The Town Files

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida

Town in Broward County · population 6,198 (2020 Census)

Map: where Lauderdale-by-the-Sea is in FloridaLauderdale-by-the-Sea
Median home
$680,900
Household income
$81,655
Jan low / Jul high
60° / 91°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
77
Median age
62.7

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea is a town of 6,198 people in Broward County, Florida. The median home is worth $680,900, above the typical Florida town ($331,600). It ranks hipper than 98% of Florida towns, more vibrant than 97% of Florida towns, more seaside character than 97% of Florida towns.

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea in our rankings:

How Lauderdale-by-the-Sea ranks

Percentile among Florida towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Florida towns.

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea lifestyle rankings vs other Florida townsRetirement84th pctFamilies18th pctQuiet48th pctWalkability93rd pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals80th pctVibrancy97th pctHip & trendy98th pctCollege town49th pctUpscale84th pctVacation homes92nd pctSeaside character97th pctCyclingbottomTransit76th pctDriving2nd pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea is worth $680,900, above the typical Florida town ($331,600). Homes cost about 8.3 times the median household income of $81,655, which is more affordable than 4% of Florida towns. Median rent is $1,787 a month. 78.0% of households own their home.

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea vs Broward County vs typical Florida townLauderdale-by-the-SeaBroward CountyTypical Florida townHome value$680,900$414,600$331,600Household income$81,655$77,633$71,140Monthly rent$1,787$1,907$1,569
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Florida towns with 500+ people.
HousingLauderdale-by-the-SeaTypical Florida town
Median home value$680,900$331,600
Median rent$1,787$1,569
Median household income$81,655$71,140
Home value ÷ income8.3×4.5×
Homeownership78.0%73.5%
Median year built19721985
Seasonal / vacation homes45.8%—

Who lives in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea

PeopleLauderdale-by-the-SeaTypical Florida town
Median age62.742.8
Age 65 and over44.9%20.2%
Under 187.9%—
Bachelor's degree or higher58.7%28.8%
Below the poverty line6.7%11.3%
Veterans8.4%—
Born outside the U.S.35.1%—
Work from home38.7%13.5%
Average commute29.8 min27.5 min
Homes with broadband95.5%92.4%

Weather in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea

July highs average 90.5°F and January lows 59.6°F. About 64.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical Florida town: 0.0 in). Expect about 70 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 0 nights at or below freezing.

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea monthly temperatures and precipitation50°60°70°80°90°100°77°60°Jan78°61°Feb80°64°Mar83°68°Apr86°72°May89°76°Jun91°77°Jul91°77°Aug89°77°Sep86°74°Oct82°68°Nov78°63°DecPrecipitation (in)2.53.33.23.56.38.06.07.39.37.74.23.0
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Ft Lauderdale Beach station (3.5 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

77 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea since 1950, compared with 35 for the typical Florida town. 8 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on March 1, 1980 about 2.0 miles from the town center and killed 1. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 92 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on February 18, 2024.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea by decade31950s51960s51970s221980s181990s72000s122010s52020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 29 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on February 10, 1983.

Severe weather in Broward County since 1996

Storm events in Broward County since 1996 by typeHail183Flood79Drought85Tornado72Lightning133Waterspout46Flash Flood35Rip Current64
NOAA Storm Events Database, Broward County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 91 deaths recorded.

Broward County has been included in 43 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, tornado.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
October 11, 2024HurricaneDR-4834: Hurricane Milton
October 7, 2024HurricaneEM-3622: Hurricane Milton
April 27, 2023FloodDR-4709: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
December 13, 2022HurricaneDR-4680: Hurricane Nicole
November 8, 2022Tropical StormEM-3587: Tropical Storm Nicole

Jobs and pay in Broward County

Broward County had 864,520 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $71,492 a year. Unemployment was 2.9% in 2023; in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea itself the ACS puts it at 3.1%.

Largest industries in Broward CountyRetail105,078 jobs · $46,484Health care & social assistan…94,848 jobs · $66,707Hotels & restaurants84,415 jobs · $33,741Administrative & support78,285 jobs · $57,201Professional & technical serv…64,859 jobs · $108,708Construction53,750 jobs · $75,530
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Broward County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Broward 2.9%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Lauderdale-by-the-Sea

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea questions

Is Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea scores better for retirees than 84% of Florida towns and quieter than 48%. 44.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 62.7).

How much does a house cost in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea?

The median owner-occupied home in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea is valued at $680,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $81,655, so homes cost about 8.3 times income. Median rent is $1,787 a month.

What is the weather like in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea?

July highs average 90.5°F and January lows 59.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 64.2 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does Lauderdale-by-the-Sea get tornadoes?

77 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on March 1, 1980. The typical Florida town has had 35.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Lauderdale-by-the-Sea's Census boundary (GEOID 1239475). Comparisons use the median of Florida towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.