View source for Palm Beach County, Florida

{{short description|County in Florida, United States}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Palm Beach County
| settlement_type = [[List of counties in Florida|County]]
<!-- images, nickname, motto ------>| image_skyline = {{photomontage
  | photo1a = Palm Beach Florida photo by D Ramey Logan.jpg
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  | color =  white
  | size = 270
  | foot_montage = [[West Palm Beach, Florida|West Palm Beach]] (foreground and center) and [[Palm Beach, Florida|Palm&nbsp;Beach]] (background)
}}
| image_flag = Flag of Palm Beach County, Florida.svg
| image_seal = Seal of Palm Beach County. Florida.svg
<!-- maps and coordinates ------>| image_map = Map of Florida highlighting Palm Beach County.svg
| mapsize = 
| map_caption = 
| pushpin_map = USA
| pushpin_relief = 
| pushpin_map_caption = Location within the United States
| pushpin_label_position = top
| coordinates = {{coord|26.71|N|80.05|W|region:US-FL|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint = <!-- to specify exact location of coordinates (was coor_type) -->
| coordinates_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web |title=2018_gaz_counties_12.txt |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2018_Gazetteer/2018_gaz_counties_12.txt |website=census.gov |date=2018}}</ref>
| established_title = Founded
| established_date = April 30, 1909
| seat_type = [[County seat]]
| seat = [[West Palm Beach]]
| seat1_type = Largest city
| seat1 = West Palm Beach
| area_total_sq_mi = 2383
| area_water_sq_mi = 413
| area_urban_sq_mi = 405
| area_land_sq_mi = 1970
| population_as_of = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = <ref name="2020CensusPopulationByRace">{{cite web |title=P2: HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT ... - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=P2&g=050XX00US12099&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |website=P2 &#124; HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 June 2023 }}</ref>
| population_total = 1,492,191
| pop_est_as_of = 2025
| population_est = 1,575,726 {{gain}}
| pop_est_footnotes = <ref name="2022VintagePopulationEstimate">{{cite web |title=County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2022 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html |website=County Population Totals: 2020-2022 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 June 2023 |date=21 June 2023 }}</ref>
| population_density_urban_sq_mi = 3678
| population_rank = [[List of the most populous counties in the United States|26th]] in the United States<br />[[List of counties in Florida|3rd]] in Florida
| population_density_sq_mi = auto
<!-- GDP ------------------>| demographics_type2 = GDP
| demographics2_footnotes = <ref name="fred">{{cite web |url = https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GDPALL12099 |title = Gross Domestic Product: All Industries in Palm Beach County, FL |website = fred.stlouisfed.org}}</ref>
| demographics2_title1 = Total
| demographics2_info1 = $131.097 billion (2023)
| blank_name_sec1 = Congressional District
| blank_info_sec1 = [[Florida's 20th congressional district|20th]], [[Florida's 21st congressional district|21st]], [[Florida's 22nd congressional district|22nd]], [[Florida's 23rd congressional district|23rd]]
 <!-- Time zones ------------>| timezone = [[Eastern Time Zone]]
| utc_offset = −5
| timezone_DST = [[Eastern Daylight Time]]
| utc_offset_DST = −4
| website = https://discover.pbcgov.org/
}}
'''Palm Beach County''' is a county in the southeastern part of [[Florida]], located in the [[Miami metropolitan area]]. It is Florida's third-most populous county after [[Miami-Dade County, Florida|Miami-Dade County]] and [[Broward County, Florida|Broward County]] and the [[List of the most populous counties in the United States|24th-most populous in the United States]], with 1,492,191 residents as of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="2020CensusPopulationByRace" /> Its [[county seat]] and largest city is [[West Palm Beach, Florida|West Palm Beach]], which had a population of 117,415 as of 2020.<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref> Named after one of its oldest settlements, [[Palm Beach, Florida|Palm Beach]], the county was established in 1909, after being split from Miami-Dade County. The county's modern-day boundaries were established in 1963.

Palm Beach County is one of the three counties that make up the [[Miami metropolitan area]], which was home to 6.14 million people in 2020. The area has been increasing in population since the late 19th century, with the incorporation of West Palm Beach in 1894 and after [[Henry Flagler]] extended the [[Florida East Coast Railway]] and built the [[Royal Poinciana Hotel]], [[The Breakers (hotel)|The Breakers]], and [[Flagler Museum|Whitehall]]. In 1928, the [[1928 Okeechobee hurricane|Okeechobee hurricane]] [[Landfall (meteorology)|struck]] Palm Beach County and caused thousands of deaths. More recently, the county acquired national attention during the [[2000 United States presidential election|2000 presidential election]], when a [[2000 United States presidential election recount in Florida|controversial recount occurred]].

In 2004, Palm Beach County was Florida's wealthiest county, with a [[Per capita personal income in the United States|per capita personal income]] of $44,518.<ref>{{cite news|url= http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/state/funanswers.html |title=Florida Fun Facts Q&A |newspaper=[[The Palm Beach Post]] |access-date=October 18, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306023257/http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/state/funanswers.html|archive-date=March 6, 2012}}</ref> It leads the state in agricultural productivity; agriculture is Palm Beach County's second-largest industry, after real estate development.<ref>{{cite report |author1=Scott W. Barnhart |author2=Alan W. Hodges |page=18, figure 7. Direct output of major industry groups in Palm Beach County, Florida, 2014 |title=Economic Contributions of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Food Industries in Palm Beach County, Florida |series=Prepared for the ''Palm Beach International Agricultural Summit'' |date=March 28, 2016 |url=http://www.pbias.org/assets/economic-contributions-of-ag-food-industries-in-palm-beach-county-march-28-2016.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611005842/http://www.pbias.org/assets/economic-contributions-of-ag-food-industries-in-palm-beach-county-march-28-2016.pdf |archive-date=2016-06-11 |access-date=May 11, 2016}}</ref> In undeveloped (central and western) Palm Beach County there is significant tropical agricultural production, especially [[Plant nurseries|nurseries]], truck crops (vegetables), and [[sugar cane]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Susan Salisbury |title=How a relatively small amount of acreage feeds a lot of people |work=[[Palm Beach Post]] |date=May 10, 2016 |url=http://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/news/news/how-a-relatively-small-amount-of-acreage-feeds-a-l/nrKxr/?icmp=pbp_internallink_referralbox_free-to-premium-referral |access-date=May 11, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812151321/http://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/news/news/how-a-relatively-small-amount-of-acreage-feeds-a-l/nrKxr/?icmp=pbp_internallink_referralbox_free-to-premium-referral |archive-date=2016-08-12}}</ref> Palm Beach County has been called the "Winter Vegetable Capital" of the nation.<ref>{{cite book |author=C. Spencer Pompey |title=More Rivers to Cross |place=West Palm Beach |publisher=StarGroup International |year=2003 |isbn=1884886086 |page=183}}</ref>

==History==
{{main|History of Palm Beach County, Florida}}
[[File:Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area (17237643489).jpg|thumb|[[Jupiter Inlet Light|Jupiter Lighthouse]] situated in the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area]]
[[File:1928 Okeechobee Aftermath 17.jpg|thumb|right|A montage of images of impact by the [[1928 Okeechobee hurricane]]]]
Around 12,000&nbsp;years ago, Native Americans began migrating into Florida. An estimated 20,000&nbsp;Native Americans lived in South Florida when the Spanish arrived. Their population diminished significantly by the 18th century, due to warfare, enslavement, and diseases from Europe.<ref>{{cite report|url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/native-americans|title=Native Americans|date=2009|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=February 19, 2014}}</ref> In 1513, [[Juan Ponce de León]] became the first European in modern-day Palm Beach County when he landed at the [[Jupiter Inlet]].<ref>{{cite report|url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/timeline-10000-yrs-ad-1700|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|title=10000 yrs - A.D. 1700|access-date=March 12, 2014}}</ref> Among the first non-Native American residents were [[African American]]s, many of whom were former slaves or immediate descendants of former slaves, arriving in what was then [[Spanish Florida]] in the late 17th century. Finding refuge among the [[Seminole]]s, the former slaves or descendants of former slaves fought alongside them against [[White American|white]] settlers and bounty hunters during the [[Seminole Wars]].<ref name="blacksites">{{cite book|author=Kevin M. McCarthy|title=African American Sites in Florida|publisher=[[Pineapple Press]]|date=January 1, 2007|page=23|chapter=Broward County|isbn=978-1-56164-385-1|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A_bZhe4no8UC&q=blacks+slaves+seminole+indians+palm+beach&pg=PA23|access-date=February 19, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite report|url=http://www.flheritage.com/preservation/markers/markers.cfm?ID=palm%20beach|title=Florida Historical Markers Programs - Marker: Palm Beach|publisher=Florida Department of State|access-date=February 19, 2014}}</ref> Portions of the [[Second Seminole War]] occurred in Palm Beach County, including the [[Battles of the Loxahatchee]] in 1838.<ref>{{cite report|url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/the-seminole-war-in-palm-beach-county|title=The 2nd Seminole War in Palm Beach County|date=2009|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=February 19, 2014}}</ref>

The county's oldest surviving structure, the [[Jupiter Inlet Light|Jupiter Lighthouse]], was built in 1860, after receiving authorization to the land from President [[Franklin Pierce]] in 1854.<ref name="jlh">{{cite report|url=http://www.jupiterlighthouse.org/pdf/2011History.pdf|title=History|date=January 2011|publisher=Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum|access-date=April 22, 2015|location=Jupiter, Florida|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120610113734/http://www.jupiterlighthouse.org/pdf/2011History.pdf|archive-date=June 10, 2012}}</ref> During the [[American Civil War]], Florida was a member of the [[Confederate States of America]]. Two Confederate adherents removed the lighting mechanism from the lighthouse.<ref name="pbchojil">{{cite report|url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/jupiter-lighthouse|title=Travelers' Aids: Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=April 3, 2015}}</ref> One of the men who removed the light, Augustus O. Lang, was also the first white settler in Palm Beach County. He built a palmetto shack along the eastern shore of [[Lake Worth Lagoon|Lake Worth]] in 1863 after abandoning the cause of the Confederacy.<ref>{{cite report|url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/the-first-arrivals|title=The First Arrivals|date=2009|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=April 3, 2015}}</ref> After the Civil War ended, the Jupiter Lighthouse was relit in 1866.<ref name="pbchojil"/>

In October&nbsp;1873, a [[Hurricane Five (1873)|hurricane]] caused a shipwreck between [[Biscayne Bay]] and the [[New River (Broward County, Florida)|New River]]. The crew survived the wreck but nearly died due to starvation because of the desolation of the area. In response, five [[Houses of Refuge in Florida|Houses of Refuge]] were built along the east coast of Florida from the [[Fort Pierce Inlet State Park|Fort Pierce Inlet]] southward to Biscayne Bay. Orange Grove House of Refuge No. 3 was built near [[Delray Beach, Florida|Delray Beach]] in 1876.<ref>{{cite report|url=http://digitalcollections.fiu.edu/tequesta/files/1968/68_1_01.pdf|title=The Orange Grove House of Refuge No. 3|author=Gilbert L. Voss|date=February 18, 1968|publisher=[[Florida International University]]|access-date=April 22, 2015|archive-date=December 26, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141226025404/http://digitalcollections.fiu.edu/tequesta/files/1968/68_1_01.pdf}}</ref>
[[File:The Royal Poinciana, Palm Beach, Florida, 1900.jpg|thumb|The [[Royal Poinciana Hotel]] in 1900]]
Very few people lived in modern-day Palm Beach County prior to the arrival of [[Henry Flagler]], who first visited in the early 1890s. A [[Standard Oil]] tycoon, Flagler was instrumental in the county's development around the turn of the century. First, he purchased land on both sides of [[Lake Worth Lagoon|Lake Worth]]. Other investors followed suit, causing a small boom and bringing in existing businesses and resulting in the establishment of many new businesses. The [[Royal Poinciana Hotel]], constructed by Flagler and his constructed crews to accommodate wealthy tourists, opened for business in February 1894. About a month later, the [[Florida East Coast Railway]], owned by Flagler, reached West Palm Beach. On November&nbsp;5, 1894, Palm Beach County's oldest city, West Palm Beach, was incorporated. In 1896, another hotel built by Flagler was opened, the Palm Beach Inn, later renamed [[The Breakers (hotel)|The Breakers]].<ref>{{cite report |url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/flagler-era|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|title=Flagler Era|access-date=March 12, 2014}}</ref> He also constructed [[Flagler Museum|his own winter home]], which he and his wife moved into in 1902.<ref>{{cite report |url=https://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/flagler-timeline|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|title=Henry M. Flagler in Florida Timeline|access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref> The arrivals of Major [[Nathan Boynton]], Congressman [[William S. Linton]], and railroad surveyor Thomas Rickards in the 1890s also proved important because they developed communities that later became [[Boynton Beach, Florida|Boynton Beach]], Delray Beach, and [[Boca Raton, Florida|Boca Raton]], respectively.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/timeline-1890-1899|title=1890 - 1898 [sic]|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref>

The [[Florida Legislature]] voted to establish Palm Beach County in 1909, carving it out of what was then the northern portion of [[Miami-Dade County, Florida|Dade County]] and initially including all of [[Lake Okeechobee]]. The southernmost part of Palm Beach County was separated to create the northern portion of [[Broward County, Florida|Broward County]] in 1915, the northwestern portion became part of [[Okeechobee County, Florida|Okeechobee County]] in 1917, and southern [[Martin County, Florida|Martin County]] was created from northernmost Palm Beach County in 1925.<ref name="courthouse">{{cite web|url=http://www.pbcgov.com/courthouse/history.htm|title=Palm Beach County - County history |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402052523/http://pbcgov.com/courthouse/history.htm|publisher=Government of Palm Beach County |archive-date=April 2, 2015|access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref> The boundaries remained the same until 1963, when the Florida Legislature reduced Palm Beach County's share of Lake Okeechobee from about 80&nbsp;percent to less than 40&nbsp;percent and divided the lake more equitably among [[Glades County, Florida|Glades]], [[Hendry County, Florida|Hendry]], Martin, and Okeechobee counties.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85414395/the-palm-beach-post/|date=July 9, 1964|title='Too Much Involved,' Says Bandlow|newspaper=The Palm Beach Post|page=1|access-date=August 16, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}} {{free access}}</ref> A final change to the county's boundaries occurred in 2009, when a small portion of land was given to Broward County.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/evolution-of-palm-beach-county|title=Evolution of Palm Beach County|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=September 16, 2021}}</ref>

