{"area":{"county":"Palm Beach County","state":"FL","stateName":"Florida","slug":"palm-beach-fl","metro":"West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, FL HUD Metro FMR Area"},"homeValue":{"series":[{"date":"2021-04-01","value":347344},{"date":"2021-07-01","value":366602},{"date":"2021-10-01","value":385034},{"date":"2022-01-01","value":416563},{"date":"2022-04-01","value":437038},{"date":"2022-07-01","value":447300},{"date":"2022-10-01","value":445936},{"date":"2023-01-01","value":442390},{"date":"2023-04-01","value":457039},{"date":"2023-07-01","value":466884},{"date":"2023-10-01","value":473257},{"date":"2024-01-01","value":486771},{"date":"2024-04-01","value":484385},{"date":"2024-07-01","value":480553},{"date":"2024-10-01","value":509958},{"date":"2025-01-01","value":485643},{"date":"2025-04-01","value":486844},{"date":"2025-07-01","value":482114},{"date":"2025-10-01","value":485570},{"date":"2026-01-01","value":481248},{"date":"2026-04-01","value":484646}],"latest":484646,"yoy":-0.4514793239723608,"fiveYr":39.529112349716705,"sinceStart":493.18017698248536,"modeled":true},"rent":{"series":[{"date":"2026-11-01","value":2349}],"latest":2349,"yoy":null,"fiveYr":null,"sinceStart":null,"modeled":true},"census":{"medianIncome":83581,"population":1533806,"povertyRate":11.330657487538618,"medianHomeValue":447300,"medianGrossRent":1916,"medianPropertyTax":3858},"hud":{"county":"Palm Beach County","year":"2027","perUnit":2349,"bedrooms":2,"estimated":false,"baseBedrooms":2},"crime":{"scope":"state","state":"Florida","period":"11-2024 to 10-2026","window":{"from":"11-2024","to":"10-2026","fellBack":false},"violentCrime":{"total":95375,"ratePer100k":203.24971087928412},"propertyCrime":{"total":410246,"ratePer100k":874.2582530996885},"note":"State-level totals from the FBI CDE summarized offense endpoint."},"crimeVintage":{"from":"11-2024","to":"10-2026","fellBack":false},"priceToRentRatio":17.2,"ratioVerdict":"Borderline — at 17.2× the market leans renting (modeled investor cash flow is negative, so this is owner-occupant math — it is not a claim of strong rental yield)","priceCagr":6.889963192664417,"rentCagr":3,"cashFlow":{"price":484646,"monthlyRent":2349,"grossRent":2349,"downPct":20,"ratePct":6.75,"units":1,"state":"FL","down":96929.20000000001,"loan":387716.8,"mortgagePI":2514.7237848751956,"monthlyTax":348.5412483333334,"taxRatePct":0.863,"taxRateSource":"Census ACS county effective rate 0.86% ($3,858 tax ÷ $447,300 ACS median), applied to current value","monthlyInsurance":424.06525000000005,"insuranceRatePct":1.05,"insuranceBasis":"Insurance: state-level estimate (FL avg 1.05%/yr)","insuranceHighRisk":true,"vacancyPct":5,"vacancyLoss":117.45,"egi":2231.55,"mgmtPct":10,"monthlyMgmt":234.9,"maintenancePct":5,"monthlyMaint":117.45,"capexPct":5,"monthlyCapex":117.45,"hoaMonthly":0,"monthlyHoa":0,"operatingExpenses":1242.4064983333335,"noi":989.1435016666667,"totalExpenses":3757.1302832085294,"cashFlow":-1525.580283208529,"annualCf":-18306.963398502347,"cocReturn":-18.886943664553453,"capRate":2.4491529941441796},"resilience":{"scenarios":[{"id":"rentDown","label":"Rent drops 10%","kind":"standard","detail":"Standard assumption","cashFlow":-1701.755283208529,"delta":-176,"survives":false},{"id":"vacancy","label":"Vacancy stretches to 8%","kind":"standard","detail":"Standard assumption","cashFlow":-1596.0502832085292,"delta":-70,"survives":false},{"id":"insurance","label":"Insurance costs rise 25%","kind":"standard","detail":"Standard assumption","cashFlow":-1631.596595708529,"delta":-106,"survives":false},{"id":"rateReset","label":"If financed at 8.25% instead","kind":"standard","detail":"Fixed-rate comparison — the deal if you'd borrowed at a higher rate today; your actual fixed payment never resets","cashFlow":-1923.6433350282489,"delta":-398,"survives":false},{"id":"historyHome","label":"Worst market shock in available history (since 1991-01-01) (home values −31.6% over 12 months)","kind":"history","detail":"History-derived proxy: worst decline found in any window of up to 12 months in the state FHFA home-value series, 2007-10-01 → 2008-10-01, applied to rent","cashFlow":-2081.655804309258,"delta":-556,"survives":false}],"survived":0,"total":5,"score":0,"worstCashFlow":-2081.655804309258,"baselineCashFlow":-1525.580283208529,"framing":"underwater","confidenceLabel":"crosscheck","omitted":[],"note":"Each scenario re-runs the same verified cash-flow engine with one shock applied, then re-checks the cash-flow identity before display. Standard shocks are fixed assumptions; the history-derived scenario is this market's own worst observed 12-month decline. Estimates only — not a guarantee of performance."