What it's like to live in Riviera Beach
Riviera Beach is a small city in Florida with 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. Riviera Beach deals with rent well above the national average, household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, and a poverty rate above the national average.
The good
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- High poverty rate
- High rent burden for renters
- Very rainy — 66" of rain per year
How Riviera Beach compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Riviera Beach
Based on Riviera Beach's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,404
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $68,080 a year
- 64% of Riviera Beach renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$70,900
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $35,450
- Homes cost 5.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 20% above US
$1,702/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,702 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices run above average, with a median around $354,500. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $354,500 · 64% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.6% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.6%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 144% above US
802 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is a real factor here, with violent rates significantly above the national average. That doesn't make the whole city a write-off, but it does mean specific neighborhoods deserve real research before signing a lease.
Property crime 2616/100k · Riviera Beach Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.7 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 12% 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 57°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 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 20% below US
29% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 29%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
11 public schools inside the boundary
There are 11 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Big Cypress National Preserve (84 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Nothing in Riviera Beach's numbers stands out as a clear strength, and the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,702/mo) equals 30% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. Whether it fits comes down to the specifics: the neighborhood, the job, and what matters most in the move.
Other places near Riviera Beach
All Florida guides →Moving to North Palm Beach →
3 mi away · pop. 13,238
Rent $2,010/mo · Income $90,049
Compare with Riviera Beach →Moving to West Palm Beach →
4 mi away · pop. 122,290
Rent $1,772/mo · Income $73,446
Compare with Riviera Beach →Moving to Palm Beach Gardens →
7 mi away · pop. 60,959
Rent $2,417/mo · Income $106,947
Compare with Riviera Beach →Moving to Jupiter →
10 mi away · pop. 61,883
Rent $2,381/mo · Income $110,240
Compare with Riviera Beach →Not sure Riviera Beach is the one?
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