Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Cape Coral, FL
VS
West Palm Beach, FL
🏆 Cape Coral leads 12 of 19 categories
Cape Coral
Florida
12
wins
Cost of Living Index
104.9⚠ High ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$72,474 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
—
Population
198,912 ✓ Larger
West Palm Beach
Florida
7
wins
Cost of Living Index
111.8⚠ High
Median Household Income
$64,044
Violent Crime Index
152⚠ High
Population
117,588
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Cape Coral, FL
Pros
Stronger job market — unemployment is 1.8 pts lower (4.4%)
Households earn $8,430 more per year on average
7% cheaper overall cost of living than West Palm Beach
Homes cost $22k less ($302,400 vs $324,800)
Cons
Longer commutes — 28.6 min average each way
West Palm Beach, FL
Pros
More college-educated — 37.5% hold a bachelor's or higher
Commutes run 5 min shorter each way
Smaller class sizes — 16.4:1 student-teacher ratio
Cons
Violent crime (575.8/100k) is above the U.S. average of 380
Living costs are well above the U.S. average (index 111.8)
Median income trails Cape Coral by $8,430/yr
Higher unemployment (6.2% vs 4.4%)
Key Differences at a Glance
Cape Coral
Cost of Living
7% cheaper
COL index 104.9 vs 111.8 (100 = US avg)
Cape Coral
Median Income
$8,430
$72,474 vs $64,044/yr
Cape Coral
Median Home Value
$22k less
$302,400 vs $324,800
Cape Coral
Unemployment
1.8 pp lower
4.4% vs 6.2% unemployment
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Cape Coral, FL | West Palm Beach, FL |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 104.9⚠ High ✓ Cheaper | 111.8⚠ High |
| Median Home Value | $302,400 ✓ Lower | $324,800⚠ High |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,630⚠ High | $1,614⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $72,474 ✓ Higher | $64,044 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.4%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 6.2%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 28.6 min⚠ High | 23.8 min ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 11.1% | 11.6% ✓ Higher |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | — | 132⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | — | 152⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | — | 102⚠ High |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | C+ (87) | B (103) ✓ Better |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 20.5:1 | 16.4:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 24.6% | 37.5% ✓ Higher |
| High School or Higher | 92.8% ✓ Higher | 86.7% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | LEE | PALM BEACH |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 75.0°F ✓ Warmer | 74.7°F |
| Avg High — July | 91.6°F ✓ Warmer | 90.0°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 57.4" ✓ Drier | 61.7" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" | 0.0" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 198,912 ✓ Larger | 117,588 |
| Median Age | 48.2 ✓ Older | 40.2 |
| Homeownership Rate | 77.4% ✓ Higher | 49.8% |
| Under 18 | 17.5% | 17.6% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 24.7% ✓ More | 19.9% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Cape Coral's cost of living index is 104.9 vs West Palm Beach's 111.8 (US average = 100).
Cape Coral is 7% less expensive overall.
Based on the 19 decided categories above, Cape Coral leads 12 of 19 categories. Cape Coral wins 12 and West Palm Beach wins 7. The right choice depends on your priorities — use the Pros & Cons and full table above to weigh what matters to you.
Whether you're moving from Cape Coral to West Palm Beach or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($302,400 vs $324,800 median home), income ($72,474 vs $64,044), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Cape Coral, FL and West Palm Beach, FL are about 115 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.