The 1910s and much of the 1920s brought prosperity and rapid population growth to South Florida, coinciding with the [[Florida land boom of the 1920s]]. Many local historic districts and landmarks [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Palm Beach County, Florida|listed]] in the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in Palm Beach County were designed and constructed during the 1920s, with the main contributors being architects [[Maurice Fatio]], [[Addison Mizner]], [[Marion Sims Wyeth]], and the firm [[Harvey and Clarke]], which included [[Gustav Maass (architect)|Gustav Maass]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/architects-of-the-boom |title=Architects of the Boom & Bust|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref> Total property value in West Palm Beach skyrocketed from $13.6&nbsp;million in 1920 to $61&nbsp;million in 1925, before briefly reaching a pre-[[Great Depression]] peak of $89&nbsp;million in 1929. The city's population quadrupled between 1920 and 1927.<ref name="piland">{{cite report |url=http://wpb.org/getmedia/95efd224-611b-43f2-a8f1-3e72f8744633/Historic-Preservation-A-Design-Guidelines-Handbook-full-color; |title=Historic Preservation: A Design Guidelines Handbook|author=Dr. Sherry Piland|author2=Emily Stillings|author3=Ednasha Bowers|date=2005 |publisher=Historic Preservation Board, City of West Palm Beach|format=PDF|access-date=March 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328050743/https://www.wpb.org/getmedia/95efd224-611b-43f2-a8f1-3e72f8744633/Historic-Preservation-A-Design-Guidelines-Handbook-full-color;|archive-date=March 28, 2019}}</ref>

Early on September 17, 1928, [[1928 Okeechobee hurricane|the Okeechobee hurricane]] made landfall near West Palm Beach as a category-4 storm and crossed Lake Okeechobee shortly thereafter.{{Atlantic hurricane best track}} While the hurricane caused catastrophic impact in eastern portions of the county, the Lake Okeechobee region suffered a much heavier loss of life. Wind-driven storm surge in the lake inundated hundreds of square miles, including the nearby communities of [[Belle Glade, Florida|Belle Glade]], [[Pahokee, Florida|Pahokee]], and [[South Bay, Florida|South Bay]]. At least 2,500&nbsp;deaths occurred, many of whom were black migrant farmers.<ref name="nwsokeechobee"/> An assessment of impact throughout the county reported 552&nbsp;businesses destroyed, 1,447&nbsp;businesses damaged, 3,584&nbsp;homes destroyed, and 11,409&nbsp;homes damaged, leaving 4,008&nbsp;families homeless. However, several cities were excluded, such as Boca Raton, [[Greenacres, Florida|Greenacres]], [[Lantana, Florida|Lantana]], and [[South Palm Beach, Florida|South Palm Beach]].<ref name="92 views">{{cite web|url=http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00001306/00001/1j|title=Palm Beach Hurricane—92 Views|date=1928|publisher=American Autochrome Company|access-date=June 27, 2015|location=Chicago, Illinois}}</ref>{{rp|3}} Damage in South Florida totaled roughly $25&nbsp;million. In response to the storm, the [[Herbert Hoover Dike]] was constructed to prevent a similar disaster.<ref name="nwsokeechobee">{{cite report|url=http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mfl/?n=okeechobee|title=Memorial Web Page for the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane|date=June 29, 2009|work=[[National Weather Service Miami, Florida]]|publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]|access-date=February 19, 2014}}</ref>

As a result of [[1926 Miami hurricane]] and the 1928 storm, Palm Beach County, along with the rest of South Florida, began suffering economic turmoil and pushed the region into the Great Depression, even before the [[Wall Street Crash of 1929]]. Housing prices dropped dramatically in the county, with the total real estate value in West Palm Beach falling to $41.6&nbsp;million in 1930 and then to $18.2&nbsp;million in 1935.<ref>{{cite report|url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/the-bust|title=The Bust|date=2009|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref> However, the decade also brought an airport to the county. Morrison Field, later renamed the [[Palm Beach International Airport]], opened in 1936.

After the U.S. entered [[World War II]], it was converted to an [[Palm Beach Air Force Base|Air Force Base]] in 1942.<ref name="PBIA">{{cite report|url=http://www.airporthotelguide.com/west-palm-beach/airportinfo.html|title=Palm Beach International Airport Information|publisher=Airport Hotel Guide|access-date=February 19, 2014|archive-date=March 18, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140318005729/http://www.airporthotelguide.com/west-palm-beach/airportinfo.html}}</ref> During the war, thousands of servicemen arrived in Palm Beach County for training and supporting the war effort.<ref name="World War II">{{cite report |url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/world-war-ii|title=World War II|date=2009|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=February 19, 2014}}</ref> Following the conclusion of World War II, a number of veterans returned to the area for work, vacation, or retirement.<ref name="World War II"/> The base was closed and became a commercial airport again in 1962.<ref name="PBIA"/> Migration to the county by workers, tourists, and retirees continued into the 21st century.<ref>{{cite book|author=Lynn Lasseter Drake and Richard A. Marconi |title=West Palm Beach: 1893 to 1950|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|year=2006|page=8|isbn=0-7385-4272-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iUTQsXsbqUIC&q=West+Palm+Beach%3A+1893+to+1950|access-date=February 19, 2014}}</ref>

On August&nbsp;28, 1949, a category-4 [[1949 Florida hurricane|hurricane]] struck Lake Worth Beach with [[maximum sustained wind]]s of 130&nbsp;mph (215&nbsp;km/h),{{Atlantic hurricane best track}} causing considerable damage. Throughout Palm Beach County, the hurricane destroyed 65&nbsp;homes and damaged 13,283&nbsp;others.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18850077/the_palm_beach_post/|title=18,000 Homes Hit in 22-County Part Of State Raked By Storm|agency=Associated Press|date=August 30, 1949|newspaper=The Palm Beach Post|page=1|access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref>

The area's first television station, [[WIRK]]-TV Channel 21, began broadcasting on September 13, 1953. It went off the air less than three years later. However, [[NBC]] affiliate [[WPTV-TV]] and [[CBS]] affiliate [[WPEC]] first aired in 1954 and 1955, respectively – both of which are still in existence today.<ref>{{cite report|url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/timeline-1950-1959|title=1950-1959|date=2009 |publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=February 19, 2014}}</ref>

[[Richard Paul Pavlick]] nearly attempted to assassinate then President-elect [[John F. Kennedy]] while the family vacationed in Palm Beach in December&nbsp;1960. On December&nbsp;11, Pavlick forwent his attempt because Kennedy was with his wife, [[Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis|Jacqueline]], and their two children.<ref name=postman>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M9_BSXV_s_4C&q=richard+paul+pavlick&pg=PA164|isbn=978-0-313-36475-4|title=Killing the President: Assassinations, Attempts, and Rumored Attempts on U.S. Commanders-in-Chief: Assassinations, Attempts, and Rumored Attempts on U.S. Commanders-in-Chief|author=William Oliver and Nancy E. Marion|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2010}}</ref> Four days later, Pavlick's car, which had sticks of dynamite inside, was surrounded by police and he was arrested.<ref name=hate>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rFE7nTO-iLcC&q=richard+paul+pavlick&pg=PA89|isbn=978-1-60819-247-2|title=Brothers in Arms: The Kennedys, the Castros, and the Politics of Murder|author=Gus Russo and Stephen Molton|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA|date=2010}}</ref> Charges against Pavlick were dropped on December&nbsp;2, 1963, 10&nbsp;days after [[Assassination of John F. Kennedy|Kennedy was assassinated]] in [[Dallas, Texas]].<ref name=postman/> Additionally, a secret [[Detachment Hotel|blast shelter]] was built on [[Peanut Island]] during his presidency because escalating [[Cold War]] tensions.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/02/us/for-kennedy-a-secret-shelter-was-a-cold-war-camelot.html?_r=0|title=Long-Secret Fallout Shelter Was a Cold War Camelot|author=Lizette Alvarez|date=October 1, 2011|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=September 8, 2015|location=Peanut Island, Florida}}</ref>

[[Hurricane David]] struck near West Palm Beach late on September&nbsp;3, 1979, with sustained winds of 100&nbsp;mph (155&nbsp;km/h). The storm's winds shattered windows in stores near the coast and caused property damage. A few roofs were torn off, and numerous buildings were flooded from over 6&nbsp;in (150&nbsp;mm) of rainfall. Damage in the county reached $30&nbsp;million, most of which was incurred to agriculture.
[[File:Butterfly Ballot, Florida 2000 (large).jpg|thumb|left|The "butterfly ballot" used during the 2000 election in Palm Beach County]]
The county became the center of controversy during the [[2000 United States presidential election|2000 presidential election]]. Allegedly, the [[United States presidential election in Florida, 2000|"butterfly ballot"]], designed by Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections [[Theresa LePore]], led to an unexpectedly large number of votes for [[Reform Party of the United States of America|Reform Party]] candidate [[Pat Buchanan]], rather than for [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] [[Al Gore]]. Due to the aforementioned "butterfly ballot" and the closeness of the statewide results between Gore and [[Governor of Texas|Texas Governor]] [[George W. Bush]], the [[Florida Supreme Court]] mandated manual recounts in all counties with disputed results. However, the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] overturned the decision in ''[[Bush v. Gore]]'' on December&nbsp;12, allowing [[Secretary of State of Florida|Florida Secretary of the State]] [[Katherine Harris]] to award the 25&nbsp;electoral votes to Bush, as Harris's tally prior to the state-ordered recounts placed him ahead of Gore by 537&nbsp;popular votes. In turn, this gave Bush victory in the national election.

Following the [[September 11 attacks]] in 2001, a [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] investigation revealed that 12 of the 19&nbsp;hijackers trained or resided in Palm Beach County during the months prior to the attacks.<ref name="nationalspot">{{cite report |url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/national-spotlight|title=PBC in the National Spotlight|date=2009|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=April 3, 2015}}</ref><ref name="nyt">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/04/national/04PLOT.html?pagewanted=2|title=Hijackers' Meticulous Strategy of Brains, Muscle and Practice|author=Don Van Natta Jr. and Kate Zernike|date=November 4, 2001|newspaper=The New York Times|page=2|access-date=February 19, 2014}}</ref> Later that month, during the [[2001 anthrax attacks|anthrax attacks]], a letter containing [[Anthrax|spores]] of this substance was mailed to the [[American Media (publisher)|American Media, Inc.]] building in Boca Raton. Three people were exposed to the anthrax, including [[Robert Stevens (photo editor)|Robert Stevens]], a photo editor who later died after an infection induced by exposure.<ref name="nationalspot"/>
[[File:Wilma 2005-10-24 1245Z.jpg|thumb|right|[[Hurricane Wilma]] over South Florida on October 24, 2005]]
Three hurricanes severely impacted Palm Beach County in 2004 and 2005: [[Hurricane Frances|Frances]], [[Hurricane Jeanne|Jeanne]], and [[Hurricane Wilma|Wilma]]. On September&nbsp;5, 2004, Frances made landfall in Martin County as a category-2 hurricane. With wind gusts in Palm Beach County peaking at {{convert|91|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}, the storm inflicted structural damage on about 15,000&nbsp;houses and 2,400&nbsp;businesses. Six deaths occurred in the county. Jeanne struck near the same location as a category-3 hurricane on September&nbsp;26, 2004. The storm also brought strong winds, with an official wind gust of {{convert|94|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}. About 4,160&nbsp;homes were damaged and 60&nbsp;were destroyed. Jeanne left about $260&nbsp;million in damage in the county. On October&nbsp;24, 2005, Hurricane Wilma struck [[Collier County, Florida|Collier County]] as a category-3 hurricane. The storm moved northeastward, directly crossing Palm Beach County. Several locations reported hurricane-force winds, including a wind gust of 117&nbsp;mph (188&nbsp;km/h) in Belle Glade.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wilma |url=https://www.weather.gov/mfl/wilma |website=National Weather Service |publisher=National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date=4 September 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite report|work=National Hurricane Center|publisher=National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration|date=September 9, 2014|title=Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Wilma|author1=Richard J. Pasch|author2=Eric S. Blake |author3=Hugh D. Cobb III |author4=David P. Roberts |url={{NHC TCR url|id=AL252005_Wilma}}|access-date=June 30, 2018|location=Miami, Florida|format=PDF}}</ref> Over 90% of [[Florida Power & Light]] customers lost electricity. Two deaths occurred in Palm Beach County.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2005-10-25/news/0510240329_1_outages-palm-beach-county-hurricane-wilma|title=Hammered|date=October 25, 2005|author=Jennifer Peltz|page=1|newspaper=Sun-Sentinel|access-date=June 30, 2018|display-authors=etal|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304050143/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2005-10-25/news/0510240329_1_outages-palm-beach-county-hurricane-wilma}}</ref> The storm inflicted some degree of impact to more than 55,000&nbsp;homes and 3,600&nbsp;businesses. Palm Beach County suffered about $2.9&nbsp;billion in damages.<ref>{{cite news|title=Adding Up Wilma's Fury: $2.9 Billion Countywide - More than 55,000 Homes, 3,600 Businesses Damaged|author1=Luis F. Perez|author2=Angel Streeter|author3=Ushma Patel|date=December 18, 2005|newspaper=Sun-Sentinel|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2005-12-18/news/0512180026_1_damage-wellington-wind-speeds|access-date=June 30, 2018|archive-date=October 6, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151006011507/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2005-12-18/news/0512180026_1_damage-wellington-wind-speeds}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Frances |url=https://www.weather.gov/mfl/frances |website=National Weather Service}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Jeanne |url=https://www.weather.gov/mfl/jeanne |website=National Weather Service |access-date=4 September 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Kleinberg |first1=Eliot |title=Remembering the hurricanes of 2004's "Mean Season" |url=https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/local/2019/08/29/post-time-remembering-hurricanes-of-2004s-mean-season/4354684007/ |website=Palm Beach Post |access-date=4 September 2022}}</ref>

