Best Places to Live in South Florida

Ranked by the numbers, the top 10 are Delray Beach ($359,500 median), South Palm Beach ($495,000 median), Lauderdale Lakes ($118,935 median), West Palm Beach ($415,000 median), Lauderhill ($140,000 median), Port St. Lucie ($395,000 median), Margate ($161,000 median), Jupiter ($644,000 median), Boynton Beach ($410,000 median), Palm Springs ($170,000 median). 82 places qualified with at least 60 homes for sale; the score blends what it costs to own the median home against local income, five-year appreciation, county population growth, market balance, inventory depth and the own-versus-rent gap, all printed in the table.

82 cities in South Florida, ranked

Place	Score	Median price	Cost to own / mo	Share of income	5-yr appreciation / yr	County pop. growth	Months supply	Homes for sale
1. Delray Beach Palm Beach	55.1	$359,500	$2,620	42%	+9.0%	+4.2%	8.4	1,646
2. South Palm Beach Palm Beach · list-based	54.5	$495,000	$3,582	28%	+4.7%	+4.2%	1% pending	69
3. Lauderdale Lakes Broward · list-based	54.0	$118,935	$903	21%	+4.3%	+1.9%	9% pending	326
4. West Palm Beach Palm Beach	53.9	$415,000	$3,014	59%	+12.9%	+4.2%	8.3	1,792
5. Lauderhill Broward · list-based	53.8	$140,000	$1,054	23%	+4.3%	+1.9%	7% pending	610
6. Port St. Lucie St. Lucie	53.7	$395,000	$2,886	44%	+6.6%	—	8.9	1,657
7. Margate Broward · list-based	53.7	$161,000	$1,205	23%	+4.3%	+1.9%	9% pending	451
8. Jupiter Palm Beach	53.6	$644,000	$4,640	53%	+11.8%	+4.2%	6.0	606
9. Boynton Beach Palm Beach	53.4	$410,000	$2,979	47%	+7.1%	+4.2%	6.6	1,464
10. Palm Springs Palm Beach · list-based	53.2	$170,000	$1,275	25%	+4.7%	+4.2%	4% pending	137
11. Sunrise Broward · list-based	53.0	$225,000	$1,666	29%	+4.3%	+1.9%	7% pending	713
12. Greenacres Palm Beach · list-based	52.9	$252,500	$1,861	33%	+4.7%	+4.2%	8% pending	368
13. Boca Raton Palm Beach	52.5	$665,000	$4,789	61%	+10.5%	+4.2%	7.3	1,890
14. Deerfield Beach Broward · list-based	52.3	$219,000	$1,623	36%	+4.3%	+1.9%	8% pending	767
15. Tamarac Broward · list-based	52.1	$234,900	$1,737	35%	+4.3%	+1.9%	10% pending	703
16. Miami Miami-Dade	52.0	$570,000	$4,077	59%	+8.7%	-1.1%	15% pending	4,606
17. Coconut Creek Broward · list-based	51.9	$229,450	$1,698	36%	+4.3%	+1.9%	8% pending	424
18. Lake Worth Palm Beach · list-based	51.4	$430,950	$3,127	40%	+4.7%	+4.2%	9% pending	722
19. Fort Lauderdale Broward	51.0	$477,500	$3,482	49%	+7.3%	+1.9%	11.6	2,334
20. Pompano Beach Broward	50.9	$394,999	$2,888	52%	+9.9%	+1.9%	11.5	1,143
21. Pembroke Pines Broward	50.9	$441,500	$3,223	53%	+7.4%	+1.9%	11% pending	860
22. Lantana Palm Beach · list-based	50.9	$329,500	$2,407	40%	+4.7%	+4.2%	9% pending	106
23. Oakland Park Broward · list-based	50.5	$314,900	$2,312	38%	+4.3%	+1.9%	7% pending	359
24. Hypoluxo Palm Beach · list-based	50.3	$325,000	$2,375	39%	+4.7%	+4.2%	2% pending	65
25. Stuart Martin	50.2	$380,302	$2,747	44%	+6.8%	+1.8%	10.4	691

How to read it: median price is the recorded MLS sale median for the past 12 months where our feeds carry sold records (at least 120 sales), otherwise the median asking price of current listings (rows marked list-based; appreciation and price change then come from the county Zillow index); cost to own is principal and interest on 80% of that median at the county’s current rate, plus non-homestead property tax at the county’s verified millage (less the $50,000 homestead exemption) and the county’s average Citizens premium; share of income is that annual cost against the Census median household income pooled over the ZIPs where the city’s homes are listed; 5-yr appreciation is the compound annual change in recorded medians; county pop. growth is the county’s five-year Census change.

Score = 50 + 10 × (0.35 affordability + 0.15 appreciation + 0.15 population growth + 0.10 market balance + 0.10 inventory depth + 0.15 own-versus-rent), each as a capped z-score across the ranked set. Inputs are prices, costs, incomes, growth and supply only; nothing about the people who live there. Data as of 2026-11-05; deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Counties covered: Broward, Indian River, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Palm Beach, St. Lucie.

