Palm Beach County, Florida: commercial real estate data.
Palm Beach County, Florida had an estimated 1,582,055 residents on July 1, 2024, up 6.0 percent since the 2020 census base of 1,492,202, across 1,970 square miles. County output reached $140.51 bn in 2024, 55,803 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 2,504 7(a) approvals worth $1.46 bn since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Palm Beach County
How many people live in Palm Beach County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20241,533,806
- Households605,430
- Average household size2.53
- Median household income$83,581
- Median age45.3
- Median gross rent$1,916 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$447,300
- Home value to household income5.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income27.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher40.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree16.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over1,131,157
- Population under 18289,116
- Share under 1818.8 percent
- Population 65 and over380,989
- Share 65 and over24.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64863,701
- Civilian labor force761,900
- Unemployment rate5.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over61.2 percent
- Rank by population among Florida counties3rd of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included25th of 3,222
Palm Beach County is the 3rd largest of 67 Florida counties by population. A median home costs 5.4 times median household income, which is severely unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 24.8 percent against 18.8 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Palm Beach County
Is Palm Beach County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20241,582,055
- Census 2020 base population1,492,202
- Population change since the 2020 census base6.02 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202424,574
- Births, 202415,135
- Deaths, 202415,725
- Natural change, 2024-590
- Net domestic migration, 2024-7,546
- Net international migration, 202432,825
- Total net migration, 202425,279
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20249,955
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents404th of 3,144
The county has grown 6.02 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Palm Beach County
Where are people moving to Palm Beach County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving43,032
- People arriving, from those returns71,036
- Tax returns filed by households leaving39,372
- Net household movement3,660
- Adjusted gross income arriving$11.19 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$4.95 bn
- Average income of an arriving household$260,093
- Average income of a leaving household$158,439
- Largest single originBroward County (7,655 households)
- Largest single destinationBroward County (5,883 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broward County | 7,655 | 12,800 | $809.0 m |
| Miami-Dade County | 2,729 | 4,491 | $729.1 m |
| Nassau County | 1,139 | 1,927 | $404.8 m |
| St. Lucie County | 996 | 1,695 | $62.3 m |
| Suffolk County | 922 | 1,513 | $310.5 m |
| New York County | 852 | 1,314 | $474.3 m |
| Orange County | 752 | 1,122 | $47.6 m |
| Queens County | 719 | 1,254 | $76.1 m |
Households arriving report $101,654 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Broward County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Palm Beach County
What is the Palm Beach County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$140.51 bn
- County GDP, 2023$133.50 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.2 percent
- GDP change over five years49.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Florida areas BEA publishes5th of 67
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes34th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$91,606
Output grew 5.2 percent in the latest year and 49.7 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Palm Beach County
Employment by industry in Palm Beach County
- Covered employment, annual average666,889
- Establishments reporting71,342
- Average annual pay$77,246
- Average weekly wage$1,485
- Health care and social assistance, employment100,538
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$67,551
- Retail trade, employment78,563
- Retail trade, average annual pay$45,349
- Accommodation and food services, employment71,804
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$35,582
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment56,076
- Professional, scientific and technical services, average annual pay$112,906
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment53,407
- Construction, employment43,371
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 100,538 | 8,020 | $67,551 |
| Retail trade | 78,563 | 6,086 | $45,349 |
| Accommodation and food services | 71,804 | 3,580 | $35,582 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 56,076 | 13,148 | $112,906 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 53,407 | 5,948 | $67,378 |
| Construction | 43,371 | 6,413 | $76,674 |
| Finance and insurance | 27,492 | 4,252 | $208,222 |
| Other services, except public administration | 25,646 | 5,894 | $55,882 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 100,538 jobs, 15.1 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Palm Beach County
How many businesses are in Palm Beach County?
