City comparison
Fort Lauderdale, FL is about 40 miles (70 km) from West Palm Beach, FL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 50 miles, or about 52 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Fort Lauderdale, FL to West Palm Beach, FL takes about 5 min, covering roughly 40 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Fort Lauderdale has a population of 182,673, vs 117,588 in West Palm Beach — about 1.6× larger by population. By land area, West Palm Beach covers about 54 sq mi vs 35 sq mi for Fort Lauderdale.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Fort Lauderdale | West Palm Beach | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,627/mo | $1,614/mo | 0.8% higher in Fort Lauderdale |
| Median home value | $417,600 | $324,800 | 28.6% higher in Fort Lauderdale |
| Median household income | $75,376 | $64,044 | 17.7% higher in Fort Lauderdale |
| Groceries index | 103.1 | 103.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 97.0 | 97.0 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 108.3 | 108.3 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 107.8 | 107.8 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Fort Lauderdale, you'd need $99,968 in West Palm Beach to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Fort Lauderdale, you'd need about $79,974 in West Palm Beach to keep the same standard of living.