the United States. Groceries are relatively affordable, and the same can be said about fuel and many other miscellaneous necessities. This makes day-to-day life much less of a strain on tighter budgets.
Utilities in the city of Fort Lauderdale are actually cheaper than the national average, with utilities like electricity dipping far below the national average price during the temperate winter months. One thing you should anticipate, however, are higher utility bills during the significantly hotter summer months when you’ll need to run your air conditioning constantly to combat higher temperatures.
Housing is somewhat more expensive than in other cities, due in large part to high demand for this commodity, but the issue that should raise the most concern for you is rent prices. As we mentioned earlier, rent prices in the city of Fort Lauderdale are quite high, and you might want to make sure your budget can handle the high rent prices before you make your final decision.
Crime rates in Ft. Lauderdale
Of course, few sunny days are without clouds, and the sky above Fort Lauderdale has one such cloud looming on the horizon: its crime rates. Much like other similar popular tourist destinations, Fort Lauderdale is plagued by uncharacteristically high crime rates that may make any prospective home buyers think twice before moving.
The most worrying example of this trend is the property crime rate, which is more than double the national average for this type of crime. The crime rate in the city of Fort Lauderdale is a steep 50.37 incidents per 1,000 residents, which is more than twice the national median of 24 incidents per 1,000 residents.
Violent crime is not nearly as common nor disproportionately high, but it is still more common than it is on the national level. At a rate of 5.7 incidents per 1,000 residents, this rate tops the national average of 4 incidents per 1,000 residents. Despite the fact that violent crime is not as widespread in Fort Lauderdale as property crime, you should still take this into account when making your decision.
Finally, it’s important to note that, regardless of where you make your home, crime will likely be an issue, even if it isn’t as prominent as in other cities. It’s important to take basic measures to minimize your risk of becoming the victim of violent or property crime that, when taken, should help ease your mind regarding a new and unfamiliar city.
Conclusion
After taking all these things into consideration, we think it’s safe to say that the city of Fort Lauderdale is not a good place to live; it’s a great place to live! With dozens of attractions, a thriving real estate market, a surprisingly inexpensive cost of living, and some of the nicest weather in the country, it wouldn’t be much of a stretch to compare it to paradise. We hope you enjoy Fort Lauderdale!
We hope you found this article helpful! If you’d like to ask a question or leave some feedback, we’d love to hear from you. Simply leave us a comment in the comments section below, and we’ll do our best to get back to you as quickly as possible. Our readers are our first priority, and it’s our mission to make sure that the content we publish is concise, well written, and informative. Thanks for reading!
