West Palm Beach, FL
Census place 1276600 · pop 122,290
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
100/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.51 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
16.9% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
574 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
50.5% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$2,365/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
2163 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$414,200 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
89.3% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
27.3% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
14.1% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$73,446 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
43 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
13.0% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.93% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
23 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
16.4% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
39.2% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.1% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
29.1% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+11.4% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
Frequently asked
- Is West Palm Beach, FL a good place to live?
- By the numbers, West Palm Beach scores 41/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is unhealthy air days and its weakest is natural disaster risk. Florida overall ranks #29 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is West Palm Beach, FL?
- West Palm Beach reports 574 violent crimes per 100k and 2163 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is West Palm Beach, FL expensive to live in?
- West Palm Beach has a median home value of $414,200 and typical rent around $2,365/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in West Palm Beach, FL?
- Its weakest measured area is natural disaster risk (100/100) — 6/100, worse than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
- What is West Palm Beach, FL best at?
- Its strongest measured area is unhealthy air days (0 days) — 85/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.
