Fort Lauderdale, Florida Population 2023

187,932

Fort Lauderdale is a city located in Broward County Florida. It is also the county seat of Broward County. With a 2023 population of 187,932, it is the 10th largest city in Florida and the 142nd largest city in the United States.Fort Lauderdale is currently growing at a rate of 0.93% annually and its population has increased by 2.83% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 182,760 in 2020. Spanning over 36 miles, Fort Lauderdale has a population density of 5,434 people per square mile.

The average household income in Fort Lauderdale is $99,308 with a poverty rate of 18.24%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Fort Lauderdale is 42 years, 43 years for males, and 40.4 years for females.

Fort Lauderdale Age and Diversity

More than 21% of the population is foreign-born, primarily born in Latin America. The city also has a large percentage of Haitian residents, one of the largest in the United States.

About three-quarters of the population speaks English as a first language, while others cite another language as their first language, including Spanish, French Creole, and French.

Fort Lauderdale Population Growth

Fort Lauderdale saw significant growth during the early 20th century, climbing from less than 100 residents to over 2,000 between 1900 and 1920. Growth slowed a bit but continued through the 1980s before a decline was posted at the time of the 1990 census. However, by the next ten-year census, numbers had risen again almost to reach the level of the 1980 census. Today, the population continues to grow. Current estimates show that the population increased 8% from the last poll taken in 2010, with no indications that this upward trend will stop anytime soon.

The region that is now Fort Lauderdale has been inhabited for thousands of years by the Tequesta Indians. It wasn’t until the 16th century when European explorers arrived. Unfortunately, the Europeans brought diseases which killed off many of the natives. Many of the remaining natives that survived were taken to Cuba following the signing of the Treaty of Paris.

The area wasn’t settled until the 19th century. At the time, it was known as the New River Settlement and had a population of about 70 people. Following an attack by the Seminoles, the settlers left. In 1838, a fort was built and was named Fort Lauderdale. It was abandoned just a few short years later, and the area didn’t have many settlers until then that century. When a ferry was opened to cross the New River, and a railroad route was constructed, development began.

In 1911, the city of Fort Lauderdale was incorporated. Just four years later, it was named as the county seat of Broward County. The next decade saw significant development, but a hurricane in 1926 and the Great Depression brought troubles to the city.

Fort Lauderdale’s population grew during World War II because of its Naval Air Station which was used for training. The city also established a Coast Guard base. At the end of the war, service members moved back to the area, with the population growing significantly mainly in the 1950s and 1960s. By the end of the 1960s, the city was approximately 85% developed. In the 1970s, the city was fully developed. The population at this time stopped growing before going into a decline. The community has since been on the rise again as the city aims to redevelop many areas, including its downtown.

Today, the city is a top tourist destination, attracting millions of visitors annually. Popular attractions included shopping malls, museums, nightclubs, yachting and golf courses. The city has hundreds of hotels, and it also is home to a cruise port.

Fort Lauderdale Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Fort Lauderdale was:

  • White: 60.22%
  • Black or African American: 31.51%
  • Two or more races: 4.15%
  • Other race: 2.22%
  • Asian: 1.51%
  • Native American: 0.34%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.06%
The current population of Fort Lauderdale, Florida is 187,932 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 182,760.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida Population 2023

Fort Lauderdale Metro Area Population by Year

Population by Race

White

Black or African American

Two or more races

Other race

Asian

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Fort Lauderdale Population by Race

Fort Lauderdale Population Pyramid 2023

Fort Lauderdale Median Age

42

Total

43

Male

40.4

Female

Fort Lauderdale Adults

There are 149,363 adults, (32,506 of whom are seniors) in Fort Lauderdale.

Fort Lauderdale Age Dependency

55.6

Age Dependency Ratio

27.8

Old Age Dependency Ratio

27.8

Child Dependency Ratio

Fort Lauderdale Sex Ratio

Female87,89848.34%
Male93,92051.66%

Fort Lauderdale Population by Age

Fort Lauderdale Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

3.29

Average Family Size

2.38

Average Household Size

53.9%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Fort Lauderdale Households and Families

Male

Female

Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Fort Lauderdale Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Fort Lauderdale Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 88.73%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 53.15%.

Fort Lauderdale Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

$39,823

Average Earnings

$44,292

Average Male

$34,136

Average Female

Fort Lauderdale Earnings by Educational Attainment

Fort Lauderdale Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Fort Lauderdale Language

71.12% of Fort Lauderdale residents speak only English, while 28.88% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 16.97% of the population.

Fort Lauderdale Language

Fort Lauderdale Poverty by Race

rate

18.24%

Overall Poverty Rate

13.65%

Male Poverty Rate

17.99%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Fort Lauderdale

The race most likely to be in poverty in Fort Lauderdale is Black, with 37.44% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Fort Lauderdale is Asian, with 5.87% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 3.5%. Among those working part-time, it was 15.58%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 25.38%.

Fort Lauderdale Poverty

Fort Lauderdale Poverty Rate by Education

Fort Lauderdale Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Fort Lauderdale Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

mean

median

Income by Household Type

Fort Lauderdale Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

36.4%

Overall Marriage Rate

36.0%

Male Marriage Rate

36.8%

Female Marriage Rate

Fort Lauderdale Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Fort Lauderdale Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.

Fort Lauderdale Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Fort Lauderdale Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

8,683

Number of Veterans

8,051

Male Veterans

632

Female Veterans

Fort Lauderdale Veterans by War

Fort Lauderdale Veterans by Age

count

Fort Lauderdale Veterans by Race

Fort Lauderdale Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

9.05%

Veteran Poverty Rate

25.77%

Veteran Disability Rate

Fort Lauderdale Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

64.5%

Labor Force Participation

60.4%

Employment Rate

6.2%

Unemployment Rate

Fort Lauderdale Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Fort Lauderdale Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Fort Lauderdale Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

36.69%

Born in Fort Lauderdale

75.1%

Native Born

24.39%

Foreign Born

11.41%

Non Citizen

12.98%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

75.1% of Fort Lauderdale residents were born in the United States, with 36.69% having been born in Florida. 11.41% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.

Fort Lauderdale Place of Birth

Note: data after 2020 is projected based on recent growth

Fort Lauderdale Population by Year