CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

25.59° N · 80.39° W · GEOID 1267575

South Miami Heights

Miami-Dade County, Florida · part of the Miami, FL metro

FloridaSouth Miami Heights, FLSouth Miami HeightsSouth Miami Heights

The short answer

South Miami Heights is home to 38,766 people. Median household income is $65,417 a year and median rent is $1,605 a month, 29.4% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is moderate. The median home is valued at $407,100, about 6.2x annual median household income.

South Miami Heights stands out on how people work. Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 245 hours a year commuting, more than in 96% of places its size. Also notable: OpenStreetMap shows 0 libraries per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 95% of places its size. It is the lowest of 474 Florida places we track.

1OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Weak

South Miami Heights scores better than 1% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 450th of 474 in Florida.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%9
Economy 20%32
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%34
Education 10%20
Commute 10%7
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$1,605
18% above the median place
Median household income
$65,417
19% below the median place
Median home value
$407,100
27% above the median place
Unemployment
5.8%
19% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about South Miami Heights

  • How it is changingRent took 32.5% of the median income in the 2019 survey and 29.4% in 2024. In the 24 places most like it the share rose 0.3 points on average, so affordability held up better here.
  • AffordabilityThe median rent takes 29.4% of the median household's income, a bigger share than in 92% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.
01

Moving to South Miami Heights

Miami-Dade County loses about 18.7 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in67,097
Moved out107,355
Net−40,258

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Broward County, FL16,82129,098−12,277
Palm Beach County, FL2,6344,446−1,812
Lee County, FL1,1613,807−2,646
Orange County, FL1,5243,362−1,838
Hillsborough County, FL1,2462,603−1,357
New York County, NY2,031

Within Florida, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within FloridaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$127K
Leavers$78K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Miami-Dade County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
2.8% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.3% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Miami-Dade County report $127,200 a year in income on average; those leaving, $78,100, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$64,200 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,605 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,132 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $407,100.
Getting to work
35 minutes each way on average; 7.7% work from home; 1.8% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Nogales, AZ matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
2.8%
51% below the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
-18.7
below the median place (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7
$127,200
80% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureSouth Miami HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year12.8%51% below
Moved from another state1County figure1.3%36% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-18.7below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$127,20080% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$78,10811% above
02

What it costs to live here

After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $43,700 a year, less than in 87% of the 907 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.

South Miami Heights29.4%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$64,200
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
29.4%
44% above the median place
Home price to income
6.2x
64% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
30%
just under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$43,300
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in South Miami Heights, $1,605 a month, and local prices for everything else (105.7 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like South Miami Heights, but easier on the budget

Places that match South Miami Heights on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Nogales, AZ7120.5% vs 29.4%n/aCompare
San Lorenzo, CA6823.0% vs 29.4%$43,500Compare
Temple City, CA6824.5% vs 29.4%$33,600Compare
Union City, CA6524.3% vs 29.4%$58,100Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in South Miami Heights.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to South Miami Heights? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Vacant homes1
3.1%
56% below the median place
Renters paying 30%+1
63.3%
25% above the median place
Property tax rate1
0.6%
38% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureSouth Miami HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,60518% above
Rent to income129.4%44% above
Property tax rate10.6%38% below
Home price to income16.2x64% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure114.213% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,56459% above
HUD area median income4County figure$89,80016% below
Property tax paid (median)1$2,28530% below
Median home value1$407,10027% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure2.8%13% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure79.5%54% above
Homeownership162.1%6% below
Renters paying 30%+163.3%25% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,13214% above
Vacant homes13.1%56% below
Median year built119780% above
03

Work and pay

Mean commute is 35 min, 39% above the median place.

Mean commute1
35 min
39% above the median place
Income per person1
$26,120
35% below the median place
Works from home1
7.7%
38% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Poverty rate15.5% +44%
Median household income$65,417 −19%
Commutes by transit1.8% 2.1×
Unemployment5.8% +19%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureSouth Miami HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$65,41719% below
Income per person1$26,12035% below
Unemployment15.8%19% above
Average annual pay6County figure$81,81824% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure5.4%46% above
Jobs6County figure1,276,535above (median 150,665)
Poverty rate115.5%44% above
Mean commute135 min39% above
Works from home17.7%38% below
Commutes by transit11.8%113% above
04

Who lives here

Born abroad is 55.3%, above the median place (median 8.8%).

