Fort Lauderdale receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Opa-locka
Fort Lauderdale
Opportunity
56 · Top 50%
vs48 · Bottom 33%
Growth
65 · Top 25%
vs61 · Top 30%
Climate
82 · Top 12%
vs81 · Top 14%
Physical resilience
24 · Bottom 19%
vs21 · Bottom 14%
Housing affordability
10 · Bottom 1%
vs53 · Bottom 12%
Schools
15 · Bottom 6%
vs14 · Bottom 4%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
31 · Bottom 8%
vs42 · Bottom 20%
Measured values
| Metric | Opa-locka | Fort Lauderdale | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,282 | 185,604 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $37,532 | $83,130 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $18,160 | $59,629 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,779/sq mi | 5,367/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $295,800 | $486,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,351 | $1,854 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 28.9% | 54.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.5% | 4.6% | July 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.6% | -1.2% | July 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 7.9% | 40.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 29.7% | 15.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 36 | 970 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 5.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 3500.0% | -5.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 59°F | 59°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 62.7" | 56.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 2 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 33.6 min | 28.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.8 | 42.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 48 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.85 | 20.07 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 29.0% | 34.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 37.3% | 39.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 57.9% | 51.6% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Opa-locka
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, cold wave.
Fort Lauderdale
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Opa-locka
48
Your Score
45
Area Score
Fort Lauderdale
52
Your Score
48
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Opa-locka, FL · Fort Lauderdale, FL · How this is calculated: methodology