Best Neighborhoods to Buy a Home in Hollywood

Why the beach areas lagged

The two neighborhoods on Hollywood's barrier island stand apart in the five-year data. North Beach, at about $1,269,220, is up only 2.4% over five years. South Central Beach, at about $402,956, is up 9.9%. Every inland single-family neighborhood on the list gained more than 20%.

The beach neighborhoods are dominated by condos, many in older buildings facing Florida's new inspection and reserve requirements, higher insurance and salt-air repairs. Inland neighborhoods are mostly single-family houses, which held up better across Florida. This describes the past five years and does not tell you what comes next. It does tell you that a beach purchase deserves a careful look at the building, and an inland purchase a careful look at the house.

$580,000 and up: the established single-family areas

The top of the inland market:

• Lake of Emerald Hills: about $778,657, up 1.7% for the year and 12.0% over five
• Hollywood Hills: about $616,265, up 1.1% for the year and 37.1% over five, the largest five-year gain on the list
• Hollywood Lakes: about $588,453, down 0.8% for the year and up 23.6% over five

Hollywood Lakes is one of the city's original 1920s neighborhoods, set between downtown and the Intracoastal, with older homes, larger lots and some waterfront streets. Because it is close to the Intracoastal, check the flood zone and elevation of each house. Emerald Hills is built around a golf course, and its lake section sits at the top of the inland price range.

$450,000 to $510,000: strong five-year gains

Four neighborhoods in this band all gained around 22% to 31% over five years:

• Park East: about $507,033, up 31.2%
• Emerald Hills: about $496,556, up 21.8%
• Driftwood: about $478,102, up 30.8%
• Boulevard Heights: about $469,668, up 31.1%

All four were down between 0.5% and 1.5% over the past year, in line with the city's single-family average. This band sits close to Hollywood's typical house value of $510,695, so it is where most move-up buyers end up comparing. Expect a mix of 1950s to 1970s ranch houses, some fully updated and some original, with large price gaps between the two.

$350,000 to $430,000: the best entry point for a house

This is the band I would start with for a first house in Hollywood:

• Liberia ($423,816, up 30.9%) and Beverly Park ($418,573, up 30.3%)
• Playland ($412,560, up 35.6%)
• 441 Corridor ($400,805, up 33.1% and one of the few with a one-year gain, at 0.2%)
• Highland Garden ($393,911, up 29.6%)
• Lawnacres ($356,364) and North Central ($356,085, up 31.4%)

Prices here are below Hollywood's typical three-bedroom value of about $532,706, which tells you many homes in these areas are smaller two- and three-bedroom houses. Beverly Park is down 3.4% for the year, more than its neighbors, which can mean more room to negotiate.

Under $330,000: mostly condos and townhomes

The lowest values come from areas where much of the housing is condos or townhomes:

• Royal Poinciana: about $321,714, down 6.2% for the year
• Park Side: about $232,064, down 5.8%
• Carriage: about $184,943, down 0.5%
• Hillcrest: about $173,234, down 2.3%
• Washington Park: about $129,360, down 14.8% for the year and 10.2% over five

These neighborhoods can work for buyers who want to own at a lower price, especially when the building has finished its milestone inspection and funded its reserves. Read the association documents closely; the price discount often reflects fees or assessments that are coming.

Hollywood against nearby cities, and how to choose a street

Hollywood's all-homes value of about $442,331 sits in the middle of south Broward. Census data shows 18.4% of residents are 65 or older and the median age is 40.9, so the city draws a mix of working families, retirees and part-year owners. If you are flexible on city, Zillow's typical all-homes values nearby give a sense of the alternatives:

• Cheaper: Lauderhill (about $211,924), Deerfield Beach (about $271,903), Tamarac (about $291,266), Pompano Beach (about $350,137) and Sunrise (about $360,778)
• Similar or higher: Pembroke Pines (about $486,731), Plantation (about $492,003), Fort Lauderdale (about $509,743), Davie (about $515,457) and Miramar (about $519,502)
• Highest: Weston, at about $718,627

Several of the cheaper cities have a higher share of condos, which pulls their averages down. For a single-family house, Hollywood's $350,000 to $430,000 band often competes well against western suburbs, with an older house but a shorter drive to the beach and I-95. Buyers who want newer construction and are fine with an HOA usually look west. Buyers who want a bigger lot, no association and the coast within a short drive tend to stay in Hollywood.

Once you narrow the band, compare candidate houses on the costs that vary by street:

• Flood zone, especially east of US-1 and near the Intracoastal and canals
• Roof age, plumbing and electrical, since the city's median home dates to 1969
• HOA or no HOA; many older neighborhoods have none
• Distance to I-95 or the Turnpike if you commute to Miami or Fort Lauderdale

Zillow's values are averages. Within any of these neighborhoods, an updated house and an original one can be priced far apart, so compare recent sales on the same street. A shortlist built from your budget and must-haves is the practical next step.