CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

26.78° N · 80.08° W · GEOID 1260975

Riviera Beach

Palm Beach County, Florida · part of the Miami, FL metro

FloridaRiviera Beach, FLRiviera BeachRiviera Beach

The short answer

Riviera Beach is home to 38,657 people. Median household income is $68,060 a year and median rent is $1,702 a month, 30.0% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). That is above the usual 30% line for cost burden. The median home is valued at $354,500, about 5.2x annual median household income.

Riviera Beach stands out on how people work. Unemployment is 8.6%, against 5.3% in its closest peers. Also notable: Population change slowed in the latest estimate: -0.3% from 2024 to 2025, against +1.2% a year before that.

5OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Weak

Riviera Beach scores better than 5% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 411th of 474 in Florida.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%13
Economy 20%22
Safety 20%8
Amenities 15%29
Education 10%43
Commute 10%52
Growth 5%89
Median gross rent
$1,702
25% above the median place
Median household income
$68,060
15% below the median place
Median home value
$354,500
11% above the median place
Unemployment
8.6%
75% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Riviera Beach

  • AffordabilityThe median rent takes 30% of the median household's income, a bigger share than in 94% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Riviera Beach

Palm Beach County loses about 1.1 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in64,686
Moved out66,060
Net−1,374

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Broward County, FL12,2968,797+3,499
St. Lucie County, FL1,8426,407−4,565
Miami-Dade County, FL4,4462,634+1,812
Martin County, FL1,0662,317−1,251
Orange County, FL9911,713−722
New York County, NY1,127746+381

Within Florida, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within FloridaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$177K
Leavers$99K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Palm Beach County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
4.3% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.2% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Palm Beach County report $177,200 a year in income on average; those leaving, $98,600, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$68,100 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,702 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,059 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $354,500.
Getting to work
25 minutes each way on average; 12.4% work from home; 2.4% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Forest City, FL matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
1.2%
41% below the median place
Moved here in the past year1
4.3%
25% below the median place
Income of households moving in8
$177,212
151% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureRiviera BeachAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year14.3%25% below
Moved from another state11.2%41% below
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure-1.183% below
Income of households moving in8County figure$177,212151% above
Income of households moving out8County figure$98,61840% above
02

What it costs to live here

70% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a higher share than in 97% of the 986 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.

Riviera Beach30.0%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$68,080
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
30.0%
47% above the median place
Home price to income
5.2x
37% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
30%
over the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$45,000
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Riviera Beach, $1,702 a month, and local prices for everything else (105.7 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Riviera Beach, but easier on the budget

Places that match Riviera Beach on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Forest City, FL9324.9% vs 30.0%$21,200Compare
Plant City, FL9325.1% vs 30.0%$7,700Compare
Woodland, CA9221.1% vs 30.0%$24,800Compare
Palm River-Clair Mel, FL9125.5% vs 30.0%$10,800Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Riviera Beach.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Riviera Beach? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Vacant homes1
22.8%
223% above the median place
Renters paying 30%+1
69.8%
38% above the median place
Homeownership1
62.2%
6% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureRiviera BeachAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,70225% above
Rent to income130.0%47% above
Property tax rate10.9%0% above
Home price to income15.2x37% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure114.213% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,34945% above
HUD area median income4County figure$107,6000% above
Property tax paid (median)1$3,2241% below
Median home value1$354,50011% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure1.2%64% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure70.8%37% above
Homeownership162.2%6% below
Renters paying 30%+169.8%38% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,05910% above
Vacant homes122.8%223% above
Median year built119810% above
03

Work and pay

Unemployment is 8.6%, 75% above the median place.

Unemployment1
8.6%
75% above the median place
Poverty rate1
18.4%
71% above the median place
Commutes by transit1
2.4%
182% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Median household income$68,060 −15%
Income per person$36,329 −9%
Mean commute25 min −1%
Works from home12.4% −1%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureRiviera BeachAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$68,06015% below
Income per person1$36,3299% below
Unemployment18.6%75% above
Average annual pay6County figure$82,08524% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure6.3%70% above
Jobs6County figure670,798345% above
Poverty rate118.4%71% above
Mean commute125 min1% below
Works from home112.4%1% below
Commutes by transit12.4%182% above
04

Who lives here

No health insurance is 14.8%, 131% above the median place.

