What it's like to live in Delray Beach
Delray Beach is a smaller city in Florida with unemployment below the national average, a highly educated workforce, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Delray Beach deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, and very rainy.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- High rent burden for renters
- Very rainy — 64" of rain per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Delray Beach compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Delray Beach
Based on Delray Beach's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,922
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $78,440 a year
- 57% of Delray Beach renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$84,060
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $42,030
- Homes cost 5.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 39% above US
$1,961/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $1,961 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices run above average, with a median around $420,300. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $420,300 · 57% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 14% below US
3.7% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.7%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 11% below US
292 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 1785/100k · Delray Beach Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 12% below US
23 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 19% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 89°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 58°F. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 1.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 21% above US
44% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 44% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 public schools inside the boundary and 6 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Biscayne National Park (67 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Delray Beach's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and a highly educated workforce; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,961/mo) equals 29% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (19% of workers here already work from home) and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near Delray Beach
All Florida guides →Moving to Boynton Beach →
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Rent $2,041/mo · Income $70,074
Compare with Delray Beach →Moving to Boca Raton →
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Compare with Delray Beach →Moving to Lantana →
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Compare with Delray Beach →Moving to Deerfield Beach →
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