This South Florida city is one of the most livable in the U.S., study says. Here’s why

A Broward County city is one of the most livable places in the United States, according to Livability.com.

Fort Lauderdale landed on the site’s 2024 list of the Top 100 Best Places to Live in the U.S., which ranked small to mid-sized cities based on factors including housing, education and environment. Each city was then given a quality-of-life score.

“What makes a city a great place to live?” Livability said on its site. “The most livable cities in the U.S. offer a combination of affordability, opportunity and quality of life factors.”

Carmel, Indiana, topped the list of the best 100 places to live in the nation with a score of 875 out of a possible 1,000.

Cary, North Carolina, and Columbia, Maryland, tied for second place with a score of 874, and Fishers, Indiana, came in third place with a score of 864.

Fort Lauderdale was one of three Florida cities on the list, with a score of 692.

Tampa and Gainesville also earned strong quality-of-life scores.

Why is Fort Lauderdale one of the most livable cities in US?

Fort Lauderdale got high marks for its outdoor lifestyle, according to Libability.

“Residents aren’t exaggerating when they talk about this Florida city’s high quality of life,” the site said. “When you’re ready to relax, you can head back to a home that suits you and your lifestyle, whether it’s a waterfront condo, an LGBT-friendly neighborhood or a quaint suburban home. And when it comes to education and business here, both are thriving.”

Livability said the city’s weather, beaches, waterways, arts focus, higher education choices and hospitals make it a great place to live.

Here are some other factors Livabilty looked at:

▪ Median home value: $400,541

▪ Median property tax: $2,977

▪ Average commute: 22 minutes

▪ Median household income: $82,198

▪ Average annual snowfall: 0 inches

How did other Florida cities fare?

Tampa had a quality-of-life score of 697 and Gainesville had a score of 698, both slightly higher than Fort Lauderdale’s 692.

How did Livability rank cities?

Livability partnered with Applied Geographic Solutions to create its 100 Best Places to Live in the U.S. list.

“There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to the perfect place to live,” Livability stated on its website, which is why the cities were not ranked in numerical order.

Livability limited its list to more than 2,000 cities that fit its population parameters of 75,000 to 500,000 people.

Only cities with a median home value of $500,000 or less were included in the Top 100 Best Places to Live list.

Livability based its scores on about 100 data points measuring eight broad categories:

▪ Economy, including unemployment rate

▪ Housing and cost of living, including tax rates and home and rental affordability

▪ Amenities, such as museums, parks, golf courses and shopping

▪ Transportation, including walkability and median commute time

▪ Environment, including population density, air quality and natural disaster risks

▪ Safety, including crime rates

▪ Education, such as school quality

▪ Health, including life expectancy and access to doctors and hospitals