In August&nbsp;2012, the outer bands of [[Hurricane Isaac (2012)|Hurricane Isaac]] dropped at least {{convert|15.86|in|mm|abbr=on}} of rain near [[Lion Country Safari]]. The consequent flooding left neighborhoods in [[The Acreage, Florida|The Acreage]], [[Loxahatchee, Florida|Loxahatchee]], [[Loxahatchee Groves, Florida|Loxahatchee Groves]], [[Royal Palm Beach, Florida|Royal Palm Beach]], and Wellington stranded for up to several days.<ref>{{cite report|url=https://www.weather.gov/mfl/isaac|title=Tropical Storm Isaac: August 26-27, 2012|publisher=National Weather Service Miami, Florida|date=2012|access-date=June 25, 2018}}</ref> As [[Hurricane Irma]] approached in September 2017, mandatory or voluntary evacuations were ordered for more than 290,000&nbsp;residents of Palm Beach County.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/hurricane-irma-290k-pbc-residents-urged-evacuate/IW0I0DWZ7m8Qfq82YCGHfP/|title=Hurricane Irma: 290K PBC residents urged to evacuate|author=Jennifer Sorenture|date=September 7, 2017|newspaper=The Palm Beach Post|access-date=June 25, 2018|archive-date=June 25, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180625050611/https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/hurricane-irma-290k-pbc-residents-urged-evacuate/IW0I0DWZ7m8Qfq82YCGHfP/}}</ref> Although the storm passed well west of the county, much of the area experienced hurricane-force wind gusts, with a peak gust of {{convert|91|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} in West Palm Beach.<ref name="nwsirma"/> Impact was generally limited to widespread power outages and damaged trees and vegetation, though isolated property damage was reported. The storm left about $300&nbsp;million in damage in the county,<ref name="nwsirma">{{cite report|url=https://www.weather.gov/mfl/hurricaneirma|title=Hurricane Irma Local Report/Summary|date=2018|publisher=National Weather Service Miami, Florida|access-date=June 25, 2018}}</ref> as well as five fatalities.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/weather/hurricane/fl-sb-deaths-irma-florida-20170920-story.html|title=The many ways people have died from Hurricane Irma|date=September 25, 2017|author=Dan Sweeney|author2=Lisa J. Hurias|newspaper=Sun-Sentinel|access-date=June 25, 2018}}</ref>

===Toponymy===
[[File:The ship Providencia, shipwrecked off Florida coast.jpg|thumb|The ship ''Providencia'', wrecked off the coast of Florida, in 1878]]
The [[coconut palm]], ''Cocos nucifera'', is not native to Florida (nor anywhere else in the United States). Its presence in what is today Palm Beach County is due to the shipwreck of the Spanish ship ''Providencia'' in 1878, near today's [[Mar-a-Lago]]. It was traveling from [[Havana, Cuba|Havana]] to [[Cádiz, Spain]], with a cargo of coconuts.<ref>{{cite journal |first=Harvey III |last=Oyer |title=The Wreck of the Providencia in 1878 and the Naming of Palm Beach County |journal=South Florida History |volume=29 |year=2001 |pages=24–27 |issn=1522-0281}}</ref> The shipwreck was within walking distance of the shore—the Florida State Archives conserves a picture of a painting<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/8481 |title=Wreck of the 'Providencia' |website=www.floridamemory.com |access-date=February 3, 2017}}</ref>—and a deliberate grounding so as to obtain an insurance payout has been proposed.{{sfnp|Oyer|2001|p=26}} The coconuts were salvaged, too many to be eaten, and thousands were planted.{{sfnp|Oyer|2001|p=27}}<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Town of Palm Beach |title=History of Palm Beach |url=http://www.townofpalmbeach.com/Index.aspx?NID=343 |access-date=January 16, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Palm Beach County Historical Society |title=1860-1879 |url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/timeline-1860-1879 |access-date=January 12, 2017}}</ref> A lush grove of palm trees soon grew on what was later named Palm Beach.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Town of Palm Beach |title=Story of the Town's Founding |url=http://www.townofpalmbeach.com/Index.aspx?NID=344 |access-date=January 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171229003514/http://www.townofpalmbeach.com/Index.aspx?NID=344 |archive-date=December 29, 2017}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Lake Okeechobee.JPG|thumb|View of [[Lake Okeechobee]] from [[Pahokee, Florida|Pahokee]]]]
{{climate chart
| Palm Beach, FL<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usa.com/palm-beach-county-fl-weather.htm#HistoricalTemperature|title=Palm Beach County, FL Weather - USA.com™|website=www.usa.com}}</ref>
|56.3|75.1|2.4
|56.9|76.8|2.4
|58.6|79.3|3.8
|61.8|83.3|2.5
|66.8|87.6|4.0
|71.7|89.9|8.0
|72.7|91.3|6.7
|73.2|91.4|7.4
|72.4|89.6|7.4
|68.5|85.7|4.3
|62.4|80.5|3.2
|56.7|75.9|2.2
|units = imperial
|float = right
|clear = both }}According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|2383|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|1970|sqmi}} are land and {{convert|413|sqmi}} (17.3%) are covered by water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> It is the second-largest county in Florida by land area and third-largest by total area. Much of the water is the Atlantic Ocean and [[Lake Okeechobee]]. The county has an estimated {{convert|526000|acres}} of farmland.

The eastern third of Palm Beach County is highly urbanized, while the central and western portions of the county are suburban or rural.<ref name="interesting"/> Palm Beach County is one of three counties in the [[Miami metropolitan area]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article68048512.html|title=South Florida population hits 6 million for first time|newspaper=Miami Herald|author=Charles Rabin|date=March 25, 2016|access-date=June 24, 2018}}</ref> However, the county's western communities along Lake Okeechobee, such as [[Belle Glade, Florida|Belle Glade]], [[South Bay, Florida|South Bay]], and [[Pahokee, Florida|Pahokee]], have also been considered more part of the rural [[Florida Heartland]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thepalmbeaches.com/explore-cities/lake-okeechobee-and-glades|title=Lake Okeechobee and the Glades|date=July 6, 2016|publisher=Discover the Palm Beaches|access-date=June 24, 2018}}</ref>

The Atlantic coastline of Palm Beach County is about {{convert|47|mi|km|abbr=on}} in length.<ref name="interesting">{{cite web|url=https://discover.pbcgov.org/Pages/pbc_facts.aspx|title=Palm Beach County Interesting Facts and Figures|publisher=Palm Beach County, Florida, Government|access-date=June 24, 2018}}</ref> It consists mainly of barrier islands and peninsulas, including [[Jupiter Island]], [[Singer Island]], and [[Palm Beach, Florida|Palm Beach Island]]. These islands are separated from the mainland by the [[Intracoastal Waterway]], with much of the waterway locally known as the [[Lake Worth Lagoon]]. The main barrier landmasses are split by four inlets: the [[Jupiter Inlet Light|Jupiter Inlet]], the [[Lake Worth Inlet]], the [[South Lake Worth Inlet]], and the Boca Raton Inlet. Two of the four inlets are natural, but significantly altered – the Jupiter and Boca Raton inlets – while the Lake Worth and South Lake Worth inlets are man-made, with the former dug in the 1890s and the latter created between 1926 and 1927.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pbchistoryonline.org/page/barrier-islands|title=Barrier Islands|publisher=Historical Society of Palm Beach County|access-date=June 24, 2018}}</ref> Several other islands exist within the Intracoastal Waterway, including Hypoluxo Island, [[Munyon Island]], and [[Peanut Island]].<ref name="lwl">{{cite report|url=http://www.lwli.org/pdfs/2013ManagementPlan/2011LWLEducatorsGuide.pdf|title=Lake Worth Lagoon Educators Guide|page=8|date=January 2011|publisher=Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners' Department of Environmental Resources Management|access-date=June 24, 2018}}</ref>

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Martin County, Florida|Martin County]] – north
* [[Broward County, Florida|Broward County]] – south
* [[Hendry County, Florida|Hendry County]] – west
* [[Glades County, Florida|Glades County]] – northwest
* [[Okeechobee County, Florida|Okeechobee County]]- Northwest via 5 way county intersection in the middle of Lake Okeechobee

===Natural areas===
* [[Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge]], a {{convert|147392|acre|adj=on}} refuge in [[Boynton Beach, Florida|Boynton Beach]]
* [[DuPuis Management Area]], a {{convert|21875|acre|adj=on}} area of protected lands
* [[John D. MacArthur Beach State Park]], a {{convert|348|acre|adj=on}} park in [[North Palm Beach, Florida]]
* [[J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area]], a {{convert|60348|acre|adj=on}} area of protected lands
* [[Jupiter Ridge Natural Area]], a {{convert|271|acre|adj=on}} preserve in [[Jupiter, Florida]]
* [[Juno Dunes Natural Area]], a {{convert|576|acre|adj=on}} preserve in [[Juno Beach]]
* [[Frenchman's Forest Natural Area]], a {{convert|158|acre|adj=on}} preserve in [[Palm Beach Gardens]]
* [[Pawpaw Preserve]]
* [[Sweetbay Natural Area]], a {{convert|1094|acre|adj=on}} preserve in [[Palm Beach Gardens]]
* [[Royal Palm Beach Pines Natural Area]], a {{convert|773|acre}} preserve in [[Royal Palm Beach]].
* [[Hypoluxo Scrub Natural Area]], a {{convert|97|acre|adj=on}} preserve in [[Hypoluxo]]
* Rosemary Scrub Natural Area, a {{convert|14|acre|adj=on}} preserve in Boynton Beach
* Seacrest Scrub Natural Area, a {{convert|54|acre|adj=on}} preserve in Boynton Beach
* Delray Oaks Natural Area a {{convert|25|acre|adj=on}} prairie and xeric hammock preserve with a small strand swamp and areas of flatwoods in [[Delray Beach]]
* Leon M. Weekes Environmental Preserve, a {{convert|12|acre|adj=on}} preserve in Delray Beach
* Grassy Waters Everglades Preserve, a {{convert|14720|acre|adj=on}} wetland in [[West Palm Beach, Florida]]
In addition, the county has an abundance of [[coral reef]] patches along its coastline and has made efforts to preserve them.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thepalmbeaches.com/outdoor-recreation/coral-reef-ambassador-initiative|title=Coral Reef Protection Act (CRPA)|date=August 24, 2018|publisher=Discover The Palm Beaches|access-date=November 29, 2020|archive-date=May 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510204524/https://www.thepalmbeaches.com/outdoor-recreation/coral-reef-ambassador-initiative}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| 1910 = 5577
| 1920 = 18654
| 1930 = 51781
| 1940 = 79989
| 1950 = 114688
| 1960 = 228106
| 1970 = 348993
| 1980 = 576863
| 1990 = 863518
| 2000 = 1131184
| 2010 = 1320134
| 2020 = 1492191
| estyear = 2025
| estimate = 1575726
| estref = <ref name="USCensusEst2025">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html|title=County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2025|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 6, 2026}}</ref> {{increase}}
| align-fn = center
| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<br />
1910–1970<ref name="HistoricalCensus1830to2020">{{cite web |title=Census Counts: 1830-2020 |url=http://edr.state.fl.us/Content/local-government/data/data-a-to-z/FLcountycensus.xls |website=Florida County Population Census Counts: 1830 to 2020 |publisher=Office of Economic and Demographic Research, The Florida Legislature |access-date=21 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220404171531/http://edr.state.fl.us/Content/local-government/data/data-a-to-z/FLcountycensus.xls |archive-date=4 April 2022 |date=2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> 1980<ref name="1980Census1">{{cite web |title=General Population Characteristics FLORIDA 1980 Census of Population |url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_flABCs1-02.pdf |website=07553445v1chA-Cpt11sec1ch002.pdf |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 June 2023}}</ref> 1990<ref name="1990Census1">{{cite web |title=1990 Census of Population General Population Characteristics Florida Section 1 of 2 |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1990/cp-1/cp-1-11-1.pdf |website=Florida: 1990, Part 1 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 June 2023}}</ref><br />2000<ref name="2000CensusPopulationByRace">{{cite web |title=PL002: HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT ... - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=PL002&g=050XX00US12099&tid=DECENNIALPL2000.PL002 |website=PL002 &#124; HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE [73] |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 June 2023 }}</ref> 2010<ref name="2010CensusPopulationByRace">{{cite web |title=P2: HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT ... - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=P2&g=050XX00US12099&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2 |website=P2 &#124; HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 June 2023 }}</ref> 2020<ref name="2020CensusPopulationByRace" /> 2022<ref name="2022VintagePopulationEstimate" />
| align = right
}}

===2020 census===

As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the county had a population of 1,492,191. The median age was 45.3 years. 19.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 24.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.7 males age 18 and over.<ref name="Census2020DP">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/dp?get=NAME,DP1_0021P,DP1_0024P,DP1_0025C,DP1_0049C,DP1_0045C,DP1_0069C,DP1_0073C,DP1_0125P,DP1_0126P,DP1_0129P,DP1_0133P,DP1_0137P,DP1_0138P,DP1_0139P,DP1_0141P,DP1_0142P,DP1_0143P,DP1_0145P,DP1_0146P,DP1_0147C,DP1_0148C,DP1_0149C,DP1_0156C,DP1_0157C,DP1_0158C,DP1_0159P,DP1_0160P&for=county%3A099&in=state%3A12|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2021|access-date=December 26, 2025|df=mdy}}</ref>

The racial makeup of the county was 57.3% [[White Americans|White]], 17.6% [[African Americans|Black or African American]], 0.6% [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian and Alaska Native]], 3.0% [[Asian Americans|Asian]], <0.1% [[Native Hawaiians|Native Hawaiian]] and [[Pacific Islander|Pacific Islander]], 7.5% from some other race, and 14.0% from [[Multiracial Americans|two or more races]]. [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] residents of any race comprised 23.5% of the population.<ref name="Census2020PL">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=NAME,P1_001N,P1_003N,P1_004N,P1_005N,P1_006N,P1_007N,P1_008N,P1_009N,P2_001N,P2_002N,H1_001N,H1_002N&for=county%3A099&in=state%3A12|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2021|access-date=December 26, 2025|df=mdy}}</ref>

99.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.8% lived in rural areas.<ref name="Census2020DHC">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/dhc?get=NAME,P2_002N,P2_003N&for=county%3A099&in=state%3A12|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2023|access-date=December 26, 2025|df=mdy}}</ref>

There were 607,880 households in the county, of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 45.0% were married-couple households, 18.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 30.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.<ref name="Census2020DP"/>

There were 705,988 housing units, of which 13.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 67.4% were owner-occupied and 32.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.3%.<ref name="Census2020DP"/>

