West Palm Beach receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Opa-locka
West Palm Beach
Opportunity
56 · Top 50%
vs56 · Top 50%
Growth
65 · Top 25%
vs65 · Top 24%
Climate
82 · Top 12%
vs83 · Top 11%
Physical resilience
24 · Bottom 19%
vs18 · Bottom 11%
Housing affordability
10 · Bottom 1%
vs49 · Bottom 10%
Schools
15 · Bottom 6%
vs28 · Bottom 20%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
31 · Bottom 8%
vs46 · Bottom 25%
Measured values
| Metric | Opa-locka | West Palm Beach | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,282 | 122,290 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $37,532 | $73,446 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $18,160 | $48,223 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,779/sq mi | 2,270/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $295,800 | $414,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,351 | $1,772 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 28.9% | 50.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.5% | 4.1% | July 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.6% | -0.8% | July 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 7.9% | 39.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 29.7% | 14.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 36 | 554 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 4.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 3500.0% | 536.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 59°F | 58°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 62.7" | 61.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 2 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 33.6 min | 25.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.8 | 41.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 32 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.85 | 16.77 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 29.0% | 43.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 37.3% | 45.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 57.9% | 58.9% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Opa-locka
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, cold wave.
West Palm Beach
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Opa-locka
48
Your Score
45
Area Score
West Palm Beach
55
Your Score
51
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Opa-locka, FL · West Palm Beach, FL · How this is calculated: methodology