About West Palm Beach, FL

West Palm Beach is the county seat of Palm Beach County. The 2020 U.S. Census counted the population as 117,415. The city is part of the Greater Miami Metropolitan Area, with over six million people.

Historically, the first contact with Europeans happened in 1513 when Juan Ponce de Leon discovered the native people who lived here. When the Spanish settlers arrived, about 20,000 Native Americans were living in Florida. The Spanish and English fought over the territory. By 1763, the English gained control over Florida, and all the native people were wiped out.

The town was incorporated in 1894. It was initially used to house the servants working for Henry Flagler's hotels on the island of Palm Beach to the east. Flagler was a founding partner of Standard Oil. He lent money to John D. Rockefeller to start the company.

The population grew rapidly in the 1920s due to the "Florida land boom." Many of the plantations were converted to master-planned communities by subdividing and selling tracts of land to build custom homes. Palm Beach Air Force Base was built here during WWII.

In contemporary times, the downtown area underwent a restoration with developments like CityPlace that preserve the 1920s-style architecture. The exterior facades were kept, and the interiors were renovated to create micro-breweries and restaurants.

What to do in West Palm Beach, FL

This beach city has much to see and do for tourists and locals to enjoy.

• Entertainment: The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts is in downtown West Palm Beach. It features plays, musicals, and various touring performers. The Raymond F. Kravis Center has over 800 events and conferences annually.
• Museums: The Norton Museum of Art is downtown, on the inlet side of the Atlantic, next to Woodlawn Cemetery. It has a permanent collection of fine art, and visiting collections rotate. Parking across the street is only $6 per day. The Henry Morrison Flagler Museum has lovely architecture and plenty of history to explore.
• Outdoor Recreation: Howard Park is near the Kravis Center. Families like to come for a picnic in the afternoon and stay in the downtown area to take in a show at night.
• Destinations: Lake Okeechobee is a short drive from West Palm Beach. It is Florida's largest freshwater lake. It is known for being an excellent spot for bass fishing, and you can also enjoy canoeing and kayaking.

Working in West Palm Beach, FL

The healthcare, construction, retail, and educational industries create the local economy. The area's unemployment rate is 5%, compared to the average of 4% across America.

The median household annual income is $71,138 compared to the national average of $80,610.

Jobs in this city are declining by around 6.6% per year. Future job growth should be 39.4% over the next ten years, slightly more significant than America's expected growth rate of 33.5% over the next decade.

The largest employers include healthcare (10.6%), education (6.6%), construction (7.7%), hospitality (8.8%), public administration (5.6%), professional services (6.4%), and administrative support/waste management services (6.1%).

West Palm Beach, FL Neighborhoods

West Palm Beach has some stunningly beautiful beachfront properties. Here are the top three most luxurious neighborhoods:

• Marina Park: Homes in this neighborhood are either owner-occupied or used as rental properties by the homeowners. The median price of a home is $1,800,979. The average monthly rental rate is $2,343. The vacancy rate is 16.8%.
• El Cid: To the south of Marina Park is the El Cid neighborhood. This area has a median home price of $1,230,402. The average rent is $3,498, and the vacancy rate is 36.4%. Many of the homes are vacation rentals.
• Phipps Park: The Phipps Park neighborhood is on the southeast side of West Palm Beach. The median sales price for a home is $1,229,942, which is more expensive than 93.7% of other Floridian neighborhoods. The rental price is an average of $2,483 monthly, and the vacancy rate is 18.1%.

West Palm Beach, FL School District

The School District of Palm Beach County oversees public schools and allocates $14,596 per year per student. The ratio of students to teachers is on the high side at 17 to one, which means the district has too few teachers and crowded classrooms.

There are 52 private schools in West Palm Beach and the surrounding area. The schools with the best rankings are Oxbridge Academy (6th to 12th grade), Rosarian Academy (PK to 8th grade), and The Greene School (PK to 12th grade).

There are three colleges in West Palm Beach and 23 more within 50 miles of the city. The colleges in town are Lincoln College of Technology (private, four-year), Northwood University Florida (private, four-year), and Palm Beach Atlantic University (private, four-year).

Moving to West Palm Beach, FL

The municipal government has an elected mayor and five elected commissioners serving on the City Commission.

The Parks and Recreation Department is responsible for the parks and facilities. It manages the athletic programs, aquatics facilities, city docks, community events, and out-of-school and camp programs.

West Palm Beach, FL Housing

Housing prices are trending down -17.3% year-over-year. The median home price is $405,000. However, any beachfront property will save you over a cool million dollars. This area is a buyer's market with more listings for sale than interested buyers. Houses sell for about 4% less than the asking price. The median number of days a home stays on the market is 81.

This area has a higher cost of housing, which is 47% higher than other communities in Florida. This causes the overall cost of living to be 36% higher than the amount you would spend, on average, in different parts of America.