Palm Beach County Living Wage & Cost Calculator
Short answer: a single adult with no children needs to earn $26.25/hour ($54,595/year before taxes) to cover basic costs in Palm Beach County — before saving a dollar toward a home. Pick your household below for the exact number.
Find Your Household's Number
Select your household to see the exact living wage — no scanning a 12-column table.
Living Wage (per hour, per working adult)
Required Household Income (Before Taxes)
Multiple of FL Minimum Wage ($14.00/hr)
Annual Taxes:
Housing:
Child Care:
Living Wage by Household, In Full
Hourly rate a working adult needs to earn, per household composition. Data: MIT Living Wage Calculator, updated 2026-02-15.
| 1 Adult | 2 Adults (1 Working) | 2 Adults (Both Working) | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 Children | 1 Child | 2 Children | 3 Children | 0 Children | 1 Child | 2 Children | 3 Children | 0 Children | 1 Child | 2 Children | 3 Children | |
| Living Wage | $26.25 | $44.29 | $57.31 | $70.13 | $34.23 | $41.03 | $43.72 | $51.43 | $17.11 | $24.90 | $30.18 | $36.18 |
| Poverty Wage | $7.67 | $10.40 | $13.13 | $15.87 | $10.40 | $13.13 | $15.87 | $18.60 | $5.20 | $6.57 | $7.93 | $9.30 |
| Minimum Wage | $14.00 | $14.00 | $14.00 | $14.00 | $14.00 | $14.00 | $14.00 | $14.00 | $14.00 | $14.00 | $14.00 | $14.00 |
Typical Annual Expenses by Household
What actually makes up the living wage figure above, category by category.
| 1 Adult | 2 Adults (1 Working) | 2 Adults (Both Working) | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Food | $5,001 | $7,336 | $10,991 | $14,629 | $9,168 | $11,378 | $14,635 | $17,856 | $9,168 | $11,378 | $14,635 | $17,856 |
| Child Care | $0 | $14,654 | $27,798 | $33,351 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $14,654 | $27,798 | $33,351 |
| Medical | $2,779 | $8,199 | $8,347 | $8,508 | $6,262 | $9,126 | $9,426 | $9,762 | $6,262 | $9,126 | $9,426 | $9,762 |
| Housing | $21,566 | $27,187 | $27,187 | $35,220 | $22,929 | $27,187 | $27,187 | $35,220 | $22,929 | $27,187 | $27,187 | $35,220 |
| Transportation | $8,234 | $9,530 | $12,004 | $13,812 | $9,530 | $12,004 | $13,812 | $15,464 | $9,530 | $12,004 | $13,812 | $15,464 |
| Civic | $2,583 | $4,360 | $5,749 | $6,547 | $4,360 | $5,749 | $6,547 | $7,330 | $4,360 | $5,749 | $6,547 | $7,330 |
| Internet & Mobile | $2,026 | $2,026 | $2,026 | $2,026 | $2,599 | $2,599 | $2,599 | $2,599 | $2,599 | $2,599 | $2,599 | $2,599 |
| Other | $4,067 | $7,395 | $8,083 | $8,801 | $7,395 | $8,279 | $8,801 | $9,854 | $7,395 | $8,279 | $8,801 | $9,854 |
| Required Annual Income (After Taxes) | $46,255 | $80,685 | $102,186 | $122,895 | $62,242 | $76,322 | $83,009 | $98,085 | $62,242 | $90,976 | $110,807 | $131,437 |
| Annual Taxes | $8,339 | $11,443 | $17,016 | $22,980 | $8,948 | $9,027 | $7,938 | $8,897 | $8,948 | $12,606 | $14,733 | $19,073 |
| Required Annual Income (Before Taxes) | $54,595 | $92,128 | $119,202 | $145,875 | $71,190 | $85,349 | $90,946 | $106,983 | $71,190 | $103,582 | $125,540 | $150,509 |
Do Local Salaries Actually Clear the Living Wage?
Typical annual salary by occupation (Florida, state-level). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Comparing these salaries against the required-income figures above: 12 of 22 occupational categories clear the single-adult, no-children threshold ($54,595). Only 5 of 22 clear the single-parent, one-child threshold ($92,128), and just 1 of 22 clears what two working adults with two children need combined ($125,540).
| Occupational Area | Typical Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Management | $128,110 |
| Legal | $112,070 |
| Computer & Mathematical | $104,030 |
| Healthcare Practitioners & Technical | $99,500 |
| Architecture & Engineering | $95,380 |
| Business & Financial Operations | $87,940 |
| Life, Physical, & Social Science | $80,390 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, & Media | $65,020 |
| Protective Service | $59,430 |
| Installation, Maintenance, & Repair | $56,710 |
| Community & Social Service | $57,020 |
| Education, Training, & Library | $57,090 |
| Construction & Extraction | $54,420 |
| Sales & Related | $52,160 |
| Transportation & Material Moving | $46,210 |
| Office & Administrative Support | $47,360 |
| Production | $45,750 |
| Healthcare Support | $40,340 |
| Personal Care & Service | $36,740 |
| Building & Grounds Cleaning & Maintenance | $36,750 |
| Farming, Fishing, & Forestry | $36,090 |
| Food Preparation & Serving Related | $36,070 |
What This Means If You're Relocating Here
These required-income figures already assume Florida's 0% state income tax — a household earning the same real wage in New York, New Jersey, or California would need a higher gross income just to net the same amount, since those states take an additional cut before a dollar reaches housing or groceries. Florida also caps annual property-tax assessment growth at 3% under Save Our Homes once you've established a Homestead Exemption, and Palm Beach County's effective property tax rate runs around 0.89% — both of which compound in your favor over a multi-year hold in a way this living-wage snapshot can't capture in a single year.
Run your own numbers with the Tax Savings Calculator, compare your current cost of living directly with the Cost of Living Calculator, or read the full breakdown in the Real Cost of Living in Palm Beach County guide.
FAQ
Sources
- Living wage and typical expenses: MIT Living Wage Calculator, Dr. Amy K. Glasmeier, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, data updated 2026-02-15.
- Poverty wage: HHS Poverty Guidelines (2026)
- Minimum wage: Labor Law Center
- Typical annual salaries: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
The living wage and expense figures on this page are cited from MIT's Living Wage Calculator with attribution and are not independently re-calculated. The occupational salary comparison and relocation context above are original analysis built on top of that cited data.
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