===Racial and ethnic composition===

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%; text-align: right;"
!Historical racial composition
!style="width: 5em;"|2020<ref name="2020CensusPopulationByRace" />
!style="width: 5em;"|2010<ref name="2010CensusPopulationByRace" />
!style="width: 5em;"|2000<ref name="2000CensusPopulationByRace" />
!style="width: 5em;"|1990<ref name="1990Census1" />
!style="width: 5em;"|1980<ref name="1980Census1" />
|-
|style="text-align:left"|[[Non-Hispanic whites|White]] (non-Hispanic)
|52.3%
|60.1%
|70.6%
|79.1%
|80.9%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]]
|23.5%
|19.0%
|12.4%
|7.7%
|4.9%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|[[African American|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
|17.1%
|16.8%
|13.5%
|12.0%
|13.2%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|[[Asian American]] (non-Hispanic)
|2.9%
|2.4%
|1.5%
|1.0%
|rowspan="3"|0.9%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] (non-Hispanic)
|0.1%
|0.2%
|0.1%
|0.1%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Other Race (non-Hispanic)
|0.7%
|0.3%
|0.2%
|0.1%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|[[Multiracial Americans|Two or more races]] (non-Hispanic)
|3.4%
|1.3%
|1.6%
|N/A
|N/A
|-
!style="text-align:left"|Population
!style="text-align:right"|1,492,191
!style="text-align:right"|1,320,134
!style="text-align:right"|1,131,184
!style="text-align:right"|863,518
!style="text-align:right"|576,863
|}
[[File:Chart of ethnic origins in Palm Beach County, Florida.png|thumb|270x270px|Ethnic origins in Palm Beach County]]
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%; text-align: right;"
!style="width: 20em;"|Demographic characteristics
!style="width: 7em;"|2020<ref name="2020CensusHouseholds">{{cite web |title=H1 &#124; OCCUPANCY STATUS |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=H1&g=050XX00US12099&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.H1 |website=H1: OCCUPANCY STATUS - Census Bureau Table |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 June 2023 }}</ref><ref name="2020CensusSexByAge">{{cite web |title=P12 &#124; SEX BY AGE FOR SELECTED AGE CATEGORIES |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=P12&g=050XX00US12099&tid=DECENNIALDHC2020.P12 |website=P12: SEX BY AGE FOR SELECTED ... - Census Bureau Table |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 June 2023 }}</ref><ref name="2020CensusMedianAge">{{cite web |title=P13 &#124; MEDIAN AGE BY SEX |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=P13&g=050XX00US12099&tid=DECENNIALDHC2020.P13 |website=P13: MEDIAN AGE BY SEX - Census Bureau Table |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 June 2023 }}</ref>
!style="width: 7em;"|2010<ref name="2010CensusHouseholds">{{cite web |title=H1 &#124; OCCUPANCY STATUS |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=H1&g=050XX00US12099&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.H1 |website=H1: OCCUPANCY STATUS - Census Bureau Table |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 June 2023 }}</ref><ref name="2010CensusSexByAge">{{cite web |title=P12 &#124; SEX BY AGE |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=P12&g=050XX00US12099&tid=DECENNIALSF12010.P12 |website=P12: SEX BY AGE - Census Bureau Table |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 June 2023 }}</ref><ref name="2010CensusMedianAge">{{cite web |title=P13 &#124; MEDIAN AGE BY SEX |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=P13&g=050XX00US12099&tid=DECENNIALSF12010.P13 |website=P13: MEDIAN AGE BY SEX - Census Bureau Table |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 June 2023 }}</ref>
!style="width: 7em;"|2000<ref name="2000CensusHouseholds">{{cite web |title=H003 &#124; OCCUPANCY STATUS [3] |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=H003&g=050XX00US12099&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.H003 |website=H003: OCCUPANCY STATUS [3] - Census Bureau Table |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 June 2023 }}</ref><ref name="2000CensusSexByAge">{{cite web |title=P012 &#124; SEX BY AGE [49] |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=P012&g=050XX00US12099&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P012 |website=P012: SEX BY AGE [49] - Census Bureau Table |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 June 2023 }}</ref><ref name="2000CensusMedianAge">{{cite web |title=P013 &#124; MEDIAN AGE BY SEX [3] |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=P013&g=050XX00US12099&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P013 |website=P13: MEDIAN AGE BY SEX [3] - Census Bureau Table |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 June 2023 }}</ref>
!style="width: 7em;"|1990<ref name="1990Census1" />
!style="width: 7em;"|1980<ref name="1980Census1" /><ref name="1980Census2">{{cite web |title=General Population Characteristics FLORIDA 1980 Census of Population |url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_flABCs1-05.pdf |website=07553445v1chA-Cpt11sec1ch002.pdf |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 June 2023}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Households
|705,988
|664,594
|556,428
|365,558
|234,339
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Persons per household
|2.11
|1.99
|2.03
|2.36
|2.46
|-
|style="text-align:left"|{{abbr|Sex Ratio|Sex ratio measured in number of males per 100 females}}
|92.3
|93.8
|93.5
|92.3
|91.1
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Ages 0–17
|19.0%
|20.4%
|21.3%
|19.6%
|21.3%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Ages 18–64
|56.7%
|58.0%
|55.6%
|56.1%
|55.4%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Ages 65 +
|24.3%
|21.6%
|23.2%
|24.3%
|23.3%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Median age
|45.3
|43.5
|41.8
|39.8
|39.7
|-
!style="text-align:left"|Population
!style="text-align:right"|1,492,191
!style="text-align:right"|1,320,134
!style="text-align:right"|1,131,184
!style="text-align:right"|863,518
!style="text-align:right"|576,863
|}
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%; text-align: right"
!colspan="4"|Economic indicators
|-
!style="width: 14em;"|2017–21 [[American Community Survey]]
!style="width: 7em;"|Palm Beach County
!style="width: 7em;"|Florida
|-
|style="text-align:left"|{{abbr|Median income|Median income in 2021 inflation-adjusted dollars}}<ref name="ACSPersonalIncome">{{cite web |title=S2001: EARNINGS IN THE PAST 12 ... - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=S2001&g=040XX00US12_050XX00US12099&tid=ACSST5Y2021.S2001 |website=S2001 &#124; EARNINGS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS (IN 2021 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS) |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 June 2023}}</ref>
|$36,431
|$34,367
|-
|style="text-align:left"|{{abbr|Median household income|Median household income in 2021 inflation-adjusted dollars}}<ref name="ACSHouseholdIncome">{{cite web |title=S1901: INCOME IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS ... - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=S1901&g=040XX00US12_050XX00US12099&tid=ACSST5Y2021.S1901 |website=S1901 &#124; INCOME IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS (IN 2021 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS) |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 June 2023}}</ref>
|$68,874
|$61,777
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Poverty Rate<ref name="ACSPoverty">{{cite web |title=S1701: POVERTY STATUS IN THE PAST ... - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=S1701&g=040XX00US12_050XX00US12099&tid=ACSST5Y2021.S1701 |website=S1701 &#124; POVERTY STATUS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 June 2023}}</ref>
|11.6%
|13.1%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|{{abbr|High school diploma|Percentage of the population aged 25+ with a high school diploma or higher}}<ref name="ACSEducationalAttainment">{{cite web |title=S1501: EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=S1501&g=040XX00US12_050XX00US12099&tid=ACSST5Y2021.S1501 |website=S1501 &#124; EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 June 2023}}</ref>
|89.1%
|89.0%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|{{abbr|Bachelor's degree|Percentage of the population aged 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher}}<ref name="ACSEducationalAttainment" />
|38.0%
|31.5%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|{{abbr|Advanced degree|Percentage of the population aged 25+ with an advanced degree}}<ref name="ACSEducationalAttainment" />
|15.0%
|11.7%
|}
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%; text-align: right;"
!style="width: 20em;"|Language spoken at home{{efn|name=languages|Language spoken at home among residents at least five years old; only languages (or language groups) which at least 2% of residents have spoken at any time since 1980 are mentioned}}
!style="width: 5em;"|2015{{efn|name=ACS2015Language|Refers to 2013–2017 [[American Community Survey]] data;<ref name="ACS2015Language">{{cite web |title=C16001: LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME FOR ... - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=C16001&g=050XX00US12099&tid=ACSDT5Y2017.C16001&moe=true |website=C16001 &#124; LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME FOR THE POPULATION 5 YEARS AND OVER |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 June 2023 }}</ref> the last Decennial Census where language data was collected was in the [[2000 United States census|2000 census]]}}
!style="width: 5em;"|2010{{efn|name=ACS2010Language|Refers to 2008–2012 [[American Community Survey]] data;<ref name="ACS2010Language">{{cite web |title=B16001: LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME BY - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=B16001&g=050XX00US12099&tid=ACSDT5Y2012.B16001&moe=true |website=B16001 &#124; LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME BY ABILITY TO SPEAK ENGLISH FOR THE POPULATION 5 YEARS AND OVER |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 June 2023 }}</ref> the last Decennial Census where language data was collected was in the [[2000 United States census|2000 census]]}}
!style="width: 5em;"|2000<ref name="2000CensusLanguage">{{cite web |title=PCT010: AGE BY LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT ... - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=PCT010&g=050XX00US12099&tid=DECENNIALSF32000.PCT010 |website=PCT010 &#124; AGE BY LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME FOR THE POPULATION 5 YEARS AND OVER [83] |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 June 2023 }}</ref>
!style="width: 5em;"|1990<ref name="1990Census2">{{cite web |title=1990 Census of Population General Social and Economic Characteristics Florida Section 1 of 3 |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1990/cp-2/cp-2-11-1.pdf |website=Florida: 1990, Part 1 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 June 2023}}</ref>
!style="width: 5em;"|1980<ref name="1980Census3">{{cite web |title=General Social and Economic Characteristics FLORIDA 1980 Census of Population |url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_flCs2-03.pdf |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 June 2023}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:left"|[[English language|English]] only
|68.9%
|72.1%
|78.3%
|84.7%
|84.9%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|[[Spanish language|Spanish]] or [[Spanish Creole]]
|18.4%
|16.5%
|11.9%
|7.2%
|4.3%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|[[French language|French]] or [[Haitian Creole]]
|6.3%
|5.5%
|4.0%
|2.4%
|1.0%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|Other Languages
|6.4%
|5.9%
|5.8%
|5.7%
|9.8%
|}
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%; text-align: right;"
!style="width: 20em;"|Nativity
!style="width: 5em;"|2015{{efn|name=ACS2015Nativity|Refers to 2013–2017 [[American Community Survey]] data;<ref name="ACS2015ForeignBorn1">{{cite web |title=B05001: NATIVITY AND CITIZENSHIP ... - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=B05001&g=050XX00US12099&tid=ACSDT5Y2017.B05001&moe=true |website=B05001 &#124; NATIVITY AND CITIZENSHIP STATUS IN THE UNITED STATES |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 June 2023 }}</ref><ref name="ACS2015ForeignBorn">{{cite web |title=B05006: PLACE OF BIRTH FOR THE ... - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=B05006&g=050XX00US12099&tid=ACSDT5Y2017.B05006&moe=true |website=B05006 &#124; PLACE OF BIRTH FOR THE FOREIGN-BORN POPULATION IN THE UNITED STATES |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 June 2023 }}</ref> the last Decennial Census where foreign-born population data was collected was in the [[2000 United States census|2000 census]]}}
!style="width: 5em;"|2010{{efn|name=ACS2010Nativity|Refers to 2008–2012 [[American Community Survey]] data;<ref name="ACS2010Nativity">{{cite web |title=B05001: NATIVITY AND CITIZENSHIP ... - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=B05001&g=050XX00US12099&tid=ACSDT5Y2012.B05001&moe=true |website=B05001 &#124; NATIVITY AND CITIZENSHIP STATUS IN THE UNITED STATES |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 June 2023 }}</ref><ref name="ACS2010ForeignBorn">{{cite web |title=B05006: PLACE OF BIRTH FOR THE ... - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=B05006&g=050XX00US12099&tid=ACSDT5Y2012.B05006&moe=true |website=B05006 &#124; PLACE OF BIRTH FOR THE FOREIGN-BORN POPULATION IN THE UNITED STATES |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 June 2023 }}</ref> the last Decennial Census where foreign-born population data was collected was in the [[2000 United States census|2000 census]]}}
!style="width: 5em;"|2000<ref name="2000CensusNativity">{{cite web |title=P021: PLACE OF BIRTH BY CITIZENSHIP ... - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=P021&g=050XX00US12099&tid=DECENNIALSF32000.P021 |website=P021 &#124; PLACE OF BIRTH BY CITIZENSHIP STATUS [15] |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 June 2023 }}</ref><ref name="2000CensusForeignBorn">{{cite web |title=PCT019: PLACE OF BIRTH FOR THE ... - Census Bureau Table |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=PCT019&g=050XX00US12099&tid=DECENNIALSF32000.PCT019 |website=PCT019 &#124; PLACE OF BIRTH FOR THE FOREIGN-BORN POPULATION [126] |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=21 June 2023 }}</ref>
!style="width: 5em;"|1990<ref name="1990Census2" />
!style="width: 5em;"|1980<ref name="1980Census3" />
|-
|style="text-align:left"|'''% population [[Natural-born-citizen clause (United States)|native-born]]'''
|'''75.4%'''
|'''77.6%'''
|'''82.6%'''
|'''87.8%'''
|'''89.9%'''
|-
|style="text-align:left"|... born in the [[United States]]
|72.8%
|75.5%
|80.5%
|86.2%
|88.9%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|... born in [[Puerto Rico]] or [[Territories of the United States|Island Areas]]
|1.4%
|1.1%
|1.3%
|0.9%
|rowspan="2"|1.0%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|... born to [[Jus sanguinis|American parents abroad]]
|1.2%
|1.0%
|0.8%
|0.8%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|'''% population [[Immigration to the United States|foreign-born]]{{efn|name=foreignborn|Only countries of birth which at least 0.5% of residents were born in at any time since 1980 are mentioned}}'''
|'''24.6%'''
|'''22.4%'''
|'''17.4%'''
|'''12.2%'''
|'''10.1%'''
|-
|style="text-align:left"|... born in [[Haiti]]
|4.2%
|3.6%
|2.5%
|1.2%
|N/A{{efn|name=NotCountedSeparately|Not counted separately; aggregated into "Other" category}}
|-
|style="text-align:left"|... born in [[Cuba]]
|2.4%
|2.1%
|1.7%
|1.4%
|1.4%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|... born in [[Jamaica]]
|1.8%
|1.4%
|1.0%
|0.6%
|0.3%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|... born in [[Mexico]]
|1.7%
|1.8%
|1.5%
|0.7%
|0.1%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|... born in [[Colombia]]
|1.5%
|1.3%
|0.9%
|0.3%
|N/A{{efn|name=NotCountedSeparately}}
|-
|style="text-align:left"|... born in [[Guatemala]]
|1.3%
|1.3%
|0.6%
|0.1%
|N/A{{efn|name=NotCountedSeparately}}
|-
|style="text-align:left"|... born in [[Canada]]
|0.8%
|0.8%
|0.9%
|0.8%
|1.0%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|... born in [[Brazil]]
|0.8%
|0.6%
|0.3%
|0.1%
|N/A{{efn|name=NotCountedSeparately}}
|-
|style="text-align:left"|... born in [[Honduras]]
|0.6%
|0.5%
|0.3%
|0.1%
|N/A{{efn|name=NotCountedSeparately}}
|-
|style="text-align:left"|... born in the [[Dominican Republic]]
|0.5%
|0.5%
|0.3%
|0.1%
|< 0.1%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|... born in [[Peru]]
|0.5%
|0.6%
|0.3%
|0.1%
|N/A{{efn|name=NotCountedSeparately}}
|-
|style="text-align:left"|... born in the [[United Kingdom]]
|0.5%
|0.4%
|0.6%
|0.7%
|0.8%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|... born in [[Germany]]
|0.4%
|0.4%
|0.6%
|0.6%
|0.7%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|... born in [[Poland]]
|0.2%
|0.3%
|0.4%
|0.5%
|0.5%
|-
|style="text-align:left"|... born in [[Russia]]
|0.2%
|0.1%
|0.2%
|0.3%{{efn|name=USSR|Data from the 1980 census and 1990 census pertains to residents born anywhere in the [[Soviet Union]], not just Russia}}
|0.6%{{efn|name=USSR}}
|-
|style="text-align:left"|... born in other countries
|7.2%
|6.7%
|5.3%
|4.6%
|4.7%
|}

==Economy==
{{See also|List of companies based in Miami}}
Companies headquartered in Palm Beach County include [[Office Depot]], [[The ADT Corporation]], [[TBC Corporation]], [[G4S Secure Solutions]], [[NextEra Energy]], [[The GEO Group]], [[American Sugar Refining]], [[Carrier Global|Carrier]], [[Globalsat Group]], and [[Bluegreen Corporation|Bluegreen Vacations]].

