Population 3,116 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Southwest
Household size in Southwest
| Period | Southwest | West Palm Beach | Miami area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.11 | 2.55 | 2.80 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.70 | 2.70 | 2.95 | 2.73 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.21 | 2.88 | 2.97 | 2.75 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.69 | 2.62 | 2.80 | 2.63 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.41 | +0.06 | +0.00 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Southwest average 2.69 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). Household size has dropped from 3.11 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change. Few West Palm Beach neighborhoods have larger households: only two of 11.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Southwest
| Period | Southwest | West Palm Beach | Miami area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.4 | 39.3 | 39.9 | 40.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.6 | 40.0 | 40.9 | 42.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.4 | 40.6 | 41.9 | 43.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 37.1 | 42.2 | 42.8 | 43.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.3 | +2.9 | +2.9 | +2.7 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Southwest is 37.1 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. Only one other West Palm Beach neighborhood is younger.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Southwest
| Period | Southwest | West Palm Beach | Miami area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.0% | 16.8% | 14.3% | 12.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 23.5% | 16.1% | 14.2% | 12.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.5% | 14.8% | 13.3% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 17.2% | 16.1% | 13.2% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −5.8 pts | −0.7 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in six households in Southwest (17.2%), well above the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Southwest
Renters in Southwest
| Period | Southwest | West Palm Beach | Miami area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.8% | 37.1% | 34.2% | 30.3% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 38.8% | 41.5% | 37.9% | 33.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 45.3% | 45.0% | 40.7% | 34.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 49.5% | 42.6% | 39.5% | 32.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +26.7 pts | +5.5 pts | +5.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is far more common in Southwest than nationally: 49.5% of households rent their homes, against 34.8%. Among homeowners, 38.4% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Southwest
| Period | Southwest | West Palm Beach | Miami area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.5% | 18.7% | 15.4% | 17.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.6% | 19.1% | 15.3% | 17.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.9% | 15.6% | 13.1% | 15.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.0% | 12.7% | 10.9% | 12.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | +3.5 pts | −6.0 pts | −4.5 pts | −4.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs a little high in Southwest: 12.0% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. The picture is much the same across West Palm Beach.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Southwest
| Period | Southwest | West Palm Beach | Miami area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1954 | 1980 | 1979 | 1984 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1954 | 1980 | 1979 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1956 | 1981 | 1980 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1956 | 1984 | 1983 | 1989 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +4 | +4 | +5 | +6 |
Southwest is a place of older homes: half were built before 1956, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Few West Palm Beach neighborhoods have older homes: only two of 11.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Southwest
| Period | Southwest | West Palm Beach | Miami area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,100 | $1,122 | $1,256 | $1,092 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,058 | $1,123 | $1,306 | $1,123 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,206 | $1,380 | $1,586 | $1,323 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,819 | $1,826 | $2,112 | $1,816 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$719 | +$703 | +$856 | +$724 | +$606 |
The median renter in Southwest pays $1,819 a month for rent and utilities, above the national median of $1,571. The picture is much the same across West Palm Beach. Rent takes 42.7% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Southwest
Bachelor's degrees in Southwest
| Period | Southwest | West Palm Beach | Miami area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.8% | 24.1% | 29.1% | 26.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.3% | 24.9% | 29.3% | 27.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 10.8% | 28.7% | 32.5% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 28.7% | 32.5% | 37.1% | 34.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.9 pts | +8.4 pts | +8.0 pts | +8.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
Nearly three in ten adults 25 and older in Southwest (28.7%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%. Compared with other West Palm Beach neighborhoods, Southwest has a lower share of college graduates than most.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Southwest
| Period | Southwest | West Palm Beach | Miami area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 80.6% | 82.1% | 83.0% | 85.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 74.7% | 82.7% | 84.2% | 86.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 73.3% | 84.1% | 85.6% | 88.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 64.8% | 84.7% | 87.4% | 90.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | −15.9 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.4 pts | +4.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over a third of adults in Southwest never finished high school, well above the national share: only 64.8% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. No other West Palm Beach neighborhood has a lower share of high school graduates.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Southwest
| Period | Southwest | West Palm Beach | Miami area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.0% | 9.7% | 8.8% | 8.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 21.0% | 11.8% | 11.3% | 11.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.8% | 7.4% | 5.8% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.3% | 5.5% | 5.0% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.7 pts | −4.2 pts | −3.8 pts | −4.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs a little high in Southwest: 6.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Southwest compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest | 2.69 | 37.1 | 17.2% | 49.5% | 12.0% | 1956 | $1,819 | 28.7% | 64.8% | 6.3% |
| South Side | 2.49 | 47.9 | 6.6% | 42.1% | 8.2% | 1955 | $1,419 | 39.9% | 88.5% | 1.4% |
| Downtown West Palm Beach | 1.54 | 56.3 | 6.4% | 60.1% | 22.6% | 2001 | $2,013 | 69.3% | 97.5% | 1.0% |
| Palm Beach Lakes | 2.80 | 43.8 | 10.5% | 37.1% | 5.9% | 1978 | $1,567 | 21.5% | 82.1% | 11.0% |
| Emerald Lake-Miami | 3.37 | 26.9 | 45.5% | 95.2% | 9.0% | 1990 | $1,751 | 14.3% | 64.7% | 8.6% |
| Palm Club Village | 2.54 | 34.5 | 17.6% | 62.0% | 17.5% | 1987 | $1,716 | 22.7% | 97.4% | 4.5% |
| Villages of Palm Beach Lakes | 2.19 | 37.9 | 18.2% | 55.8% | 16.6% | 1988 | $1,851 | 42.5% | 90.0% | 4.9% |
| Century Village | 1.39 | 72.7 | 6.8% | 23.4% | 32.3% | 1974 | $1,297 | 28.9% | 91.2% | 15.5% |
| Northwood Hills | 2.99 | 47.7 | 30.6% | 40.0% | 14.5% | 1953 | $1,601 | 32.3% | 81.7% | 7.5% |
| Pinewood-West Palm Beach | 2.60 | 41.0 | 22.8% | 42.3% | 8.3% | 1961 | $1,422 | 26.6% | 68.6% | 5.1% |
| Water Catchment Area | 2.52 | 45.5 | 16.9% | 17.9% | 6.5% | 2006 | $2,073 | 47.9% | 95.6% | 0.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Seneca, Buffalo, NY · Highland Park, Grand Rapids, MI · Historic West-Side, Springfield, IL · Holy Cross, New Orleans, LA · International, San Bernardino, CA · Kent Heights, East Providence, RI · Kinsmith, Cleveland, OH · Konnoak, Winston-Salem, NC · Riverwalk, Porter, TX · Robbins Blass, Erie, PA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Southwest. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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