Assisted Living Communities in West Palm Beach, Florida

Although West Palm Beach’s assisted living average is below the norm for Florida, it’s not the region’s most affordable city. Up the coast in Sebastian, it’s common to find facilities charging $3,350 per month, and inland, Sebring’s average is $3,436. However, costs above West Palm Beach’s are more likely, such as in Cape Coral, where seniors can expect to pay around $4,334.

The average monthly fee for West Palm Beach is $3,763, making the city an attractive choice when compared to others in the state as the typical Floridian pays $4,000. The city is also more affordable than most across the country because the national average fee is $4,500.

While many families use their own funds or personal assets to pay for assisted living, there are plenty of additional options to cover these costs. Some additional ways to finance assisted living costs include:

• Veterans Benefits
• Life Insurance Policy
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Reverse Mortgage

For more information about different ways to finance assisted living, visit our Assisted Living in Florida page.

Assisted living is an affordable alternative to home visits from caregivers, which can cost $4,671 for homemaker services or $4,767 for home health aide support. Nursing homes are even more expensive, typically costing $8,164 for a semiprivate room and $8,943 for a private one. Only adult day centers charge lower fees, at $1,517.

Assisted living facilities in the Sunshine State are governed by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. This agency is responsible for licensing, inspecting and monitoring all of the assisted living communities within Florida. 

• West Palm Beach’s climate is more suitable than most for older residents. In January, temperatures hover around a pleasantly cool 56 degrees, and in July, a comfortably warm 90 degrees is normal. There’s also the benefit of breezes coming in from the Atlantic being weakened by Palm Beach before they arrive in the city. Seniors should also expect an above-average 63 inches of rain and around 238 sunny days per year, which is far more than the U.S. average of 205.
• The city has a better-than-average health cost index of 96.3. Although water quality is below average, West Palm Beach’s excellent air quality and high performance in cleaning contaminated land improve its score overall. Commute times in the city are lower too, and the number of Medicare-registered physicians exceeds the national average of 210 per 100,00 people by 44.
• The cost of living index in West Palm Beach is 108.1, which is higher than the state and national indices. Transportation, housing and grocery costs appear to be the major factors. However, only transportation is likely to have a significant impact on the incomes of the city’s seniors residing in assisted living facilities. The healthcare cost index is lower, suggesting West Palm Beach’s seniors pay less for their medical needs than the typical American.
• Many hospitals serve the city’s seniors. St. Mary’s Medical Center is a well-established acute care hospital specializing in stroke treatments, neurology, orthopedics and kidney dialysis. Good Samaritan Medical Center has an emergency room, performs general surgery and specializes in sleep disorders. There’s also the JFK Medical Center to the north of the city, which specializes in pain management, physical therapy and emergency care.
• Rates for property and violent crimes in West Palm Beach are above the state averages. However, crime rates aren’t the same in every neighborhood, so it may be worth considering areas with fewer recorded crimes. A benefit of residing in an assisted living community is that many have modern security systems and staff on-site 24-hours a day.