There are a significant number of aerospace facilities in the county, operated by [[United Technologies]], [[Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne]], [[Sikorsky Aircraft]], [[General Dynamics]], [[Lockheed Martin]], and [[B/E Aerospace]]. Many of these companies rank among the top 100 employers for the county.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bdb.org/clientuploads/Research/0_2010_data/Topemployers_2009.pdf |title=Top 100 Employers List |website=www.bdb.org }}</ref> The largest employer in Palm Beach County is the [[School District of Palm Beach County]], with 27,168 employees, including more than 12,800 teachers.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.myboca.us/DocumentCenter/View/10432/Joint-Release---New-Elementary-School-Site-01262018-PDF?bidId= |title=City of Boca Raton to Provide Land for New Elementary School |format=PDF }}{{Dead link|date=March 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Previously [[W. R. Grace and Company]] had its headquarters in [[unincorporated area|unincorporated]] Palm Beach County, near [[Boca Raton, Florida|Boca Raton]], employing about 130 staff.<ref name="BRClosing">"[http://www.grace.com/media/NewsItem.aspx?id=138361 Grace Announces Relocation To Columbia, Maryland] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110703055556/http://www.grace.com/Media/NewsItem.aspx?id=138361 |date=2011-07-03 }}." [[W. R. Grace and Company]]. Retrieved on June 29, 2011. "The restructuring will entail a relocation of approximately 40 people, including senior management, from Grace's Boca Raton, Florida office to its Columbia, Maryland site. A few positions will be relocated to another Grace office in Cambridge, Massachusetts." and "Following the relocation, Grace will close its headquarters office at 1750 Clint Moore Road in Boca Raton, which currently employs approximately 130 people."</ref> On January 27, 2011, it announced it was closing the Boca headquarters and moving its administrative staff out of state along with some employees.<ref name="BRClosing"/><ref>to the [[Columbia, Maryland]] office. About 40 of the employees went to Columbia, and some employees went to [[Cambridge, Massachusetts]]</ref> Likewise, [[American Media (publisher)|A360 Media, LLC]], publisher of the ''[[National Enquirer]]'', was headquartered in Boca Raton, but moved New York in 2014.<ref>
 {{cite news
 |url = http://bigstory.ap.org/article/national-enquirer-leaving-florida-headquarters
 |title = National Enquirer leaving Florida headquarters
 |last = Sedenksy
 |first = Matt
 |date = May 21, 2014
|agency = Associated Press
 |archive-date=November 7, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141107093853/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/national-enquirer-leaving-florida-headquarters
 |access-date = June 22, 2016
}}</ref>

For 2010, the median income for a household in the county was $53,242, and for a family was $64,445. Males had a median income of $44,324 versus $37,337 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the county was $33,610. About 8.6% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 18.5% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those aged 65 or over.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |title=Palm Beach County, Florida: SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS - 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=November 14, 2015 }}</ref>

==Culture==

===Sports===
The [[St. Louis Cardinals]] and the [[Miami Marlins]] of the [[Major League Baseball]] conduct their [[spring training]] at [[Roger Dean Stadium]] in [[Jupiter, Florida|Jupiter]].  Two teams in the Class A-Advanced [[Florida State League]] also play their home games at Roger Dean Stadium: the [[Jupiter Hammerheads]], an affiliate of the Miami Marlins, and the [[Palm Beach Cardinals]], an affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Prior to the construction of Roger Dean Stadium, the [[Montreal Expos]] and [[Atlanta Braves]] held their spring training at [[West Palm Beach Municipal Stadium|Municipal Stadium]] in West Palm Beach. The [[West Palm Beach Expos]], a Single-A affiliate of the Montreal Expos, also played their games there.

[[The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches]], opened in February 2017 in West Palm Beach, accommodates both the [[Washington Nationals]] and the [[Houston Astros]] for spring training.

Also popular are the [[Florida Atlantic University Owls|Florida Atlantic Owls]], an NCAA Division I school that participates in [[American Athletic Conference]]. The [[Florida Atlantic Owls football|FAU football]] team plays at [[FAU Stadium]], and averaged 17,941 fans during the 2017 season.<ref>{{cite web |title=On The Lane Train: FAU Football Attendance Sets School Records In '17 Behind Kiffin |url=https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2017/12/08/Colleges/FAU.aspx |website=SportsBusiness Daily |access-date=August 9, 2018 |date=December 8, 2017}}</ref> The [[Florida Atlantic Owls men's basketball|FAU basketball]] team plays at [[FAU Arena]], and averaged 1,346 fans during the 2013–14 season.<ref>[http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/Reports/attend/2014.pdf 2014 NCAA Men's Basketball Attendance]. Retrieved August 30, 2014.</ref>

[[USL Palm Beach]] is an upcoming American professional [[Association football|soccer]] team based in Palm Beach County. Founded in 2023, the team plans to make its debut in the [[USL Championship]].

The [[Palm Beach Imperials]] are an [[American Basketball Association (21st century)|American Basketball Association]] 2006 expansion franchise.

===Tourism===
Tourists can visit these attractions and annual events:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bizbash.com/miami-south-floridas-top-100-events-2017/miami/story/33881/#.XBKCTK2ZPxg |title=South Florida's Top 100 Events 2017 |access-date=December 13, 2018 |archive-date=March 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328213810/https://www.bizbash.com/miami-south-floridas-top-100-events-2017/miami/story/33881/#.XBKCTK2ZPxg |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[South Florida Fair]]
* [[SunFest]]
* [[Boat Show]]
* [[Winter Equestrian Festival]]
* [[Lion Country Safari]]
* [[Rapids Water Park]]
* [[Kravis Center for the Performing Arts]]
* [[South Florida Science Museum]]
* [[Palm Beach Zoo at Dreher Park]]
* [[Palm Beach Shakespeare Festival]]
* [[Norton Museum of Art]]
* [[Whitehall (Henry M. Flagler House)|Flagler Museum]]
* [[Jupiter Inlet Light]]house
* [[Worth Avenue]]
* [[Clematis Street Historic Commercial District]]
* [[CityPlace (West Palm Beach)|CityPlace]]
* [[Peanut Island]]
* [[Society of the Four Arts]]
* [[Norton House (West Palm Beach, Florida)|Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens]]
* [[Mounts Botanical Garden]]
* [[Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex]]
* [[Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens]], including the [[Roji-en Japanese Gardens]]
* Palm Beach Maritime Museum<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pbmm.info/|title=Welcome to the Palm Beach Maritime Museum|access-date=June 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604213131/http://www.pbmm.info/|archive-date=June 4, 2019}}</ref>
* Sandoway Discovery Center<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sandoway.org/|title=Sandoway Discovery Center|access-date=June 4, 2019}}</ref>
* Daggerwing Nature Center<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pbcparks.com/nature/daggerwing_nature_center |title=Parks & Recreation Home |publisher=Pbcparks.com |access-date=April 13, 2018}}</ref>

A number of [[shopping mall]]s exist throughout Palm Beach County, including the [[Palm Beach Outlets]], [[CityPlace (Downtown West Palm Beach)|CityPlace]], [[Boynton Beach Mall]], [[The Gardens Mall]], [[Town Center at Boca Raton]], [[The Mall at Wellington Green]] and [[Mizner Park]].<ref>{{cite report|url=http://www.palmbeachcounty.com/directory/Shopping_Centers_,038_Malls/Shopping_,038_Malls/|title=Shopping & Malls in Palm Beach County, Florida|publisher=PalmBeachCounty.com|access-date=November 8, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140406145022/http://www.palmbeachcounty.com/directory/Shopping_Centers_,038_Malls/Shopping_,038_Malls/|archive-date=April 6, 2014}}</ref> Formerly, the [[Palm Beach Mall|Palm Beach]] and [[Cross County Plaza|Cross County Malls]] operated in the county, though they closed in 1997 and 2010, respectively.

===Media===
* ''[[The Palm Beach Post]]''
* ''[[Palm Beach Daily News]]''
* ''[[New Times Broward-Palm Beach]]''
* ''[[Sun-Sentinel]]''
* [[WPTV-TV]]
* [[WPBF-TV]]
* [[WFLX]]
* [[WPEC]]
* [[WTVX]]

==Government==
The [[Florida Department of Corrections]] operates the [[Glades Correctional Institution]] in an [[unincorporated area]] in Palm Beach County near Belle Glade.<ref>"[http://www.dc.state.fl.us/facilities/region4/406.html Glades Correctional Institution] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110926231733/http://www.dc.state.fl.us/facilities/region4/406.html |date=2011-09-26 }}." [[Florida Department of Corrections]]. Retrieved on August 26, 2011.</ref>

Palm Beach County's revenue from property taxes, sales taxes and tourist development taxes reached record levels in Fiscal Year (FY) 2018, according to the [https://www.mypalmbeachclerk.com/ Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller, Palm Beach County]'s annual financial report, ''[https://www.mypalmbeachclerk.com/home/showdocument?id=1526 Checks & Balances: Your Guide to County Finances.]  ''

The County collected $1.1 billion in property tax revenue in FY 2018, an increase of 6 percent over the previous year. Sales tax collections rose to $175.8 million, marking the eighth consecutive year of growth. Revenue from Tourist Development Tax receipts was $53.8 million, up from $48.5 million in FY 2017. Meanwhile, Local Option Gas Taxes paid by motorists for gasoline decreased for the first time in five years, partially due to higher gasoline prices, which reduced the number of miles driven, according to the Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller's ''[https://www.mypalmbeachclerk.com/home/showdocument?id=1526 Checks & Balances]'' report.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mypalmbeachclerk.com/home/showdocument?id=1526|title=Checks & Balances: Your Guide to County Finances|website=Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller, Palm Beach County|language=en|access-date=July 23, 2019}}</ref>

===County government===
The county is governed by a [[county commission|board of commissioners]], consisting of seven commissioners, who are all elected from single-member districts. One of the commissioners is elected County Mayor and one of them is elected Vice Mayor.<ref>{{cite web|title=Overview of County Government - The Legislative Branch|url=https://discover.pbcgov.org/Pages/PBC-Gov-Overview.aspx|website=pbcgov.org|access-date=January 25, 2021}}</ref> Commissioners serve staggered terms, and commissioners from Districts 1, 3, 5, and 7 are elected during presidential election years, while the commissioners from Districts 2, 4, and 6 are elected in gubernatorial election years.

Elected county officers include a clerk of courts and comptroller, [[County sheriff (Florida)|sheriff]], property appraiser, [[tax collector]], and [[Supervisor of Elections (Florida)|supervisor of elections]]. State officers serving the Florida judicial district include the [[state attorney]] and [[public defender]]. All positions are 4-year terms, requiring direct election by voters in presidential election years.

Five former county commissioners have been accused or found guilty of corruption from 2006 to 2009. A grand jury recommended a strong [[inspector general]]. This position was approved by county voters in 2010. A county judge found that the mandate covered municipal government in 2015.<ref>{{cite news|title=Is Palm Beach County ready to retire its 'Corruption County' reputation?|url=http://opinionzone.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2015/03/22/is-palm-beach-county-ready-to-retire-its-corruption-county-reputation/|newspaper=Palm Beach Post|access-date=March 22, 2015|archive-date=July 21, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150721232603/http://opinionzone.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2015/03/22/is-palm-beach-county-ready-to-retire-its-corruption-county-reputation/}}</ref>

===Legal and Judicial System===
Palm Beach County is part of Florida’s '''15th Judicial Circuit''', one of the 20 judicial circuits in the state.<ref>{{Cite web |title=15th Judicial Circuit of Florida |url=https://www.15thcircuit.com/about-the-court |access-date=2026-01-19 |website=www.15thcircuit.com |language=en}}</ref> The circuit court has jurisdiction over civil disputes involving more than $30,000, felony criminal cases, probate and guardianship matters, juvenile dependency and delinquency, and appeals from county courts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=15th Judicial Circuit of Florida |url=https://www.15thcircuit.com/courthouse/tours |access-date=2026-01-19 |website=www.15thcircuit.com |language=en}}</ref> It serves a population of over 1.5 million residents and operates out of multiple courthouse facilities, including the main Palm Beach County Courthouse located in downtown West Palm Beach. 

