Cost of living in West Palm Beach research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means West Palm Beach is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Florida, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in West Palm Beach is 107, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in West Palm Beach is 1.1x higher than the national average.
West Palm Beach ranks as the #332 cheapest in Florida out of 459.
West Palm Beach ranks as the #3,867 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in West Palm Beach is $275,700.
The median income in West Palm Beach is $56,549.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, West Palm Beach has an overall cost of living index of 107, which is 1.1x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Florida, West Palm Beach has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Florida's index of 101.
The standard of living in West Palm Beach ranks as #332 most affordable out of the 459 places we measured in Florida. By definition, that implies West Palm Beach ranks as the #127 most expensive place in the Sunshine State.
For more reading on life in West Palm Beach, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in West Palm Beach. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in West Palm Beach is 97.
The Groceries index in West Palm Beach is 119.
The Health index in West Palm Beach is 102.
The Housing index in West Palm Beach is 111.
The Transportation index in West Palm Beach is 111.
The Utilities index in West Palm Beach is 99.
Living Expense | West Palm Beach | Florida | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 107 | 101 | 100 | |
Services | 97 | 98 | 100 | |
Groceries | 119 | 101 | 100 | |
Health | 102 | 96 | 100 | |
Housing | 111 | 108 | 100 | |
Transportation | 111 | 98 | 100 | |
Utilities | 99 | 100 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Florida, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in West Palm Beach is $275,700.
The Median Rent in West Palm Beach is $1,446.
The Median Income in West Palm Beach is $56,549.
The Home Value To Income in West Palm Beach is 4.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in West Palm Beach is 0.31x.
Statistic | West Palm Beach | Florida | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $275,700 | $248,700 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,446 | $1,301 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $56,549 | $61,777 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 4.9x | 4.0x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.31x | 0.25x | 0.2x |
Item | West Palm Beach | Florida |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.07 | $1.06 |
Movie | $11.82 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $20.88 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $14.47 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $65.03 | $39.05 |
Item | West Palm Beach | Florida |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $4.66 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.62 | $1.39 |
Milk | $2.96 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $4.99 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $8.99 | $10.62 |
Beer | $10.84 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.04 | $2.34 |
Item | West Palm Beach | Florida |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $135.56 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $102.25 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $106.04 | $99.13 |
Item | West Palm Beach | Florida |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.24 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $63.76 | $50.07 |
Item | West Palm Beach | Florida |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $162.2 | $167.67 |
Phone | $188.17 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around West Palm Beach. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Boynton Beach, FL has a cost of living index of 102, 1.0x West Palm Beach.
Wellington, FL has a cost of living index of 125, 1.2x West Palm Beach.
Jupiter, FL has a cost of living index of 123, 1.1x West Palm Beach.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. West Palm Beach |
---|---|---|---|
Boynton Beach, FL | 79,479 | 102 | 1.0x |
Wellington, FL | 61,445 | 125 | 1.2x |
Jupiter, FL | 60,629 | 123 | 1.1x |
Palm Beach Gardens, FL | 58,482 | 122 | 1.1x |
Greenacres, FL | 43,482 | 98 | 0.9x |
The Acreage, FL | 40,771 | 115 | 1.1x |
Royal Palm Beach, FL | 38,697 | 112 | 1.0x |
Riviera Beach, FL | 37,301 | 97 | 0.9x |
Jupiter Farms, FL | 13,437 | 126 | 1.2x |
North Palm Beach, FL | 13,096 | 116 | 1.1x |