Best neighborhoods in Miami: 12 areas compared with data

How did we count?

Short answer: we use active MLS listings on October 18, 2026, and we count each home once, even when it appears in two MLS feeds. Prices are asking prices, not sale prices.

Here is what each number means:

• Homes for sale and for rent. Active listings, including homes under contract that are still listed. For a city, we use the city name in the MLS. That name is the postal city, so "Miami" also includes areas like Kendall and Westchester.
• Neighborhoods. The MLS has no neighborhood field. For Brickell, Edgewater, Downtown, South Beach, Mid-Beach and North Beach, we count the listings in the condo buildings with the most activity in our data. The real total in each area is higher.
• Typical condo price, price per sq ft, rent and HOA fee. For each building we take the median (middle) asking price, rent and monthly association fee per sq ft. Then we take the middle building in the area. Our price data covers condo buildings, not houses.
• HOA fee per sq ft. The monthly association fee divided by the unit size. A fee of $1.30 per sq ft on a 1,000 sq ft unit is $1,300 a month.

These numbers change every day. The area pages in "Related pages" show the live count.

How do the 12 areas compare?

Short answer: Aventura, Doral and Downtown have the lowest typical condo asking prices in this list. Key Biscayne, Sunny Isles Beach and South Beach have the highest, and the two large Coconut Grove complexes cost even more. Doral, Coral Gables and Key Biscayne have the most houses among the areas we can count.

Rows with "buildings" count only the listings in those buildings. Rows with "city" count every listing with that city name. Prices for Sunny Isles Beach, Aventura, Key Biscayne and Doral come from 41, 37, 4 and 5 buildings.

Is Brickell a good place to live?

Short answer: Brickell suits people who want a high-rise condo near offices, restaurants and public transit. Almost all homes are condos, and it has the most condo listings of any neighborhood in our building data.

In the 42 busiest Brickell buildings, we counted 1,010 condos for sale and 847 for rent. The typical building asks $641,750 and $618 per sq ft, and the typical rent is $3,938 a month. Icon Brickell, one of the largest complexes, had 134 units for sale and 67 for rent, with a median rent of $5,500.

• Pros: many buildings and unit sizes to choose from; 36 of the 42 buildings were built in 2000 or later; Metrorail and the free Metromover stop in the area, so living without a car is easier than in most of Miami.
• Cons: few houses; the HOA fee in the typical building is $1.31 per sq ft a month, so a 1,000 sq ft unit pays about $1,310; streets are busy at rush hour.

Is Edgewater a good place to live?

Short answer: Edgewater suits people who want a bay-view condo close to Downtown, often in a newer tower. Its typical building asks more than Brickell's.

In 17 Edgewater buildings, we counted 381 condos for sale and 235 for rent. The typical building asks $849,000 and $716 per sq ft, and the typical rent is $5,050. Prices vary a lot by building age. Opera Tower, finished in 2007, had a median asking price of $341,500. Missoni Baia, finished in 2023, had a median of $1,800,000.

• Pros: many towers on Biscayne Bay; 16 of the 17 buildings were built in 2000 or later; close to Downtown, Midtown and Wynwood.
• Cons: the typical rent is higher than in Brickell or Downtown in our data; fewer transit stops than Brickell; few houses.

Is Downtown Miami a good place to live?

Short answer: Downtown suits buyers and renters who want a lower entry price than Brickell, close to the same jobs and transit. The typical building asks less than in Brickell and Edgewater.

In 16 Downtown buildings, we counted 557 condos for sale and 339 for rent. The typical building asks $518,750 and $653 per sq ft, and the typical rent is $3,900. The range is wide: Vizcayne had a median asking price of $455,000, and Aston Martin Residences had a median of $3,100,000.

• Pros: Metrorail and Metromover stations; all 16 buildings were built in 2000 or later, and several were finished in 2022 or after; lower typical price than Brickell and Edgewater.
• Cons: rules on short-term rentals differ from building to building, so read them if you want quiet neighbors; few houses; busy streets.

Is Coconut Grove a good place to live?

Short answer: Coconut Grove suits people who want trees, parks and the bay, with houses and low-rise or luxury condos. It is one of the more expensive areas in this guide.