The county court, also under the 15th Circuit, handles misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic infractions, civil disputes under $30,000, and landlord-tenant matters.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-07-15 |title=Increased Jurisdictional Amounts in Florida - EPGD Business Law |url=https://www.epgdlaw.com/increased-jurisdictional-amounts-in-florida/ |access-date=2026-01-19 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=15th Judicial Circuit of Florida |url=https://www.15thcircuit.com/announcement/jurisdiction-changes |access-date=2026-01-19 |website=www.15thcircuit.com |language=en}}</ref> As of 2026, the Chief Judge of the 15th Judicial Circuit is Glenn D. Kelley, who oversees administrative functions and judicial assignments.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Get to Know South Florida's Newest Chief Judge |url=https://www.law.com/dailybusinessreview/2021/02/19/get-to-know-south-floridas-newest-chief-judge/ |access-date=2026-01-19 |website=Law.com |language=en}}</ref> 

====Current County Officeholders====
{| class=wikitable
|-
! colspan = 3 | Palm Beach County elected officials
|-
! colspan = 3 | Board of County Commissioners
|-
!Position
!Incumbent
|-
|{{Party shading/Republican}} |District 1 Commissioner
|{{Party shading/Republican}} align="center"|Maria G. Marino
|-
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |District 2 Commissioner
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} align="center"|Mayor Gregg Weiss
|-
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |District 3 Commissioner
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} align="center"|Joel Flores
|-
|{{Party shading/Republican}} |District 4 Commissioner
|{{Party shading/Republican}} align="center"|Marci Woodward
|-
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |District 5 Commissioner
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} align="center"|Vice Mayor [[Maria Sachs]]
|-
|{{Party shading/Republican}} |District 6 Commissioner
|{{Party shading/Republican}} align="center"|Sara Baxter
|-
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |District 7 Commissioner
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} align="center"|Bobby Powell, Jr.
|-
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |County Administrator
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} align="center"|[[Joseph Abruzzo]]
|-
! colspan = 3 | [[County constitutional officer (Florida)|Constitutional Officers]]
|-
!Position
!Incumbent
|-
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |[[County sheriff (Florida)|Sheriff]]
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} align="center"|[[Ric Bradshaw]]
|-
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |State Attorney
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} align="center"|Alexcia Cox
|-
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Public Defender
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} align="center"|Carey Haughwout
|-
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Property Appraiser
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} align="center"|Dorothy Jacks
|-
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Tax Collector
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} align="center"|[[Anne M. Gannon]]
|-
|{{Party shading/Republican}} |[[Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller]]
|{{Party shading/Republican}} align="center"|[[Mike Caruso (politician)|Mike Caruso]]
|-
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |[[Supervisor of Elections]]
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} align="center"|Wendy Sartory Link
|-
|{{Party shading/Republican}} |Judiciary
|{{Party shading/Republican}} align="center"|Glenn Kelley
|-
! colspan = 3 | School Board
|-
!Position
!Incumbent
|-
|{{Party shading/Republican}} |District 1
|{{Party shading/Republican}} align="center"|Matthew Lane
|-
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |District 2
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} align="center"|Virginia Savietto
|-
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |District 3
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} align="center"|Karen Brill
|-
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |District 4
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} align="center"|Erica Whitfield
|-
|{{Party shading/Republican}} |District 5
|{{Party shading/Republican}} align="center"|Gloria Branch
|-
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |District 6
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} align="center"|Marcia Andrews
|-
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |District 7
|{{Party shading/Democratic}} align="center"|Edwin Ferguson
|-
|{{Party shading/Independent}} |Superintendent
|{{Party shading/Independent}} align="center"|Michael Burke
|-
|{{Party shading/Independent}} |Student Representative
|{{Party shading/Independent}} align="center"|Isabella Mirisola
|}

====List of County Commissioners, 1991–Present====
{|class=wikitable style="text-align:center"
!rowspan=2|Year!!colspan=7|County Commission!!rowspan=2|Commission Makeup
|- style="height:2em"
!District 1!!District 2!!District 3!!District 4!!District 5!!District 6!!District 7
|- style="height:2em"
!1991
|rowspan=22 {{Party shading/Republican}}|Karen Marcus <small>(R)</small>
|rowspan=12 {{Party shading/Democratic}}|Carol Roberts <small>(D)</small>
|rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Republican}}|Carol Elmquist <small>(R)</small>
|rowspan=18 {{Party shading/Republican}}|Mary McCarty <small>(R)</small>
|rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Democratic}}|Carole Phillips <small>(D)</small>
|rowspan=8 {{Party shading/Republican}}|Ken Foster <small>(R)</small>
|rowspan=10 {{Party shading/Democratic}}|Maude Ford Lee <small>(D)</small>
|rowspan=16 {{Party shading/Republican}}|4R, 3D
|- style="height:2em"
!1992
|- style="height:2em"
!1993
|rowspan=15 {{Party shading/Republican}}|Warren Newell <small>(R)</small>
|rowspan=20 {{Party shading/Democratic}}|Burt Aaronson <small>(D)</small>
|- style="height:2em"
!1994
|- style="height:2em"
!1995
|- style="height:2em"
!1996
|- style="height:2em"
!1997
|- style="height:2em"
!1998
|- style="height:2em"
!1999
|rowspan=8 {{Party shading/Republican}}|Tony Masilotti <small>(R)</small>
|- style="height:2em"
!2000
|- style="height:2em"
!2001
|rowspan=9 {{Party shading/Democratic}}|Addie Greene <small>(D)</small>
|- style="height:2em"
!2002
|- style="height:2em"
!2003
|rowspan=7 {{Party shading/Democratic}}|Jeff Koons <small>(D)</small>
|- style="height:2em"
!2004
|- style="height:2em"
!2005
|- style="height:2em"
!2006
|- style="height:2em"
!2007
|rowspan=8 {{Party shading/Democratic}}|Jess Santamaria <small>(D)</small>
|rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Democratic}}|4D, 3R
|- style="height:2em"
!2008
|rowspan=1 {{Party shading/Republican}}|Bob Kanjian <small>(R)</small>
|- style="height:2em"
!2009
|rowspan=8 {{Party shading/Democratic}}|Shelley Vana <small>(D)</small>
|rowspan=10 {{Party shading/Republican}}|Steven Abrams <small>(R)</small>
|rowspan=10 {{Party shading/Democratic}}|5D, 2R
|- style="height:2em"
!2010
|rowspan=9 {{Party shading/Democratic}}|Paulette Burdick <small>(D)</small>
|rowspan=7 {{Party shading/Democratic}}|Priscilla Taylor <small>(D)</small>
|- style="height:2em"
!2011
|- style="height:2em"
!2012
|- style="height:2em"
!2013
|rowspan=8 {{Party shading/Republican}}|Hal Valeche <small>(R)</small>
|rowspan=8 {{Party shading/Democratic}} |Mary Lou Berger <small>(D)</small>
|- style="height:2em"
!2014
|- style="height:2em"
!2015
|rowspan=8 {{Party shading/Democratic}}|Melissa McKinlay <small>(D)</small>
|- style="height:2em"
!2016
|- style="height:2em"
!2017
|rowspan=6 {{Party shading/Democratic}}|Dave Kerner <small>(D)</small>
|rowspan=8 {{Party shading/Democratic}} |Mack Bernard <small>(D)</small>
|- style="height:2em"
!2018
|- style="height:2em"
!2019
|rowspan=7 {{Party shading/Democratic/active}} |Gregg Weiss <small>(D)</small>
|rowspan=4 {{Party shading/Democratic}} |Robert Weinroth <small>(D)</small>
|rowspan=4 {{Party shading/Democratic}}|6D, 1R
|- style="height:2em"
!2020
|- style="height:2em"
!2021
|rowspan=5 {{Party shading/Republican/active}} |Maria Marino <small>(R)</small>
|rowspan=5 {{Party shading/Democratic/active}} |Maria Sachs <small>(D)</small>
|- style="height:2em"
!2022
|- style="height:2em"
!2023
|rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Republican}} |Michael Barnett <small>(R)</small>
|rowspan=3 {{Party shading/Republican/active}} |Marci Woodward <small>(R)</small>
|rowspan=3 {{Party shading/Republican/active}} |Sara Baxter <small>(R)</small>
|rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Republican}} |4R, 3D
|-
!2024
|- style="height:2em"
!2025
|rowspan=1 {{Party shading/Democratic/active}} |Joel Flores <small>(D)</small>
|rowspan=1 {{Party shading/Democratic/active}} |Bobby Powell Jr. <small>(D)</small>
|rowspan=1 {{Party shading/Democratic/active}} |4D, 3R
|- style="height:2em"
!rowspan=2|Year!!District 1!!District 2!!District 3!!District 4!!District 5!!District 6!!District 7!!rowspan=2|Commission Makeup
|- style="height:2em"
!colspan=7|County Commission
|- style="height:2em"
|}

===Law enforcement===
{{Infobox law enforcement agency
| agencyname        = Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office
| nativename        = 
| nativenamea       = 
| nativenamer       = 
| commonname        = 
| abbreviation      = PBSO
| fictional         = 
| patch             = Palm_Beach_County_Sheriff_Office.jpg
| patchcaption      = 
| logo              = 
| logocaption       = 
| badgecaption      = 
| flag              = 
| flagcaption       = 
| imagesize         = 
| mottotranslated   = 
| formed            = July 1, 1909
| preceding1        = 
| dissolved         = 
| superseding       = 
| employees         = 4,200+
| volunteers        = 1,800+
| budget            = 800,000,000+
| country           = United States
| nongovernment     = 
| governingbody     = 
| governingbodyscnd = 
| constitution1     = 
| police            = Yes
| local             = Yes
| military          = 
| provost           = 
| gendarmerie       = 
| religious         = 
| speciality        = 
| secret            = 
| overviewtype      = 
| overviewbody      = 
| headquarters      = 3228 Gun Club Road, West Palm Beach, Florida 33460
| hqlocleft         = 
| hqloctop          = 
| multinational     = 
| electeetype       = 
| minister1name     = 
| minister1pfo      = 
| chief1name        = [[County sheriff (Florida)|Sheriff]] [[Ric Bradshaw]]
| chief1position    = 
| parentagency      = 
| child1agency      = 
| unittype          = 
| unitname          = 
| officetype        = Patrol District
| officename        = 20<ref>{{cite web|title=PBSO District 16|url=http://www.pbso.org/index.cfm?fa=District16}}</ref>
| provideragency    = 
| uniformedas       = 
| stationtype       = 
| stations          = 
| airbases          = 
| lockuptype        = 
| vehicle1type      = 
| vehicles1         = 
| animal1type       = 
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| anniversary1      = 
| award1            = 
| website           = {{URL|www.pbso.org}}
| footnotes         = 
| reference         = 
}}

The '''Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office''' ('''PBSO''') provides police services to the county's unincorporated areas and the 13 municipalities covered by PBSO.<ref name=PBSO>{{cite web|title=PBSO Official Site|url=http://www.pbso.org/index.cfm?fa=Staff}}</ref> PBSO also oversees the county jail system, provides security at all four of the county courthouses, and is the primary law enforcement agency covering [[Palm Beach International Airport]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=PBSO|title=General Facts|url=https://www.pbso.org/inside-pbso/general/general-facts/|access-date=2021-09-12|website=Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office|language=en-US}}</ref> The Sheriff's Office is composed of roughly 4,200 employees, including approximately 1,600 sworn law enforcement personnel, 700 sworn corrections personnel, 1,900 civilian personnel and 1,800 volunteers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.pbso.org/inside-pbso/general/general-facts/|title=General Facts}}</ref> The annual operating budget for the PBSO is more than $800 million, as of 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Beall |first=Pat |title=🚔 Sheriff's opening bid |url=https://www.stetnews.org/p/sheriff-bradshaw-budget-bid |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=www.stetnews.org |date=May 23, 2023 |language=en}}</ref> Ric Bradshaw has been sheriff for Palm Beach County since 2005.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.pbso.org/sheriff-ric-bradshaw/|title = Sheriff Ric Bradshaw}}</ref>

There are two jail facilities operated by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. One is in Belle Glade, called the West Detention Center, which houses all custody levels from minimum to maximum security.  At any one time it can contain up to 991 inmates (total bed capacity), with a staff of 188. The facility has a video visitation program which allows families to communicate with inmates remotely.<ref>PBSO [https://www.pbso.org/inside-pbso/corrections/inmate-management-bureau/west-detention-center/ West Detention Center] Access date 23 July 2021</ref> The largest jail is the Main Detention Center.<ref name="PBSO" /> Three towers - South, East, and West, make up the center.<ref name="pbso.org">{{Cite web|url=http://www.pbso.org/inside-pbso/corrections/inmate-management-bureau/main-detention-center/|title=Main Detention Center|last=PBSO|website=Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-23}}</ref> The largest is the South Tower, constructed in 1993 from concrete and steel at a cost of $52 million.<ref name="pbso.org"/> The East and West Towers were built in 1983; they now flank the South Tower, completing the Main Detention Center.<ref name="pbso.org"/> The Main Detention Center's primary function is to hold high risk inmates, federal inmates, and those inmates who are in need of special medical attention or are otherwise unable to operate at other facilities.<ref name="pbso.org"/> The total number of beds at the facility is 2,166. The South Tower can hold 1,285 inmates, the East Tower has 418 beds, and the West Tower has 404 beds.<ref name="pbso.org"/>

Since the founding of Palm Beach County in 1909, 16&nbsp;people have served as county sheriff.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://historicpalmbeach.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2010/03/25/palm-beach-county-has-had-16-sheriffs/|newspaper=The Palm Beach Post|author=Eliot Kleinberg|title=Palm Beach County has had 16 sheriffs|date=March 25, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190422135730/http://historicpalmbeach.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2010/03/25/palm-beach-county-has-had-16-sheriffs/|archive-date=April 22, 2019}}</ref>

As of 2025, 24 Officers and 1 K9 of the PBSO have been killed in the line of duty.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, FL |url=https://www.odmp.org/agency/2997-palm-beach-county-sheriffs-office-florida |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP)}}</ref>

===Federal and state representation===
In the [[United States House of Representatives]], Palm Beach County is represented by three Democrats and one Republican: [[Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick|Sheila Cherfillus-McCormick]] of the [[Florida's 20th congressional district|20th district]], [[Brian Mast]] of the [[Florida's 21st congressional district|21st district]], [[Lois Frankel]] of the [[Florida's 22nd congressional district|22nd district]], and [[Jared Moskowitz]] of the [[Florida's 23rd congressional district|23rd district]].<ref name="delegation">{{cite web|url=https://discover.pbcgov.org/legislativeaffairs/Legislative_Delegation/Delegation-Roster.pdf|title=2020-2021 Palm Beach County Legislative Delegation|website=pbcgov.org|access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref>

Nine districts of the [[Florida House of Representatives]] represent parts of Palm Beach County, with the seats held by [[Kelly Skidmore]] (D) of 81st district, [[John Snyder (Florida politician)|John Snyder]] (R) of the 82nd district, [[Rick Roth]] (R) of the 85th district, [[Matt Willhite]] (D) of the 86th district, [[Emily Gregory (politician)|Emily Gregory]] (D) of the 87th district, [[Omari Hardy]] (D) of the 88th district, [[Debra Tendrich]] (D) of the 89th district, [[Joseph Casello]] (D) of the 90th district, and [[Emily Slosberg]] (D) of the 91st district. Additionally, the county has four seats in the [[Florida Senate]], which are represented by [[Gayle Harrell]] (R) of the 25th district, [[Tina Polsky]] (D) of the 29th district, [[Bobby Powell (politician)|Bobby Powell]] (D) of the 30th district, and [[Lori Berman]] (D) of the 31st district.<ref name="delegation"/>

