Palm Beach County, Florida
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Palm Beach County. Population: 1,533,801 (metro).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Palm Beach County, FL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 54.5 — 1250th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Florida, it ranks 52nd of 67 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Palm Beach County compares to all U.S. counties across five dimensions of financial distress. Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.
Housing Cost Burden
Primary DriverEmployment & Wages
Debt & Delinquency
Community Vulnerability
Income & Poverty
How Palm Beach County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Beach County, FL | 54.5 | Elevated | — |
| Okeechobee County, FL | 70.7 | Serious Stress | +16.2 |
| Glades County, FL | 68.9 | Serious Stress | +14.4 |
| Hendry County, FL | 68.8 | Serious Stress | +14.3 |
| Broward County, FL | 59.1 | Elevated | +4.5 |
| Martin County, FL | 50.6 | Elevated | -3.9 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (metro) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles County, CA | 54.6 | Elevated | +0.0 |
| Cuyahoga County, OH | 53.7 | Elevated | -0.8 |
| Queens County, NY | 53.3 | Elevated | -1.2 |
| Riverside County, CA | 56.0 | Elevated | +1.5 |
| Pima County, AZ | 56.3 | Elevated | +1.8 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Palm Beach County as a CSV file.
Resources
Palm Beach County scores in the Elevated zone. If you or someone you know is experiencing financial hardship, free help is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for Palm Beach County, Florida?
Palm Beach County has a County Distress Index score of 54.5 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,250th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 52nd in Florida out of 67 counties.
What drives financial distress in Palm Beach County?
The primary driver of distress in Palm Beach County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 90.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).
How does Palm Beach County compare to neighboring counties?
Palm Beach County (54.5) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Okeechobee County, FL (70.7); Glades County, FL (68.9); Hendry County, FL (68.8).
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.
What is the population of Palm Beach County?
Palm Beach County, Florida has a population of approximately 1,533,801 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a metro county.