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Place dossier plate
SheetFL-SOUTH-PALM-BEACH-FL · South Palm Beach, FL 1,667 pop · income 61st pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around South Palm Beach
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest South Palm Beach on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Tsaile · lowest
40,500
Tsaile · lowest
40,500 median HH income
48.8% of the leader · rank #1
South Palm Be… · this city
79,583
South Palm Be… · this city
79,583 median HH income
95.9% of the leader · rank #2
Alexis · near
79,583
Alexis · near
79,583 median HH income
95.9% of the leader · rank #3
Bellflower · near
79,583
Bellflower · near
79,583 median HH income
95.9% of the leader · rank #4
Bement · near
79,583
Bement · near
79,583 median HH income
95.9% of the leader · rank #5
Coates · near
79,583
Coates · near
79,583 median HH income
95.9% of the leader · rank #6
Christmas · highest
83,015
Christmas · highest
83,015 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for South Palm Beach on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 1,667.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
South Palm Beach - the verdict
Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, South Palm Beach lands in the 61st percentile for household income and the 80th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
61st
percentile, household income
75th
percentile, home value
73rd
percentile, median rent
80th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: South Palm Beach, FL
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 1,667 residents in South Palm Beach, a small town within Florida. The typical household in South Palm Beach brings in $79,583 a year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 6.9%. Typical homes in South Palm Beach are valued around $374,200, and the median resident age is 68.1 years. Educational attainment runs 44.2% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 44.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 0 residential units authorized here in 2024 (No Permits). South Palm Beach reports a comparatively low crime rate: per-100,000 total crime stands at 619.0 in FBI UCR data, below the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Florida carries a cost-of-living premium: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Florida scores 103.4 (Above Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,526 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Florida's average monthly utility costs around $225 (state average). On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 75.7 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (High).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of South Palm Beach's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from housing and income to comparison shortlist to reported crime to work and mobility to population change; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For South Palm Beach, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares, FBI reported-crime rates, annual population history, local building permits.
No matched row is reported here for matched public-school count, within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in South Palm Beach?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 4.7 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 6.9%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Which cities make useful reference points for South Palm Beach?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Florida, the closest population matches are Pine Island Center (1,668 residents, $61,111 income); Christmas (1,665 residents, $83,015 income); Interlachen (1,659 residents, $48,000 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Grand Canyon, AZ (1,667 residents); Tsaile, AZ (1,667 residents); Osakis, MN (1,667 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
What can the FBI record say about safety in South Palm Beach?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 619.0 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 73% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
What does the journey to work look like in South Palm Beach?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 63.3%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. Remote work has a visible role in the local pattern. That can reduce commute exposure for some workers, but it says nothing about job availability or broadband quality; read it alongside income and housing rather than as a stand-alone lifestyle score.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Population change
Is South Palm Beach growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +9 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +0.6% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 0 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
The recent population line is broadly flat. That makes the composition of change more important than the headline count: housing turnover, household size, and age structure can shift even when the total barely moves.
2020 estimate
1,479
2025 estimate
1,488
Period change
+0.6%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
Above median income · poverty 6.9% (Below-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
103.4 (US=100)
Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Florida average
C
City profile score · South Palm Beach, FL
58/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Bachelor's+ share B+
44.2%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Violent crime B+
69 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Household income C
$79,583
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate C-
6.9%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Cost of living F
103.4 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
South Palm Beach profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 79/100 (B+) · 44.2%
Violent crime: 79/100 (B+) · 69 /100k
Household income: 59/100 (C) · $79,583
Poverty rate: 53/100 (C-) · 6.9%
Cost of living: 25/100 (F) · 103.4 index
Where South Palm Beach sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
South Palm Beach's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - South Palm Beach highlighted among 23 peers.Read the chart values
South Palm Beach, FL (this city): home $374,200, crime 619/100k
Osakis, MN : home $169,200, crime 172/100k
Bridgton, ME : home $239,200, crime 1,092/100k
New York, NY : home $751,700, crime 3,039/100k
Los Angeles, CA : home $879,500, crime 2,212/100k
Chicago, IL : home $315,200, crime 4,012/100k
Houston, TX : home $253,400, crime 5,442/100k
Phoenix, AZ : home $381,900, crime 3,125/100k
Philadelphia, PA : home $232,400, crime 5,457/100k
San Antonio, TX : home $219,700, crime 5,218/100k
San Diego, CA : home $848,500, crime 2,082/100k
Dallas, TX : home $295,300, crime 4,010/100k
San Jose, CA : home $1,187,800, crime 3,195/100k
Austin, TX : home $512,700, crime 3,709/100k
Fort Worth, TX : home $277,300, crime 3,158/100k
Columbus, OH : home $234,500, crime 3,088/100k
Indianapolis, IN : home $207,000, crime 4,214/100k
San Francisco, CA : home $1,380,500, crime 4,526/100k
Seattle, WA : home $912,100, crime 5,783/100k
Denver, CO : home $586,700, crime 5,755/100k
Oklahoma City, OK : home $215,100, crime 3,570/100k
El Paso, TX : home $171,700, crime 1,772/100k
Washington, DC : home $724,600, crime 4,514/100k
How does South Palm Beach compare to other US cities?
South Palm Beach measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income61% higher than other cities
Home value75% pricier than other cities
Median rent73% pricier than other cities
Safety80% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Florida alone, South Palm Beach ranks #13 of 120 Florida cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares South Palm Beach against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Florida only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Florida-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places South Palm Beach near the bottom of Florida's cities
Among the 930 Florida cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, South Palm Beach ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares South Palm Beach only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#323 of 903
64th percentile in Florida
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 930
0th percentile in Florida
Median Home Value
#274 of 894
69th percentile in Florida
Poverty Rate
#517 of 930
44th percentile in Florida
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#194 of 930
79th percentile in Florida
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Florida only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
61st percentile nationally for median household income · 80th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
South Palm Beach's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
South Palm Beach's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How South Palm Beach's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$374,20025th percentilemore affordable than 25% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
South Palm Beach's home-value-to-income ratio: 4.7×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#12,384 of 15,516
More affordable than 20% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#9,437 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 4.7×, South Palm Beach sits in the moderate band:
national rank #12,384 of 15,516 and #9,437 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$79,583South Palm Beach, FL median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context South Palm Beach, FL median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for South Palm Beach, FL.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)44.2%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)6.9%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)44.0%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
1,667
Median Income
$79,583
Median Home Value
$374,200
Median Age
68.1
Poverty Rate
6.9%
Labor force participation
44.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
44.2%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
619.0
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
68.8
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
550.2
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
South Palm Beach's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
1,479 residents
2021
1,471 residents
2022
1,482 residents
2023
1,496 residents
2024
1,496 residents
2025
1,488 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
0
0
0
-
2020
0
0
0
-
2021
0
0
0
-
2022
0
0
0
-
2023
0
0
0
-
2024
0
0
0
-
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
63.3%
Carpool
1.1%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.8%
Work from Home
29.4%
Other
5.4%
Based on 711 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Florida statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $225
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Florida at $225 (electricity about $145 , water and sewer about $55 ).
These are Florida statewide averages, not a meter reading for South Palm Beach. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Florida's BEA cost-of-living index is 103.4 (Above Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around South Palm Beach is $1,526/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Florida statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 75.7 / 100 (High).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Florida statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county South Palm Beach sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How South Palm Beach compares to similar-size Florida cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.