Is Palm Beach, FL a Good Place to Live?
Palm Beach is a small town of 9,205 in Florida, with a median household income of $190,824 and a 5.6% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 112 (US average = 100), which is 12% above the national average.
Strengths: Palm Beach stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (A-), a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Palm Beach is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Palm Beach city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 111.8Palm Beach's overall cost of living index is 111.8, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Palm Beach costs roughly 12% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Palm Beach, FL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $1,679,800 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,793 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 84.2% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $190,824 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafePalm Beach's violent crime rate is 172.7 per 100,000 residents — 55% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Palm Beach is served primarily by PALM BEACH. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16.4:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Palm Beach, FL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | PALM BEACH | — |
| Elementary Schools | 132 | — |
| Middle Schools | 37 | — |
| High Schools | 50 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 16.4:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 68.5% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 97.7% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Palm Beach sees average highs of 74.7°F in January and 90.0°F in July, with 61.7 inches of annual precipitation .
| Metric | Palm Beach, FL |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 74.7°F |
| Average High — July | 90.0°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 61.7" |
| Annual Snowfall | Trace / None |
Demographics
| Metric | Palm Beach, FL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 9,205 | — |
| Median Age | 70.7 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.6% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 25.3 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 93.8% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.9% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.3% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 5.6% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 63.9% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Palm Beach
Palm Beach, FL is covered by 1 ZIP code: