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Moving to
Palmetto Estates.
Palmetto Estates is an unincorporated community in Miami-Dade County, FL. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.
What it's like to live in Palmetto Estates
Palmetto Estates is an unincorporated community in Florida with county unemployment below the national average, a growing population, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Palmetto Estates deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.
The good
- Low unemployment in the county
- Growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- High rent burden for renters
- Hot summers
How Palmetto Estates compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Palmetto Estates
Based on Palmetto Estates's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,896
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $77,920 a year
- 62% of Palmetto Estates renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$89,180
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $44,590
- Homes cost 5.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 38% above US
$1,948/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $1,948 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 $445,900. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $445,900 · 62% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
2.7% county unemployment
Unemployment in Miami-Dade County is 2.7%, well below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Miami-Dade County (county-wide)
Safety
336 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Palmetto Estates doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Miami-Dade County Police Department jurisdiction as a whole, which runs close to the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 1810/100k · Policed by Miami-Dade County Police Department (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 32% above US
34 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 34.4 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 9 in 10 workers drive to work.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 91°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
Education & workforce▼ 30% below US
25% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 25%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
2 public schools inside the boundary
There are 2 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Biscayne National Park (13 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Palmetto Estates's strongest points are county unemployment below the national average and a growing population; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,948/mo) equals 28% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low). It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and people who dread long commutes.
See all the data for Palmetto Estates →·All Florida cities →
Other places near Palmetto Estates
All Florida guides →Moving to South Miami Heights →
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Rent $1,605/mo · Income $65,417
Compare with Palmetto Estates →Moving to Palmetto Bay →
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