Riviera Beach vs West Palm Beach
Riviera Beach, Florida versus West Palm Beach, Florida: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Riviera Beach and West Palm Beach score about the same overall (52 vs 53 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Riviera Beach | West Palm Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $58k | $64k |
| Cost of Living | $60k | $60k |
| Home Value | $281k | $325k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.91% | 0.95% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 6.75% | 7.11% |
| Unemployment | 9.2% | 6.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 67°F | 67°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 83°F | 83°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 61.7 in | 61.8 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 234 days | 234 days |
| Summer Humidity | 74°F | 74°F |
| Comfortable Days | 118 days | 118 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 60.8 | 32.6 |
| Air Quality | 41 AQI | 42 AQI |
| School Quality | 47.3 | 47.3 |
| Violent Crime | 2391/100k | 2061/100k |
| Property Crime | 2975/100k | 2611/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 37,668 | 117,588 |
| Median Age | 38.7 | 40.2 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.51 | 0.65 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.93 | 0.94 |
| Political Leaning | D+13 | D+13 |
| White (%) | 20.9% | 37.9% |
| Black (%) | 65.1% | 31.4% |
| Hispanic (%) | 7.6% | 24.7% |
| Asian (%) | 2.8% | 2.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.6% | 3.5% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 24 min | 24 min |
| Walkability | 13.7/20 | 11.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 7 mi | 5 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 87.4% | 86.1% |
| Amenities Nearby | 33.72 | 10.97 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: 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 Riviera Beach or West Palm Beach more affordable?
- West Palm Beach has the lower cost of living: its index is $60k, compared with Riviera Beach's $60k and West Palm Beach's $60k. Median rent is $1k in Riviera Beach versus $2k in West Palm Beach.
- Is Riviera Beach or West Palm Beach safer?
- West Palm Beach has the lower violent crime rate. Riviera Beach reports 2391/100k and West Palm Beach reports 2061/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Riviera Beach or West Palm Beach?
- The median home value is $281k in Riviera Beach and $325k in West Palm Beach, so homes are more affordable in Riviera Beach.