Fort Lauderdale FL vs St. Petersburg FL — Cost of Living, Crime & Income Comparison 2026

Updated May 2026 · Source: US Census ACS 5-Year (2023), FBI CDE (2023), BLS OEWS (2024)

Fort Lauderdale, FL

Florida · Population: 183,032

Median HH Income$79,935
Median Home Price$510,297
Unemployment5.3%
Bachelor's+39.8%

St. Petersburg, FL

Florida · Population: 260,646

Median HH Income$73,118
Median Home Price$331,500
Unemployment4.9%
Bachelor's+41.3%

Detailed Comparison

Demographics

Population

Fort Lauderdale

183,032

St. Petersburg

260,646

St. Petersburg +

Pop. Density / sq mi

Lower = more space

Fort Lauderdale

N/A

St. Petersburg

N/A

Median Age

Fort Lauderdale

42.9

Fort Lauderdale +

St. Petersburg

43.1

Foreign Born

Fort Lauderdale

26.7%

Fort Lauderdale +

St. Petersburg

10.1%

White

Fort Lauderdale

51.3%

St. Petersburg

66.2%

St. Petersburg +

Black

Fort Lauderdale

28.8%

Fort Lauderdale +

St. Petersburg

19.4%

Asian

Fort Lauderdale

1.6%

St. Petersburg

3.1%

St. Petersburg +

Hispanic

Fort Lauderdale

20.1%

Fort Lauderdale +

St. Petersburg

9.3%

Spanish at Home

Fort Lauderdale

N/A

St. Petersburg

N/A

Metric	Fort Lauderdale, FL	St. Petersburg, FL	Better
Population	183,032	260,646	St. Petersburg +
Pop. Density / sq miLower = more space	N/A	N/A	-
Median Age	42.9	43.1	Fort Lauderdale +
Foreign Born	26.7%	10.1%	Fort Lauderdale +
White	51.3%	66.2%	St. Petersburg +
Black	28.8%	19.4%	Fort Lauderdale +
Asian	1.6%	3.1%	St. Petersburg +
Hispanic	20.1%	9.3%	Fort Lauderdale +
Spanish at Home	N/A	N/A	-

Economy

Median HH Income

Fort Lauderdale

$79,935

Fort Lauderdale +

St. Petersburg

$73,118

Per Capita Income

Fort Lauderdale

$57,845

Fort Lauderdale +

St. Petersburg

$49,823

Per Capita Personal Income (MSA)

BEA MSA-level

Fort Lauderdale

$65,328

St. Petersburg

$65,328

Tie

Unemployment Rate

Fort Lauderdale

5.3%

St. Petersburg

4.9%

St. Petersburg +

Poverty Rate

Fort Lauderdale

15.2%

St. Petersburg

11.7%

St. Petersburg +

Bachelor's Degree+

Fort Lauderdale

39.8%

St. Petersburg

41.3%

St. Petersburg +

Metric	Fort Lauderdale, FL	St. Petersburg, FL	Better
Median HH Income	$79,935	$73,118	Fort Lauderdale +
Per Capita Income	$57,845	$49,823	Fort Lauderdale +
Per Capita Personal Income (MSA)BEA MSA-level	$65,328	$65,328	Tie
Unemployment Rate	5.3%	4.9%	St. Petersburg +
Poverty Rate	15.2%	11.7%	St. Petersburg +
Bachelor's Degree+	39.8%	41.3%	St. Petersburg +

Housing

Median Home Value

Zillow ZHVI / Census ACS

Fort Lauderdale

$510,297

St. Petersburg

$331,500

St. Petersburg +

Homeownership Rate

Fort Lauderdale

53.8%

St. Petersburg

63.0%

St. Petersburg +

Metric	Fort Lauderdale, FL	St. Petersburg, FL	Better
Median Home ValueZillow ZHVI / Census ACS	$510,297	$331,500	St. Petersburg +
Homeownership Rate	53.8%	63.0%	St. Petersburg +

Safety

Violent Crime / 100K

FBI CDE (state-level est.)

