Miami-Dade County vs Palm Beach County
Miami-Dade County, Florida versus Palm Beach County, Florida: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US counties.
Palm Beach County edges out Miami-Dade County on overall objective livability (50 vs 44 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Miami-Dade County | Palm Beach County |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $64k | $76k |
| Cost of Living | $61k | $60k |
| Home Value | $387k | $368k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.85% | 0.91% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 7.43% | 6.73% |
| Unemployment | 4.6% | 5.8% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 68°F | 67°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 84°F | 83°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 63.2 in | 64.7 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 238 days | 234 days |
| Summer Humidity | 74°F | 74°F |
| Comfortable Days | 113 days | 117 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 99.6 | 99.2 |
| Air Quality | 48 AQI | 43 AQI |
| School Quality | 42.7 | 47.3 |
| Violent Crime | 926/100k | 814/100k |
| Property Crime | 1935/100k | 1183/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 2,688,237 | 1,494,805 |
| Median Age | 40.6 | 45.2 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.67 | 0.57 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.96 | 0.95 |
| Political Leaning | Even | D+13 |
| White (%) | 13.0% | 51.7% |
| Black (%) | 14.9% | 18.1% |
| Hispanic (%) | 68.8% | 23.5% |
| Asian (%) | 1.5% | 2.8% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 1.9% | 4.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 32 min | 26 min |
| Walkability | 13.8/20 | 10.7/20 |
| Airport Distance | 21 mi | 23 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 84.5% | 89.2% |
| Amenities Nearby | 0.06 | 0.00 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US counties: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Miami-Dade County or Palm Beach County more affordable?
- Palm Beach County has the lower cost of living: its index is $60k, compared with Miami-Dade County's $61k and Palm Beach County's $60k. Median rent is $2k in Miami-Dade County versus $2k in Palm Beach County.
- Is Miami-Dade County or Palm Beach County safer?
- Palm Beach County has the lower violent crime rate. Miami-Dade County reports 926/100k and Palm Beach County reports 814/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Miami-Dade County or Palm Beach County?
- The median home value is $387k in Miami-Dade County and $368k in Palm Beach County, so homes are more affordable in Palm Beach County.