Margate today
What this means
Margate prices barely moved in the past year (−0.8%), now 5% below the Oct 2024 peak.
Permits January to September 2026: 403 homes, 74% more than 2025.
A specific house can rent above or below these figures, so pull rental comps for the address. Sources and method: how these figures are built.
Quick facts
| Margate | vs Broward County | vs Florida | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 60,070 (2025 estimate) | ||
| Growth since 2020 | 2% | -1.5 pts | -6.9 pts |
| Median home value | $316,200 | 24% lower | 12% lower |
| Median gross rent | $1,750 | 8% lower | 5% higher |
| Median household income | $62,450 | 20% lower | 16% lower |
| Owner occupied homes | 77.2% | +13.6 pts | +9.6 pts |
| Residents 65 and older | 23.5% | +5.6 pts | +2.2 pts |
| Average commute (minutes) | 31 | 5% higher | 10% higher |
| Homes built 2010 or later | 3.7% | -3.2 pts | -10.5 pts |
| Median property tax paid | $2,672 | 31% lower | 2% lower |
Census survey figures are 2020 to 2024 averages; methods.
Living in Margate
Broward city about seven miles inland from the Atlantic, on former Everglades farmland, incorporated in 1961.
Margate is an incorporated city in Broward County, with its own zoning and rental rules.
Known for: Calypso Cove waterpark; Oriole Golf and Tennis Club
How it has grown: Grew from about 2,600 residents in 1960 to 58,712 in 2020.
Next to the rest of Broward County, more homes are owner occupied (77.2% vs 63.6%); homes are cheaper than the county median ($316,200 vs $414,600); household incomes are lower ($62,450 vs $77,633) and the population is older (23.5% age 65 or older vs 17.9%).
Cities with similar prices and rents: Deerfield Beach ($309,600, $1,774), Buenaventura Lakes ($327,500, $1,806), Port Orange ($317,200, $1,634).
Growth and housing
Population went from 58,879 in 2020 to 60,070 in 2025 (2%), versus 3.5% for Broward County.
| 2025 building permits | Margate |
|---|---|
| Single family | 13 |
| 5 or more units | 220 |
| Total units | 233 |
| Per 1,000 residents | 3.9 |
The typical home here was built around 1978. This is a multifamily heavy market (38.8% in buildings of 5+ units). Households average 2.42 people.
Each year about 1.5% of residents arrive from other states.
Risks to price in
| Risk item | Detail |
|---|---|
| County average homeowners insurance with wind | $6,136 a year |
| Hurricanes tied to Broward County since 2000 | Katrina (2005) |
| Coastal county | check flood zone and elevation per address |
With 58.8% of the stock built before 1980, budget for roof, electrical and plumbing updates. Inspections
Large buildings hold 25.4% of homes here; read the reserve study before buying a condo. Condo financing
Flood, storms and jobs
The city earned Community Rating System class 6; federal flood policies in its high risk zones cost 20% less. 583 flood claims ($989,047) have come from Margate since 2000. The Broward County guide covers storms, flood claims and employers; 18.9% of county homes are in high risk flood zones.
Buying a home in Margate
| 2026 loan limits (county) | Amount |
|---|---|
| FHA, one unit | $667,000 |
| Conforming, one unit | $832,750 |
| Median home value here | $316,200 |
Homes cost 5.1 times median household income here (Broward County 5.3, Florida 4.8).
- Conventional: the default for buyers with solid credit and 5% or more down.
- FHA: the Margate median of $316,200 fits under the $667,000 limit.
Investing in Margate
Long term rentals
| Margate | vs Broward County | |
|---|---|---|
| Renter occupied homes | 22.8% | -13.6 pts |
| Rental vacancy | 5.3% | -1.3 pts |
| Rent as share of renter income | 41.5% | +3.2 pts |
Short term rentals
4.4% of homes are held for seasonal or vacation use (Broward County 7.2%).
| Short term rental taxes | Rate |
|---|---|
| County tourist development tax | 6% |
| State sales tax | 6% plus any county surtax |
Nightly rentals depend on local zoning and the HOA; check both. State rules
Property types
| Housing stock | Share |
|---|---|
| Single family detached | 43.7% |
| Buildings with 5+ units | 38.8% |
| Manufactured homes | 3.6% |
Nearby
Other Florida markets
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5 year estimates. 2020 to 2024.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates, Vintage 2025. July 1, 2025.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025 annual. 2025.
- FFIEC HMDA Data Browser, originated loans. 2025 and 2024.
- LendingTree: 2026 FHA loan limits in Florida by county (HUD figures). 2026.
- Florida Realtors: FHFA sets 2026 conforming loan limits. 2026.
- Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research: 2026 local option tourist tax rates. 2026.
- Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, July 2026 Insurance Stability Unit report (average homeowners premium with wind, as of March 31, 2026). March 31, 2026.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey. week of October 22, 2026.
- Wikipedia: List of counties in Florida. checked October 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file. 2024.
- Wikipedia county article and statewide lists (colleges, teams, airports); Florida Defense Support Task Force installation map. checked October 2026.
- Wikipedia article for this place (history, setting, roads). checked October 2026.
- Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), all homes, middle tier, smoothed and seasonally adjusted. September 2026.
- Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (county annual, metro and state quarterly, all transactions). through Q2 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, January to September 2026 and 2025. September 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Residential Penetration Rates. as of August 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims (2000 to 2026). as of September 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book (Community Rating System class). August 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries (2000 to 2026). October 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023. 2023.
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020 to 2024, median gross rent by bedrooms (B25031). 2020 to 2024.
- Hurricane landfalls: Wikipedia, List of Florida hurricanes (2000 to present). checked October 2026.
Estimates from public data; they change over time. General information, not investment, tax or legal advice, and not a loan offer. Methods and assumptions.