Retiring in Tamarac, Florida
A Broward County city founded in 1963 explicitly to attract active retirees, anchored by Kings Point’s roughly 4,869-unit age-restricted community — but genuinely notable for a city-government-stated "growing younger" demographic trend, distinguishing it honestly from a simple retirement-community narrative and from neighboring Coconut Creek’s own large age-restricted community.
A Broward County city founded explicitly for active retirees, anchored by Kings Point’s large age-restricted condominium community — but genuinely notable, per the city’s own official demographic materials, for actively "growing younger" even as its legacy retiree base remains substantial, a distinct and honestly-sourced demographic-transition story unlike neighboring Coconut Creek’s Wynmoor-anchored, citywide-younger profile.
Part of the Southeast Florida (Miami-Fort Lauderdale) region.
Tamarac was incorporated July 19, 1963, founded by developer Kenneth E. Behring, who explicitly marketed the community to active retirees under the promise of "condominium convenience with single-family privacy." A persistent local myth holds the city’s name derives from "Car-A-Mat" spelled backward; Behring himself later debunked this to the Tamarac Historical Society, confirming instead that the city was named after the nearby Tamarac Country Club in Oakland Park — a small but genuine piece of local history worth getting right. Population reached roughly 75,147 by a 2024 estimate (a modeled figure, not a decennial Census count), with median age reported at roughly 47-47.8 depending on source and vintage, and an age-65-plus share around 25.9% — genuinely above Florida’s statewide average of roughly 21%, meaning Tamarac citywide reads as retiree-skewed even before isolating its largest age-restricted community, a real contrast with neighboring Coconut Creek, also covered on this site, whose citywide demographics run meaningfully younger than its own flagship age-restricted community, Wynmoor Village. Kings Point, Tamarac’s flagship age-restricted community, spans roughly 4,869 units across 13 subdivisions or neighborhoods; a demographic-aggregator source cites a Kings Point-specific population of 12,339 and median age of 53, though this figure comes from a secondary real-estate aggregator rather than a primary Census tract-level pull, and this page flags it as needing independent cross-verification rather than treating it as settled fact — consistent with how this site already flags a comparable aggregator-sourced population figure on its Ponte Vedra Beach page. Genuinely distinguishing Tamarac from Coconut Creek’s Wynmoor-anchored story is an explicit, city-government-stated demographic-transition narrative: Tamarac’s own official demographics materials describe the city directly as "originally a bedroom community favored by retirees" that "is growing younger as the City grows older" — residential population up roughly 19% since 2013 to more than 74,000, with a diversity index around 85% and roughly 2,000 businesses, and city messaging explicitly tying younger in-migration to renters priced out of downtown-adjacent Broward and Miami-Dade markets moving west. Tamarac’s earliest neighborhood, Tamarac Lakes, was Kenneth Behring’s original development — modest one-story 1BR/2BR homes originally priced $13,000-$20,000 — with later neighborhoods including the Mainlands and Woodlands rounding out the city’s general housing stock beyond Kings Point. Housing costs show a genuine split by product type: a blended median sale price around $293,000-$317,000 as of mid-2026 (likely weighted by Kings Point’s large condo inventory) versus standalone single-family homes averaging closer to $450,000 — a real spread this page states rather than resolves. Tamarac’s flood exposure carries a genuinely different character from Coconut Creek’s Zone-X-versus-modeled-risk conflict: the city drains into the South Florida Water Management District’s C-14 and connected C-13 canal systems, both flowing east to the Intracoastal, creating documented inland canal-overwhelm and drainage risk during heavy tropical-storm rainfall rather than a coastal storm-surge or private-modeling discrepancy; Tamarac is not within a mandatory hurricane-evacuation zone, being genuinely inland and non-coastal. Colony West Country Club, a public 36-hole facility within city limits, carries its own piece of golf history: its Palmer Course hosted the PGA Tour’s Jackie Gleason Inverrary Classic and later the Honda Classic during the 1970s and 1980s, before the tournament relocated elsewhere in South Florida — a genuine, documented golf pedigree distinct from Kings Point’s own internal course. The city also operates a network of public parks and recreation facilities, including the Tamarac Community Center and Caporella Park, providing organized recreation programming for residents outside both Kings Point and Colony West.
