Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, FL: A Local Guide to Condos, Neighborhoods and Flood Zones

By Scott Lehr, PA, Florida-licensed Realtor · The Home Owners Listing Team · Brokered by Real Estate Sales Force Inc · Updated October 2026

General information only. Neighborhood names and locations below come from the Town of Lauderdale-By-The-Sea's own pages. Confirm details for any specific property.

Lauderdale-By-The-Sea at a glance

• Size and population: 0.88 square miles of land (2020 Census) and an estimated 6,280 residents as of July 1, 2025. (U.S. Census Bureau) The Town says its population tops 10,000 in the winter season. (Town of Lauderdale-By-The-Sea)
• Housing: about 6,900 housing units. About 3,900 (56%) are in buildings with 50 or more units, and only about 1,000 (15%) are single-family detached homes. About 78% of occupied homes are owner-occupied, and about 3,160 units (46%) are held for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. (Census ACS 2020-2024)
• Prices: Redfin reports a median sale price of about $663,000 for all home types over the three months ending August 2026, down about 12% from a year earlier, with 50 homes sold in August. (Redfin) Across Broward County in August 2026, the median single-family price was $650,000 and the median condo price was $257,500. (MIAMI REALTORS®) These are estimates and vary by building.
• Property taxes: for the 2025 tax year, the combined millage rate for Lauderdale-By-The-Sea (code 0211) was 18.1215, compared with 18.5714 for Fort Lauderdale code 0311. (Broward County Property Appraiser)
• Getting around: State Road A1A connects the town to the north and south, and Commercial Boulevard crosses the Intracoastal on the Commercial Bridge, opened in 1965. (Town) The Town runs Circuit-By-The-Sea electric shuttles within town and to Galt Ocean Mile and the Coral Ridge Mall for $2 per rider. (Town of Lauderdale-By-The-Sea)

A short history

Developer William F. Morang bought and platted the land in February 1924. Melvin I. Anglin, a building contractor, later bought it to start a beachside community and became the Town's first mayor. The Town first incorporated on November 30, 1927, lost its charter in 1933 and reincorporated in 1949. In 1973 it sharply limited building heights, which it still does today. In October 2001 it annexed the Intracoastal Beach Area to the north, which more than doubled its permanent population. (Town of Lauderdale-By-The-Sea) Many buildings date from the 1950s and 1960s. The Town adopted Miami Modern (MiMo) as its preferred architectural style in 2013. (Town of Lauderdale-By-The-Sea)

Neighborhoods by area

The Town has 2.5 miles of beach and a coral reef within about 100 yards of shore. El Mar Drive runs along the oceanfront, with public beach portals from Pine Avenue at its north end to Palm Avenue at its south end. (Town of Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, Discover LBTS)

Oceanfront and the El Mar Drive corridor

• El Prado Park is on the ocean in the 4500 block of El Mar Drive, just east of Town Hall. Friedt Family Park is on Bougainvilla Drive behind Town Hall. (Discover LBTS)
• The Town points to the Driftwood Beach Club on El Mar Drive as a prime example of MiMo design. (Town)

Terra Mar Island, Palm Club and Bel Air

• Terra Mar Island was part of Broward County, outside the Town, until the Town annexed it in 2001. A $1 million drainage pipe was installed under East Terra Mar Drive, between Cypress Creek Drive and Spanish River Drive, in early 2021. (Town)
• Palm Club is on the west side of A1A, north of Bel Air and south of Terra Mar Island, along the Intracoastal. About 100 homes there used septic tanks. A sewer system finished in winter 2022 lets owners connect and abandon them, so confirm whether a given home is connected. (Town)
• The Town lists two civic associations: the Bel Air Civic Association and the Terra Mar Island Civic Association. (Town)

Canal streets

• The Town has six canals. Phase 1 of its canal dredging, which began in December 2022, covered Canal B (between Ocean Mist Drive and Waters Edge) and the Silver Shores Waterway (bordered by Tropic Drive, Hibiscus Avenue, Sea Grape Drive, Basin Drive, East Tradewinds Avenue and South Tradewinds Avenue). (Town)

Buying a condo: inspections and reserve studies

Two Florida laws matter here. With a median year built of 1972, many buildings are past the 30-year milestone age.

