Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
A $456,000 home here costs
$3,548per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $2,344. The real number is $1,204 higher every month — 51% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Fort Lauderdale against Broward County and Florida
| Measure | Fort Lauderdale | Broward County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $455,600 | $380,400 |
| Median property tax | $4,125 | $3,610 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.905% | 0.949% |
| Median gross rent | $1,776 | $1,804 |
| Population | 183,032 | 1,946,127 |
The weather behind that power bill
Fort Lauderdale sits in Broward County, which averages a high of 91.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 59.1°F in its coldest, with 56.5" of precipitation a year and 39% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 4,476 cooling and 146 heating degree days, which is what sets the $136 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Broward County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Broward County
Full Broward County cost breakdown · Every county in Florida
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Fort Lauderdale?
A $456,000 home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida costs approximately $3,548 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $2,344 principal and interest, $344 property tax, $275 homeowners insurance, $204 utilities and $380 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Fort Lauderdale?
Fort Lauderdale has an effective property tax rate of 0.905%, based on a median home value of $455,600 and median real estate taxes of $4,125. That is lower than the Broward County average of 0.949%.
What is the average home price in Fort Lauderdale?
The median owner-occupied home value in Fort Lauderdale, Florida is $455,600, against $380,400 across Broward County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Fort Lauderdale?
Median gross rent in Fort Lauderdale is $1,776 a month, against $3,548 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Fort Lauderdale — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Florida.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.