Palm Beach County's 'affordability gap' has workers in these fields moving out

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Palm Beach County has been dubbed "Wall Street South" as many tech giants and other wealthy individuals call the area home.

For some long-time residents, it is increasing housing costs and forcing many to contemplate if they can continue to live here.

WATCH BELOW: Palm Beach County's rising median income fueling affordability crisis

A new report from Florida International University on affordability is putting a spotlight on the crisis.

FIU housing expert Dr. Ned Murray told WPTV on Thursday that the root problem in Palm Beach County stems from what people earn and the housing costs.

Murray said there's a trend of workers ages 20-29 leaving town.

"Palm Beach has been struggling in this area for quite some time," Murray said. "But as the study showed, it's really been the past few years where affordability levels have just really gone to a whole different level, even much worse than it was back during the housing bubble in the first decade."

Murray said the Area Median Income (AMI) is $104,000, but 80% of households in Palm Beach County are making less than about $83,000.

"We have an affordability mismatch between what people earn and what's in the inventory right now," Murray said. "If you're paying over 50% of your income on rent that doesn't work. Obviously, younger people are going to look elsewhere."

That $104,000 salary is the second highest in Florida — only topped by Collier County's $104,400.

Professions like finance, the legal field and tech sectors have seen the biggest growth in jobs.

Murray said the concern now is that he's seen workers moving out who are on the low end of the income bracket — like hospitality, health care and trade.

"Similar jobs in other states pay competitive wages and the housing market is a lot cheaper," Murray said. "If we're not doing well in the primary industrial sectors, our economy will struggle."

Palm Beach County officials report that home prices now cost six times more than the median income.

To afford a two-bedroom apartment at Housing and Urban Development (HUD) fair market rate, a person needs to make $89,040 annually.

"I think Palm Beach has become probably more so than Broward and even Miami Dade much more attractive as a place to live and obviously has the quality of life, but it also has now you know the brand so to speak that comes with a lot happened in the last couple years," Murray said.

Read FIU's full report below:

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