Should I Move To
West Palm Beach, Florida is home to about 117,588 people. On cost of living, it lands in the expensive band — 25% above the national average. The median renter pays around $1,614 a month against a typical household income of $64,044. Our composite UrbRank Score lands at 43 out of 100 (grade D), putting it at #724 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
West Palm Beach's composite cost-of-living index lands at 125 (100 = US average), which puts it in the expensive band. At $1,614/mo against $64,044 in median household income, the typical renter spends about 30% of income on housing — a bit above the 30% rule, meaning housing is on the tight side for the median household. Median home value sits around $324,800.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Climate is warm year-round — summer averages around 90°F, winter averages around 63°F. Precipitation totals about 67 inches a year. Almost entirely car-dependent. Sidewalks exist; they just don't connect to where you need to go. Reported crime is somewhat above average, though specific neighborhoods vary widely. AQI runs about 35 — a "good" reading.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
West Palm Beach doesn't obviously fit families. The profile-weighted score is 43/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is environmental quality (88/100); the soft spot is walkability (1/100).
West Palm Beach doesn't obviously fit retirees. The profile-weighted score is 43/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is environmental quality (88/100); the soft spot is walkability (1/100).
West Palm Beach doesn't obviously fit remote workers. The profile-weighted score is 44/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is environmental quality (88/100); the soft spot is walkability (1/100).
West Palm Beach doesn't obviously fit young professionals. The profile-weighted score is 30/100 — a F. Its standout dimension is environmental quality (88/100); the soft spot is walkability (1/100).
Our overall score for West Palm Beach is 43/100 — a D, sitting at #724 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, West Palm Beach sits at 125 — expensive, 25% above the national average. Median renter pays around $1,614 a month.
West Palm Beach runs warm year-round on the weather. Summer's near 90°F, winter's near 63°F; 67 inches of precipitation annually.
Walk Score: 1/100. Almost entirely car-dependent. Sidewalks exist; they just don't connect to where you need to go.
Roughly 117,588 people live here, with 37% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 40.
Drop West Palm Beach into the comparison tool with any other US city and you'll get housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life data lined up side by side. Profile-specific leaderboards (families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals) are linked from the navigation.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare West Palm Beach with other Florida cities scored on UrbRank.
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