Last updated September 18, 2026
Cost of Living: Palm Beach County vs Broward County
On the median closed single-family home in 2026, owning costs about $5,804 a month in Palm Beach County and $5,148 in Broward County; for a condo or townhouse, $3,077 versus $2,506. Palm Beach County has the higher prices and the lower typical tax rate; Broward has the lower prices, the higher millage and the lower association fees. The city pairs below are where the real differences show.
See what your home is worth Moving between Palm Beach County and Broward County? Start with the number on the home you already own, or call (561) 395-8418.
The monthly cost to own, county to county
| Palm Beach County | Broward County | |
|---|---|---|
| Median closed price, single-family (Jan 1 - Aug 31, 2026) | $720,000 (n=9,153) | $638,000 (n=8,398) |
| 20% down | $144,000 | $127,600 |
| Principal and interest, 30-yr fixed at 6.76% | $3,740 | $3,314 |
| Property tax with homestead at the median municipal millage, monthly | $1,093 | $1,006 |
| Home insurance, county average incl. wind, monthly | $527 | $511 |
| Median HOA fee (median of published city medians) | $444 | $316 |
| Total monthly cost to own, single-family | $5,804 | $5,148 |
| Median closed price, condo/townhouse | $320,000 (n=8,627) | $260,000 (n=8,390) |
| Median condo fee (median of published city medians) | $774 | $636 |
| Total monthly, condo/townhouse | $3,077 | $2,506 |
Market speed and direction
| Single-family, closed YTD 2026 | Palm Beach County | Broward County |
|---|---|---|
| Median price per sq ft | $359 | $354 |
| Median change vs Jan-Aug 2025 | +7.5% (from $670,000) | +1.6% (from $628,000) |
| Median days on market | 35 | 36 |
| Closed price as % of list | 97% | 97% |
| Months of inventory | 3.8 | 4.2 |
| Condo/townhouse, closed YTD 2026 | Palm Beach County | Broward County |
|---|---|---|
| Median price per sq ft | $241 | $235 |
| Median change vs Jan-Aug 2025 | +2.4% (from $312,500) | -4.7% (from $272,700) |
| Median days on market | 57 | 66 |
| Closed price as % of list | 96% | 96% |
| Months of inventory | 6.9 | 10.6 |
Property tax: two counties, sixty-plus rates
Total 2025 millage across municipalities: Palm Beach County median 19.3388 mills (41 municipalities, range 14.869 to 22.8071); Broward County median 20.2573 (39 rates, range 16.2843 to 23.1875). Unincorporated: Palm Beach 16.2652, Broward 17.8923 (south hospital district). The school district levy is 6.321 mills in Palm Beach County and 6.4845 in Broward; the rest of the gap is city operating rates, debt service and the North Broward Hospital District where it applies. Sources: Palm Beach County Property Appraiser 2025 Taxing Authority Code table; Broward County Property Appraiser 2025 Final Millage Rate Table.
Homestead arithmetic: the first $25,000 of assessed value is exempt from all levies and a second $25,000 from non-school levies (s. 196.031, F.S.); purchase price is treated as year-one just value; Save Our Homes caps assessed-value growth at 3% a year thereafter, and up to $500,000 of accumulated cap ports between Florida homesteads (s. 193.155). Non-ad valorem charges (fire, stormwater, solid waste) are billed on the same statement and not included here.
Insurance
FLOIR, July 2026 Property Insurance Stability Unit report (data as of Mar 31, 2026): average homeowners premium with wind $6,323 in Palm Beach County, $6,136 in Broward; condo unit-owner $2,311 and $1,816; statewide homeowners average $3,757. Both counties sit roughly two-thirds above the state average because of coastal wind exposure. Track the direction on the Palm Beach County home insurance premium tracker.
Closing costs differ by county custom
In Palm Beach County the seller customarily pays for the owner's title insurance policy; in Broward County the buyer customarily pays. It is custom, not statute, and negotiable in the contract, but it changes cash to close for a buyer moving between the two counties. Details: who pays title insurance in Palm Beach County.
