Living in Brickell: a neighborhood guide with official data

Brickell is the Miami you see on postcards: glass towers reflected in the bay, palm trees along the avenue median and a constant flow of people in a hurry, dogs out for a walk and terraces filling up as evening falls. It's the city's financial district and, at the same time, one of its most sought-after residential neighborhoods, especially for people who want to live close to work, without depending on a car and with everything nearby. Here is what life in Brickell is like and, with official data, what it costs, how you get around and which risks are worth knowing.

What is Brickell like in numbers?

Brickell has no official Census boundary, so we use ZIP code 33131, the heart of Brickell, which includes Brickell Key and the southern part of the financial district. Figures come from the Census Bureau (American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average) unless stated otherwise.

To the south, ZIP code 33129, which covers South Brickell and The Roads, is somewhat quieter and more affordable to rent, with a median rent of $2,250. These are five-year medians: current listings usually run higher. We explain each figure in the methodology note.

What is it like to live in Brickell?

Brickell is by far the densest of the neighborhoods we analyzed: about 17,800 people per square kilometer, more than thirty times the county average. Almost everyone lives high up, in towers mostly built in the last two decades, and life is organized vertically: the gym, the pool or the terrace are usually in your own building, and the office a few blocks away.

It's a young and very international neighborhood. Households are small, 1.75 people on average, and barely 12% of residents are under 18: most are professionals living alone or as couples. Almost four in five adults hold a bachelor's degree, and half of residents were born outside the U.S. Spanish and English mix on the street, in elevators and in meetings, so it's easy to feel at home from day one.

The pace is that of a big city. In the morning, Brickell Avenue fills with people walking or taking the Metromover to the office; at midday, terraces fill with business lunches; and in the evening, the bayside path and the Underline fill with runners, cyclists and neighbors walking their dogs. At night, Brickell stays awake, with bars and restaurants open late.

What is there to do in Brickell?

In Brickell you don't need the car to go out for dinner, exercise or walk by the water.

Where to eat

• Elcielo, Colombian chef Juan Manuel Barrientos's restaurant on the Miami River, holds one MICHELIN star. Contemporary Colombian cooking with a theatrical touch, for a special occasion.
• Mary Brickell Village and Brickell City Centre concentrate much of the neighborhood's restaurants, cafés and bars, from quality quick bites to long dinners.

The scene changes very fast in Brickell, so check the MICHELIN Guide and recent reviews before you go.

Strolls and the outdoors

• The Underline, a linear park beneath the Metrorail tracks. Its first segment, the Brickell Backyard, opened in February 2021: half a mile from the Miami River to SW 13th Street, with a fitness area, a stage, game tables and a large communal table. The full project will run 10 miles.
• Simpson Park, more than 8 acres of tropical hardwood forest, one of the last remnants of the old Brickell Hammock, with shaded walking trails in the middle of the city.
• The Miami River and Brickell Key, with waterfront walks and views of the bay and downtown.
• Vizcaya, the villa and gardens James Deering built between 1914 and 1922, a National Historic Landmark a few minutes south, on the edge of Coconut Grove.

How much does it cost to live in Brickell?

In Brickell almost everything is an apartment: 96% of homes are in buildings with 20 or more units and barely 2.5% are houses. The housing stock is new, with a median year built of 2005, and most residents rent: only 37% own their home.

• Renting: the median rent is $3,124 a month, the highest of the neighborhoods we analyzed. Even so, thanks to high incomes, 46.5% of renters spend over 30% of their income on rent, less than the county average. If you have no credit history, read renting in Miami without a credit history.
• Buying: the median value is $655,100. If you buy in a building, look closely at the structural inspection, the reserve study and any approved special assessments: we explain it in our guide to buying property in Miami.

Current price: According to Zillow, in September 2026 the typical value of a condo in Brickell was $598,000 (−1.2% over a year). We compare it with other areas, along with rent and flood insurance, in Miami home prices by area, updated every month. Work out what it would cost you to live here →

How good are the schools in Brickell?

According to the county registry, there are no public schools within ZIP code 33131, although there are 3 private ones. The nearest public schools are in the neighboring ZIP code, 33130, which includes West Brickell. Their 2026 grades:

How do you get around Brickell?

Brickell is probably the best place in Miami to live without a car.

• Free Metromover: the downtown elevated train is free and runs daily from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Its Brickell loop connects the neighborhood with downtown and Metrorail. We count 10 stations in and immediately around Brickell.
• Metrorail: Brickell station connects with the airport, Coral Gables and Dadeland, in Kendall.
• On foot: the average commute is 19 minutes, the shortest of the neighborhoods we analyzed, and 13% of households don't have a car.

If you do drive, expect rush-hour traffic and the cost of parking in your building.

Is Brickell safe?

According to the FBI, the City of Miami police recorded 358 violent crimes and 2,243 property crimes per 100,000 residents in 2025. The U.S. averages that year were 330 and 1,552. Violent crime is 9% above the national average, and it fell 26% from 2024.

The FBI publishes data by police department, so this is the figure for the whole City of Miami, not just Brickell: the city includes very different areas.

Within each area, risk changes from one street to the next: visit by day and by night before deciding. Compare it with other areas in Miami crime rates by area.

Does Brickell flood?

This is Brickell's weak spot, and it's worth being very clear about it before signing.

• Flood zone: according to FEMA's current map, 86% of the land in ZIP code 33131 is in a high-risk zone, where flood insurance is required if you have a mortgage. Part of it, along the bay, is in zone VE, the highest-risk zone for wave action.
• Hurricane evacuation: the whole ZIP code is in the county's storm surge zone B, the second to evacuate.

Living high up lowers the risk to your apartment, but not to the building: garages, elevators and common areas can flood, and repairs are shared by all owners. Look up the address on the FEMA flood map and ask for the flood disclosure required by Florida law.

What are the pros and cons of Brickell?

Who is Brickell right for?

It's a good fit if: you work downtown or in Brickell, want to forget about the car, like having restaurants, a gym and a social life on your doorstep, and enjoy the pace of a big city with bay views.

It may not be for you if: you want a house with a yard, have children and want schools within walking distance, prefer peace and quiet, or your budget doesn't stretch to Miami's highest rents.

Similar neighborhoods: if you like high-rise living but want something more affordable, look at Edgewater; if you'd rather have more green and calm by the bay, Coconut Grove; and if you want the beach, Miami Beach. For lower rents ten minutes away, look at Little Havana. Looking for the opposite, houses and trees? Read our Coral Gables guide.

Curious about Miami's most exclusive side? Read how many millionaires live in Miami, with the data and its caveats.

Want to compare them all? Read our guide to Miami neighborhoods: where to live based on what you want.

Frequently asked questions

Methodology note

Because Brickell has no Census boundary of its own, we use ZIP code 33131 (the Census ZIP Code Tabulation Area), which includes Brickell Key and part of the financial district. Population, housing, income, language and commuting figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2020-2024 five-year estimates). Density uses the Census's official land area. We calculated the shares of land in flood and evacuation zones ourselves by overlaying that boundary on FEMA's current flood map and the storm surge planning zones published by Miami-Dade County, using land area only. Metromover stations and schools are located using county open data, and school grades are the Florida Department of Education's official 2026 grades.