Sunny Isles Beach receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Sunny Isles Beach
West Palm Beach
Opportunity
74 · Top 15%
vs56 · Top 50%
Growth
76 · Top 8%
vs65 · Top 24%
Climate
77 · Top 24%
vs83 · Top 11%
Physical resilience
24 · Bottom 19%
vs18 · Bottom 11%
Housing affordability
9 · Bottom 1%
vs49 · Bottom 10%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
28 · Bottom 5%
vs46 · Bottom 25%
Measured values
| Metric | Sunny Isles Beach | West Palm Beach | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,437 | 122,290 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $61,921 | $73,446 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $59,467 | $48,223 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 22,193/sq mi | 2,270/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $549,100 | $414,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,096 | $1,772 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 54.2% | 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 | 53.2% | 39.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.3% | 14.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 254 | 554 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 11.3 | 4.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 59°F | 58°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 62.0" | 61.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 9 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 34.3 min | 25.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 47.5 | 41.1 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Sunny Isles Beach
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, cold wave.
West Palm Beach
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Your best match
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Sunny Isles Beach
55
Your Score
55
Area Score
West Palm Beach
55
Your Score
51
Area Score
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Full profiles: Sunny Isles Beach, FL · West Palm Beach, FL · How this is calculated: methodology