Palm Beach County, FL
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 26.65, -80.45.
Assembled 2026-10-19. Read the brief.
- 92nd pct · 237th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 90th pct · 7th of 67 Florida counties · median $306,116
- counties in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 42nd pct · 1,760th of 3,062 US counties · median +2.9%
- 84th pct · 11th of 67 Florida counties · median -0.3%
- counties in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 96th pct · 55th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 95th pct · 3rd of 45 Florida counties · median $1,881
- counties in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 98th pct · 39th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 93rd pct · 5th of 67 Florida counties · median 43,443
- counties in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 97th pct · 95th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 98th pct · 2nd of 67 Florida counties · median $1,084
- counties in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 67th pct · 1,003rd of 3,063 US counties · median 4.2
- 40th pct · 40th of 67 Florida counties · median 5.4
- counties in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
Typical home value divided by the average annual wage of one covered job.
A percentile here is a min-max scaling of average rank: the smallest published value in the cohort is 0 and the largest is 100, and tied values share the average of the ranks they span. It is not the share of entities below the value, so 0 means smallest, not none below. Entities that did not publish the metric are outside the cohort entirely and are counted in neither the rank nor its denominator.
Home values #
Typical home $475,754 (Sep 2026), +2.3% over one year, +26.0% over five
- 92nd pct · 237th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 90th pct · 7th of 67 Florida counties · median $306,116
- counties in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Palm Beach County, FL | $475,754 · +2.3% 1-yr |
Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), typical value of homes in the 35th to 65th percentile, smoothed and seasonally adjusted; a model estimate of value, not a sale price. Data through Zillow Research.
Rents #
Typical rent $2,673/mo (Sep 2026), +3.8% over one year; price-to-rent 14.8
- 96th pct · 55th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 95th pct · 3rd of 45 Florida counties · median $1,881
- counties in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Palm Beach County, FL | $2,673/mo · +3.8% 1-yr |
Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), smoothed, all homes and multifamily; price-to-rent = typical home / (typical rent × 12).
What the typical home costs to carry #
Principal and interest of $2,635 a month on $475,754 at 7.40%, against an average weekly wage worth $7,731 a month: 34.1% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $475,754 × 80% = $380,603, r = 7.40%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-15), n = 360 → $2,635/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,784 × 52 / 12 = $7,731) = 34% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $475,754 / ($1,784 × 52) = 5.1
- price-to-rent = $475,754 / ($2,673 × 12) = 14.8
The wage is one covered job’s average, not a household’s income, so this is the share of a single paycheque and not a mortgage underwriting ratio.
Estimate. Principal and interest on the typical home with 20% down over 30 years at this week's Freddie Mac average rate; compared with the average weekly wage of all jobs covered by unemployment insurance in the area (BLS QCEW), which is pay per job, not household income.
Jobs & wages #
672,223 jobs at 71,730 employers (2026 Q1); -0.4% jobs and +7.1% average weekly wage over the year
- 98th pct · 39th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 93rd pct · 5th of 67 Florida counties · median 43,443
- counties in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Palm Beach County, FL | 672,223 jobs · $1,784/wk · -0.4% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 103,313 | $1,365 | 1.02 | -0.1% |
| Retail trade | 77,742 | $951 | 1.19 | -1.5% |
| Accommodation and food services | 75,580 | $776 | 1.25 | +0.8% |
| Professional and technical services | 55,773 | $2,373 | 1.20 | -0.2% |
| Administrative and waste services | 54,633 | $1,395 | 1.43 | +2.6% |
| Construction | 42,588 | $1,550 | 1.21 | -1.4% |
| Finance and insurance | 26,415 | $7,321 | 0.96 | +0.0% |
| Other services | 26,359 | $1,115 | 1.31 | +1.0% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 25,734 | $1,034 | 2.33 | -1.3% |
| Manufacturing | 21,400 | $2,302 | 0.40 | -0.8% |
| Wholesale trade | 20,524 | $2,462 | 0.80 | -10.8% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 16,898 | $1,383 | 0.60 | +0.3% |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, all ownerships, total covered employment in the quarter's third month; over-the-year changes as published. Suppressed cells stay blank.
Drought #
D0 abnormally dry
Sites found: 5, searched within 0 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 0 km away are not.
US Drought Monitor current week; the highest class of any polygon containing the point.
Reservoirs #
No reservoir gauges within 150 km (or the camera is above the gauge altitude)
Sites found: 0, searched within 150 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 150 km away are not.