Rent, income and housing stock
| Census ACS 2023 five-year | Palm Beach County | Broward County |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $81,115 | $74,534 |
| Median gross rent | $1,818 | $1,804 |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $2,253 | $2,315 |
| Median year structure built | 1986 | 1980 |
| Population | 1,507,453 | 1,946,127 |
| Cost to own at today's median, single-family, as % of median income | 86% | 83% |
City-by-city comparisons
- Boca Raton vs Delray Beach
- Boca Raton vs Fort Lauderdale
- Palm Beach vs West Palm Beach
- Boynton Beach vs Lake Worth Beach
- Boynton Beach vs Pompano Beach
More pairs are added as the data layer covers them. Every pair uses the same arithmetic and refreshes with the nightly fee and market indexes.
See what your home is worth
Every move between these places starts with one number on the home you already own. Gia Freer prepares a written opinion of value by hand from our own BeachesMLS data, with the comparable sales attached. No automated estimate is published on this site.
See what your home is worth or call (561) 395-8418. Conversations are confidential and there is no cost to having one.
Where the money goes next
- Communities and fact sheets: Palm Beach County HOA fee index and Broward fee indexes, then each community page.
- Moving from the Northeast: property tax and homestead guide for New York buyers.
- Selling here first: what your home is worth.
Common questions
Is it cheaper to live in Broward County or Palm Beach County?
At the median closed single-family price in 2026, the monthly cost to own is about $5,804 in Palm Beach County and $5,148 in Broward County, with a 30-year mortgage at 6.76%, 20% down, homestead, county-average insurance and the median association fee. Condos and townhouses: $3,077 versus $2,506. The answer flips city by city, which is why this page links to pair comparisons.
Which county has higher property taxes, Palm Beach or Broward?
Broward, on the typical municipal rate. The median total 2025 millage across Broward municipalities is 20.2573 mills against 19.3388 in Palm Beach County; the ranges are 16.2843 to 23.1875 and 14.869 to 22.8071. Unincorporated rates: Palm Beach 16.2652, Broward 17.8923.
Is home insurance more expensive in Palm Beach County or Broward County?
Close to even. FLOIR's July 2026 report puts the average homeowners premium with wind at $6,323 in Palm Beach County and $6,136 in Broward; condo unit-owner averages are $2,311 and $1,816. Roof age, opening protection and distance to the coast move an individual premium far more than the county line.
See what your home is worth Two cities, every input shown. The one figure this page cannot show you is your own; that takes a conversation: (561) 395-8418.
Sources and method
Closed prices, price per square foot, days on market, inventory: BeachesMLS, Jan 1 - Aug 31, 2026, retrieved Sep 15, 2026. Mortgage: Freddie Mac PMMS 30-year fixed 6.76%, week ending 2026-09-10, 20% down. Millage: Palm Beach County and Broward County Property Appraisers, 2025 final rates. Homestead: ss. 196.031 and 193.155, F.S. Insurance: Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, Property Insurance Stability Unit report, July 2026. Fees: PBP HOA and condo fee indexes, median of published city medians. Income, rent, year built, population: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2023. Estimates for comparison; verify tax with the property appraiser and insurance with a licensed agent. General information, not tax or legal advice.
Common questions
Is it cheaper to live in Broward County or Palm Beach County?
At the median closed single-family price in 2026, the monthly cost to own is about $5,804 in Palm Beach County and $5,148 in Broward County, with a 30-year mortgage at 6.76%, 20% down, homestead, county-average insurance and the median association fee. Condos and townhouses: $3,077 versus $2,506. The answer flips city by city, which is why this page links to pair comparisons.
Which county has higher property taxes, Palm Beach or Broward?
Broward, on the typical municipal rate. The median total 2025 millage across Broward municipalities is 20.2573 mills against 19.3388 in Palm Beach County; the ranges are 16.2843 to 23.1875 and 14.869 to 22.8071. Unincorporated rates: Palm Beach 16.2652, Broward 17.8923.
Is home insurance more expensive in Palm Beach County or Broward County?
Close to even. FLOIR's July 2026 report puts the average homeowners premium with wind at $6,323 in Palm Beach County and $6,136 in Broward; condo unit-owner averages are $2,311 and $1,816. Roof age, opening protection and distance to the coast move an individual premium far more than the county line.
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For sellers
Pricing a home is a skill. Start with the current competition and recent closed sales.
43% of active single-family houses listings in Palm Beach County have a recorded asking price below their original list price.
The data comes from the segment and recorded fields available in PBP Real Estate's BeachesMLS feed, as of the date shown. Gia Freer, Broker of Record, turns comparable sales and current competition into one written pricing opinion for your home, with the reasoning, before it goes live.
No website estimate, no automated number: a comparative market analysis done by hand, within one business day.
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