2027 MNM LIVABILITY INDEX

Fort Lauderdale

Florida (FL)

Best for: Professionals, boaters, retirees and remote workers who want beaches, airport access, nightlife and a more manageable urban scale than Miami.

2027 CITY CLASSMedium City100,000–299,999 residents

Modern Livability79.8/ 100

AT A GLANCE

Everyday numbers

Population188,677

Median Home$486,700

Median Rent$1,854

Median Household Income$83,130

Cost of Living~111.8 (US=100; 2024 MSA)

Average Commute26.1 min

Unemployment~4.5% metro (Jul 2026)

Metro AreaMiami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL

2027 MODERN LIVABILITY SCORECARD

How this city actually lives

Twelve dimensions capture both hard data and the everyday experience traditional lists tend to miss.

79.8overall

Housing & Financial Reality44.0

Housing burden, taxes, insurance, utilities and what local incomes actually buy.

Ease of Living68.0

Errands, commute friction, parking, services and the effort required for daily life.

Safety & Stability60.0

Personal, neighborhood, road and environmental stability.

Economic Opportunity88.0

Jobs, wages, career mobility, employer diversity and economic resilience.

Health & Wellness87.0

Healthcare access, activity, mental wellness, healthy food and environmental health.

Beauty & Sense of Place96.0

Scenery, architecture, trees, cleanliness, public realm and distinct sense of place.

Mobility & Congestion72.0

Traffic delay, commute reliability, walking, cycling and transit usefulness.

Nature & Escape94.0

Trails, water, mountains, parks, public lands and how easily residents can escape.

Diversity & Belonging94.0

Diversity, integration, accessibility, newcomer friendliness and community connection.

Climate & Environment79.0

Comfortable weather, air quality, severe weather and environmental exposure.

Community & Culture98.0

Restaurants, arts, events, third places, recreation and social life.

Infrastructure & Connectivity93.0

Broadband, utilities, airport, highways, transit and essential connectivity.

THE THINGS OLD-SCHOOL LISTS MISS

What daily life feels like

Traffic / CongestionHigh. I-95, US-1 and local bridge traffic are recurring pain points, though denser neighborhoods provide more walking, biking and transit choices than most Florida cities.

Weekend EscapeExceptional. Beaches, boating, the Intracoastal, Everglades and Miami are all close; water access is part of everyday life.

WalkabilityAbout 56/100 citywide Walk Score. Some neighborhoods are meaningfully more walkable than the citywide number suggests, but a car remains useful for many trips.

Airport AccessExceptional. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is immediately south of the city and provides extensive domestic and international service.

Outdoor AccessExceptional. Beaches, canals, boating, paddling, waterfront running and Everglades access make the outdoors unusually integrated into urban life.

Healthcare AccessStrong. Broward Health provides major local hospital and specialty care, with additional systems throughout South Florida.

Air QualityMixed. Ocean breezes help, but traffic, heat, humidity and regional ozone or particulate episodes are tradeoffs.

Third Places / Social LifeExceptional. Las Olas, beach districts, restaurants, marinas, cafés, nightlife and events give the city a highly social public realm.

EDITORIAL VIEW

More than a number

Trajectory: Stable

WHY IT STANDS OUT

Why we chose it

Fort Lauderdale stands out in the 2027 MNM Livability Index for beaches and boating; airport; las olas; restaurants; walkable pockets; strong incomes; proximity to miami without living in miami. The city does not score well simply because of one headline statistic: its profile reflects housing, everyday ease, wellness, beauty, mobility, nature, belonging, climate, culture and infrastructure together. The clearest tradeoffs are high housing costs; traffic; flood and hurricane risk; insurance costs; tourism pressure; summer heat.

REAL LIFE

What living here actually feels like

Fort Lauderdale feels polished, coastal and active. Water defines the city physically and socially, but the same desirability creates housing and insurance pressure.

STRENGTHS