• Milestone inspections: condo and co-op buildings three habitable stories or taller must have a structural milestone inspection by December 31 of the year the building turns 30, then every 10 years. The local building department may require it at 25 years for buildings near salt water. If phase one finds substantial structural deterioration, a more detailed phase two inspection is required. Within 45 days of receiving the report, the association must send owners the inspector's summary. (s. 553.899, Florida Statutes)
• Structural integrity reserve study (SIRS): condo associations must have a SIRS done at least every 10 years for each building three habitable stories or taller. It must cover the roof, structure, fireproofing and fire protection, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing and exterior painting, and windows and exterior doors. It must also include a reserve funding plan. (s. 718.112(2)(g), Florida Statutes)

Ask for both reports, the budget and recent board minutes. Our condo and HOA buyer's guide walks through the documents.

What is changing

• Beach portals: the Town budgeted about $700,000 in fiscal 2026 to replace two beach portals. Construction of the first portals is expected to start in mid to late 2026. (Town, FY25 report)
• Parks and streets: the 2026 plan also includes a $1.3 million El Prado Park refurbishment and design of a complete-street project on Bougainvilla and Poinciana, including stormwater upgrades. It also funds street repaving and storm sewer lining. (Town)
• A1A: as part of FDOT's resurfacing of A1A from Pine Avenue to Palm Avenue, the Town funded patterned crosswalks, decorative streetlights and new in-pavement warning lights at Hibiscus. (Town)
• Stormwater and public safety: the Town's stormwater master plan lists about $20 million in improvements over 20 years, but its planned update was deferred. Design of a new public safety building began in fiscal 2025. (Town)
• Anglin's Pier: the pier is privately owned and closed to the public while its owner seeks permits to rebuild. (Town)

Flood zones and insurance

• The Town says all properties east of the Coastal Construction Line (generally the east side of El Mar Drive), and all properties on or near the Intracoastal or its connecting canals, are in Special Flood Hazard Areas. (Town)
• The state sets coastal construction control lines along Atlantic beaches. Building or excavating seaward of the line falls under a separate state permit program run by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. (s. 161.053, Florida Statutes)
• The Town says it earned a Class 7 Community Rating System rating in 2010, giving owners a 15% NFIP discount in Special Flood Hazard Areas and 5% outside them. Ask your insurance agent whether those discounts still apply. (Town)
• Updated FEMA flood maps for Broward County took effect July 31, 2024. (City of Pembroke Pines) Look up the exact address on FEMA's map center, or call the Town's Public Works Department at (954) 640-4232. See our flood zone and insurance guide.

What buyers and investors should check

1. Confirm the city. Make sure the property is inside town limits by checking the city on the Broward County Property Appraiser record, because taxes, permits and rules follow the city, not the ZIP code.
2. Get the condo reports. Ask for the milestone inspection summary, the SIRS, the reserve schedule and any planned special assessments.
3. Check the flood zone and get insurance quotes before you make an offer, especially for oceanfront, Intracoastal and canal properties.
4. Check rental rules. The Town regulates vacation rentals, began setting up rental monitoring software in fiscal 2025 and publishes a vacation rental map. Read your association's leasing rules too.
5. Look up permit history for roof, window and structural work through the Town's Building Division.

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The Home Owners Listing Team · Brokered by Real Estate Sales Force Inc · (954) 342-6180

Sources were checked October 9, 2026. Market figures are estimates from the named sources and change monthly. Statute summaries are general information, not legal advice. This page does not describe residents or schools; we encourage you to research the factors that matter to you.