Miami, Florida, a vibrant city known for its colorful Cuban influence, is the southernmost city in the continental US, found at the very southeastern tip of Florida’s peninsula. The city sits between two national parks, Biscayne National Park and Everglades National Park.
The population of Miami’s metro area is around 5.5 million, though the city itself has just over 440,000 residents according US Census estimates for 2015.
Nicknamed “Magic city”, Miami is often thought of as the “Capital of Latin America” as it’s the largest city with a Cuban-American plurality.
This city, with its beautiful beaches and year round tropical climate isn’t for the faint of heart. Read on to find out what it’s like to live and work in this city.
Working in Miami
Industry
An overview of Miami-area industry yields some interesting results. Due to its geographic location, it makes sense that its largest industries center around international business and tourism.
Both the Miami International Airport and PortMiami are huge economic drivers for the area, truly a gateway between the US and Latin America. The port manages cargo from South America and the Caribbean, as well as being the world’s busiest cruise port.
As the “Cruise Capital of the World”, Miami accommodates some of the world’s largest cruise ships and operations (global headquarters for five leading cruise lines), and is the busiest port in both passenger traffic and cruise lines. Millions of passengers travel through PortMiami every year and with 18 cruise brands berthing 42 ships, PortMiami is the departure destination of choice for cruises.
This international hub is convenient for the banking and financial services as well. Miami now has the largest concentration of international banks in the country, in its financial district.
With these factors in mind, it comes as no surprise that in the Miami metropolitan area, the professional and business services supersector had the largest employment gain, up 18,600 (4.6%) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics for September 2015 to September 2016.
Literal shiploads of tourists depart from PortMiami daily, helping make tourism a vital boom for Miami’s local economy. In 2015 alone, people from across the globe crowded at the beaches, festivals, conventions, and events and spent over $24 billion in Miami.
Employers to Note
The city of Miami’s largest employer is the county’s public schools, accounting for nearly 50,000 jobs alone. Other notable contributors include: University of Miami (16,100), American Airlines (9,000), and Carnival Cruise Lines (3,500).
Did You Know…?
Miami is also heralded as the “Wreckreational Diving Capital of the World”. Divers have it made as Miami’s waters have 50 different underwater wreck sites to explore for SCUBA enthusiasts.
Living in Miami
Life in Miami
Miami is the warmest location in the US in winter as it averages a winter temperature of 60 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. This tropical weather means locals can enjoy the more than 800 parks that the area has to offer, including two national ones: Biscayne National Park and Everglades National Park.
Miami’s heavy Cuban influence has stretched beyond its cuisine and nightlife. In a 2015 Census it was reported that 64% of Miami’s population aged five and over spoke only Spanish at home compared to 27.2% who spoke English at home. As such, being familiar with Spanish has distinct advantages while living and working in this city.
The median age in Miami, as of 2015, is nearly 40 years old, with 64% between the ages of 18 and 64. This average is slightly higher than you might expect with the city’s notoriously exuberant night life, but this is due to the fact of the large number of retirees settle here thanks to the favorable weather and tax laws—no state income tax, inheritance tax or estate tax.
Transportation in Miami
Life in Miami can be strained when considering the transportation situation. Living close to where you work can have a significant impact on your commuting life as the mean travel time to work in 2015, according to the US Census Bureau, was 31.9 minutes.
The public transportation in Miami leaves something to be desired, but does include a commuter rail (Tri-Rail), heavy-rail rapid transit (Metrorail), an elevated people mover (Metromover), in addition to buses (Metrobus).
Though the transportation is available, unfortunately only 17% of residents actually use public transit on a daily basis as 76% rely on their own cars to get around the city.
Miami is unable to have any sort of subway or underground train system due to the city being on top of an aquifer, which lies just 15 feet below ground. This is also why the city has some of the cleanest water in the US.
House Prices in Miami
In 2015, the median value of owner-occupied housing units was $251,900. It’s important to note here that this is heavily varied based on the areas of the city you’re looking to live in. According to Investopedia, you can rent a home for as low as $1,000 per month, but averages are closer to $2,660 per month (though this does factor in homes of the city’s wealthiest areas).
Education in Miami
The Miami-Dade County Public Schools is the largest school district in Florida and the fourth-largest in the United States. The area is reportedly home to some of the nation’s best high schools, including the nation’s best magnet school, Design and Architecture High School. There are 392 public schools in the district, as well as 570 private schools, and 10 colleges and/or universities.
For anyone thinking of relocating to Miami, there are many factors to consider. It seems that there are opportunities for those with a background in finance or tourism. And, for those of us from chillier climates, living somewhere with only a 1% chance of snow in winter is an exciting prospect!
Check out jobs in Miami and see what’s available!
