Average Rent in Fort Lauderdale, FL↑ Rents rising 13.6% YoY🔺 Most expensive in FL

Fort Lauderdale, FL has rental prices ranging from $1,768/month to $4,010/month in 2025, depending on unit size. The typical 1-bedroom apartment rents for $1,929/month — 38% above the national average of $1,400/month. With a median household income of $73,481/year, spending $1,929/month on a 1-bedroom represents 32% of gross income — at the boundary of affordability.

How Fort Lauderdale Compares

With an average 2-bedroom rent of $2,388/month, Fort Lauderdale ranks #1 most expensive of the 54 cities tracked in Florida — pricier than 99% of all US cities in our data.

The Fort Lauderdale Rental Market

The Fort Lauderdale, FL area has a population of about 6,138,876 and 40% of households renting rather than owning. That renter share runs above the US average of ~34%, pointing to a competitive rental market where vacancies clear quickly and rents are less negotiable.

Rent Trends

2-bedroom rents in Fort Lauderdale, FL have risen by $286/month (13.6%) over the past year, from $2,102 to $2,388. This rate of increase is significant and reflects strong rental demand and limited housing supply in the local market.

Affordability

To afford a 1-bedroom apartment in Fort Lauderdale, FL without exceeding the 30% housing cost guideline, a renter needs an annual income of approximately $77,160. The local median household income of $73,481 falls $3,679 short of that threshold, meaning many residents in Fort Lauderdale are housing cost-burdened by conventional measures.

Rent vs. Buy

The median home value in Fort Lauderdale, FL is $511,687, giving a price-to-rent ratio of 17.9. With a break-even horizon of approximately 18 years, renting is likely the more financially prudent option for most residents unless they plan to stay long-term.

Neighborhoods

Home values — and by extension rent levels — vary significantly across Fort Lauderdale's neighborhoods. Among the highest-value areas are North Golf Estates ($197,220 median home value), Bay Colony Club ($336,306 median home value), Harbordale ($336,568 median home value). Rental prices typically follow home value patterns, with premium neighborhoods commanding higher rents than outer areas. Renters on a tighter budget may find better value in less central neighborhoods or in adjacent metros with lower overall rent levels.

Is Fort Lauderdale, FL Affordable?

Income needed to rent or buy, price history, and how this city compares to nearby metros.

Rent or Buy in Fort Lauderdale?

Break-even analysis and mortgage estimates based on local market data.

Living in Fort Lauderdale

Cost of living, job market, crime rates, and moving cost estimates.