No health insurance1
14.8%
131% above the median place
Born abroad1
23.4%
165% above the median place
High school or higher1
86.9%
6% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Household size2.7 +10%
Homes with broadband89.3% −3%
Bachelor's or higher28.9% −10%
Median age39.5 +1%
All 9 people measures
MeasureRiviera BeachAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population138,6571159th largest
Population change since 202074.6%303% above
Median age139.51% above
Bachelor's or higher128.9%10% below
High school or higher186.9%6% below
Household size12.710% above
Born abroad123.4%165% above
No health insurance114.8%131% above
Homes with broadband189.3%3% below
05

Life in Riviera Beach

About 0 km of named paths and bike trails are mapped in and around the city, fewer than in 91% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 474 Florida places we track.

Founded or incorporated in 1922. 77 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents3.9 −62%
Playgrounds per 10k1.3 −86%
Grocery stores per 10k0.5 −75%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k3.1 −72%
Libraries per 10k0.8 −10%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi2.8 13.2×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Big Cypress National Preserve 84 miles
  • Biscayne National Park 89 miles
  • Everglades National Park 108 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars20.8 +0%
Shops37.0 +22%
Arts, recreation and fitness6.8 +66%
Doctors' offices and clinics37.8 +87%
Child care centers1.9 −17%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site11
83.8
172% above the median place
Students per teacher14
16.3
6% above the median place
Public schools14
10
11% above the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureRiviera BeachAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools141011% above
Public school students144,9421% above
Students per teacher1416.36% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure20.80% above
Shops per 10k9County figure37.022% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure6.866% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure37.887% above
Child care centers per 10k9County figure1.917% below
Parks per 10k103.962% below
Playgrounds per 10k101.386% below
Grocery stores per 10k100.575% below
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k103.172% below
Libraries per 10k100.810% below
Named paths and bike trails100.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi102.8above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1183.8172% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles110below (median 2)
National Register listings12County figure77above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

The city police department reported 802 violent offenses per 100,000 residents, more than in 96% of the 737 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.

Violent crime per 100k
802
318% above the median place
Property crime per 100k
2,599
114% above the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

January average low15
55°F
118% above the median place
Average temperature15
75°F
37% above the median place
Hurricane risk16
99.9
41% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureRiviera BeachAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high15County figure91°F5% above
January average low15County figure55°F118% above
Average temperature15County figure75°F37% above
Annual precipitation15County figure57.2 in31% above
Natural hazard risk16County figure99.27% above
Hurricane risk16County figure99.941% above
Tornado risk16County figure93.815% above
Wildfire risk16County figure95.356% above
Heat wave risk16County figure98.29% above
Median air quality index17County figure399% below
Good air days17County figure76.4%12% above
08

Riviera Beach in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 30% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 30% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Riviera Beach does better than 13% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 90%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,702/mo (2024)$2,200/mo$1,810 to $2,690/mo+4.4%
Median household income$68,060 (2024)$87,500$74,000 to $103,500+4.3%
Median home value$354,500 (2024)$529,000$384,000 to $729,000+6.9%
Population39,357 (2025)40,61038,950 to 42,330+0.6%

The median home would be worth 6.0 years of the median income in 2030, against 5.2 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Riviera Beach

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
North Miami Beach, FL$1,750$63,280Compare
Suitland, MD$1,707$71,585Compare
Town 'n' Country, FL$1,734$73,538Compare
Pompano Beach, FL$1,724$67,195Compare
Pompano Beach, FLTown 'n' Country, FLSuitland, MDNorth Miami Beach, FLRiviera Beach, FLNorth Miami BeachSuitlandTown 'n' CountryNorth Miami BeachSuitlandTown 'n' Country

Places built like Riviera Beach

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Riviera Beach performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Riviera Beach, FL30.0%7.6%/yr4.6%
Redan, GA28.8%5.7%/yrn/aCompare
Middle River, MD25.0%6.4%/yrn/aCompare
Plant City, FL25.1%4.5%/yr10.7%Compare
Woodlawn, MD21.7%3.7%/yrn/aCompare
Monroe, NC20.6%7.0%/yr23.1%Compare
Palm River-Clair Mel, FL25.5%8.4%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is Riviera Beach a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 5 out of 100, better than 5% of the places we rate and 411th of 474 in Florida. The median rent takes 30% of the median household's income, a bigger share than in 94% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 16 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Riviera Beach expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 30.0% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $354,500.

What salary do you need to live in Riviera Beach?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $68,080 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Riviera Beach safe?

There were 802 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Riviera Beach?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are North Miami Beach, FL, Suitland, MD, Town 'n' Country, FL and Pompano Beach, FL.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  12. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  13. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  14. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  15. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  16. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  17. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Riviera Beach with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Riviera Beach itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/riviera-beach-florida

Citytistics. “Riviera Beach, Florida.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/riviera-beach-florida/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.