Who Tamarac Tends to Fit
- Retirees seeking a large, established age-restricted community — Kings Point spans roughly 4,869 units across 13 subdivisions with a real retiree-concentrated population
- Those who want a citywide demographic profile genuinely above the Florida statewide retiree-age average, unlike Coconut Creek’s younger citywide profile
- Buyers interested in Tamarac’s own, city-stated "growing younger" transition story — a diversifying, increasingly mixed-generation community rather than a static retirement enclave
- Those who want inland, non-coastal flood exposure tied to a documented canal-drainage system rather than direct storm surge
- Retirees who want a range of housing types beyond Kings Point, including Tamarac Lakes’ original modest single-family stock and later neighborhoods (Mainlands, Woodlands)
Who May Prefer Somewhere Else
- Buyers wanting a single, settled Kings Point-specific population or median-age figure — the commonly cited 12,339 residents and 53 median age come from a secondary aggregator rather than a primary Census source, and this page flags that as needing independent verification
- Those wanting a confirmed trauma-center designation at a local hospital — Tamarac’s University Hospital and Medical Center and HCA Florida Woodmont Hospital both provide acute care, but no trauma-center designation was confirmed for either in this research
- Buyers wanting a specific Tamarac homeowners-insurance dollar figure — this research found only general inland-Florida windstorm-policy ranges, not a Tamarac-specific number
- Those wanting a single, settled home-price figure — reported medians conflict by product type, from roughly $293,000-$317,000 blended to roughly $450,000 for standalone single-family homes
- Buyers wanting flat, predictable HOA or condo fees — Florida’s 2026 structural-reserve-study requirements are cited as pushing 3-10% annual fee increases across associations, including within Kings Point
- Those wanting a citywide identity as simply "another big retirement community" — Tamarac’s own government explicitly frames the city as demographically transitioning, which cuts both ways depending on what a buyer is looking for
Housing Market
Median sale price: $305,000 (as of 2026-06).
Present in Tamarac Lakes (the city’s original 1960s neighborhood), the Mainlands, and the Woodlands; standalone single-family homes average closer to $450,000, well above the blended citywide median.
Substantial, concentrated within Kings Point’s roughly 4,869 units across 13 subdivisions, pulling the city’s blended median sale price down relative to its single-family stock.
Not identified as a defining feature of Tamarac’s largely built-out market in this research.
Property Taxes & Homestead
Detailed millage figures were not independently verified in this research; buyers should confirm current rates directly with the Broward County Property Appraiser and Tax Collector.
Standard statewide Florida homestead exemption ($25,000/$50,000 structure) and the Save Our Homes 3%-per-year assessment cap apply, with no Tamarac-specific variation identified in this research.
Insurance, Flood & Hurricane Risk
A specific Tamarac homeowners-insurance dollar figure was not identified in this research; generic inland-Florida windstorm-only policy estimates run roughly $3,240-$4,500 per year, and buyers should obtain an address-specific quote.
Tamarac drains into the South Florida Water Management District’s C-14 and connected C-13 canal systems, both flowing east to the Intracoastal, creating documented inland canal-overwhelm and drainage risk during heavy tropical-storm rainfall — a genuinely different flood-risk character from coastal storm surge. Tamarac is not within a mandatory hurricane-evacuation zone, being genuinely inland; a specific NFIP Community Rating System class for the city was not independently confirmed in this research.
Tamarac is genuinely inland with no direct storm-surge exposure and is not within a mandatory hurricane-evacuation zone, though South Florida-wide hurricane wind risk applies broadly across the region.
The city’s C-14 and connected C-13 canal systems, operated by the South Florida Water Management District, both flow east to the Intracoastal and carry documented inland canal-overwhelm and drainage risk during heavy tropical-storm rainfall — a genuinely different flood-risk profile from coastal storm surge, and buyers should obtain an address-specific flood-zone determination.
HOA, CDD & Condo Fees
Condo HOAs, including within Kings Point, commonly run roughly $400-$900 per month; single-family homes outside gated communities frequently carry no HOA at all, while gated single-family communities run roughly $100-$250 per month.
No Community Development District was identified as a citywide governance structure within Tamarac in this research.
Florida’s 2026 structural-reserve-study requirements are cited as pushing 3-10% annual fee increases across condo associations statewide, including within Kings Point; buyers should request a specific building’s current reserve study and fee trajectory before purchasing.
