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Hialeah, Florida, is also known as the City of Progress.
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Key Takeaways
Hialeah offers a lower cost of living than nearby Miami, with affordable housing and rental options.
The city was named one of Investopedia’s top 100 places to retire in America.
Hialeah provides convenient transportation, healthcare access, and proximity to major Miami-Dade locations.
Hialeah, named one of the best places to retire in America, is the sixth-largest municipality in Florida, located in Miami-Dade County between Miami and Fort Lauderdale. It’s an industry mecca. Manufacturing, healthcare, and retail thrive here, but don’t let that fool you. Hialeah is steeped in culture and offers a laid-back lifestyle without a hustling, big-business vibe.
About 21% of Hialeah’s population is over age 65. It offers retirees a sense of familiarity, warmth, and a strong sense of community. It’s home to one of the largest Hispanic populations in the country. A good many of its citizens are born to Cubans who came into the city in 1959 after Fidel Castro’s revolution. Here are some reasons why so many retirees have flocked here.
Hialeah’s Cost of Living and Housing
Hialeah offers a wide variety of homes, from suburban single-family dwellings to city apartments. The Palm Springs neighborhood is rich with midcentury ranch homes built in the 1950s, many of them rich in Spanish colonial features.
However, some costs are higher than the national average: Housing in Hialeah will cost you about 14% more, and the city’s overall cost of living is about 12% higher. The median home price comes in at $611,281, but that’s the median, so half of all homes cost less.
Compare that to Miami Beach, where the median home price is more than double at $1,269,214. It’s kinder in Miami, but still much more than Hialeah at $840,182.
Rentals are manageable at a median of $1,835 a month. Your energy bills will set you back about $227 a month, but you should enjoy a good deal of balmy weather in exchange. Food and groceries run 9% more than the national average. Again, compare this with Miami. Chef’s Pencil, an international food magazine, tagged that city as the most expensive in the country if you prefer dining out. The overall cost of living in Hialeah is 6% lower than in Miami.
You won’t have to share a chunk of your income with Florida, however. The Tax Foundation ranks the state way up at No. 5 on its 2026 State Tax Competitiveness Index. Florida has no income tax, inheritance tax, or estate tax. The state’s effective property tax rate on owner-occupied housing is on the lower end of the national scale at 0.74%. Hialeah’s median property tax rate is slightly higher, at 1.19%.
Hialeah’s Culture and Community
Hialeah is a city of tightly knit neighborhoods that should appeal to you if you’re looking for connection and camaraderie with the folks who live next door or up the street. The city comes by its Spanish flair honestly. Its population is more than 94% Hispanic, including Mexicans, Cubans, Puerto Ricans, and others. You’ll be greeted by salsa music when you visit many of the local markets and Hialeah’s numerous Cuban restaurants.
The Opa-Locka Hialeah Flea Market is a favorite among locals, and more music awaits you if you want to take in some of Hialeah’s popular annual community events like the Art on Palm Festival and the Three Kings Parade. Then there’s Hialeah Fest, another annual event that offers food vendors and art displays along with the salsa. The music is provided by local bands.
Hialeah’s Parks and Recreation Department maintains 15 fully staffed parks, two tennis centers, and seven pools if you prefer to spend your time in the great (warm) outdoors.
Hialeah’s Walkability and Transportation
Hialeah is more than willing to take you around the city free of charge. It offers Freebee, on-demand transportation that will pick you up at your door. It’s available weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and weekends from 3 to 9 p.m.
Freebee might be worth considering because the average commute time in the city is higher than the national average at 27.49 minutes, with 82% of its workers electing to drive to places of employment. But walking can be another enjoyable option. West 49th Street is Hialeah’s retail zone, home to Westland Mall as well as an Olive Garden, Starbucks, Chili’s, Longhorn Steakhouse, and Fuddruckers. You won’t go hungry or thirsty while you’re shopping.
Walk Score has tagged Hialeah as being “very walkable,” giving it a significant score of 74. The city was recently awarded $80,000 from the Health Foundation of South Florida in support of a project intended to make Hialeah even more pedestrian-friendly.
Getting out of the city is remarkably easy if something calls you away from Hialeah’s Spanish splendor. You’re 20 minutes from every other location in Miami-Dade County. Access to the Palmetto Expressway, the Florida Turnpike, I-75, and U.S. 27 is available right in the city.
Hialeah’s Climate and Lifestyle
Hialeah offers Florida warmth and a good bit of sunshine without the overwhelming beachgoing crowds. The average temperature is likely to climb to about 83 degrees in the summer, but that’s offset by an average low of 71 degrees in the winter months, far from frigid.
Unfortunately, rainy weather can be a problem here, particularly when precipitation is heavy, as can happen during hurricanes or tropical storms. Hialeah sits on flat, low land and is home to a good many rivers, lakes, and canals. Drainage options are limited, so flooding can be of particular concern at times.
The city offers four senior centers with daily lunch programs and a variety of activities for get-togethers if you prefer to stay dry and cool inside. The Goodlet Adult Center and the Milander Center for Arts and Entertainment provide computer classes, arts and crafts workshops, and fitness classes. Hialeah offers 12 Senior Dances in honor of various notable holidays in each month.
Hialeah’s Healthcare Access
Hialeah stands by ready to help out with your medical needs as well. The average healthcare cost here is 18% less than the national average.
There are 56 hospitals located within 50 miles of the city, many of them in Miami. Three award-winning and community-focused providers are located right in Hialeah: Larkin Hospital Palm Springs, Palmetto General Hospital, and Hialeah Hospital. There are six other facilities in the city proper as well. Most of these healthcare locations are close to public transportation routes if you find yourself in a situation where driving isn’t feasible.
For retirees with military service, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offers a medical center in Miami and clinics nearby in Hollywood and Homestead.
The Bottom Line
Hialeah offers affordability, balmy weather, and a rich culture. It’s not a tourist mecca but a comfortable hometown. That’s not to say, however, that there aren’t numerous activities and events available to help you enjoy your newfound retirement free time.
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