Orange County vs Palm Beach County
Orange 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.
Orange County and Palm Beach County score about the same overall (49 vs 50 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Orange County | Palm Beach County |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $73k | $76k |
| Cost of Living | $61k | $60k |
| Home Value | $329k | $368k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.82% | 0.91% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 6.03% | 6.73% |
| Unemployment | 5.5% | 5.8% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 61°F | 67°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 83°F | 83°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 54.2 in | 64.7 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 254 days | 234 days |
| Summer Humidity | 73°F | 74°F |
| Comfortable Days | 142 days | 117 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 98.4 | 99.2 |
| Air Quality | 43 AQI | 43 AQI |
| School Quality | 39.9 | 47.3 |
| Violent Crime | 1341/100k | 814/100k |
| Property Crime | 2210/100k | 1183/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 1,427,403 | 1,494,805 |
| Median Age | 35.9 | 45.2 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.66 | 0.57 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.97 | 0.95 |
| Political Leaning | D+23 | D+13 |
| White (%) | 37.5% | 51.7% |
| Black (%) | 19.3% | 18.1% |
| Hispanic (%) | 32.9% | 23.5% |
| Asian (%) | 5.2% | 2.8% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.0% | 4.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 28 min | 26 min |
| Walkability | 10.5/20 | 10.7/20 |
| Airport Distance | 10 mi | 23 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 92.0% | 89.2% |
| Amenities Nearby | 2.01 | 0.00 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | 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 Orange County or Palm Beach County more affordable?
- Palm Beach County has the lower cost of living: its index is $60k, compared with Orange County's $61k and Palm Beach County's $60k. Median rent is $2k in Orange County versus $2k in Palm Beach County.
- Is Orange County or Palm Beach County safer?
- Palm Beach County has the lower violent crime rate. Orange County reports 1341/100k and Palm Beach County reports 814/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Orange County or Palm Beach County?
- The median home value is $329k in Orange County and $368k in Palm Beach County, so homes are more affordable in Orange County.