},"rentVsBuy":{"years":7,"priceCagr":6.889963192664417,"rentCagr":3,"totalRentPaid":215989.48395320788,"totalCashOutlay":425625.67065065197,"insuranceBasis":"Insurance: state-level estimate (FL avg 1.05%/yr)","homeValueAfter":772650.5628722552,"equityBuilt":420652.27655057464,"netCostOfBuying":101902.59410007735,"buyingCheaper":true,"savings":114086.88985313053},"priceToIncome":{"ratio":5.798518802120099,"price":484646,"medianIncome":83581,"label":"Stretched (>5x — historically expensive vs local incomes)"},"countyTaxRatePct":0.863,"countyTaxSource":"Census ACS county effective rate 0.86% ($3,858 tax ÷ $447,300 ACS median), applied to current value","dataCheck":{"status":"crosscheck","checks":[{"metric":"home value (vintage update)","primary":484646,"secondary":447300,"primarySource":"current estimate (ACS county median × FHFA metro HPI growth)","secondarySource":"raw ACS 2023 county median (as measured ~2021)","ratio":1.08,"grade":"verified","consistent":true,"hidePoint":false},{"metric":"HUD fair market rent","primary":2349,"secondary":1916,"primarySource":"HUD FMR (county)","secondarySource":"Census ACS (county gross rent)","ratio":1.23,"grade":"crosscheck","consistent":false,"hidePoint":false}],"confidence":{"homeValue":{"label":"verified","ratio":1.08,"sources":["current estimate (ACS county median × FHFA metro HPI growth)","raw ACS 2023 county median (as measured ~2021)"],"hidePoint":false,"range":{"low":447300,"high":484646}},"rent":{"label":"crosscheck","ratio":1.23,"sources":["HUD FMR (county)","Census ACS (county gross rent)"],"hidePoint":false,"range":{"low":1916,"high":2349}},"income":{"label":"estimate","sources":["Census ACS"]},"crime":{"label":"estimate","sources":["FBI CDE"]}},"note":"Every headline metric is checked against a second figure, and each check names its own basis. The rent and property-price checks pair genuinely independent datasets (HUD FMR vs Census ACS gross rent; your price vs the county estimate). The home-value check compares our current estimate (ACS county median updated by the FHFA state index) against the raw ACS 2023 median — its spread reflects price movement since the ACS measurement period (~2021), not disagreement between unrelated sources. 'Verified' means the two figures agree within 15%; 'Cross-checked' means they diverge more than 15%; 'Divergent' flags a >2x difference. A spread beyond 35% is too wide to defend a single point — the headline shows the source range instead, flagged 'sources disagree'."},"integrity":{"status":"pass","checks":[{"name":"home value freshness","status":"pass","detail":"latest 2026-04-01 (227d old — current for quarterly cadence)"},{"name":"home value card↔chart","status":"pass","detail":"card matches chart"},{"name":"home value growth window","status":"pass","detail":"growth matches the 5.0yr available window"},{"name":"rent freshness","status":"pass","detail":"latest 2026-11-01 (13d old — current for monthly cadence)"},{"name":"rent card↔chart","status":"pass","detail":"card matches chart"},{"name":"cash flow identity","status":"pass","detail":"NOI − P&I = cash flow"},{"name":"cash-on-cash","status":"pass","detail":"annual CF ÷ down matches"},{"name":"cap rate","status":"pass","detail":"NOI×12 ÷ price matches"},{"name":"price-to-rent","status":"pass","detail":"price ÷ (rent×12) matches"},{"name":"income plausibility","status":"pass","detail":"within expected range"},{"name":"price-to-income","status":"pass","detail":"price ÷ income matches"},{"name":"buy-vs-rent: home value at term","status":"pass","detail":"compounds at 6.9%/yr"},{"name":"buy-vs-rent: total rent paid","status":"pass","detail":"geometric series matches"},{"name":"buy-vs-rent: equity built","status":"pass","detail":"home value − loan balance matches"},{"name":"buy-vs-rent: net cost","status":"pass","detail":"outlay − equity gain matches"},{"name":"buy-vs-rent: savings & verdict","status":"pass","detail":"savings = rent − net cost, verdict matches"}],"summary":"16/16 