The top 10, in detail

1. Delray Beach, Palm Beach County

Recorded median sale $359,500 (+0.9% year over year), 2,098 sales in 12 months, 8.4 months of supply (buyer's market), median 57 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,620 a month, 42% of the local median household income of $74,803; typical rent is $2,700. Prices compounded +9.0% a year over five years; the county grew +4.2% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Palm Beach County property tax

2. South Palm Beach, Palm Beach County

Median asking price $495,000 across 69 current listings, 1% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 110 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved +2.3% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $3,582 a month, 28% of the local median household income of $151,121; typical rent is $7,563. Prices compounded +4.7% a year over five years; the county grew +4.2% in population over five years. Palm Beach County property tax

3. Lauderdale Lakes, Broward County

Median asking price $118,935 across 326 current listings, 9% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 124 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -1.6% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $903 a month, 21% of the local median household income of $51,918; typical rent is $1,947. Prices compounded +4.3% a year over five years; the county grew +1.9% in population over five years. Broward County property tax

4. West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County

Recorded median sale $415,000 (+0.8% year over year), 2,401 sales in 12 months, 8.3 months of supply (buyer's market), median 58 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $3,014 a month, 59% of the local median household income of $60,942; typical rent is $2,283. Prices compounded +12.9% a year over five years; the county grew +4.2% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Palm Beach County property tax

5. Lauderhill, Broward County

Median asking price $140,000 across 610 current listings, 7% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 119 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -1.6% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,054 a month, 23% of the local median household income of $55,071; typical rent is $1,947. Prices compounded +4.3% a year over five years; the county grew +1.9% in population over five years. Broward County property tax

6. Port St. Lucie, St. Lucie County

Recorded median sale $395,000 (-2.6% year over year), 2,878 sales in 12 months, 8.9 months of supply (buyer's market), median 61 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,886 a month, 44% of the local median household income of $79,560; typical rent is $2,238. Prices compounded +6.6% a year over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · St. Lucie County property tax

7. Margate, Broward County

Median asking price $161,000 across 451 current listings, 9% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 88 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -1.6% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,205 a month, 23% of the local median household income of $62,930; typical rent is $2,095. Prices compounded +4.3% a year over five years; the county grew +1.9% in population over five years. Broward County property tax

8. Jupiter, Palm Beach County

Recorded median sale $644,000 (+4.8% year over year), 1,079 sales in 12 months, 6.0 months of supply (balanced market), median 50 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $4,640 a month, 53% of the local median household income of $104,107; typical rent is $3,907. Prices compounded +11.8% a year over five years; the county grew +4.2% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Palm Beach County property tax

9. Boynton Beach, Palm Beach County

Recorded median sale $410,000 (+6.4% year over year), 2,320 sales in 12 months, 6.6 months of supply (balanced market), median 52 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,979 a month, 47% of the local median household income of $76,328; typical rent is $2,459. Prices compounded +7.1% a year over five years; the county grew +4.2% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Palm Beach County property tax

10. Palm Springs, Palm Beach County

Median asking price $170,000 across 137 current listings, 4% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 77 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved +2.3% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $1,275 a month, 25% of the local median household income of $61,218; typical rent is $1,956. Prices compounded +4.7% a year over five years; the county grew +4.2% in population over five years. Palm Beach County property tax

Questions people ask

What is the best place to live in South Florida by the numbers?

Delray Beach ranks first on our composite: $359,500 median, about $2,620 a month to own (42% of local median income), +9.0% a year appreciation over five years. The ranking is housing economics only; the right place for you also depends on commute, lifestyle and budget, which is what an agent narrows.

What is the cheapest place to live in South Florida?

Lauderdale Lakes has the lowest estimated cost to own on this list at about $903 a month on a $118,935 median, including the county's property tax and average insurance.

Where are home prices rising fastest in South Florida?

Coral Gables, at +13.6% a year compounded over five years; over the past twelve months it moved +6.6%.

How is this ranking calculated?

Score = 50 + 10 times a weighted sum of capped z-scores: affordability (annual cost to own the median home divided by median household income, 35%), five-year compound appreciation (15%), county population growth (15%), market balance (distance of months of supply from 5, 10%), sales volume (10%), and the gap between owning and renting (15%). Every input is printed in the table; the inputs are prices, costs, incomes, growth and supply only.

Every ranking in this series

Homes for sale in Florida by city and county · Florida city and relocation guides

Rankings are computed from the published data sources and the formula stated on this page, with no editorial scoring; the inputs are prices, costs, incomes, growth and supply, and the rankings describe housing economics, not the character of any community. Figures are as of 2026-11-05 and change as new sales record. EAB RE Investments LLC dba Momentum Realty is a licensed Florida real estate brokerage. Listing data deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Equal Housing Opportunity.