Healthcare
- University Hospital and Medical Center — Joint Commission-certified Primary Stroke Center with an emergency department and cardiovascular/inpatient surgery services. No trauma-center designation was confirmed in this research. Sits within Tamarac city limits, giving residents genuine walkable-by-car access to acute care without leaving the city.
- HCA Florida Woodmont Hospital — Recognized for surgical and gastrointestinal care. No trauma-center designation was confirmed in this research. Also located within city limits, giving Tamarac two in-city acute-care options rather than the single-hospital pattern common to smaller Florida cities covered on this site — a genuine practical advantage for residents managing chronic conditions who want a choice of provider network without leaving town.
Airports & Transportation
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) — approximately 18 miles
University Drive and Commercial Boulevard carry local and regional traffic; Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport sits a reasonable drive southeast.
Lifestyle
Tamarac is genuinely inland with no ocean or Gulf beach; its water features center on the C-14/C-13 canal system rather than coastal access.
Present within Kings Point as a community amenity, and also at Colony West Country Club, a public 36-hole facility whose Palmer Course carries genuine PGA Tour history from the 1970s and 1980s.
Limited; the city’s canal system supports drainage rather than a significant recreational-boating culture, and this research did not identify a marina or organized boat-launch facility within city limits.
Tamarac is a car-dependent Broward suburb rather than a walkable downtown destination; Kings Point itself is internally walkable within its own campus, and the city’s public parks, including Caporella Park and the Tamarac Community Center, provide organized recreation elsewhere in the city.
Tamarac’s cultural identity centers on its founding history as a retiree-oriented 1960s development and its current demographic-transition story rather than a defined arts district, though Colony West Country Club’s PGA Tour history adds a genuine, documented piece of local sporting heritage.
Snowbird vs Full-Time
Tamarac’s Kings Point community likely sees some seasonal occupancy variation typical of age-restricted Florida condo communities, though this was not independently quantified in this research; the broader city does not read as a major snowbird destination given its stated demographic diversification and its inland, non-coastal location away from the seasonal-rental markets common along Broward County’s barrier islands.
Pros
- A large, established age-restricted community (Kings Point) with a genuine retiree-concentrated population
- A citywide demographic profile genuinely above the Florida statewide retiree-age average
- A distinct, honestly city-government-stated demographic-transition story rather than a static retirement-only identity
- Two in-city HCA Florida hospitals providing real local acute care
- A range of housing types and price points beyond Kings Point, including the city’s original Tamarac Lakes neighborhood
Drawbacks
- Kings Point-specific population and median-age figures rely on a secondary aggregator rather than a primary Census source
- No confirmed trauma-center designation at either in-city hospital
- No confirmed Tamarac-specific homeowners-insurance dollar figure
- A genuine, unresolved home-price spread depending on product type
- Real, documented inland canal-drainage flood risk during heavy rainfall events
- Rising condo-association fees tied to Florida’s 2026 structural-reserve-study requirements
Compare Tamarac
Nearby Places to Compare
- Coconut Creek
A northern Broward County city officially branded the "Butterfly Capital of the World," built around Wynmoor Village — a genuinely large age-restricted condominium community of roughly 5,260 units across 133 buildings — though the city as a whole is meaningfully younger than Wynmoor itself, and this page presents that distinction honestly rather than overselling a citywide retirement identity.
- Coral Springs
A large, master-planned inland Broward suburb chartered in 1963, largely sitting in FEMA’s lower-risk Flood Zone X, with the guard-gated Eagle Trace golf community and an actively redeveloping downtown City Center.
- Pompano Beach
A genuine boating town anchored by Sands Harbor Marina and the rebuilt Pompano Beach Pier, home to the historic Palm Aire golf community and Broward Health North’s Level II trauma program, with a roughly $2 billion downtown redevelopment now underway.
Guides Relevant to Tamarac
- HOA Fees and Governance in Florida
A statewide explainer on how Florida homeowners associations and condominium associations are legally structured, funded, and regulated, and what buyers are entitled to review before closing.
Sources
- Demographics — City of Tamarac
- Tamarac, FL Demographics — Data Commons
- Tamarac, Florida — Wikipedia
- Kings Point in Tamarac — 55places.com
- Tamarac, FL Housing Market — Redfin
- Stormwater Management / Canal System — City of Tamarac
- University Hospital and Medical Center — Healthgrades
- Tamarac, FL to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport — Google Maps
Last reviewed 2026-09-28.