verified","freshness":{"homeValue":{"date":"2026-04-01","ageDays":227,"cadence":"quarterly","current":true},"rent":{"date":"2026-11-01","ageDays":13,"cadence":"monthly","current":true}}},"confidence":{"homeValue":{"label":"verified","ratio":1.08,"sources":["current estimate (ACS county median × FHFA metro HPI growth)","raw ACS 2023 county median (as measured ~2021)"],"hidePoint":false,"range":{"low":447300,"high":484646}},"rent":{"label":"crosscheck","ratio":1.23,"sources":["HUD FMR (county)","Census ACS (county gross rent)"],"hidePoint":false,"range":{"low":1916,"high":2349}},"income":{"label":"estimate","sources":["Census ACS"]},"crime":{"label":"estimate","sources":["FBI CDE"]}},"verdict":"Palm Beach County, FL is a moderate market — a 17.2x price-to-rent ratio is borderline, leaning renting; individual deals decide the outcome.","faqs":[{"q":"Is Palm Beach County, FL a good rental market?","a":"Mixed. Palm Beach County's 17.2x price-to-rent ratio is moderate; rentals can cash flow, but only on well-priced properties."},{"q":"What is the median home value in Palm Beach County?","a":"The typical home value in Palm Beach County is about $484,646 (county-level, Census ACS & FHFA metro HPI), down 0.5% year-over-year, and up 39.5% over five years."},{"q":"What is the median rent in Palm Beach County?","a":"The typical rent in Palm Beach County is about $2,349/mo (county-level, HUD 2-bedroom benchmark bridged from Census ACS gross rent), a current modeled estimate."},{"q":"Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Palm Beach County?","a":"Over a 7-year horizon, buying is cheaper in Palm Beach County — roughly $114,087 ahead of renting, with about $420,652 in equity built."},{"q":"Is Palm Beach County affordable for homebuyers?","a":"Palm Beach County's median home value is 5.8x the local median household income — Stretched (>5x — historically expensive vs local incomes)."},{"q":"What is the property tax rate in Palm Beach County?","a":"Palm Beach County's effective property tax rate is about 0.86% of home value (Census ACS county effective rate 0.86% ($3,858 tax ÷ $447,300 ACS median), applied to current value), which on a $484,646 median home is roughly $349/mo."}],"takeaways":["The median home value in Palm Beach County, FL was $484,646 as of April 2026, down 0.5% year over year (FHFA HPI applied to the Census ACS county median).","The typical market rent in Palm Beach County, FL was $2,349/mo as of November 2026, a current modeled estimate (HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027, bridged from Census ACS gross rent).","Palm Beach County, FL has a price-to-rent ratio of 17.2 — a moderate reading where individual deals decide the outcome. (Computed by Areal from the figures above.)"],"citationSources":[{"name":"U.S. Census Bureau — ACS ACS 2024 5-year estimates","url":"https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/"},{"name":"FHFA House Price Index","url":"https://www.fhfa.gov/data/hpi"},{"name":"HUD Fair Market Rent","url":"https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr.html"},{"name":"FBI Crime Data Explorer","url":"https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/"}],"jsonApi":{"function":"getCountyReport","query":"slug=palm-beach-fl","url":"https://areal.studio/functions/getCountyReport?slug=palm-beach-fl"},"assumptions":{"downPct":20,"ratePct":6.75,"years":7},"dataVintage":{"pulledAt":"2026-11-14T10:11:29.809Z","homeValueBasis":"FHFA metro HPI (quarterly, West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, FL HUD Metro FMR Area) × ACS county anchor","rentBasis":"HUD county FMR — flat current estimate (modeled, no public trend)","zhviThrough":null,"zoriThrough":null,"fhfaHpiThrough":"2026-04-01","hpiLevel":"metro","hpiMetro":"West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, FL HUD Metro FMR Area","acsVintage":"ACS 2024 5-year estimates","acsVintageMisses":[],"hudFy":"2027","safmrFy":null},"zipAnchors":{"homeValueTier":"county-fhfa-acs","rentTier":"county-acs-hud","zhvi":null,"zori":null,"safmr":null,"countyHomeEstimate":484646,"countyFmr":2349,"countyRatio":null,"hpiLevel":"metro","hpiMetro":"West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, FL HUD Metro FMR Area"},"links":{"stateDir":"FL","stateName":"Florida","cityPages":[],"zips":[]},"sources":["Census ACS 5-year","FHFA HPI","HUD Fair Market Rent","FBI CDE (state-level context)"]}