Most Grove listings use "Miami" as their city in the MLS, so we can count only the listings that use "Coconut Grove": 39 for sale (29 condos and 10 houses) and 16 for rent. The real number is higher. Two large condo complexes stand out in our data. Mr. C Residences, finished in 2024, had a median asking price of $3,175,000 and $1,911 per sq ft. Grove Isle had a median of $2,700,000 and $1,112 per sq ft.

• Pros: green streets, marinas and parks; Metrorail stations on US-1; a mix of houses and condos.
• Cons: high prices; the count above misses many homes, so ask for a full search; check the flood zone for homes near the bay.

Is Coral Gables a good place to live?

Short answer: Coral Gables suits families and buyers who want a house in a city with strict building rules and tree-lined streets. More than half of its homes for sale are houses.

Coral Gables had 315 homes for sale (171 houses and 135 condos) and 260 for rent. Only 3 of its condo buildings are in our busiest-building data, so we do not give a typical price. Two examples: Gables Waterway Towers had a median asking price of $675,000 and $537 per sq ft, and Merrick Manor had $870,000 and $889 per sq ft.

• Pros: many single-family homes; close to Downtown, Coconut Grove and the airport; its own city government, services and building rules.
• Cons: our price data does not cover houses, so check current prices on the live page; fewer rentals than the big condo areas; the city's rules can mean more permits for changes to your home.

Is South Beach a good place to live?

Short answer: South Beach suits people who want to walk to the beach, shops and restaurants. Its typical price per sq ft, $1,120, is second only to Key Biscayne in this list.

In 20 South Beach buildings, we counted 285 condos for sale and 419 for rent. The typical building asks $1,007,500 and $1,120 per sq ft, and the typical rent is $8,032. Older buildings cost much less. Mirador, built in 1965, had a median asking price of $389,750 and a median rent of $2,900. The Decoplage had 143 units for rent, more than any other building in our South Beach data.

• Pros: walkable; beach and bay; many rentals.
• Cons: crowds and noise in tourist areas; 9 of the 20 buildings were built in 1996 or earlier, so check the milestone inspection and reserves; Miami Beach limits short-term rentals in many areas.

The whole city of Miami Beach had 1,993 homes for sale (1,745 condos and 201 houses) and 1,840 for rent.

Are Mid-Beach and North Beach good places to live?

Short answer: Mid-Beach and North Beach suit people who want Miami Beach with lower prices than South Beach and fewer tourists. Half of the Mid-Beach buildings in our data are from the 1960s.

• Mid-Beach: in 24 buildings, we counted 295 condos for sale and 239 for rent. The typical building asks $672,500 and $598 per sq ft, and the typical rent is $4,225. 12 of the 24 buildings were built in the 1960s.
• North Beach: in 9 buildings, we counted 117 condos for sale and 108 for rent. The typical building asks $674,500 and $806 per sq ft, and the typical rent is $4,825. The typical HOA fee is $1.73 per sq ft, the highest in this list.
• Pros: beachfront buildings with a lower typical price per sq ft than South Beach; quieter streets than the tourist areas.
• Cons: older buildings may need large repairs; fewer shops you can walk to than in South Beach; check flood zones and building documents with care.

Is Sunny Isles Beach a good place to live?

Short answer: Sunny Isles Beach suits buyers who want an oceanfront tower, from older buildings to luxury towers. Its typical building asks $1,120,000.

Sunny Isles Beach had 1,136 homes for sale (1,088 condos and 20 houses) and 784 for rent. In 41 buildings, the typical building asks $1,120,000 and $720 per sq ft, and the typical rent is $6,250. The gap between buildings is very large. Winston Towers had a median asking price of $422,000, and Trump Towers Sunny Isles had $1,912,500.

• Pros: many oceanfront towers; 28 of the 41 buildings were built in 2000 or later; the HOA fee in the typical building is $1.23 per sq ft.
• Cons: very few houses (20 for sale); most errands need a car; check the repairs and reserves in the older towers.

Is Aventura a good place to live?

Short answer: Aventura suits people who want a condo with lower prices per sq ft than other areas in this list, near a large mall and a train station. Its typical price per sq ft is the lowest in this guide.

