Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Port St. Lucie, FL
VS
West Palm Beach, FL
🏆 Port St. Lucie leads 14 of 22 categories
Port St. Lucie
Florida
14
wins
Cost of Living Index
101.7⚠ High ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$75,040 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
31 ✓ Safer
Population
210,520 ✓ Larger
West Palm Beach
Florida
8
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.
Port St. Lucie, FL
Pros
80% less violent crime than West Palm Beach
Violent crime is well below the national average (116.7 vs 380/100k)
Households earn $10,996 more per year on average
Stronger job market — unemployment is 0.5 pts lower (5.7%)
10% cheaper overall cost of living than West Palm Beach
Homes cost $32k less ($292,900 vs $324,800)
Cons
Longer commutes — 29.2 min average each way
West Palm Beach, FL
Pros
Commutes run 5 min shorter each way
More college-educated — 37.5% hold a bachelor's or higher
Smaller class sizes — 16.4:1 student-teacher ratio
Cons
Violent crime (575.8/100k) is above the U.S. average of 380
Median income trails Port St. Lucie by $10,996/yr
Living costs are well above the U.S. average (index 111.8)
Cost of living runs 10% higher than Port St. Lucie
Key Differences at a Glance
Port St. Lucie
Cost of Living
10% cheaper
COL index 101.7 vs 111.8 (100 = US avg)
Port St. Lucie
Median Income
$10,996
$75,040 vs $64,044/yr
Port St. Lucie
Violent Crime
80% lower
116.7 vs 575.8 per 100k
Port St. Lucie
Median Home Value
$32k less
$292,900 vs $324,800
Port St. Lucie
Unemployment
0.5 pp lower
5.7% vs 6.2% unemployment
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Port St. Lucie, FL | West Palm Beach, FL |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 101.7⚠ High ✓ Cheaper | 111.8⚠ High |
| Median Home Value | $292,900 ✓ Lower | $324,800⚠ High |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,684⚠ High | $1,614⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $75,040 ✓ Higher | $64,044 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.7%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 6.2%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 29.2 min⚠ High | 23.8 min ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 9.0% | 11.6% ✓ Higher |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 33 ✓ Safer | 132⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 31 ✓ Safer | 152⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 36 ✓ Safer | 102⚠ High |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | B- (92) | B (103) ✓ Better |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 19.4:1 | 16.4:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 26.2% | 37.5% ✓ Higher |
| High School or Higher | 90.7% ✓ Higher | 86.7% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | ST. LUCIE | PALM BEACH |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 73.1°F | 74.7°F ✓ Warmer |
| Avg High — July | 88.6°F | 90.0°F ✓ Warmer |
| Annual Precipitation | 60.1" ✓ Drier | 61.7" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" | 0.0" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 210,520 ✓ Larger | 117,588 |
| Median Age | 43.5 ✓ Older | 40.2 |
| Homeownership Rate | 82.8% ✓ Higher | 49.8% |
| Under 18 | 20.8% ✓ More | 17.6% |
| Over 65 | 21.4% ✓ More | 19.9% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Port St. Lucie's cost of living index is 101.7 vs West Palm Beach's 111.8 (US average = 100).
Port St. Lucie is 10% less expensive overall.
Based on the 22 decided categories above, Port St. Lucie leads 14 of 22 categories. Port St. Lucie wins 14 and West Palm Beach wins 8. 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 Port St. Lucie to West Palm Beach or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($292,900 vs $324,800 median home), income ($75,040 vs $64,044), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Port St. Lucie, FL and West Palm Beach, FL are about 40 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.