West Palm Beach vs Worcester
The short version
- Worcester is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 10% lower than in the West Palm Beach area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $374,400 in Worcester and $414,200 in West Palm Beach.
- West Palm Beach has the warmer winter: January highs of 75°F vs 32°F.
- Worcester gets far more snow: 73 inches a year vs 0.
- West Palm Beach has more scorching days: 74 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 3.
- West Palm Beach is growing faster: +8.4% since 2020 vs +3.6%.
- Florida has no state income tax on wages; Massachusetts's top rate is 9%.
Side by side
| West Palm Beach, FL | Worcester, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 127,189 | 213,862 |
| Growth since 2020 | +8.4% | +3.6% |
| People per square mile | 2,361 | 5,724 |
| Median age | 41.1 | 33.9 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39% | 35% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $73,446 | $70,102 |
| Median home value | $414,200 | $374,400 |
| Home value to income | 5.6× | 5.3× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,772 | $1,487 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 114.2 | 102.5 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 155.6 | 113.0 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $85,600 | $76,900 |
| Homeowners | 51% | 43% |
| Top state income tax | None | 9% |
| Combined sales tax | 6.98% | 6.25% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 23.4 | 24.1 |
| Work from home | 13% | 12% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 3% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.1% | 6.5% |
| Poverty rate | 14.1% | 19.6% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 75° / 58° | 32° / 17° |
| July high / low | 90° / 76° | 80° / 62° |
| Precipitation per year | 62 in | 48 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 73 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 74 | 3 |
| Nights below freezing | 0 | 130 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.2 | 93.5 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 53% | 81% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.7% | +2.5% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +58.7% | +43.8% |
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: West Palm Beach: November to April. Worcester: May to September.
Full monthly tables: West Palm Beach weather by month and Worcester weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $85,600 in West Palm Beach and $76,900 in Worcester. Moving from West Palm Beach to Worcester, you would need about $67,400 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between West Palm Beach and Worcester
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from West Palm Beach and Worcester.
Which would you pick?
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