More historic than 2% of U.S. towns · #598 of 638 in Florida. What drives it
Most of Sunrise was built recently: 0.3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1983. Below: maps from 1963 on and the census since 1970.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Sunrise is more historic than 2% of U.S. towns, #598 of 638 in Florida. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
D−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Sunrise’s overall grade.
Few Florida towns list much on the Register (a typical Florida town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Sunrise’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (33% of Florida towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to D. The pre-1940 share (±0.2 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: the first census (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Sunrise’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
In 1960, Iowa-born developer Norman Johnson paid $9 million for 2,650 acres of land in southwestern Broward County. By 1961 it had fewer than 350 residents.
It has been reported that the community was going to be named Sunset Village, but this did not happen because residents felt that "sunset" was too final, so a change was made to "Sunrise." Mr. Johnson and F.E. Dykstra developed and built an "upside-down house" to lure property buyers. The home was completely furnished. Public interest was aroused through numerous news articles including a feature from Life magazine. It became a national attraction that drew thousands to the Village.
The Sunrise post office opened in 1970, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Sunrise rank for history?
Sunrise is more historic than 2% of U.S. towns, #598 of 638 in Florida. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Sunrise?
0.3% of Sunrise’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 0.6% for a Florida town; the median home was built in 1983.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (24), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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