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Broward County Is Changing: What It Means for Businesses

Who lives, works and spends in Broward is shifting. Here’s what that means for businesses across the county.

By George DeMattos, FounderSeptember 2026 · Updated October 2026 · 6 min read

More residents, more visitors and a more international customer base, all at once.

More people, every year

Broward passed 2 million residents in 2025: about 2,013,000 people, up 3.5% since the 2020 Census. That’s roughly 69,000 new neighbors in five years.

And they’re younger than many expect. More than half of new movers to Broward are under 44, many arriving from the New York area. They bring different habits, expectations and spending patterns than the customers who were here before them.

Broward’s newest residents are younger, and many are from the Northeast.

A county of visitors

Greater Fort Lauderdale welcomed more than 20.9 million visitors in 2025. Port Everglades handled about 4.8 million cruise passenger movements in fiscal 2025, a record and 16% more than the year before. Hotel occupancy reached 85% in March 2026, with demand up 9%.

For many businesses, the customer walking in today may not live here at all. Knowing how much of your revenue comes from visitors, and which visitors, changes how and where you should market.

Visitors are a market of their own.

One of the most international markets in the country

Nearly 37% of Broward residents were born outside the U.S., and almost 44% speak a language other than English at home.

A single message, in a single language, aimed at a single “average customer,” misses a large share of the people actually around you. For brands from Brazil and Latin America, it’s also one of the most natural places in the U.S. to start.

Broward’s customer base is three markets in one.

Why a county average can’t find your customer

Broward’s median household income is about $77,600, but that number swings widely from one city and neighborhood to the next. With more than 68,000 employer businesses competing for attention, a county-wide average says very little about the people most likely to buy from you.

Knowing which residents, visitors and newcomers fit your business is the difference between growth and wasted spend.

What businesses should do about it

Start by asking which of three customer types matter most to you: residents, visitors or new arrivals. Then check whether your marketing actually reaches each one, in the language and on the channels they use.

Burgeon’s Foundation pairs Know Your Audience (audience research) with Read the Market (competitor analysis and social listening) to answer that, typically in 3 to 5 weeks, with recommendations ranked by their likely impact on your revenue.

Key takeaways

Broward passed 2 million residents, and new arrivals skew younger.
More than 20.9 million visitors make it a market of non-residents too.
Nearly half of residents speak a language other than English at home.
County averages hide the customer. Neighborhood-level research finds them.

Questions people ask

Is Broward County growing?

Yes. Broward reached about 2,013,000 residents in 2025, up 3.5% since the 2020 Census, while also welcoming more than 20.9 million visitors and record cruise traffic.

Is Broward a good market for Brazilian and Latin American brands?

It’s one of the strongest in the U.S. Nearly 37% of residents were born abroad and almost 44% speak a language other than English at home. Burgeon works in English and Portuguese and helps Brazilian companies understand the American customers they need to win.

How can a business find its customers in Broward?

Combine your own sales data with audience research and social listening to see which residents, visitors and newcomers buy in your category. Burgeon’s Foundation does this in 3 to 5 weeks.

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