Boca Raton vs Fort Lauderdale
Boca Raton, Florida versus Fort Lauderdale, Florida: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale score about the same overall (51 vs 53 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Boca Raton | Fort Lauderdale |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $96k | $75k |
| Cost of Living | $62k | $62k |
| Home Value | $597k | $418k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.88% | 0.93% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 7.82% | 7.47% |
| Unemployment | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 68°F | 68°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 84°F | 84°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 65.6 in | 63.0 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 234 days | 207 days |
| Summer Humidity | 74°F | 74°F |
| Comfortable Days | 111 days | 112 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 65.2 | 62.1 |
| Air Quality | 45 AQI | 48 AQI |
| School Quality | 47.3 | 41.9 |
| Violent Crime | 921/100k | 0/100k |
| Property Crime | 1787/100k | 0/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 97,980 | 182,673 |
| Median Age | 47.1 | 43.2 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.37 | 0.60 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.86 | 1.09 |
| Political Leaning | D+30 | D+30 |
| White (%) | 72.7% | 45.7% |
| Black (%) | 5.9% | 28.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 14.7% | 19.8% |
| Asian (%) | 3.0% | 1.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.7% | 4.2% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 22 min | 26 min |
| Walkability | 11.1/20 | 14.3/20 |
| Airport Distance | 21 mi | 5 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 92.0% | 88.2% |
| Amenities Nearby | 26.23 | 27.10 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Boca Raton or Fort Lauderdale more affordable?
- Fort Lauderdale has the lower cost of living: its index is $62k, compared with Boca Raton's $62k and Fort Lauderdale's $62k. Median rent is $2k in Boca Raton versus $2k in Fort Lauderdale.
- Is Boca Raton or Fort Lauderdale safer?
- Fort Lauderdale has the lower violent crime rate. Boca Raton reports 921/100k and Fort Lauderdale reports 0/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Boca Raton or Fort Lauderdale?
- The median home value is $597k in Boca Raton and $418k in Fort Lauderdale, so homes are more affordable in Fort Lauderdale.