Aventura had 1,162 homes for sale (1,108 condos and 52 houses) and 574 for rent. In 37 buildings, the typical building asks $480,000 and $382 per sq ft, and the typical rent is $3,200. Its typical HOA fee, $0.99 per sq ft, is also the lowest in this list. Mystic Pointe, the largest complex in our Aventura data, had 92 units for sale.

• Pros: lower prices per sq ft; a Brightline train station with service to Miami and Fort Lauderdale; large units in many older buildings.
• Cons: 25 of the 37 buildings were built in 1996 or earlier, so check repairs and reserves; few houses (52 for sale); busy traffic on Biscayne Boulevard.

Is Key Biscayne a good place to live?

Short answer: Key Biscayne suits families and buyers who want an island village with beaches and parks, and who can pay high prices. It had the highest typical rent in this list.

Key Biscayne had 149 homes for sale (104 condos and 45 houses) and 186 for rent. In 4 buildings, the typical building asks $2,461,250 and $1,147 per sq ft, and the typical rent is $9,250.

• Pros: quiet island life; beaches and parks; houses and condos.
• Cons: high prices; one road, the Rickenbacker Causeway, connects it to the mainland; check flood zones and insurance costs before you buy.

Is Doral a good place to live?

Short answer: Doral suits families and workers who want newer homes near the airport, with both houses and condos. It had the lowest typical rent in this list.

Doral had 524 homes for sale (294 condos and 228 houses) and 385 for rent. In 5 buildings, the typical building asks $485,000 and $393 per sq ft, and the typical rent is $2,900.

• Pros: many houses and townhomes; newer communities; close to Miami International Airport and to many offices and warehouses.
• Cons: far from the beach; traffic on the main roads; many homes are in communities with their own HOA fees.

Is Kendall a good place to live?

Short answer: Kendall suits families who want a house with a yard and a lower price than the coast. We cannot count Kendall listings yet, because most of them use "Miami" as their city in the MLS.

Kendall is a large area in southwest Miami-Dade with no city government of its own. The MLS city "Miami" had 2,967 houses and 4,960 condos for sale, and that number includes Kendall, Westchester and other areas. Ask for a search by ZIP code or draw the area on the map to see what is for sale today.

• Pros: many single-family homes and townhomes; parks and shopping centers; many public schools to compare.
• Cons: long drives to Downtown and the beach at rush hour; Metrorail ends at Dadeland, on the east side of the area.

Which areas suit families?

Short answer: if you want a house, look at the areas with the most houses for sale in this list: Doral (228), Coral Gables (171) and Key Biscayne (45), plus Kendall. Check the school for each address before you choose.

Public school assignment in Miami-Dade depends on your home address. Use the Miami-Dade County Public Schools school locator for an address, and the Florida Department of Education's "Find and compare Florida public schools" site to compare school results. Also look at the time to drive to work at rush hour, not on a weekend.

Which areas suit young professionals?

Short answer: if you want to walk, take the train or live without a car, look at Brickell and Downtown first. Both have Metrorail and the free Metromover, and many rentals.

In our data, Brickell and Downtown had 1,186 condos for rent in their busiest buildings. Typical rents were $3,938 in Brickell and $3,900 in Downtown. Edgewater is close but costs more in its typical building ($5,050).

Which areas suit retirees?

Short answer: if you want a condo with a lower price per sq ft and lower HOA fees, look at Aventura ($382 per sq ft, $0.99 HOA). If you want the beach, compare Mid-Beach and Sunny Isles Beach.

Older buildings often have lower prices but can face large repairs. Florida requires a milestone inspection for condo buildings of 3 or more stories by the end of the year they turn 30. Ask for the inspection report, the reserve study and the HOA budget before you sign.

What should I check before I choose an area?

Short answer: the flood zone, the drive time, the building's age and repairs, the HOA fee, insurance costs and, for families, the school.

1. Look up the flood zone of the address on the FEMA flood map.
2. Drive or ride to work at rush hour from the area.
3. For a condo, ask the building's age and read the milestone inspection and reserve study.
4. Compare the HOA fee per sq ft, not only the monthly total.
5. Get insurance quotes before you sign.
6. Check the assigned public school for the address.
7. Visit at night and on a weekend.