Royal Palm Beach vs West Palm Beach
Royal Palm 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.
Royal Palm Beach and West Palm Beach score about the same overall (55 vs 53 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Royal Palm Beach | West Palm Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $90k | $64k |
| Cost of Living | $60k | $60k |
| Home Value | $349k | $325k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.79% | 0.95% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 5.35% | 7.11% |
| Unemployment | 4.8% | 6.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 67°F | 67°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 83°F | 83°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 65.3 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 | 117 days | 118 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 68.1 | 32.6 |
| Air Quality | 42 AQI | 42 AQI |
| School Quality | 47.3 | 47.3 |
| Violent Crime | 708/100k | 2061/100k |
| Property Crime | 1290/100k | 2611/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 38,874 | 117,588 |
| Median Age | 40.2 | 40.2 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.63 | 0.65 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.91 | 0.94 |
| Political Leaning | D+13 | D+13 |
| White (%) | 40.7% | 37.9% |
| Black (%) | 26.6% | 31.4% |
| Hispanic (%) | 24.9% | 24.7% |
| Asian (%) | 4.8% | 2.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.0% | 3.5% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 30 min | 24 min |
| Walkability | 10.0/20 | 11.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 8 mi | 5 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 94.3% | 86.1% |
| Amenities Nearby | 35.76 | 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 Royal Palm Beach or West Palm Beach more affordable?
- West Palm Beach has the lower cost of living: its index is $60k, compared with Royal Palm Beach's $60k and West Palm Beach's $60k. Median rent is $2k in Royal Palm Beach versus $2k in West Palm Beach.
- Is Royal Palm Beach or West Palm Beach safer?
- Royal Palm Beach has the lower violent crime rate. Royal Palm Beach reports 708/100k and West Palm Beach reports 2061/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Royal Palm Beach or West Palm Beach?
- The median home value is $349k in Royal Palm Beach and $325k in West Palm Beach, so homes are more affordable in West Palm Beach.