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CITY

West Palm Beach

Florida · 127,189 residents (2025 est.) · 53.9 sq mi
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Part of the Miami metro area
The short version

West Palm Beach is home to 122,290 people in Florida. Growth has run 49% since 2000, or 40,187 more people. 51% of homes are owner-occupied. The foreign-born share is 28%. Density works out to 2,270 people per square mile. 39% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

At a glance
Lower income
median household income $73,446, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 41.1
US median: 38.9
Average education
39% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 148%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about West Palm Beach

What changed most since 1990

  • Median home value (2024 dollars)$171,125 → $414,200 (+142%)US over the same years: +67%
  • Population67,643 → 122,290 (+81%)US over the same years: +35%

Among the 164 cities and towns in the Miami metro

  • 87th in household income$73,446
  • 67th in share with a bachelor's degree39.2%
  • 87th in home value$414,200
  • 12th in diversity score87.8

Its weight in Palm Beach County

West Palm Beach's population equals 8.0% of Palm Beach County's. Its number of households without a car equals 14% of the county's.

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
122,290
+49%since 2000
from 82,103 in 2000
127,189 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
2,270 / sq mi
+49%since 2000
from 1,524 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
41.1
+12%since 2000
from 36.7 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
53.9 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
62K79K95K111K128K19902000201020202024West Palm Beach
2024122K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.6%(5,587)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.3%(6,474)
US avg: 6%
10 to 144.5%(5,541)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.8%(7,065)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.1%(7,399)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3414.8%(18,120)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4414%(17,108)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.3%(13,832)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.2%(14,913)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7411.7%(14,249)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 846.6%(8,053)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over3.2%(3,949)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$73,446
+10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $36,774 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$48,223
+108%since 2000
from $23,188 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
48.9%
+21.1 ptssince 2009
from 27.9% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
14.1%
−4.7 ptssince 2000
from 18.9% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.505
−1%since 2010
from 0.512 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information12%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade9.7%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services7.5%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance6.6%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical5.1%
US avg: 5.1%
Retail trade4.7%
US avg: 9.9%
Public administration4.5%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing1.9%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.6%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services1.5%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.3%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.3%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$414,200
+148%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $91,500 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,772
+46%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $664 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
50.5%
−1.5 ptssince 2000
from 52.0% in 2000
49.5% rent
Vacancy rate
15.9%
−5.9 ptssince 2009
from 21.8% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.25 people
−3%since 2009
from 2.32 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
33.2%
−10.4 ptssince 2009
from 43.6% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
57.4%
+1.9 ptssince 2009
from 55.5% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
5.6
+3%since 2009
from 5.5 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
66
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic46%(37,771)
Black31.6%(25,958)
Hispanic / Latino18.2%(14,955)
Asian1.4%(1,163)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic36.2%(44,286)
Black32.2%(39,378)
Hispanic / Latino24.6%(30,096)
Asian2.7%(3,279)
Other4.3%(5,251)
Diversity Score
88
+6%since 2009
from 82 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Central American6.8%(8,282)
Cuban6.1%(7,506)
Guatemalan4.6%(5,620)
South American4.1%(5,043)
Puerto Rican3.3%(4,070)
Mexican2.2%(2,690)
Colombian1.3%(1,559)
Peruvian1%(1,261)
Honduran1%(1,190)
Dominican0.8%(959)
Venezuelan0.7%(867)
Ecuadorian0.6%(747)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Nicaraguan0.5%(557)
Salvadoran0.4%(497)
Spaniard0.4%(434)
Chilean0.2%(243)
Costa Rican0.2%(237)
Argentine0.1%(176)
Panamanian0.1%(136)
Bolivian0.1%(121)
Uruguayan0.1%(62)
Asian origin
Thai0.6%(711)
Chinese0.5%(583)
Filipino0.5%(576)
Asian Indian0.3%(421)
Pakistani0.3%(322)
Vietnamese0.2%(198)
Indonesian0.1%(128)
Korean0.1%(126)
Cambodian0.1%(79)
Japanese0%(57)
Nepalese0%(50)
+ 2 more asian origin groups with data
Burmese0%(23)
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
West Indian11.5%(14,021)
German6.1%(7,518)
English5.9%(7,257)
Italian5.7%(6,948)
Haitian5.7%(6,939)
Irish5.6%(6,897)
Jamaican5.1%(6,231)
American4.3%(5,266)
Polish2%(2,494)
Russian1.7%(2,106)
French1.7%(2,028)
+ 47 more ancestry groups with data
Scottish1.3%(1,628)
Arab0.7%(874)
Hungarian0.6%(791)
Greek0.6%(758)
Ukrainian0.6%(706)
Swedish0.5%(669)
Lithuanian0.4%(544)
Scotch-Irish0.4%(508)
Brazilian0.4%(452)
Dutch0.4%(432)
Portuguese0.3%(414)
British0.3%(380)
Austrian0.3%(369)
Norwegian0.3%(329)
Welsh0.2%(298)
Lebanese0.2%(296)
Romanian0.2%(295)
Finnish0.2%(289)
Moroccan0.2%(201)
Guyanese0.1%(181)
Latvian0.1%(167)
Danish0.1%(163)
Nigerian0.1%(163)
Barbadian0.1%(155)
Czech0.1%(148)
Jordanian0.1%(146)
Swiss0.1%(146)
Egyptian0.1%(129)
Belgian0.1%(125)
Canadian0.1%(122)
Australian0.1%(112)
Iranian0.1%(107)
Macedonian0.1%(106)
Slovak0.1%(95)
Ethiopian0.1%(80)
Serbian0.1%(77)
Croatian0.1%(69)
Palestinian0.1%(64)
Armenian0%(58)
Israeli0%(53)
Turkish0%(51)
Syrian0%(42)
Bulgarian0%(28)
Ghanaian0%(20)
Slovene0%(10)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
39.2%
+12.3 ptssince 2000
from 26.9% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
87.2%
+11.6 ptssince 2000
from 75.5% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
14.7%
+4.5 ptssince 2000
from 10.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
23.4 min
+63%since 2000
from 14.3 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
70.3%
−5.4 ptssince 2009
from 75.6% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
9.4%
−1.6 ptssince 2009
from 11.0% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
2.4%
−1.5 ptssince 2009
from 3.9% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
13.3%
+9.8 ptssince 2009
from 3.5% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.8%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 2.9% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.6%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 0.9% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
9.5%
−1.7 ptssince 2009
from 11.2% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.1%
−5.6 ptssince 2011
from 10.7% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
64.4%
−1.0 ptssince 2011
from 65.4% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
76.7%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 76.1% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
10.1%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 10.7% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
40.3%
+9.4 ptssince 2009
from 31.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.8%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 49.8% in 2009
Female
50.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 50.2% in 2009
Foreign born
28.2%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 27.1% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
4.7%
−4.7 ptssince 2009
from 9.4% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
10.9%
+0.6 ptssince 2012
from 10.3% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
15.2%
−10.9 ptssince 2013
from 26.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
89.3%
+15.6 ptssince 2017
from 73.7% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
96.7%
+3.6 ptssince 2020
from 93.1% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
84.7%
+3.4 ptssince 2020
from 81.2% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
68.7%
−0.3 ptssince 2016
from 69.0% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
19.7%
−0.5 ptssince 2016
from 20.2% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married43.8%(22,393)
Married39.9%(20,416)
Widowed4.2%(2,135)
Divorced12.1%(6,193)
Women 15+
Never married35.9%(19,243)
Married37.1%(19,855)
Widowed11.1%(5,938)
Divorced15.9%(8,515)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
15.2%
−10.9 ptssince 2013
from 26.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
41.0%
−1.9 ptssince 2020
from 42.9% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
19.9%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 19.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
21.8%
+1.8 ptssince 2020
from 20.0% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
18.3%
−0.9 ptssince 2020
from 19.2% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.5%
−0.7 ptssince 2020
from 2.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
58.6%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 59.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
36.6%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 36.2% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)22.4%(1,060)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)20.9%(991)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era33.2%(1,571)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War14.1%(668)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II2.2%(103)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 4,732 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

