Are rents higher in Fort Lauderdale or West Palm Beach?

The median asking rent was higher in Fort Lauderdale: $2,700 a month in Fort Lauderdale against $2,250 in West Palm Beach, across all homes for rent.

Do homes sell faster in Fort Lauderdale or West Palm Beach?

In West Palm Beach. Homes that sold in the previous 90 days took an average of 112 days in Fort Lauderdale and 93 days in West Palm Beach.

Fort Lauderdale vs. West Palm Beach: Home Prices, Rents and Market Pace

The Short Answer

Single-family homes sold for a median of $435 per square foot in Fort Lauderdale and $334 in West Palm Beach over the previous 90 days, about 30% higher in Fort Lauderdale. Condos sold for $382 per square foot in Fort Lauderdale and $205 in West Palm Beach, about 86% higher in Fort Lauderdale. The median asking rent was $2,700 a month in Fort Lauderdale and $2,250 in West Palm Beach. Homes took an average of 112 days to sell in Fort Lauderdale and 93 in West Palm Beach.

Figures as of September 22, 2026, calculated from BeachesMLS listing and sales data.

Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach Side by Side

	Fort Lauderdale	West Palm Beach
Single-family sale price per sq ft (90 days)	$435	$334
Condo sale price per sq ft (90 days)	$382	$205
Median asking rent, all homes	$2,700	$2,250
Median asking rent, houses	$3,900	$2,850
Median asking rent, condos	$2,300	$1,975
Median leased rent (90 days)	$2,016	$1,885
Single-family rent per sq ft	$2.88	$2.29
Condo rent per sq ft	$2.77	$2.27
Average days to sell	112 days	93 days
Average days to lease	80 days	72 days
Months of inventory	11.5 months	8.1 months
Closed sales (90 days)	763	685
Homes for rent now	1,543	1,009
Luxury price threshold on this site	$1.5 million	$1.5 million

Source: BeachesMLS. Medians, not averages. Not an appraisal.

Buying: Price per Square Foot

Over the previous 90 days, single-family homes closed at a median of $435 per square foot in Fort Lauderdale and $334 in West Palm Beach, about 30% higher in Fort Lauderdale. Condos closed at $382 and $205, about 86% higher in Fort Lauderdale. Price per square foot compares the two cities on equal terms, but it is a citywide median: waterfront, new construction and older inland homes sit far apart within each city, and each city's own pages break that down.

Renting: Asking and Leased Rents

The median asking rent across all homes for rent was $2,700 a month in Fort Lauderdale and $2,250 in West Palm Beach. Houses were asking $3,900 and $2,850; condos $2,300 and $1,975. Leases that actually closed in the previous 90 days had a median of $2,016 in Fort Lauderdale and $1,885 in West Palm Beach. Asking and leased medians describe different sets of homes, so the gap between them is not a discount.

How Fast Each Market Moves

Homes that sold took an average of 112 days in Fort Lauderdale and 93 days in West Palm Beach; rentals took 80 and 72 days to lease. Fort Lauderdale had 11.5 months of inventory, which reads as a buyer's market; West Palm Beach had 8.1 months of inventory, which reads as a buyer's market. The rule this site uses: under four months of inventory favours sellers, over six favours buyers.

For Investors

Single-family rentals were asking $2.88 per square foot a month in Fort Lauderdale and $2.29 in West Palm Beach; condos $2.77 and $2.27. No yield is calculated from these figures, because the homes that sell and the homes that rent in a city are often different stock, and insurance, taxes at the purchase price and association rules decide an individual property's return. Nothing here is a projection or a promise of results.

How These Figures Are Calculated

Sale figures are medians of closings in the previous 90 days and rent figures are medians of active residential leases, with seasonal, weekly and one-time quotes excluded. Every city is measured at the same moment so the two columns can be compared. The luxury threshold is the price this site uses for each city's luxury pages, set from that city's own prices. These are market statistics, not an appraisal of any home.

Fort Lauderdale vs. West Palm Beach: Questions

Is Fort Lauderdale or West Palm Beach more expensive?: Single-family homes sold for a median of $435 per square foot in Fort Lauderdale and $334 in West Palm Beach over the previous 90 days, about 30% higher in Fort Lauderdale. Condos sold for $382 per square foot in Fort Lauderdale and $205 in West Palm Beach, about 86% higher in Fort Lauderdale. The median asking rent was $2,700 a month in Fort Lauderdale and $2,250 in West Palm Beach. Homes took an average of 112 days to sell in Fort Lauderdale and 93 in West Palm Beach.
Is it cheaper to buy a house in Fort Lauderdale or West Palm Beach?: Per square foot, West Palm Beach was cheaper: single-family homes closed at a median of $435 per square foot in Fort Lauderdale and $334 in West Palm Beach over the previous 90 days. The neighbourhood matters more than the city, so compare the specific areas you are considering.
Are rents higher in Fort Lauderdale or West Palm Beach?: The median asking rent was higher in Fort Lauderdale: $2,700 a month in Fort Lauderdale against $2,250 in West Palm Beach, across all homes for rent.
Do homes sell faster in Fort Lauderdale or West Palm Beach?: In West Palm Beach. Homes that sold in the previous 90 days took an average of 112 days in Fort Lauderdale and 93 days in West Palm Beach.