Σ(capacity × percent full) / Σ capacity over TWDB reservoirs within 150 km. Texas only; elsewhere USGS reservoir elevation/storage is listed without a capacity to normalise by.
Stream gauges #
71 gauges · 0 flooding · 13 with quality panels averaging 67 % · 23 stale
Sites found: 71, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| USGS-260325080113901 | cond. 14,600 uS/cm · quality 0 % (1) · STALE | 70 km |
| USGS-265651080045500 | stage -0.32 ft · quality 25 % (2) · STALE | 49 km |
| ST LUCIE ESTUARY AT A1A (STEELE PT)STUART FL | stage 3.32 ft · quality 50 % (2) | 66 km |
| USGS-265656080063500 | stage 2.25 ft · quality 50 % (2) · STALE | 47 km |
| LOXAHATCHEE RV 500 FT DS OF US-1 AT JUPITER, FL | stage 1.67 ft · quality 50 % (2) | 49 km |
| ST LUCIE RIVER AT SPEEDY POINT, STUART FL | stage 3.51 ft · quality 50 % (2) | 65 km |
| LOX RIVER AT ECO DOCK NR JUPITER, FL | stage -1.80 ft · quality 50 % (2) · STALE | 49 km |
| USGS-263537080211400 | stage 16.0 ft | 11 km |
| USGS-263180080205001 | stage 17.5 ft | 18 km |
| HILLSBORO CANAL AT S-6 NEAR SHAWANO | flow 1,350 ft³/s | 20 km |
USGS latest readings screened against EPA freshwater criteria (DO ≥ 5 mg/L, pH 6.5–9, conductance, turbidity, temperature); NWS flood categories where a NWPS gauge is co-located.
Groundwater #
60 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 60, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| USGS-264208080192201 | level 15.5 ft · 2020-11-16 | 14 km |
| USGS-265106080241402 | level 21.0 ft · 2026-10-18 | 23 km |
| USGS-263524080124301 | level 16.2 ft · 2020-11-15 | 24 km |
| USGS-263255080133601 | level 15.4 ft · 2020-11-16 | 25 km |
| USGS-264839080115001 | level 17.8 ft · 2020-11-16 | 31 km |
| USGS-263328080085201 | level 14.8 ft · 2020-11-15 | 32 km |
| USGS-265633080203001 | level 24.6 ft · 2026-10-18 | 34 km |
| USGS-264123080053801 | level 10.3 ft · 2026-10-18 | 35 km |
USGS latest daily water levels. A single latest reading says where the table is, not which way it is moving; select a well for its 365-day trace.
Water stress #
low (0.12)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.00 + 0.2×0.33 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$66.9 bn in deposits at 387 offices of 56 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 948, unconcentrated. $12.8 bn federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $10.0 bn, contracts $3.1 bn), $19,089 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Bank of America, National Association | $10.5 bn · 15.7% share · 37 offices | |
| JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | $10.0 bn · 15.0% share · 51 offices | |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $9.5 bn · 14.2% share · 47 offices | |
| Palm Beach, FL | $12.8 bn FY2026 · $19,089/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $9.6 bn · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank of America, National Association | $10,492,699,000 | 15.7% | 37 |
| JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | $10,040,349,000 | 15.0% | 51 |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $9,469,624,000 | 14.2% | 47 |
| PNC Bank, National Association | $8,260,047,000 | 12.4% | 31 |
| Truist Bank | $3,987,880,000 | 6.0% | 36 |
| TD Bank, National Association | $3,705,726,000 | 5.5% | 25 |
| Citibank, National Association | $2,696,000,000 | 4.0% | 10 |
| Seacoast National Bank | $1,702,918,000 | 2.5% | 11 |
| City National Bank of Florida | $1,618,004,000 | 2.4% | 3 |
| Fifth Third Bank, National Association | $1,519,039,000 | 2.3% | 23 |
Deposit concentration is 948 across 52 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls unconcentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 52 banks with deposits in the county = 15.7² + 15.0² + 14.2² + … (49 more) = 948
FDIC Summary of Deposits: deposits at every insured office as of June 30, annual; HHI is the sum of squared county deposit shares (DOJ 1995 bank merger screen: 1000 / 1800). USAspending: obligations by place of performance for the latest complete federal fiscal year (Oct 1 to Sep 30), what agencies committed, not what they paid out; recipients are legal entities. Per-job divides obligations by BLS QCEW covered employment.
