The Town FilesSurfside, Florida
Town in Miami-Dade County · population 5,689 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $881,700
- Household income
- $100,208
- Jan low / Jul high
- 61° / 88°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 60
- Median age
- 38.9
Surfside is a town of 5,689 people in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The median home is worth $881,700, above the typical Florida town ($331,600). It ranks more walkable than 100% of Florida towns, more vibrant than 100% of Florida towns, hipper than 100% of Florida towns.
- #2 in The 25 Most Walkable Small Towns in Florida
- #4 in The 50 Most Walkable Small Towns in America With Little Snow
- #9 in 25 Small Towns in Florida With the Mildest Winters
- #25 in The 50 Hippest Small Towns in America
- #29 in The 50 Best Seaside Small Towns in America
- #37 in The 50 Best Seaside Places in America
How Surfside 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.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Surfside is worth $881,700, above the typical Florida town ($331,600). Homes cost about 8.8 times the median household income of $100,208, which is more affordable than 3% of Florida towns. Median rent is $1,866 a month. 74.0% of households own their home.
| Housing | Surfside | Typical Florida town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $881,700 | $331,600 |
| Median rent | $1,866 | $1,569 |
| Median household income | $100,208 | $71,140 |
| Home value ÷ income | 8.8× | 4.5× |
| Homeownership | 74.0% | 73.5% |
| Median year built | 1973 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 29.5% | — |
Who lives in Surfside
| People | Surfside | Typical Florida town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.9 | 42.8 |
| Age 65 and over | 16.2% | 20.2% |
| Under 18 | 31.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 57.7% | 28.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 9.9% | 11.3% |
| Veterans | 1.4% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 36.9% | — |
| Work from home | 24.9% | 13.5% |
| Average commute | 32.4 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 94.0% | 92.4% |
Weather in Surfside
July highs average 87.8°F and January lows 61.2°F. About 57.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical Florida town: 0.0 in). Expect about 30 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 0 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
60 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Surfside since 1950, compared with 35 for the typical Florida town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on June 17, 1959 about 2.8 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 123 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on April 21, 2023.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 31 times; the largest was 4.00 inches on March 29, 1963.
Severe weather in Miami-Dade County since 1996
Miami-Dade County has been included in 43 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, other, tornado.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| October 11, 2024 | Hurricane | DR-4834: Hurricane Milton |
| October 7, 2024 | Hurricane | EM-3622: Hurricane Milton |
| December 13, 2022 | Hurricane | DR-4680: Hurricane Nicole |
| November 8, 2022 | Tropical Storm | EM-3587: Tropical Storm Nicole |
| September 29, 2022 | Hurricane | DR-4673: Hurricane Ian |
Jobs and pay in Miami-Dade County
Miami-Dade County had 1,257,569 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $77,609 a year. Unemployment was 1.8% in 2023; in Surfside itself the ACS puts it at 5.2%.
Towns near Surfside
- Bay Harbor Islands, FL0.8 mi · 5,922 people · home $653,500
- Bal Harbour, FL1.0 mi · 3,093 people · home $1,823,500
- North Bay Village, FL2.6 mi · 8,159 people · home $464,200
- North Miami, FL3.1 mi · 60,191 people · home $365,000
- Miami Shores, FL3.4 mi · 11,567 people · home $864,400
- Biscayne Park, FL3.5 mi · 3,117 people · home $674,300
- Sunny Isles Beach, FL4.1 mi · 22,342 people · home $549,100
- North Miami Beach, FL4.3 mi · 43,676 people · home $366,700
Surfside questions
Is Surfside, Florida a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Surfside scores better for retirees than 53% of Florida towns and quieter than 2%. 16.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 38.9).
How much does a house cost in Surfside?
The median owner-occupied home in Surfside is valued at $881,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $100,208, so homes cost about 8.8 times income. Median rent is $1,866 a month.
What is the weather like in Surfside?
July highs average 87.8°F and January lows 61.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 57.2 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Surfside get tornadoes?
60 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Surfside since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on June 17, 1959. The typical Florida town has had 35.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)