Born abroad1
55.3%
above the median place (median 8.8%)
Household size1
3.2
28% above the median place
No health insurance1
14.4%
125% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

High school or higher81.6% −12%
Bachelor's or higher19.6% −39%
Median age42.8 +10%
Homes with broadband90.1% −2%
All 8 people measures
MeasureSouth Miami HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population138,7661154th largest
Median age142.810% above
Bachelor's or higher119.6%39% below
High school or higher181.6%12% below
Household size13.228% above
Born abroad155.3%above (median 8.8%)
No health insurance114.4%125% above
Homes with broadband190.1%2% below
05

Life in South Miami Heights

The nearest National Park Service site is Biscayne National Park, about 14 miles away.

194 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 5 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents3.6 −65%
Playgrounds per 10k3.1 −67%
Grocery stores per 10k1.3 −39%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.8 −93%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails7 km 3.5×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi23.2 110.6×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Biscayne National Park 14 miles
  • Everglades National Park 27 miles
  • Big Cypress National Preserve 51 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars22.2 +7%
Shops39.5 +30%
Arts, recreation and fitness5.9 +44%
Doctors' offices and clinics33.8 +67%
Child care centers2.8 +22%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site10
14.1
54% below the median place
Public school students12
335,631
above the median place (median 4,897)
Public schools12
530
above the median place (median 9)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureSouth Miami HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure530above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure335,631above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure19.426% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure22.27% above
Shops per 10k8County figure39.530% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure5.944% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure33.867% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.822% above
Parks per 10k93.665% below
Playgrounds per 10k93.167% below
Grocery stores per 10k91.339% below
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k90.893% below
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails97.1255% above
Transit stops per sq mi923.2above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1014.154% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles10350% above
National Register listings11County figure194above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

January average low is 58°F, 128% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached South Miami Heights. Larger places are fetched first.

January average low13
58°F
128% above the median place
Average temperature13
76°F
39% above the median place
Hurricane risk14
100.0
41% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureSouth Miami HeightsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure91°F5% above
January average low13County figure58°F128% above
Average temperature13County figure76°F39% above
Annual precipitation13County figure57.5 in31% above
Natural hazard risk14County figure99.68% above
Hurricane risk14County figure100.041% above
Tornado risk14County figure98.721% above
Wildfire risk14County figure96.858% above
Heat wave risk14County figure99.310% above
Median air quality index15County figure479% above
Good air days15County figure56.4%18% below
08

South Miami Heights in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 29% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 29% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, South Miami Heights does better than 9% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 85%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,605/mo (2024)$2,070/mo$1,700 to $2,520/mo+4.3%
Median household income$65,417 (2024)$84,500$71,500 to $100,000+4.4%
Median home value$407,100 (2024)$602,000$437,000 to $830,000+6.7%

The median home would be worth 7.1 years of the median income in 2030, against 6.2 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like South Miami Heights

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Veneta, OR$1,590$66,890Compare
Banning, CA$1,650$61,764Compare
Forestville, MD$1,719$70,579Compare
West Little River, FL$1,482$56,436Compare
West Little River, FLForestville, MDBanning, CAVeneta, ORSouth Miami Heights, FLSouth Miami HeightsVenetaBanningForestvilleWest Little RiverSouth Miami HeightsVenetaBanningForestvilleWest Little River

Places built like South Miami Heights

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how South Miami Heights performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
South Miami Heights, FL29.4%8.5%/yrn/a
North Lauderdale, FL39.4%7.7%/yr2.0%Compare
Palm Springs, FL32.4%6.9%/yr5.3%Compare
West Little River, FL31.5%9.0%/yrn/aCompare
Biscayne Gardens, FL33.4%n/an/aCompare
North Miami Beach, FL33.2%7.6%/yr5.8%Compare
Greenacres, FL29.9%7.2%/yr1.6%Compare

Common questions

Is South Miami Heights a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 1 out of 100, better than 1% of the places we rate and 450th of 474 in Florida. Rent took 32.5% of the median income in the 2019 survey and 29.4% in 2024. In the 24 places most like it the share rose 0.3 points on average, so affordability held up better here. The median rent takes 29.4% of the median household's income, a bigger share than in 92% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 22 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is South Miami Heights expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 29.4% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $407,100.

What salary do you need to live in South Miami Heights?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $64,200 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to South Miami Heights?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Veneta, OR, Banning, CA, Forestville, MD and West Little River, FL.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares South Miami Heights with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for South Miami Heights itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/south-miami-heights-florida

Citytistics. “South Miami Heights, Florida.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/south-miami-heights-florida/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.