Federal obligations #
USAspending place-of-performance obligations for FY2026, by awarding agency.
| Awarding agency | Obligations |
|---|---|
| Social Security Administration | $8,608,947,272 |
| Department of Defense | $2,270,137,994 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $874,567,734 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $423,968,310 |
| Department of Homeland Security | $318,939,473 |
| Department of Justice | $188,169,616 |
| Department of Education | $159,911,808 |
| Department of Transportation | $154,400,112 |
| Department of Agriculture | $36,350,891 |
| General Services Administration | $34,190,103 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $17,807,537 |
| National Aeronautics and Space Administration | $13,368,402 |
That is $19,089 per covered job, against 672,223 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $12.8 bn / 672,223 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $19,089
USAspending obligations are recorded where the work is performed, so a prime award performed here is counted here even when the recipient is headquartered elsewhere. Recipients are legal entities, never people.
National context, not this county #
These are United States, single-gauge, single-state and port series. None of them is keyed to this county.
| Series | Latest | As of | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi River at Memphis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Mississippi River at St. Louis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Ohio River at Louisville, stage · ft | 17.95 | 2026-10-18 | -2.6% |
| Missouri River at St. Joseph, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Colorado River below Hoover Dam, flow (Hoover releases) · ft³/s | 5,170.00 | 2026-02-05 | -25.3% |
| Texas reservoirs, statewide percent full · % | 72.20 | 2026-10-19 | +0.0% |
| Laredo truck crossings, monthly · trucks | 258,700.00 | 2026-08-01 | -0.4% |
| Los Angeles + Long Beach container volume, annual · TEU | 10,513,167.00 | 2023-01-01 | -13.5% |
| Containerships waiting for a berth, all US ports · ships | 7.00 | 2026-10-13 | +133.3% |
| Shanghai to Los Angeles container rate · $ per 40 ft box | 7,848.00 | 2026-09-01 | +14.9% |
| US diesel retail price · $ per gallon | unavailable | not published | |
| WTI crude oil, spot · $ per barrel | 101.91 | 2026-10-14 | +1.0% |
| 30-year fixed mortgage rate · % | 7.40 | 2026-10-15 | +0.0% |
| Housing starts, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,275.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.6% |
| Building permits, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,403.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.1% |
| Case-Shiller US home price index · index, Jan 2000 = 100 | 337.31 | 2026-07-01 | +0.1% |
| Unemployment rate · % | 4.20 | 2026-09-01 | +2.4% |
| US goods and services trade balance, monthly · $ millions | -105,572.00 | 2026-08-01 | -13.7% |
| Retail sales excluding food services, monthly · $ millions | 652,115.00 | 2026-09-01 | +0.7% |
The indicator registry has no county-keyed series and no geographic selection: every entry is national, a named gauge, a single state or a port. They are here as the backdrop the county's own numbers move against, and they are never this county's readings.
What changed #
Palm Beach County, FL: 17 findings, 2 at a watch level and 15 noted
watchPalm Beach County, FL's covered employment is -0.4% against a year earlier, a watch level here: covered employment below the same quarter a year earlier (BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level). The previous published period is not in this table, so this is a standing level rather than a change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- test: jobs.yoy.emp = -0.4 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
watchPalm Beach County, FL's typical home value of +2.3% scores 43 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 85 across Florida counties, a gap of 42 points.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- 42 = |43 across US counties - 85 across Florida counties|
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
notePalm Beach County, FL's average weekly wage was 7.1% higher than the same quarter a year earlier in 2026 Q1, on BLS QCEW's published over-the-year change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- +7.1 % = BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change for 2026 Q1, as published
- the newest QCEW file carries no year-earlier level, so no move from one level to another is printed
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published
notePalm Beach County, FL's typical asking rent rose 1.0% from $2,646 in August 2026 to $2,673 in September 2026, on Zillow ZORI.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- +1.0% = (2673.1149945827506 - 2645.6208148469777) / 2645.6208148469777 × 100
- 2673.1149945827506 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-09
- 2645.6208148469777 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-08
notePalm Beach County, FL's typical home value rose 0.5% from $473,365 in August 2026 to $475,754 in September 2026, on Zillow ZHVI.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- +0.5% = (475754.34605122823 - 473365.35859360546) / 473365.35859360546 × 100
- 475754.34605122823 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-09
- 473365.35859360546 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-08
Read all 12 findings in the full brief
Every finding is produced by a fixed rule table and a fixed sentence for each rule. Nothing here is generated prose.