Fort Lauderdale

324

St. Petersburg

324

Tie

Property Crime / 100K

FBI CDE (state-level est.)

Fort Lauderdale

1453

St. Petersburg

1453

Tie

Metric	Fort Lauderdale, FL	St. Petersburg, FL	Better
Violent Crime / 100KFBI CDE (state-level est.)	324	324	Tie
Property Crime / 100KFBI CDE (state-level est.)	1453	1453	Tie

Health

Obesity Rate

CDC PLACES

Fort Lauderdale

30.3%

Fort Lauderdale +

St. Petersburg

32.7%

Diabetes Rate

CDC PLACES

Fort Lauderdale

12.8%

St. Petersburg

12.2%

St. Petersburg +

Poor Mental Health

CDC PLACES — 14+ days/month

Fort Lauderdale

16.2%

Fort Lauderdale +

St. Petersburg

16.6%

No Health Insurance

CDC PLACES

Fort Lauderdale

14.7%

St. Petersburg

11.1%

St. Petersburg +

Binge Drinking

CDC PLACES

Fort Lauderdale

14.9%

Fort Lauderdale +

St. Petersburg

16.6%

Current Smokers

CDC PLACES

Fort Lauderdale

13.0%

St. Petersburg

12.4%

St. Petersburg +

Metric	Fort Lauderdale, FL	St. Petersburg, FL	Better
Obesity RateCDC PLACES	30.3%	32.7%	Fort Lauderdale +
Diabetes RateCDC PLACES	12.8%	12.2%	St. Petersburg +
Poor Mental HealthCDC PLACES — 14+ days/month	16.2%	16.6%	Fort Lauderdale +
No Health InsuranceCDC PLACES	14.7%	11.1%	St. Petersburg +
Binge DrinkingCDC PLACES	14.9%	16.6%	Fort Lauderdale +
Current SmokersCDC PLACES	13.0%	12.4%	St. Petersburg +

Climate

Avg Annual Temp

NOAA 1991–2020 normal

Fort Lauderdale

75.5°F

St. Petersburg

N/A

Annual Precipitation

NOAA 1991–2020 normal

Fort Lauderdale

66.5 in

St. Petersburg

N/A

Metric	Fort Lauderdale, FL	St. Petersburg, FL	Better
Avg Annual TempNOAA 1991–2020 normal	75.5°F	N/A	-
Annual PrecipitationNOAA 1991–2020 normal	66.5 in	N/A	-

Air Quality

PM2.5 Annual Avg

EPA AQS (state-level est.)

Fort Lauderdale

7.2 µg/m³

St. Petersburg

7.2 µg/m³

Tie

Good Air Days

AQI ≤ 50

Fort Lauderdale

75.0%

St. Petersburg

75.0%

Tie

Metric	Fort Lauderdale, FL	St. Petersburg, FL	Better
PM2.5 Annual AvgEPA AQS (state-level est.)	7.2 µg/m³	7.2 µg/m³	Tie
Good Air DaysAQI ≤ 50	75.0%	75.0%	Tie

Commute

Mean Commute Time

Census ACS

Fort Lauderdale

28.5 min

St. Petersburg

26.8 min

St. Petersburg +

Metric	Fort Lauderdale, FL	St. Petersburg, FL	Better
Mean Commute TimeCensus ACS	28.5 min	26.8 min	St. Petersburg +

Which City is Right for You?

Fort Lauderdale leads in median household income at $79,935, while st. Petersburg offers more affordable housing with a median home price of $331,500. On public safety, St. Petersburg is safer with a violent crime rate of 324 per 100,000 residents, compared to 324 in Fort Lauderdale. St. Petersburg has a lower unemployment rate at 4.9%, and St. Petersburg has cleaner air (PM2.5 avg 7.2 µg/m³). For overall health outcomes, Fort Lauderdale scores better with a lower obesity rate of 30.3%.

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About Fort Lauderdale & St. Petersburg

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