West Palm Beach, decade by decade

West Palm Beach population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
199067,643$63,611$171,12520.4%74.7
200082,103$66,990$166,68126.9%81.8
201099,919$64,599$344,82529.4%84.5
2020117,415$66,181$319,25135.6%87.0
2024122,290$73,446$414,20039.2%87.8

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

Places similar to West Palm Beach

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Pop 120,384
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Pop 139,729
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Palm Bay
Pop 148,092
Places similar to West Palm Beach
Head to head

Compare West Palm Beach to nearby cities

WEST PALM BEACH VS
Westgate
Income$51,604−30%
Home value$251,300−39%
Population8,151−94%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WEST PALM BEACH VS
Riviera Beach
Income$68,060−7%
Home value$354,500−14%
Population39,357−69%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WEST PALM BEACH VS
Lake Park
Income$70,954−3%
Home value$394,400−5%
Population9,125−93%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WEST PALM BEACH VS
Palm Beach
Income$168,403+129%
Home value$2,000,000+
Population9,423−93%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in West Palm Beach, Florida?

West Palm Beach, Florida has about 122,290 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in West Palm Beach, Florida?

The typical household in West Palm Beach, Florida earns about $73,446 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is West Palm Beach, Florida expensive?

In West Palm Beach, Florida, the median home is worth about $414,200, and the typical rent is about $1,772 a month.

How educated are people in West Palm Beach, Florida?

About 39.2% of adults age 25 and over in West Palm Beach, Florida hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in West Palm Beach, Florida?

About 14.1% of people in West Palm Beach, Florida live below the federal poverty line.

Has West Palm Beach, Florida grown since 1990?

Yes, West Palm Beach, Florida has grown since 1990. The population has added about 54,647 residents, a change of about 81 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →