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City · 5,102 residents · Palm Beach County, Florida

South Bay , Florida

In South Bay, a typical home is worth $142,300 and typical rent is $1,085 a month. Compared with all of Palm Beach County, the typical home value is 68% lower, typical rent is 43% lower, and the share of households that own their home is 10 points lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $142,300

    68% below the county

    60% below Florida

    • South Bay
    • Palm Beach
    • Florida

  • Typical rent

    $1,085a month

    43% below the county

    35% below Florida

    • South Bay
    • Palm Beach
    • Florida

  • Households that own their home

    60%

    10 points below the county

    8 points below Florida

    • South Bay
    • Palm Beach
    • Florida

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$226,653
about the same as 12 months ago

From Zillow (ZHVI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

South Bay is in Palm Beach County. The FHA loan limit ($667,000 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Palm Beach County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets South Bay apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. The typical home in South Bay is worth $142,300, 68% less than in Palm Beach County as a whole ($447,300).

  2. The typical rent in South Bay is $1,085 a month, 43% less than in Palm Beach County as a whole ($1,916).

  3. South Bay has the 20th largest share of rent-burdened renters of the 434 cities in Florida with more than 5,000 people (77%).

  4. Nearby, in Clewiston, the typical rent is $763: 30% less than in South Bay ($1,085).

  5. 60% of households in South Bay own their home, against 70% in Palm Beach County.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in South Bay

What homes there are in South Bay, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

In South Bay, 7 in 10 homes are single-family detached houses; in Palm Beach County, 5.

In South Bay there are many mobile homes: 13% of homes; in Palm Beach County, 3%.

Year built

In South Bay, half of the homes were built before 1974; in Palm Beach County, before 1986.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$1,694 a month

Palm Beach County: $2,383 a month

Without a mortgage

$366 a month

Palm Beach County: $951 a month

Owners with a mortgage

45%

Palm Beach County: 52%

In South Bay, 45% of owners have a mortgage, and their typical cost is $1,694 a month, against $2,383 in Palm Beach County. Without one it drops to $366.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

The typical home value in South Bay rose 71% since 2015–2019, more than in Palm Beach County (58%).

The typical rent in South Bay rose 35% since 2015–2019, about the same as in Palm Beach County (37%).

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureSouth BayPalm Beach CountyFloridaUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate7.3%7.6%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate1.5%1.4%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate3.3%3.3%3.4%
People per household 3.642.492.512.53
Drive alone 70%70%70%69%
Carpool Unreliable estimate10%9%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimate2%1%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate2%2%3%
Work from home Unreliable estimate15%16%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate2%2%2%
Typical commute Unreliable estimate20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

More people live in each home here: 3.64 on average, against 2.49 in Palm Beach County.

To get to work, 70% of workers in South Bay drive alone; in Palm Beach County, 70%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in South Bay?

The Census Bureau publishes no typical home value or typical household income for South Bay, so we don't measure how heavy the payment is. Enter your own numbers in the calculator. The calculator starts with the typical home value in South Bay: $142,300. The rate is Freddie Mac’s weekly average (7.18%, November 5, 2026); yours may be different. The FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Palm Beach County. Change the price, the down payment or the loan type and see how your payment changes.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Palm Beach County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in South Bay. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $4,981 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$1,197

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$139,722
Total interest
$201,027
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $2,403 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

Type your income to see which tier this payment lands in.

Show the result as
per month$1,197
Principal & interest$947
Property tax$128
Home insurance$59
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$63

You need at least $4,981 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

South Bay and Palm Beach County

South Bay is in Palm Beach County, Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

South Bay's own numbers

Typical home value
$142,300
Typical monthly rent
$1,085
Households that own their home
60%
Effective property tax rate
1.08%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Palm Beach County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$667,000
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$2,349
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+71%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
8.2%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Palm Beach County.

Everything about Palm Beach County

Buying

Buying a home in South Bay

A typical home in South Bay is worth $142,300: 68% below the county and 60% below Florida.

How prices have changed in Palm Beach County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Palm Beach County rose 139% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Palm Beach County.

Period County Florida U.S.
Last year (2025) +1.2% −0.5% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +71% +60% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +139% +127% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

South Bay next to Palm Beach County, Florida and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • South Bay $142,300
  • Palm Beach $447,300
  • Florida $359,000
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • South Bay $1,085
  • Palm Beach $1,916
  • Florida $1,669
  • United States $1,413
See the full table
South Bay next to Palm Beach County and Florida
Measure South Bay Palm Beach County Florida U.S.
Typical home value $142,300 $447,300 $359,000 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,085 $1,916 $1,669 $1,413
Households that own their home 60% 70% 68% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $1,542 $3,858 $2,730 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 1.08% 0.86% 0.76% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 77% 62% 60% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Palm Beach County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in South Bay

For a typical $142,300 home in South Bay, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, South Bay's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $1,197a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $4,981
    Cash to close
    $9,250
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $63

  • Conventional, 5% down $1,171a month

    Down payment
    $7,115
    Cash to close
    $11,384
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $68

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $959a month

    Down payment
    $28,460
    Cash to close
    $32,729
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $1,090a month

    Down payment
    $21,345
    Cash to close
    $25,614
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for South Bay and for Palm Beach County.

Property tax

Effective rate in South Bay

1.08%of the home’s value each year

$1,542 a year for the typical owner in South Bay.

  • South Bay 1.08%
  • Palm Beach 0.86%
  • Florida 0.76%

What Florida publishes Homestead exemption (Florida Department of Revenue)

Exemptions and deadlines in Florida

Flood risk in Palm Beach County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Palm Beach County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
8.2%
43,577
Of those, with NFIP insurance
43%
County Florida U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 8.2% 13% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 43% 67% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in South Bay

Typical rent in South Bay is $1,085 a month: 43% below the county. In South Bay, 77% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Palm Beach County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($2,349 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $45.17 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Palm Beach County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $1,907 $36.67 $76,280
1 bedroom $2,008 $38.62 $80,320
2 bedrooms $2,349 $45.17 $93,960
3 bedrooms $3,052 $58.69 $122,080
4 bedrooms $3,523 $67.75 $140,920

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in South Bay

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). South Bay is in ZIP code 33493.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,410: $939 less than the fair market rent for Palm Beach County ($2,349).

  • 33493 $1,410$1,830

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for South Bay when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in South Bay

HUD lists one building with rents for lower incomes in South Bay.

  • New South Bay Villas 845 Palm Beach Rd, South Bay 33493 131 low-income homes · 1 bd: 3 · 2 bd: 56 · 3 bd: 32 · 4 bd: 40 · In service since 2017 · For families

See all 90 buildings in Palm Beach County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in South Bay

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

There are 8 HUD-approved agencies with an office in Palm Beach County; 5 say they serve in Spanish.

A grandmother pushes her grandson on a playground swing.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in South Bay

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for South Bay or Palm Beach County. The ones below are statewide in Florida: they work in South Bay the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Florida

Housing counselors near South Bay

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of South Bay, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • We Help Communities To Develop Corporation

    349 SE 3rd Street, Belle Glade · 4 miles away · Spanish

    Also serves in Creole and French.

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 5 more
    (561) 992-5854

  • Housing Foundation of America - Lake Worth Florida

    8461 Lake Worth Rd, Lake Worth · 35 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 8 more
    (561) 713-1457

  • Real Estate, Education and Community Housing, Inc.

    8409 N Military Trl Ste 112, West Palm Beach · 40 miles away · Spanish

    Also serves in Creole.

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 9 more
    (561) 491-1670

Every agency in Palm Beach County All counseling agencies in Florida

Help in Spanish near South Bay

2 of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of South Bay

HUD’s record names them for South Bay or Palm Beach County. They run public housing or Section 8 vouchers. Ask whether their waiting list is open.

  • Palm Beach County Housing Authority Public housing and Section 8 vouchers (561) 684-2160

5 other authorities have an office in Palm Beach County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Palm Beach County

These cities are also in Palm Beach County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Palm Beach County Housing in Florida
See 10 more cities in Palm Beach County, with prices and rents

Every city has its own page with prices, rents and help.

Nearby cities

The cities closest to South Bay, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Palm Beach County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in South Bay.

All guides
Three women of one family lean in together to stir the pan.

Questions

Housing questions about South Bay

Short answers with the numbers for South Bay and all of Palm Beach County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in South Bay?

The typical home value in South Bay is $142,300, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Palm Beach County it is $447,300.

How much does it cost to rent in South Bay?

Typical rent in South Bay is $1,085 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Palm Beach County is $2,349.

What is the FHA loan limit in South Bay?

South Bay uses the FHA limit for all of Palm Beach County (2026): $667,000 for a one-unit home and $1,282,700 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in South Bay?

The typical homeowner in South Bay pays $1,542 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.08% of the home’s value; in Palm Beach County, the rate is 0.86%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in South Bay?

There are 8 HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Palm Beach County. 5 say they serve in Spanish. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).