===Politics===
{{PresHead|place=Palm Beach County, Florida|source=<ref name="leip">{{cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|first=David|last=Leip|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=2024 Presidential General Election Results - Florida |url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=2024&off=100&elect=0&fips=12&f=0 |access-date=2026-04-03 |website=uselectionatlas.org}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|31|458|236|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|311|725|367|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|1,892|1,488|506|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|1,726|1,543|472|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|5,298|2,652|298|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|4,006|7,734|0|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|4,478|9,635|0|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|7,371|11,884|0|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|7,628|11,093|0|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1948|Republican|10,996|9,408|3,711|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|28,595|13,723|0|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|35,746|14,321|0|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|45,337|29,871|0|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1964|Republican|49,614|43,836|0|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|62,191|32,837|21,894|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|108,670|40,825|708|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|98,236|96,705|3,716|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|143,639|91,991|17,300|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|186,811|116,091|29|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|181,495|144,199|1,523|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|140,350|187,869|77,032|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|133,811|230,687|32,856|Florida}}
{{PresRow|2000|Democratic|152,964|269,754|10,504|Florida}}
{{PresRow|2004|Democratic|212,688|328,687|3,247|Florida}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|226,037|361,271|4,128|Florida}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|247,398|349,651|4,390|Florida}}
{{PresRow|2016|Democratic|272,402|374,673|19,137|Florida}}
{{PresRow|2020|Democratic|334,711|433,572|6,314|Florida}}
{{PresRow|2024|Democratic|366,836|372,512|6,400|Florida}}
{{PresFoot}}

As of 2025, the county has a slight Democratic plurality, with large Republican and independent minorities, respectively.<ref>{{cite web|title=September District List Report.pdf|url=https://www.votepalmbeach.gov/Portals/PalmBeach/Month-End%20Voter%20Registration%20Statistics/2021/SEPT/September%20District%20List%20Report.pdf?ver=rmZl99c5LL50GvJwGO2KrQ%3d%3d|access-date=November 25, 2021|website=pbcelections.org|language=en}}</ref> In gubernatorial races, the county had been a stronghold for Democrats, a trend that began in [[1990 Florida gubernatorial election|1990]] and continued up until [[2022 Florida gubernatorial election|2022]], when Republican governor [[Ron DeSantis]] won the county with 51% of the vote against the backdrop of his [[landslide victory|landslide]] reelection.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 10, 2022 |title=DeSantis-led red wave penetrates even once-blue Palm Beach County |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/fl-ne-florida-red-wave-palm-beach-broward-miami-dade-20221110-jxpzxv6mlzblflyequ6rbousiq-story.html |website=[[Sun Sentinel]]|first1=Anthony|last1=Man|first2=Wells|last2=Dusenbury|access-date=November 13, 2022}}</ref><ref>[https://www.politico.com/2022-election/results/florida/statewide-offices/ "Ron DeSantis (R) won the race for Florida Governor"]. ''[[Politico]]''. Retrieved January 18, 2025.</ref>

After being carried by the Republican Party nominee in every election from [[1948 United States presidential election|1948]] to [[1988 United States presidential election|1988]], Palm Beach County has supported the Democratic Party nominee for the presidency since [[1992 United States presidential election|1992]]. Republicans have been gaining an increasing share of the votes in Palm Beach County since 2000. That year, [[Al Gore]] defeated [[George W. Bush]] in the county by a margin of approximately 27&nbsp;percent; two decades later, [[Joe Biden]] defeated [[Donald Trump]] (who is a resident of the county) by less than 13&nbsp;percentage points in [[2020 United States presidential election|2020]]<ref name="leip"/> and in [[2024 United States presidential election|2024]], [[Kamala Harris]] carried the county over Trump by less than one percentage point.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="2" |Political Party
!Number of registered voters<br />(March 31, 2024)<ref>{{cite web|title=Voter Registration - By County and Party - Division of Elections - Florida Department of State|url=https://dos.fl.gov/elections/data-statistics/voter-registration-statistics/voter-registration-reports/voter-registration-by-county-and-party/|access-date=August 9, 2021|website=dos.myflorida.com}}</ref>
!%
|-
| {{party color cell|Democratic Party (United States)}}
|[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|322,997
|37.73%
|-
| {{party color cell|Republican Party (United States)}}
|[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|270,826
|31.64%
|-
| {{party color cell|Independent (United States)}}
|No party affiliation
|237,172
|27.71%
|-
|
|[[Third party (United States)|Minor parties]]
|24,990
|2.92%
|-
! colspan="2" |Total
!855,985
!100.00
|}

==Transportation==

===Roadways===
An [[Smart Growth America|advocacy group]] has criticized
Palm Beach County's roadways for being dangerous for non-motorized users.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/documents/dangerous-by-design-2014/dangerous-by-design-2014.pdf|title=Dangerous by Design 2014|publisher=Smart Growth America|date=2014|access-date=July 19, 2015|archive-date=August 13, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150813093110/http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/documents/dangerous-by-design-2014/dangerous-by-design-2014.pdf}}</ref> Local municipalities are working to increase safety, but county and state authorities have been hesitant to modify designs.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.citylab.com/design/2014/10/why-12-foot-traffic-lanes-are-disastrous-for-safety-and-must-be-replaced-now/381117/|title=Why 12-Foot Traffic Lanes Are Disastrous for Safety and Must Be Replaced Now |magazine=The Atlantic |date=October 6, 2014 |access-date=July 19, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/local-govt-politics/county-commissioners-critize-dda-chiefs-remarks/nf2Qk/|title=Pedestrian study prompts email spat|newspaper=Palm Beach Post|access-date=July 19, 2015}}</ref>

====Expressways====
* [[File:I-95.svg|25px]] [[Interstate 95 in Florida|Interstate 95]]
* [[File:Florida's Turnpike shield.svg|25px]] [[Florida's Turnpike]]

I-95 and Florida's Turnpike are controlled-access expressways that serve Palm Beach county. [[Florida State Road 80|Southern Boulevard]] (signed [[Florida State Road 80|SR 80]]/[[U.S. Route 98 in Florida|US 98]]), which runs east–west through central Palm Beach County, is a partial freeway from Interstate 95 in [[West Palm Beach]] to [[U.S. Route 441 in Florida|US 441]]/[[Florida State Road 7|SR 7]] in [[Wellington, Florida|Wellington]] and [[Royal Palm Beach]]. In the late 1980s, there were plans to construct two additional expressways in Palm Beach County. One was to be an {{convert|11.5|mi}} toll freeway from Royal Palm Beach to downtown West Palm Beach. It would have run between Belvedere Road and [[Florida State Road 704|Okeechobee Boulevard]]; necessitating the destruction of several homes and churches along its path. The other proposed route was a northern extension of the [[Florida State Road 869|Sawgrass Expressway]] which was to be called "University Parkway". The University Parkway would have snaked around suburban developments west of [[Boca Raton, Florida|Boca Raton]], [[Delray Beach, Florida|Delray Beach]], and [[Boynton Beach, Florida|Boynton Beach]]; its path bordering the [[Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1993-09-28/news/9309280170_1_four-lane-parkway-powerline-task-force |title=University Parkway Takes A Drubbing |work=Sun Sentinel |date=September 28, 1993 |access-date=December 18, 2012 |archive-date=June 9, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120609231122/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1993-09-28/news/9309280170_1_four-lane-parkway-powerline-task-force  }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1993-09-14/news/9309140116_1_task-force-palm-beach-county-broward-county |title=Task Force Divided By Inter-county Road Proposal |work=Sun Sentinel |date=September 14, 1993 |access-date=December 18, 2012 |archive-date=June 9, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120609230733/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1993-09-14/news/9309140116_1_task-force-palm-beach-county-broward-county  }}</ref> Ultimately, both expressways were canceled due to opposition from county residents.<ref>{{cite web |first=Fred |last=Lowery |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1986-03-17/news/8601160782_1_corridor-study-central-county-authority-members |title=Detailed Road Study To Be Sought |work=Sun Sentinel |date=March 17, 1986 |access-date=December 18, 2012 |archive-date=June 9, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120609230517/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1986-03-17/news/8601160782_1_corridor-study-central-county-authority-members  }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1986-10-16/news/8603020944_1_authority-members-routes-sansbury/2 |title=Concerns Aired Over Road Plan Westgate Seeks Delay On Decision |work=Sun Sentinel |date=October 16, 1986 |access-date=December 18, 2012 |archive-date=July 8, 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120708003149/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1986-10-16/news/8603020944_1_authority-members-routes-sansbury/2  }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Mike |last=Turnbell |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2005-03-06/news/0503050284_1_new-interchange-lanes-palm-beach-county |title=Toll Expressway Halted In The '80s |work=Sun Sentinel |date=March 6, 2005 |access-date=December 18, 2012 |archive-date=June 9, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120609230602/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2005-03-06/news/0503050284_1_new-interchange-lanes-palm-beach-county  }}</ref>

====Major highways====
* {{jct|state=FL|US|441|SR|7|name2=Range Line Road}}
* Powerline/Jog Road
* {{jct|state=FL|SR|809|CR|809|county2=Palm Beach|name2=Military Trail}}
* {{jct|state=FL|SR|807|CR|807|county2=Palm Beach|name2=Congress Avenue}}
* {{jct|state=FL|US|1|SR|5|SR|805|name1=Federal Highway}}
* {{jct|state=FL|SR|A1A|name1=Ocean Boulevard}}
* {{jct|state=FL|US|98|SR|80|SR|700|name1=Southern Boulevard}}
* {{jct|state=FL|SR|710|name1=Bee Line Highway}}

===Railroads===
[[File:Tri-Rail train at West Palm Beach station.jpg|thumb|Tri-Rail Commuter Train at West Palm Beach Amtrak/Tri-Rail Station]]Palm Beach County is serviced by three railroad options:
* [[Tri-Rail]] runs along eastern Palm Beach County, adjacent to Interstate 95 for most of its length. It has stops in [[Boca Raton]], [[Delray Beach]], [[Boynton Beach, Florida|Boynton Beach]], [[Lake Worth Beach, Florida|Lake Worth Beach]], [[West Palm Beach]], and [[Mangonia Park]].
*The national intercity train system, [[Amtrak]], offers the ''[[Silver Meteor]]'' and the ''[[Silver Star (Amtrak train)|Silver Star]]'' in West Palm Beach and Delray Beach.
* [[Brightline]] connects stations located in [[West Palm Beach station (Brightline)|West Palm Beach]] and [[Boca Raton station (Brightline)|Boca Raton]] in Palm Beach County to [[Orlando International Airport Intermodal Terminal|Orlando]] to the north and to [[Fort Lauderdale station (Brightline)|Fort Lauderdale]], [[Aventura station|Aventura]] and [[MiamiCentral|Miami]] to the south.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024 |title=Brightline |url=https://www.gobrightline.com/ |access-date=April 4, 2024}}</ref>

===Airports===
[[File:Palm Beach County Park Lantana Airport by Don Ramey Logan.jpg|thumb|Palm Beach County Park Lantana Airport]]
* [[Palm Beach International Airport]]
* [[Palm Beach County Park Airport]]
* [[North Palm Beach County General Aviation Airport]]
* [[Boca Raton Airport]]
* [[Palm Beach County Glades Airport]]

===Public transit===
* [[PalmTran]] provides bus service throughout Palm Beach county.

===Seaport===
The [[Port of Palm Beach]] is located in Riviera Beach, where [[Celebration Cruise Line]] operates 2-day cruises to the [[Bahamas]].

===Trails===
The [[Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail]], a segment of the [[Florida National Scenic Trail]], passes through the county.

==Education==

===Primary and secondary schools===
All of Palm Beach County is served by the [[School District of Palm Beach County]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st12_fl/schooldistrict_maps/c12099_palm_beach/DC20SD_C12099.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Palm Beach County, FL|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|access-date=2022-07-31}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st12_fl/schooldistrict_maps/c12099_palm_beach/DC20SD_C12099_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref> As of 2026, the School District of Palm Beach County remains one of the largest in the state and country, serving over 180,000 students across more than 180 schools.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Palm Beach Guide For Residents |url=https://www.pbprealestate.com/palm-beach-guide-residents/ |access-date=2026-01-19 |website=Pbprealestate.com |language=en-US}}</ref> [[Newsweek]] listed three Palm Beach County [[magnet school]]s–[[Atlantic Community High School]], [[Suncoast High School]], and the [[Alexander Dreyfoos School of the Arts]]–among the top 50 in its "1200 Top U.S. Schools" ranking.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060509181509/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12532678/site/newsweek/ The Complete List: 1,200 Top U.S. Schools - Newsweek America's Best High Schools] - retrieved December 9, 2006</ref> Private schools in the county include [[American Heritage School (Delray Beach, Florida)|American Heritage School]], [[Cardinal Newman High School (West Palm Beach, Florida)|Cardinal Newman High School]], [[Jupiter Christian School]], [[The King's Academy (West Palm Beach, Florida)|The King's Academy]], [[The Benjamin School]], [[Oxbridge Academy]], [[Palm Beach Day Academy]], [[Pope John Paul II High School (Florida)|Pope John Paul II High School]], [[Saint Andrew's School (Boca Raton, Florida)|St. Andrew's School]], and [[Weinbaum Yeshiva High School]].

