Hialeah, Florida

Hialeah is a true community. Here, everyone fights for small, locally owned shops over the big chains. Because of its high Hispanic population and the history of the city being a hub for Cuban emigration after the Cuban Revolution of 1959. Locals prefer to eat mom-and-pop restaurants over large franchises because, in doing so, they’re supporting the very foundation of their community. Don’t believe us? Just take a look at Publix, a Florida-based grocery chain, which decided it was better to modify one of its existing stores to appeal more to residents. They opened a “Publix Sabor,” which caters specifically to Latin American and Hispanic clientele, even changing what they carry and what services they offer.

One other notable thing about Hialeah is that it’s nearly impossible to outlive a bad reputation, and Hialeah is no exception. You can attribute it to racism, a lack of understanding, or just plain ignorance, but Hialeah does not deserve the rap it gets. You’ll hear from other Miami metro-area residents that Hialeah isn’t a place you want to be, that people are unfriendly, or that they’d never move there in their wildest dreams. While harsh, it’s also a completely undeserving way of looking at a city with a rich culture and history.

We highly recommend visiting Hialeah and staying in the community in a VRBO rather than a hotel to get a feel for what it's like to live among the locals. You can receive discounted fares on travel via our partnership with Expedia as well.

The thing you need to know about Hialeah is that it has a long history of residents immigrating to the US from Cuba and other Latin American countries. Because of this, the Spanish language is a vital part of daily life in Hialeah. Hialeah is often referred to as the second least diverse city in the US, due to its high Hispanic population. Cuban refugees, especially, are credited with shaping the culture and daily life in the city. There are tributes to Cuban culture everywhere including statues, local events, and more.

Hialeah residents see a slightly higher unemployment rate than the US average. Attributing to the unemployment rates rising over the past year is the fact that the top industry, by job, in Hialeah is retail, and, arguably, a good amount of people were laid off due to the pandemic. On a higher note, the future job growth in Hialeah is expected to be slightly higher than the US average and Hialeah will likely continue to see both population and job growth over the next decade. The top industries behind retail are healthcare and social services as well as manufacturing.