While numerous other coastal cities in Florida allowed the development of huge condominium complexes on the beach, Lauderdale-By-The-Sea strived to maintain its small charm and ocean views by severely limiting building heights in 1973, which it still does to this day.
The Town has undergone dramatic growth in the past 40 years. In 1960, the Town's population was 1,300 residents. The number of permanent residents residing here more than doubled in October 2001, when Lauderdale-By-The-Sea successfully annexed the Intracoastal Beach Area, a coastal neighborhood just north of the Town. The Town's permanent population today is 6,056 residents.