===Colleges and universities===
Palm Beach County is home to a number of public and private institutions of higher education:
* [[Florida Atlantic University]]
*[[Florida International University]]
* [[Lynn University]]
* [[Nova Southeastern University]]
* [[South University]]
* [[Palm Beach Atlantic University]]
* [[Palm Beach State College]]
* [[Keiser University]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2015/03/18/keiser-university-to-take-over-northwood.html |title=Keiser University to take over Northwood University's West Palm Beach campus  |last= Bandell|first=Brian |date= March 18, 2015|website= www.bizjournals.com}}</ref>
* [[Roosevelt Junior College]] (closed)
* [[Southeastern College]]
Several of these institutions engage with the local legal community through partnerships with organizations such as the [[Palm Beach County Bar Association]], promoting law education and civic involvement.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-01-21 |title=Palm Beach Chapter {{!}} |url=https://palmbeach.pafinc.org/ |access-date=2026-01-19 |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Public libraries===
Palm Beach County is served by the [[Palm Beach County Library System]], established in 1967 through a Special Act of the [[Florida Legislature]], and operates as a department of county government. It is currently made up of 17&nbsp;library branches, as well as a bookmobile which travels to more than 40 stops each month. As Palm Beach County continues to see population growth, the library system will also need to plan for continued expansion.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pbclibrary.org/using-the-library/find/about-us|title=About Us &#124; Palm Beach County Library System|website=www.pbclibrary.org|access-date=November 1, 2021|archive-date=November 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211107114901/http://www.pbclibrary.org/using-the-library/find/about-us}}</ref> Presently, the county is building a new 33,000-square-foot branch in the Canyon Town Center, located in western [[Boynton Beach, Florida|Boynton Beach]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The Canyon Branch Library |website=Under Development|url=https://cobwra.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Canyon-Branch-Flyer.pdf|access-date=1 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Mike Diamond |date=Feb 17, 2023|title=West of Boynton, new library at Canyon Town Center is taking shape|website=Palm Beach Post |url=https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/local/boynton/2023/02/17/west-of-boynton-beach-canyon-library-branch-takes-shape/69792371007/}}</ref> This new branch is projected to be completed in 2024. The system's Main Library is located on Summit Boulevard in an unincorporated section of [[West Palm Beach, Florida|West Palm Beach]]. It is the largest provider of library services in the county, serving an area that is comparable to the size of the state of Delaware, with holdings of over 1.88&nbsp;million items.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pbclibrary.org/sites/all/documents/other/LRP.pdf|date=July 2020|title=Strategic and Long-Range Plan FY 2021-2023|website=www.pbclibrary.org |access-date=November 1, 2021|archive-date=November 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211127194102/http://www.pbclibrary.org/sites/all/documents/other/LRP.pdf}}</ref>

Unlike many county library systems, including neighboring [[Broward County, Florida|Broward]] and [[Miami-Dade County, Florida|Miami-Dade]] counties, several municipalities continue to operate their own libraries. The county library systems works together in a cooperative system model which allows interoperation between the county system and the 13&nbsp;city libraries in [[Boca Raton Public Library|Boca Raton]], Boynton Beach, [[Delray Beach Public Library|Delray Beach]], Highland Beach, Lake Park, Lake Worth Beach, Lantana, Manalapan (J. Turner Moore Public Library), North Palm Beach, Palm Springs, Palm Beach ([[Society of the Four Arts]]), Riviera Beach, and West Palm Beach ([[Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbcla.org/libraries|title=Libraries|website=Palm Beach County Library Association|access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref>

The county's first library began as a Free Reading Room in 1895 in West Palm Beach's first church, the Union Congregational Church, when Reverend Asbury Caldwell began collecting books for a reading club he hoped would keep construction workers out of the city's many drinking establishments located along First Street, or "Thirst Street" as it was known.<ref name="overdue">{{cite book |last1=DeVires |first1=Janet |last2=Brunk |first2=Graham |last3=Pedersen |first3=Ginger |last4=Labell |first4=Shellie |last5=Sophia |first5=Rosa |title=Overdue in Paradise |date=2017 |publisher=Palmango Press |location=West Palm Beach}}</ref>{{rp|53}} The reading club floundered when Caldwell left West Palm Beach, but in 1899, the West Palm Beach Public Library got its official start, housed in a two-story former Palm Beach Yacht Club building donated by Commodore Charles John Clarke, a Palm Beach yachtsman, with the collection of books from the Reading Room and a $100 donation from [[Henry Flagler]]. A permanent building was constructed in 1924 in Flagler Park along the [[Intracoastal Waterway]]. Two additional buildings have also housed the library – one at 100 Clematis Street, a state-of-art building complete with a 250-seat auditorium that opened to much fanfare in 1964. The second, located at 411 Clematis Street, is a four-story building in the West Palm Beach City Center complex, which houses both city hall and the library, is two and one-half times the size of the previous building. In 2012, the West Palm Beach Public Library Foundation formally changed its name to the Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach after receiving a $5&nbsp;million grant from the Mandel Foundation.<ref name="overdue"/>{{rp|62}}

==Communities==
[[File:Cities of Palm Beach County.svg|thumb|400px|Map of incorporated cities]]
[[File:BoyntonBeach&BocaRatonFromTheISS.jpg|thumb|Southeastern Palm Beach County from [[Boca Raton, Florida|Boca Raton]] to [[Boynton Beach, Florida|Boynton Beach]], including [[Town Center at Boca Raton|Town Center Mall]]), seen from the [[International Space Station]]]]
The largest city and [[county seat]] is West Palm Beach, with a population of 117,415 as of the [[2020 US census]]. Boca Raton, is the southernmost and second-largest, bordering Broward County and having 97,422 people in 2020 within its city limits. [[Boynton Beach, Florida|Boynton Beach]] (between Boca Raton and West Palm Beach), is the third-largest city, with a 2020 population nearing 80,380 residents.<ref name="autogenerated1">[[County statistics of the United States#Twenty most populous counties in America|Twenty most populous counties in America]]</ref>

The county has 39 municipalities in total.<ref name="westlake">{{cite news|url=https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/report-westlake-become-palm-beach-county-39th-city/c79EX1AieEBEaWP0w86SgJ/|title=Report: Westlake to become Palm Beach County's 39th city|author=Julius Whigham II|date=June 20, 2016|newspaper=The Palm Beach Post|access-date=June 24, 2018|archive-date=June 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180624040110/https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/report-westlake-become-palm-beach-county-39th-city/c79EX1AieEBEaWP0w86SgJ/}}</ref> The municipalities are numbered corresponding to the attached image, except for the newest municipality, [[Westlake, Florida|Westlake]]. Municipality populations are based on the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.census.gov| title = See "Population and Housing Occupancy Status: 2020 - County -- County Subdivision and Place" for Florida| work = 2020 Census| publisher = [[United States Census Bureau]], Population Division}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!#!!Incorporated community!!Designation!!Date incorporated!!Population
|-
| 1 || [[Pahokee, Florida|Pahokee]] || City || {{dts|1922}} || 5,524
|-
| 2 || [[Belle Glade, Florida|Belle Glade]] || City || {{dts|1928|4|9}} || 16,698
|-
| 3 || [[South Bay, Florida|South Bay]] || City || {{dts|1941}} || 4,860
|-
| 4 || [[Tequesta, Florida|Tequesta]] || Village || {{dts|1957}} || 6,158
|-
| 5 || [[Jupiter Inlet Colony, Florida|Jupiter Inlet Colony]] || Town || {{dts|1959}} || 405
|-
| 6 || [[Jupiter, Florida|Jupiter]] || Town || {{dts|1925|2|9}} || 61,047
|-
| 7 || [[Juno Beach, Florida|Juno Beach]] || Town || {{dts|1953|6|4}} || 3,858
|-
| 8 || [[Palm Beach Gardens, Florida|Palm Beach Gardens]] || City || {{dts|1959|06|20}} || 59,182
|-
| 9 || [[North Palm Beach, Florida|North Palm Beach]] || Village || {{dts|1956|8|13}} || 13,162
|-
| 10 || [[Lake Park, Florida|Lake Park]] || Town || {{dts|1923}} || 9,047
|-
| 11 || [[Riviera Beach, Florida|Riviera Beach]] || City || {{dts|1922|9|29}} || 37,604
|-
| 12 || [[Palm Beach Shores, Florida|Palm Beach Shores]] || Town || {{dts|1951}} || 1,330
|-
| 13 || [[Mangonia Park, Florida|Mangonia Park]] || Town || {{dts|1947}} || 2,142
|-
| 14 || [[Palm Beach, Florida|Palm Beach]] || Town || {{dts|1911|4|17}} || 9,245
|-
| 15 || '''[[West Palm Beach, Florida|West Palm Beach]]''' || City || {{dts|1894|11|5}} || 117,415
|-
| 16 || [[Haverhill, Florida|Haverhill]] || Town || {{dts|1950}} || 2,187
|-
| 17 || [[Glen Ridge, Florida|Glen Ridge]] || Town || {{dts|1948}} || 217
|-
| 18 || [[Cloud Lake, Florida|Cloud Lake]] || Town || {{dts|1947}} || 134
|-
| 19 || [[Palm Springs, Florida|Palm Springs]] || Village || {{dts|1957|07|04}} || 26,890
|-
| 20 || [[Lake Clarke Shores, Florida|Lake Clarke Shores]] || Town || {{dts|1957}} || 3,564
|-
| 21 || [[Royal Palm Beach, Florida|Royal Palm Beach]] || Village || {{dts|1959|6|18}} || 38,932
|-
| 22 || [[Wellington, Florida|Wellington]] || Village || {{dts|1995|12|31}} || 61,637
|-
| 23 || [[Greenacres, Florida|Greenacres]] || City || {{dts|1926|05|24}} || 43,990
|-
| 24 || [[Atlantis, Florida|Atlantis]] || City || {{dts|1959}} || 2,142
|-
| 25 || [[Lake Worth Beach, Florida|Lake Worth Beach]] || City || {{dts|1913|6|14}} || 42,219
|-
| 26 || [[South Palm Beach, Florida|South Palm Beach]] || Town || {{dts|1955}} || 1,471
|-
| 27 || [[Lantana, Florida|Lantana]] || Town || {{dts|1921|7|20}} || 11,504
|-
| 28 || [[Manalapan, Florida|Manalapan]] || Town || {{dts|1931}} || 419
|-
| 29 || [[Hypoluxo, Florida|Hypoluxo]] || Town || {{dts|1955}} || 2,687
|-
| 30 || [[Boynton Beach, Florida|Boynton Beach]] || City || {{dts|1920}} || 80,380
|-
| 31 || [[Ocean Ridge, Florida|Ocean Ridge]] || Town || {{dts|1931}} || 1,830
|-
| 32 || [[Golf, Florida|Golf]] || Village || {{dts|1957}} || 255
|-
| 33 || [[Briny Breezes, Florida|Briny Breezes]] || Town || {{dts|1963|3|19}} || 502
|-
| 34 || [[Gulf Stream, Florida|Gulf Stream]] || Town || {{dts|1925}} || 954
|-
| 35 || [[Delray Beach, Florida|Delray Beach]] || City || {{dts|1911|10|9}} || 66,846
|-
| 36 || [[Highland Beach, Florida|Highland Beach]] || Town || {{dts|1949}} || 4,295
|-
| 37 || [[Boca Raton, Florida|Boca Raton]] || City || {{dts|1925|5|26}} || 97,422
|-
| 38 || [[Loxahatchee Groves, Florida|Loxahatchee Groves]] || Town || {{dts|2006|11|1}} || 3,355
|-
| 39 || [[Westlake, Florida|Westlake]] || City || {{dts|2016}} || 906
|}
[[Golfview, Florida|Golfview]] was an incorporated town in Palm Beach County from 1936 until 1997.

===Census-designated places===
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Acacia Villas, Florida|Acacia Villas]]
* [[Cabana Colony, Florida|Cabana Colony]]
* [[Canal Point, Florida|Canal Point]] (bb)
* [[Gun Club Estates, Florida|Gun Club Estates]] (m)
* [[Juno Ridge, Florida|Juno Ridge]] (z)
* [[Jupiter Farms, Florida|Jupiter Farms]]
* [[Kenwood Estates, Florida|Kenwood Estates]]
* [[Lake Belvedere Estates, Florida|Lake Belvedere Estates]] (o)
* [[Lake Harbor, Florida|Lake Harbor]] (p)
* [[Limestone Creek, Florida|Limestone Creek]] (y)
* [[Pine Air, Florida|Pine Air]]
* [[Plantation Mobile Home Park, Florida|Plantation Mobile Home Park]] (s)
* [[Royal Palm Estates, Florida|Royal Palm Estates]] (n)
* [[San Castle, Florida|San Castle]]
* [[Schall Circle, Florida|Schall Circle]] (v)
* [[Seminole Manor, Florida|Seminole Manor]] (j)
* [[Stacy Street, Florida|Stacey Street]] (q)
* [[The Acreage, Florida|The Acreage]]
* [[Watergate, Florida|Watergate]]
* [[Westgate, Florida|Westgate]] (t)
{{div col end}}

===Former census-designated places===
Several unincorporated parts of Palm Beach County were listed as census-designated places for the [[2000 United States census|2000 census]], but were not listed for the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]]:
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Belle Glade Camp, Florida|Belle Glade Camp]] (l)
* [[Boca Del Mar, Florida|Boca Del Mar]] (c)
* [[Boca Pointe, Florida|Boca Pointe]] (a)
* [[Cypress Lakes, Florida|Cypress Lakes]] (w)
* [[Dunes Road, Florida|Dunes Road]] (cc)
* [[Fremd Village-Padgett Island, Florida|Fremd Village-Padgett Island]] (aa)
* [[Golden Lakes, Florida|Golden Lakes]] (r)
* [[Hamptons at Boca Raton, Florida|Hamptons at Boca Raton]] (e)
* [[High Point, Palm Beach County, Florida|High Point]] (i)
* [[Kings Point, Florida|Kings Point]] (g)
* [[Lakewood Gardens, Florida|Lakewood Gardens]]
* [[Lake Worth Corridor, Florida|Lake Worth Corridor]] (k)
* [[Lakeside Green, Florida|Lakeside Green]] (x)
* [[Mission Bay, Florida|Mission Bay]] (d)
* [[Sandalfoot Cove, Florida|Sandalfoot Cove]] (b)
* [[Villages of Oriole, Florida|Villages of Oriole]] (h)
* [[Whisper Walk, Florida|Whisper Walk]] (f)
{{div col end}}

===Unincorporated community===
* [[West Boca Raton]]

===Adjacent counties===
Palm Beach County borders [[Martin County, Florida|Martin County]] to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, [[Broward County]] to the south, Hendry County to the west, and extends into Lake Okeechobee in the northwest, where it borders [[Okeechobee County, Florida|Okeechobee County]] and [[Glades County, Florida|Glades County]] at one point in the center of the lake.

===Other unincorporated area===
* [[Century Village, Florida|Century Village]] (u)

===Former communities===
* [[Apix, Florida|Apix]]
* Bean City
* [[Bryant, Florida|Bryant]]
* [[Chosen, Florida|Chosen]]
* Fruitcrest
* Gardena
* Geerworth
* Gladecrest
* [[Kreamer Island, Florida|Kreamer Island]]
* [[Okeelanta, Florida|Okeelanta]]
* [[Ritta Island, Florida|Ritta Island]]
* Sand Cut
* Venus
* [[Yamato Colony, Florida|Yamato Colony]]

==See also==
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Palm Beach County, Florida]]
* [[List of municipalities in Florida]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikivoyage|Palm Beach County}}

===Government links===
* [https://discover.pbcgov.org/ Palm Beach County Government / Board of County Commissioners] official website

{{Geographic location
|Centre = Palm Beach County, Florida
|North = [[Martin County, Florida|Martin County]]
|Northeast =
|East = Atlantic Ocean
|Southeast =
|South = [[Broward County, Florida|Broward County]]
|Southwest =
|West = [[Hendry County, Florida|Hendry County]]
|Northwest = [[Okeechobee County, Florida|Okeechobee County]] and [[Glades County, Florida|Glades County]]
}}

{{Palm Beach County, Florida}}
{{Miami metropolitan area}}
{{Greater Miami}}
{{Geography of Florida}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Palm Beach County, Florida| ]]
[[Category:1909 establishments in Florida]]
[[Category:Charter counties in Florida]]
[[Category:Counties in the Miami metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Populated places in the United States established in 1909]]
[[Category:Florida counties]]