Moving and neighborhoods
Moving to Fort Lauderdale as a renter
Fort Lauderdale is a city of about 189,000 where close to half the homes are rented, and the Census puts its median gross rent at $1,854 a month. Renters cluster east of I-95, from downtown towers near the Brightline station to older duplexes and houses in Victoria Park and along the New River. Most of the city sits low and near water, so the flood zone and storm setup of each home matter as much as the rent.
Updated Last checked 3 min read
Quick answer
- Population about 188,700. Roughly 46% of homes are renter-occupied.
- Median gross rent $1,854, a little below the Broward median of $1,907.
- Brightline leaves from downtown. Tri-Rail stops west of it, along I-95.
- Check the flood zone and evacuation zone of every address you tour.
On this page
Fort Lauderdale by the numbers
| Topic | Fort Lauderdale | Broward County |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 188,677 | 2,013,317 |
| Median gross rent | $1,854 | $1,907 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 54.1% | 63.6% |
| Median household income | $83,130 | $77,633 |
| Average commute, one way | 26.1 minutes | 29.1 minutes |
The city rents more than the county as a whole, 46% of homes against about 36%, because downtown and the beach are full of apartments and condos. And the average commute is three minutes shorter than the county's.
Where renters look first
- Downtown and Flagler Village. Newer apartment towers and mid-rises within walking distance of Las Olas Boulevard and the Brightline station.
- Victoria Park. East of downtown, with older duplexes, small apartment buildings, townhomes and houses on leafy streets.
- Rio Vista and Tarpon River. South of Las Olas along the New River, mostly single-family homes, some on the water.
- Sailboat Bend. A historic district west of downtown along the river, with older homes and small buildings.
- The beach and the Galt Ocean Mile. Condo towers along A1A, many of them with association approval for tenants.
Wilton Manors, Oakland Park and Lauderdale-by-the-Sea border the city and often come up in the same search, but they are separate cities with their own numbers. If your budget points west of I-95, look at commute times along Broward Boulevard and Sunrise Boulevard before you sign.
Trains, I-95 and the airport
Brightline's Fort Lauderdale station is downtown, with trains to Miami, Aventura, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach and Orlando. Tri-Rail runs along the I-95 corridor west of downtown, with a Fort Lauderdale station on Broward Boulevard and an airport station in Dania Beach, linked to the terminals by a free shuttle. Most residents still drive, and I-95's express lanes charge tolls that rise with traffic. The full comparison is in commuting in South Florida.
Tour at rush hour once
Drive or ride the trip to work at the hour you'd do it. A 15-minute trip on Sunday morning can be 40 on a Tuesday at 8.
Living near the water
Fort Lauderdale is threaded with canals and the New River, and many streets sit only a few feet above the tide. Look up the FEMA flood zone and the evacuation zone for each address, ask whether the street floods in heavy rain or king tides, and read the flood disclosure landlords now owe on leases of a year or longer. Flood zones for renters walks through it.
Water views mostly come in condo towers on the beach and the Intracoastal, where the association approves tenants on its own clock. Ask about it before you apply, because approval adds time and fees, covered in condo and HOA approval.
Questions people ask
What is the average rent in Fort Lauderdale?
Renters in the city paid a median of $1,854 a month in the Census for 2020 to 2024, utilities included. Homes listed today usually ask more than that.
Is Fort Lauderdale good for renters without a car?
Downtown and Flagler Village work best, with Brightline, Tri-Rail and buses nearby. Most of the city is built around driving.
Do I need flood insurance as a renter in Fort Lauderdale?
Nobody requires it, and renters policies don't cover flood. In a ground-floor unit in a high-risk zone, a contents flood policy is worth pricing.
Free help from Rentvana
Tell us your budget and where you work, and we'll shortlist Fort Lauderdale homes and book the tours.
Renters never pay Rentvana. A licensed agent replies within 1 hour, 8am to 9pm.
Questions first? Call 888-601-8344 or email hello@rentvana.com.
Words in this guide
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Fort Lauderdale city, Floridacensus.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Broward County, Floridacensus.gov
- Brightline: Brightline opens new stations in Boca Raton and Aventura (December 20, 2022)gobrightline.com
- Discover The Palm Beaches: Tri-Rail in The Palm Beaches, stations and ticketsthepalmbeaches.com
- Florida Statutes, section 83.512: Disclosure of flood risks to prospective tenant of residential real propertyleg.state.fl.us
- Florida Division of Emergency Management: Know Your Zonefloridadisaster.org
Checked against these sources on by Rentvana Editorial. If something has changed, email hello@rentvana.com and we'll fix it.
Questions?
Call 888-601-8344 to talk to a licensed agent, or email hello@rentvana.com and one gets back to you within 1 hour, 8am to 9pm. Renters never pay Rentvana.