Moving to Hollywood, FL

What housing costs when you arrive

Zillow's numbers give a clear ladder. A typical condo is about $249,577. A typical single-family house is about $510,695. By size, a two-bedroom runs about $368,872, a three-bedroom about $532,706 and a four-bedroom about $705,549. The lower third of the market starts under about $238,358, and the upper third begins near $684,603.

Prices have been soft. All homes are down 1.5% over the past year and up 25.0% over five, and condos are down 4.0% for the year. For a newcomer, that means more room to negotiate than in the 2021 and 2022 market. It does not mean prices are cheap by national standards, and once you add insurance, a house here costs more each month than many movers expect.

The kind of housing you will find

Census data shows a city built mostly in the postwar decades, with a median year built of 1969. About 43.5% of homes are single-family detached and 37.8% are in buildings of 10 or more units. Mobile homes are under 1%.

In practice, east of the Intracoastal you find beach condos and the Broadwalk. Between the Intracoastal and US-1 are older neighborhoods such as Hollywood Lakes, with some of the city's original 1920s streets. West of US-1 and across I-95 are 1950s to 1970s ranch houses in neighborhoods like Emerald Hills, Hollywood Hills and Boulevard Heights, plus condo and townhome complexes farther west. Few areas offer new construction, so most buyers are choosing among older homes.

That changes how you shop. In a newer suburb, two houses at the same price are usually similar. In Hollywood, one 1960s house may have a new roof, impact windows, updated plumbing and a modern panel, and the house next door may have none of those. The first can cost thousands less a year to insure. Look past the kitchen photos and ask for the roof permit, the wind mitigation report and the age of the main systems.

Who lives in Hollywood

Hollywood has about 155,082 residents and a median age of 40.9. About 18.4% are 65 or older, and 9.5% of homes are seasonal or part-year homes, according to Census data. That makes it younger and more year-round than many Florida beach towns, with working households in the single-family neighborhoods and a larger share of retirees and part-year owners in the beach condos.

Getting around and what is nearby

Hollywood sits on I-95, Florida's Turnpike, US-1, US-441 and A1A. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is at the city's north end, and Miami is a drive south down I-95. Tri-Rail has a Hollywood station for trips toward Miami and Palm Beach County.

Day to day, the city has the Broadwalk along the beach, downtown Hollywood around Young Circle and the ArtsPark, Topeekeegee Yugnee Park in the west, and Memorial Regional Hospital as its main hospital. The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino is on tribal land on the city's west side.

Neighborhood prices across the city

Zillow's neighborhood values show where the money goes:

• Above $580,000: North Beach about $1,269,220, Lake of Emerald Hills about $778,657, Hollywood Hills about $616,265, Hollywood Lakes about $588,453
• $450,000 to $510,000: Park East, Emerald Hills, Driftwood and Boulevard Heights
• $350,000 to $425,000: Liberia, Beverly Park, Playland, South Central Beach, the 441 Corridor, Highland Garden, Lawnacres and North Central
• Below $330,000: Royal Poinciana, Park Side, Carriage, Hillcrest and Washington Park, where condos and townhomes dominate

The beach areas grew far less over five years than inland houses. North Beach is up only 2.4% and South Central Beach 9.9%, while Hollywood Hills is up 37.1% and Playland 35.6%.

Storms, flood zones and insurance

Low ground east of US-1 and along the Intracoastal often falls in FEMA high-risk flood zones, and lenders require flood insurance there. Inland neighborhoods are usually less exposed, but check every address. On a 1960s house, insurers will ask for a 4-point inspection and a wind mitigation report, and an old roof can mean a high premium or no offer from private carriers. Hurricane deductibles are a percentage of dwelling coverage, so know that number before you close.

Hurricane prep is part of owning here. Newcomers should know their evacuation zone, which is set by the county and is separate from the flood zone, and plan where they would go. Shutters or impact windows protect the house and lower the wind portion of the premium. If you buy a condo, ask the association how the building handles storms, including who closes shutters for absent owners and whether the elevators and water pumps have backup power.

Taxes and the mistakes newcomers make

Florida has no state income tax. Homestead, for a permanent Florida residence, takes up to $51,411 off assessed value in 2026 and caps yearly increases at 3% or CPI. The mistakes I see most from people moving here:

• Budgeting property tax from the seller's bill. It resets to market value after the sale.
• Shopping by price without checking the flood zone and roof age first.
• Buying an older beach condo without reading the reserve study and milestone inspection, then facing a special assessment.
• Forgetting to file for homestead by March 1 of the year after you move in.

If you are moving and want a short list that already filters out flood-zone surprises and old roofs, the shortlist button does that.