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
Sweetwater
West Palm Beach
Opportunity
66 · Top 29%
vs56 · Top 50%
Growth
24 · Bottom 11%
vs65 · Top 24%
Climate
74 · Top 30%
vs83 · Top 11%
Physical resilience
24 · Bottom 19%
vs18 · Bottom 11%
Housing affordability
32 · Bottom 2%
vs49 · Bottom 10%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
51 · Bottom 32%
vs46 · Bottom 25%
Measured values
| Metric | Sweetwater | West Palm Beach | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,085 | 122,290 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $54,967 | $73,446 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $24,017 | $48,223 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,190/sq mi | 2,270/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $294,200 | $414,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,771 | $1,772 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 42.1% | 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 | 21.4% | 39.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.3% | 14.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 0 | 554 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.0 | 4.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -100.0% | 536.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 91°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 61°F | 58°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 67.4" | 61.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 6 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.8 min | 25.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.8 | 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
Sweetwater
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.
Sweetwater
53
Your Score
49
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: Sweetwater, FL · West Palm Beach, FL · How this is calculated: methodology