Moving to Sunrise, FL

Two price levels inside one city

The bedroom figures show the split clearly. A two-bedroom in Sunrise is about $183,214 on Zillow's index, and a three-bedroom about $472,189, more than two and a half times as much. That jump is the line between apartment-style condos and houses. Zillow's lower third of the market ends around $137,648 and the upper third starts near $525,566.

Census data shows 40.0% of housing units in buildings with ten or more units and 37.0% single-family detached. The median year built is 1983. The large condo complexes are mostly from the 1970s and 1980s, and many are age-restricted. The single-family neighborhoods range from 1970s and 1980s subdivisions in the middle of the city to newer gated communities toward the west.

The trend numbers differ too. Condos fell 7.0% over the past year on Zillow's index, while single-family homes slipped 1.3%. If you are moving here to buy a house, the condo slide tells you little about house prices. If you are buying a condo, it tells you buyers have choices and time to negotiate.

Who lives in Sunrise

Sunrise has about 97,918 residents, a median age of 41.7 and 19.5% of residents aged 65 or older. Only 3.9% of homes are seasonal, far below coastal Broward cities. In practice that means most of your neighbors live here year round, the roads don't change much between January and July, and the condo communities are full of permanent residents rather than winter visitors.

The age mix varies by area. Older condo communities lean retired. The western subdivisions lean toward working households and families.

For someone relocating, this matters in small daily ways. Year-round cities keep their restaurants, gyms and services busy all year instead of on a winter cycle, and condo boards in a permanent-resident community tend to have more owners around for meetings and votes. The flip side is that Sunrise has less of the seasonal, resort feel that draws some buyers to the coast in the first place.

Getting around and what is nearby

Sunrise is inland, west of Fort Lauderdale and Plantation, and its west side runs up to the edge of the Everglades. The Sawgrass Expressway runs along the western side and connects north toward Coral Springs and south to I-595 and I-75, which is what makes the city workable for commuting across Broward and toward Miami-Dade. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is the nearest major airport.

Two landmarks shape the west side: Sawgrass Mills, one of the largest outlet malls in the country, and Amerant Bank Arena, where the Florida Panthers play. Traffic around both is heavy on weekends and event nights, which is worth knowing if you are looking at homes close by. The beach is a drive east, not a walk.

Neighborhoods buyers ask about

Zillow tracks about 20 neighborhoods in Sunrise, and most of them are single-family areas priced well above the city average. Shannon Lake Estates is the highest on Zillow's list at about $779,553, followed by New Providence at $677,180 and Sawgrass Preserves at $646,880. A large middle group sits between roughly $490,000 and $590,000, including Springtree West, Sunset Bay, Flamingo Bay, Sawgrass Estates and Hills of Welleby. At the lower end of Zillow's list are Gold Key Club at $307,961 and Colony Courts at $372,745.

The condo complexes that pull the city average down mostly don't appear as separate Zillow neighborhoods, so the list skews toward houses.

Taxes, insurance and storms

Florida has no state income tax, which is often the largest saving for buyers moving from high-tax states. Property tax is where the cost sits. A buyer who makes Sunrise a permanent residence can claim homestead, worth up to $51,411 off assessed value in 2026, and Save Our Homes then caps increases at 3% or CPI. The assessment resets to market value after you buy, so the seller's bill is a poor guide to yours.

Being inland helps with storm surge, but it doesn't remove wind or rain risk. Much of Broward is low and flat, and drainage varies street by street. Check the FEMA flood zone of each address, ask about roof age and any wind mitigation report, and get insurance quotes during the inspection period. Homes from the 1970s and 1980s often need a 4-point inspection before an insurer will write a policy.

What newcomers tend to get wrong

• Reading the average as a house price. A family looking for three bedrooms should budget from about $472,189, not $360,778.
• Missing the 55+ rule. Many of the cheapest condos in Sunrise are in age-restricted communities. Check the association's rules before you fall for a price.
• Ignoring condo fees. In older complexes, monthly fees and any special assessment can matter more than the purchase price.
• Overlooking HOA rules in gated subdivisions. Western Sunrise communities often have architectural rules, fees and approval processes.

Compared with neighbors, Sunrise sits below Plantation at $492,003, Coral Springs at $521,975 and Weston at $718,627 on all-homes value, and above Tamarac at $291,266 and Lauderhill at $211,924. For buyers who want a western Broward house with a shorter list price than Weston, it often makes the shortlist.