Palm Bay vs West Palm Beach
The short version
- Palm Bay is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 12% lower than in the West Palm Beach area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $283,200 in Palm Bay and $414,200 in West Palm Beach.
- Palm Bay is growing faster: +23.7% since 2020 vs +8.4%.
- Commutes are shorter in West Palm Beach (23 vs 28 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Palm Bay, FL | West Palm Beach, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 148,092 | 127,189 |
| Growth since 2020 | +23.7% | +8.4% |
| People per square mile | 1,709 | 2,361 |
| Median age | 41.0 | 41.1 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24% | 39% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $72,614 | $73,446 |
| Median home value | $283,200 | $414,200 |
| Home value to income | 3.9× | 5.6× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,601 | $1,772 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 100.0 | 114.2 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 111.7 | 155.6 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $75,000 | $85,600 |
| Homeowners | 80% | 51% |
| Top state income tax | None | None |
| Combined sales tax | 6.98% | 6.98% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 27.8 | 23.4 |
| Work from home | 11% | 13% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6.1% | 5.1% |
| Poverty rate | 11.7% | 14.1% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 72° / 52° | 75° / 58° |
| July high / low | 90° / 74° | 90° / 76° |
| Precipitation per year | 51 in | 62 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 63 | 74 |
| Nights below freezing | 2 | 0 |
| Comfortable months | 7 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 98.4 | 99.2 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 91% | 53% |
| Home prices, past year | +2.2% | +3.7% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +40.5% | +58.7% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Palm Bay: November to May. West Palm Beach: November to April.
Full monthly tables: Palm Bay weather by month and West Palm Beach weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $75,000 in Palm Bay and $85,600 in West Palm Beach. Moving from Palm Bay to West Palm Beach, you would need about $85,600 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Palm Bay and West Palm Beach
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Palm Bay and West Palm Beach.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.