West Palm Beach, FL — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Florida·West Palm Beach

Palm Beach County · Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach · population 127,744

InvestorsGrowing fast
West Palm Beach, FL
Image: Wikipedia · West Palm Beach, Florida
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
65
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where West Palm Beach stands

Averaging 7.8% annual growth over 5 years. population growing 2.1% per year.

Median home $399,650
1-year -2.3%
5-yr CAGR +7.8%
vs 5-yr peak -5.0%
Population +2.1%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2024-09$400k$176k$263k$351k$438k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
40/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
30/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
100/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$2,327/mo$1,510$1,988$2,466202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent145145100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 14.3
Buy

At a 14.3 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in West Palm Beach on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 14.3 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
39 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
78 · w22%
Distance from peak
60 · w18%
Population growth
81 · w16%
Rent YoY
66 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
80 · w10%
Long thesis

West Palm Beach has been growing population at 2.1% per year while home values compounded +7.8% annually. Demand-driven appreciation — the kind that persists as long as people keep showing up, which they currently are.

Short thesis

West Palm Beach is in a state where home insurance costs have doubled, climate risk repricing is still in progress, and the buyer pool is constrained by both. The bear case writes itself and is currently winning.

About West Palm Beach

West Palm Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, with an estimated population of 127,744. It anchors the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach metro area. The population has grown 2.1% per year on average between 2020 and 2024 — among the faster-growing communities in the state. The median home value in West Palm Beach is $399,650 as of 2026-04, down 2.3% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +7.8% annual growth (-5.0% from the 5-year peak). Rents in West Palm Beach average $2,327 per month, up 3.2% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 65 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●People are voting with their feet: population growing 2.1% per year since 2020 — that’s faster than ~80% of US cities.
●Healthy 5-year run: +7.8% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.

▼ Bear case

●Cooling: -2.3% over the trailing year — momentum has stalled.
○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About West Palm Beach (Wikipedia)

West Palm Beach is a city in and the county seat of Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is located immediately to the west of the adjacent Palm Beach, which is situated on a barrier island across the Lake Worth Lagoon.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorKeith A. James
Area57.98 sq mi
Elevation16 ft
Establishedc. 1884
Density2246.97/sq mi
Named forLocation west of

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Things to see in West Palm Beach(Tourism and recreation)

  • Palm Beach Zoo at Dreher Park
  • West Palm Beach Parks and Recreation
  • Rapids Water Park
  • South Florida Science Museum
  • Lion Country Safari
  • International Polo Club Palm Beach
  • National Croquet Center
  • Trump International Golf Club (West Palm Beach)
  • West Palm Beach Fishing Club

Extracted from the Wikipedia article. Names linked in the source — open the city’s Wikipedia page for details.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Palm Beach County right now.

NWS active alerts (FL)Florida Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Palm Beach County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of West Palm Beach

35 tracked · ranked by median home value
1El Cid$3,451,669+15.6%
2Propect-Southland Park$2,228,310+15.0%
3South Side$1,251,623+14.4%
4Flamingo Park$1,124,630+6.8%
5Pineapple Park – Ibis$971,789+2.3%
6Grandview Heights$941,105-6.5%
7Old Northwood$936,491+11.0%
8Providencia Park$859,494-2.4%
9Central Park$742,014+6.0%
10Pineapple Park$591,745+4.1%
11Downtown$575,477-2.0%
12Northwood Shores$559,471+18.0%
13Vedado$507,253-0.0%
14Northwood Gardens$504,396+4.5%
15River Walk$482,998-2.4%
16Echo Lake$471,147-0.6%
17North Shore$447,670+1.8%
18Parker Ridge$430,362-3.1%
19Poinciana Park$424,764+0.1%
20Water Catchment Area$422,930-4.2%
21Palm Beach Lakes$411,948-4.7%
22Lake Mangonia$401,841-0.6%
23Southwest$401,594-2.5%
24Northwood Harbor$396,589-2.4%

See the full neighborhood ranking →

Cities like West Palm Beach

Doral, FL62 · RisingHialeah, FL61 · StableMiami Gardens, FL65 · RisingNorth Miami Beach, FL62 · Rising

Run the numbers for West Palm Beach

ToolCan I afford West Palm Beach?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a West Palm Beach rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare West Palm Beach to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolWest Palm Beach cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
70° / 51°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
90° / 73°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
233
~64% of year
Annual precip
54″ rain
0″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very high
Tornado
Moderate
Wildfire
Low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
Very high

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current West Palm Beach listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
76%
Very humid climate
Median household income
$67,900
Florida state median
Top industries (state-level)
TourismHealthcareConstruction

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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