Margate — The Quiet Broward City That Homeownership Built
Drive through Margate once and you'll miss what makes it unusual: more than three in four homes are owner-occupied. In a Broward County where the rental-condo share keeps climbing, Margate has stayed disproportionately a city of homeowners — and that shapes every aspect of the market, from pricing stability to neighborhood upkeep to the mix of people writing offers.
| Population | ~55,000 |
|---|---|
| Area | 9 sq mi |
| Median Home Value (ACS 2024) | $316,200 |
| Homeownership Rate | 77.2% |
| Zip Codes | 33063, 33068, 33093 |
| Incorporated | 1955 |
| Commute to Fort Lauderdale | ~25 min |
| Commute to Boca Raton | ~20 min |
The Market Right Now
Margate's active MLS tilts to condos by volume, but the single-family market is the pricing engine — detached 3-bedroom homes clear faster and hold value better than any other product in the city. Townhomes and villas fill the middle. What distinguishes Margate from neighboring Coconut Creek and Coral Springs is the older housing stock: most of the city was built between 1965 and 1985, which keeps the base prices affordable but means buyers should budget for roof, HVAC, and impact-window updates.
For live pricing, scroll to the stats widget below — it pulls from current MLS data rather than any outdated number written here.
Communities Inside Margate
- Oriole Golf & Tennis Club — 55+ golf community straddling the Margate/Coconut Creek line, largest 55+ concentration in the city, deeded golf access for residents
- Holiday Springs Village — multi-section townhome and villa community in the northwestern quadrant, all-ages
- Paradise Gardens — 1970s single-family ranch neighborhood, oldest section with the largest lots
- Coral Key, Palm Lakes, Meadows — mid-size condo complexes scattered along State Road 7
- Winfield / Margate Village — townhome and villa blocks in the central zone, historically the entry point for first-time buyers
- Royal Park Gardens, Oriole Gardens — condo clusters along Royal Palm Blvd, active but aging inventory
- Kimberly Forest, Lakewood on the Green — smaller newer-construction subdivisions, tighter resale
Schools
- Margate Elementary, Atlantic West Elementary, Liberty Elementary — the three neighborhood elementaries
- Margate Middle School — the only middle school inside city limits, 60% Black / 25% Hispanic student body
- Coconut Creek High School — most northern Margate residents zone here rather than Margate's own border
- Atlantic Technical College — career-technical programs, 7 minutes away in Coconut Creek
School quality in Margate is tier-mixed. Parents moving here for schools typically target the Coral Springs or Coconut Creek borders where the zoning crosses into higher-rated campuses.
Daily Life
Margate's identity is quiet and practical rather than scenic. The city owns an excellent parks system — Firefighters Park, Sportsplex, David Park, Mulligan Park — plus the unexpected Sabal Pines Park with actual forest canopy. The Carolina Golf Club (semi-public) anchors the northwest quadrant. Royal Palm Blvd is the civic main street; State Road 7 handles everyday retail.
For dining, Margate is honest Broward-suburban: solid Cuban (Padrino's Cuban Cuisine, Havana 1957), dependable Italian (Carmelo's), and a steady rotation of family diners. Weekend trips pull residents toward Coral Springs's The Walk, Pompano Beach (20 min), or Boca Town Center (20 min).
Vs Nearby Options
| Margate | Coconut Creek | Coral Springs | Tamarac | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price tier | Entry-level | Entry-to-mid | Mid-market | Entry-level |
| Homeownership % | 77% | 74% | 72% | 76% |
| School strength | Mixed | Stronger | Stronger | Mixed |
| Typical home age | 1965-1985 | 1980-2005 | 1985-2010 | 1965-1995 |
| 55+ inventory | Oriole | Wynmoor | Low | Kings Point, Woodlands |
Who Should Buy Here
First-time buyers who want a yard. A $400-500K single-family 3-bed in Margate gets you what $650-750K buys in Coral Springs — the same school district is just a zoning line away, which means the best Margate buys are on the Coral Springs / Coconut Creek borders.
Remote workers priced out of Pompano or Fort Lauderdale. 25 minutes to downtown Fort Lauderdale, 20 to Boca Town Center, 30 to Miami — Margate's location was built for 2025-era commute patterns even though the city predates the interstate.
55+ buyers targeting Oriole Golf & Tennis Club. It's one of the best-priced deeded-golf 55+ communities in central Broward, and the course is legitimate (18 holes, full clubhouse).
Investors. Margate's combination of low acquisition prices, 77% owner-occupancy (which means neighborhoods aren't degrading to transient rentals), and strong rental demand from healthcare workers at Broward Health North creates a workable buy-and-hold profile.
Who should think twice: buyers who want new-construction finish quality (almost none here), waterfront (no ocean, limited canal inventory), or nightlife (go to Wilton Manors or Las Olas for that).
