Housing Cost Burden in Broward County: A Closer Look
Nearly 44.3% of households in Broward County, Florida spend 30% or more of their income on housing costs, placing it among the most cost-burdened counties in the nation (ranked #6 out of 3,222 counties) and well above the national median of 23.0%. For a county where the median household income sits at $74,534, that burden is not abstract. It shapes where families can afford to live, whether they save for the future, and how much economic flexibility they carry into each month.
What the Numbers Show
The housing cost picture in Broward County emerges from several converging pressures. The median home value is $380,400, compared to a national median of $172,300. Homeowners carrying a mortgage pay a median of $2,315 per month. Renters face a median gross rent of $1,804, and rent absorbs roughly 37.5% of household income on average. The owner-occupancy rate stands at 63.3%, meaning a substantial share of residents are renters exposed to market-rate increases with fewer long-term price protections.
- Housing cost burden (30%+ of income): 44.3% of households in Broward County vs. 23.0% national median
- Median home value: $380,400 vs. $172,300 national median
- Median gross rent: $1,804 vs. $848 national median
- Median household income: $74,534 vs. $63,162 national median
- Persons in poverty: 12.2% of the population
How It Compares Within Florida
Across the 67 counties in Florida, the median housing cost burden is 26.8%, already elevated. Broward County clears that figure by more than 17.5 percentage points. At the other end of the spectrum within the state, Dixie County, Florida reports a cost burden of 16.8%, illustrating the wide range households face depending on where in the state they land. The statewide median home value is $254,300, which puts Broward County in the upper tier for property costs relative to its neighbors.
The Income Gap at the Root of Cost Burden
Cost burden is not simply a housing supply story. It is equally an income story. In Broward County, with a median household income of $74,534, even modestly priced rentals can consume a disproportionate share of take-home pay. The 12.2% poverty rate adds another dimension: households at or below the poverty line face acute affordability stress, often competing for a limited supply of lower-cost units. As incomes stagnate in comparison to housing costs, cost burden tends to climb even without dramatic rent or home-price spikes.
What Residents Can Expect
For households in Broward County deciding whether to rent or own, the calculus is difficult. Monthly mortgage costs for those who do manage to purchase run to $2,315, a figure that, on a $74,534 median income, occupies a meaningful portion of monthly earnings. Renters paying $1,804 per month face similar math. Both groups are well-positioned to experience the 30%-of-income threshold that defines housing cost burden in Census data, which explains why 44.3% of the county's households already cross that line.
Putting the Data in Broader Context
Nationally, counties with the highest housing cost burdens tend to cluster in high-cost coastal metros, resort communities where housing demand outpaces local wages, and areas with constrained housing supply. Broward County represents a case worth watching: a sizable county (1,946,127 residents) where the combination of home values, rent levels, and income creates persistent affordability strain. Tracking changes in this county over time can serve as a useful indicator of whether local housing conditions are improving or deepening.
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates
