Miami/Fort Lauderdale on most-abandoned cities list

The metropolitan Miami/Fort Lauderdale area ranks 11th on a Forbes magazine list of the country’s most-abandoned cities. Three other Florida cities, Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa, appear on the list at places seven, nine and 13, respectively. The Forbes list averages rental and homeowner vacancy rates in the fourth quarter for each area. The area encompassing Miami, Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale has a rental vacancy rate of 13.1 percent and a homeowner vacancy rate of 3.6 percent.