Prospective residents moving to Miramar, Florida, will find themselves in southern Broward County, about halfway between Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Miramar’s central location is a big part of its appeal. An Atlantic beach or a major airport is roughly half an hour away, and you can reach Miami or Fort Lauderdale for a night out without much of a drive.
Closer to home, you’ll have dozens of parks and green spaces to enjoy. Miramar started as a small planned community in the 1950s and is now the fourth-largest city in the county. Families from across the Caribbean and Latin America have settled here, and the city has kept its suburban, family feel as it has grown.
Cost of living in Miramar
The cost of living in Miramar exceeds both the national and Florida averages, and housing is the main line item. Home prices and rents here are well above what you would pay across most of the country, so plan your budget around that first. Even so, plenty of new residents still choose Miramar for its lifestyle and its easy access to amenities.
Utilities and internet usually cost more than the national average, but groceries are close to the national average. Healthcare is generally a little below average, so it is not the burden some new residents expect.
Florida charges no state income tax, and that helps offset some of these costs.
See our guide to the Cost of Living in Miami for more about living in the area.
Getting around in Miramar
Getting around in Miramar mostly means driving, and most residents rely on a car. Miramar is on I-75, and I-95 and the Florida Turnpike are only a short drive away. Residents often mention heavy traffic on the Turnpike and I-95, and slow trips into downtown Miami at peak times, so allow for some congestion in your plans.
Public transport is more limited. The City of Miramar runs a free weekday shuttle called Mira-Motion. Its routes connect the Town Center to local shopping and the hospital, among other stops. You can transfer from those routes to Broward County Transit buses for longer trips into the Miami and Fort Lauderdale areas.
If you would rather cycle or walk, the city has some dedicated bike lanes and pedestrian paths. Speed bumps and well-placed crossing signals help keep cyclists and pedestrians safe.
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Healthcare in Miramar
For healthcare in Miramar, the main hospital is Memorial Hospital Miramar, part of the wider Memorial Healthcare System. It handles everything from emergency care to specialist treatment. Memorial also recently opened a 24/7 freestanding emergency room on Miramar Parkway, the Red Road ER. Several other Memorial hospitals are a short drive away in neighbouring cities.
Most residents carry private health insurance through an employer or the ACA marketplace. There are also walk-in and urgent-care clinics in the city that see self-paying patients, which gives you an option if you are between plans.
For more specialised care, you can find paediatric and geriatric services and pharmacies. For anything more complex, the major medical centres of Miami and Fort Lauderdale are close enough for a straightforward trip.
Read more about Understanding Health Insurance in the USA.
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Schools in Miramar
Families who need to place their kids in schools in Miramar will have plenty of choices across public, charter, magnet, and private schools.
The public schools are part of Broward County Public Schools, the sixth-largest district in the country. Many perform well above the state average. Sunset Lakes Elementary, for instance, is a magnet school that runs a Cambridge curriculum and scores well on state tests.
Charter schools such as Somerset Academy Charter High School run specialised academies in fields like engineering and digital media, alongside Advanced Placement and dual-enrolment courses. Families set on the International Baccalaureate can find it at Miramar High School, which runs an IB magnet programme.
For STEM at the primary and middle levels, Silver Shores STEAM Academy (a K-8 school) and Glades Middle School both run magnet tracks. One thing to plan for is that places at magnet and charter programmes usually run through Broward’s School Choice application window rather than by home address, so apply within the enrolment period rather than assuming you have a spot.
Private schools in Miramar tend to have smaller classes and more specialised curricula. Miramar itself has no dedicated international schools, but there are several schools in Miami and Fort Lauderdale that run the International Baccalaureate or Cambridge programmes.
Youth sports organisations such as the Miramar Police Athletic League and the Miramar Optimist Club give many children and teenagers a pathway into team sports and a chance to build skills like teamwork and discipline.
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Weather in Miramar
The weather in Miramar is subtropical, so it is warm and humid for most of the year. Breezes off the Atlantic can take some of the edge off the heat, but Miramar is far enough inland that summer afternoons can still turn hot and sticky.
July is the hottest month, when highs reach about 90°F (32°C), so early mornings and late evenings are the best times to be outside. Winters are mild. January is the coolest month, and it is a comfortable time to make the most of the parks and open spaces.
Heat and flooding are the main weather concerns. Miramar has dozens of extremely hot days each year, and much of the city has some flood risk. Hurricane season lasts from June to November, so new residents should learn their evacuation zone and keep basic storm supplies on hand.
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Working in Miramar
For those who plan on working in Miramar, there’s a healthy spread of jobs, and because it is between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, you can commute to either metro without a punishing drive. There are several large employers that have a base in Miramar. Carnival Cruise Line runs a sales and customer service operation here, and Comcast operates a big Spanish-language customer care centre. Ecolab also bases its Latin America regional headquarters in the city.
For networking, the Miramar Pembroke Pines Regional Chamber of Commerce runs regular events, including monthly breakfasts and its Net@Nite evenings, where you can meet other local professionals and business owners.
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Accommodation in Miramar
The options for accommodation in Miramar range from single-family homes to modern apartments, so most budgets and household sizes are covered. Property portals such as Trulia and Zillow are a good starting point, and you can filter listings by price and size, among other things.
Gated communities are a big part of the local market, and many come with shared pools and clubhouses. They tend to be quiet and well kept. One point to budget for is that most charge monthly homeowners’ association (HOA) fees, which can add up, so fold them into the real cost of your home.
Family-friendly neighbourhoods are easy to find in Miramar. Communities such as Sunset Lakes and SilverLakes have quiet streets and good local schools. If you would rather be closer to the action, some neighbourhoods have shops and restaurants within walking distance.
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Lifestyle in Miramar
The lifestyle in Miramar is comfortable and family oriented, and there is plenty to do close to home. The main local shopping spot is Miramar Town Center, and Pembroke Lakes Mall is a short drive away for national chains and department stores. For eating out, the city has both casual spots and more upmarket restaurants across its neighbourhoods.
The Miramar Cultural Center | ArtsPark is the main venue for the arts. It has an 800-seat theatre and a botanical garden, and it puts on concerts, exhibitions, and other events throughout the year. Touring shows also come to Miramar Regional Park; the UniverSoul Circus, for one, has pitched there in recent seasons.
The nightlife is quieter than in Miami, but there are still places to go out. Around Miramar Parkway and Pembroke Road, you can find bars with live music or a dance floor, and the places along State Road 7 are more about laid-back dining and drinks.
Miramar is a good place for sports at any age, and there are facilities and programmes for a wide range of interests. The city maintains more than 40 parks. The biggest, Miramar Regional Park, has sports fields and playgrounds. It also has an amphitheatre for live events.
See Lifestyle in Miami for more on what to see and do in the metropolitan area.