- Establishments, all industries55,803
- Employment at those establishments592,227
- Annual payroll$39.29 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents36.4
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Palm Beach County
Building permits in Palm Beach County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20244,089
- Declared construction value permitted$1.84 bn
- Single family units authorized2,897
- Multifamily units authorized1,192
- Multifamily share of units29.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$449,730
- Units authorized per 1,000 households6.8
Single-family homes are 70.8 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Palm Beach County
SBA loans in Palm Beach County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded2,504
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.46 bn
- Average 7(a) approval$582,834
- Median 7(a) approval$240,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,553,500
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)26,820
- Jobs per approval10.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active148
- Distinct industries receiving approvals433
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer11.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms283
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter2,098
- Franchise loans271
- Franchise share of approvals10.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (76)
- Most active lenderTD Bank, National Association (399)
- 504 approvals recorded552
- 504 gross approval dollars$500.5 m
- Average 504 approval$906,670
- Median 504 approval$621,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval10.4
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.4
- Most active CDCFlorida Business Development Corporation (274)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$1.96 bn
The average approval of $582,834 sits well above the median of $240,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 11.3 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Palm Beach County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Palm Beach County
Do SBA loans in Palm Beach County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded427
- Paid in full369
- Charged off58
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans13.6 percent
- Status: Cancelled357
- Status: Paid in full369
- Status: Exempt from disclosure1,572
- Status: Charged off58
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed148
Of the 427 loans that have reached a final outcome, 13.6 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Palm Beach County
SBA lending by place in Palm Beach County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending54
- Boca Raton, approvals526
- West Palm Beach, approvals517
- Delray Beach, approvals248
- Boynton Beach, approvals228
- Jupiter, approvals182
- Lake Worth, approvals157
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Boca Raton | 526 | $288,985,000 |
| West Palm Beach | 517 | $310,202,200 |
| Delray Beach | 248 | $132,706,500 |
| Boynton Beach | 228 | $134,440,200 |
| Jupiter | 182 | $111,327,700 |
| Lake Worth | 157 | $72,828,000 |
| Palm Beach Gardens | 110 | $57,417,800 |
| Wellington | 93 | $49,791,700 |
| 46 other borrower cities | 443 | $301,718,400 |
Boca Raton accounts for 526 approvals against 517 in West Palm Beach. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Palm Beach County
How large is Palm Beach County?
- Land area1,970 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Florida counties2nd of 67
- Width, east to west52.9 mi
- Height, north to south44.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land779
- Establishments per square mile28.33
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Palm Beach County
Flood risk in Palm Beach County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Palm Beach County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 120192
- Community Rating System class of the county's own communityClass 5
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book40
- Of those, participating in the NFIP40
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 4
- Communities carrying a CRS class31
- Radon levels in Palm Beach County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Palm Beach County (community 120192), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries Community Rating System class 5, a flood insurance premium discount for policies written there. The EPA places Palm Beach County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 4, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Palm Beach County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Palm Beach County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20241,533,806
- Households605,430
- Average household size2.53
- Median household income$83,581
- Median age45.3
Common questions
Palm Beach County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Palm Beach County, Florida?
The Census Bureau estimates 1,582,055 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 1,533,806, in 605,430 households, ranking 3rd of 67 Florida counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Palm Beach County's population growing?
The population has grown 6.02 percent since the 2020 census base of 1,492,202, to 1,582,055 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 15,135 births against 15,725 deaths, with net migration of 25,279. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Palm Beach County?
$83,581. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $447,300, which is 5.4 times income, and median gross rent is $1,916 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Palm Beach County?
55,803 establishments, employing 592,227 people with an annual payroll of $39.29 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Palm Beach County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 100,538 jobs, 15.1 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 666,889 jobs at an average annual pay of $77,246, or $1,485 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Palm Beach County?
2,504 7(a) approvals totaling $1.46 bn since FY2020, across 148 lenders, with a median approval of $240,000, plus 552 504 approvals worth $500.5 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Palm Beach County get paid back?
Of the 427 loans that have reached a final outcome, 369 were paid in full and 58 charged off, a charge-off rate of 13.6 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Palm Beach County?
4,089 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.84 bn. Multifamily was 29.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Palm Beach County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Palm Beach County come from?
The largest single origin is Broward County, with 7,655 households. Arriving households report an average income of $260,093 against $158,439 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Palm Beach County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Palm Beach County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Palm Beach County
Cities and places in Palm Beach.
59 Census places lie wholly or partly in Palm Beach County. 58 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked. The rest are named here and not linked, because the American Community Survey and the SBA record between them do not carry enough about them to write an honest page. A place existing is itself worth knowing, so nothing in the county is left out.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Palm Beach | city | 122,290 | 517 | Wholly in this county |
| Boca Raton | city | 100,234 | 526 | Wholly in this county |
| Boynton Beach | city | 81,435 | 228 | Wholly in this county |
| Delray Beach | city | 67,979 | 248 | Wholly in this county |
| Wellington | village | 62,146 | 93 | Wholly in this county |
| Jupiter | town | 61,883 | 182 | Wholly in this county |
| Palm Beach Gardens | city | 60,959 | 110 | Wholly in this county |
| Greenacres | city | 44,373 | 28 | Wholly in this county |
| Lake Worth Beach | city | 43,365 | 44 | Wholly in this county |
| The Acreage | CDP | 40,843 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Royal Palm Beach | village | 40,344 | 56 | Wholly in this county |
| Riviera Beach | city | 38,657 | 67 | Wholly in this county |
| Palm Springs | village | 27,356 | 14 | Wholly in this county |
| Belle Glade | city | 16,972 | 11 | Wholly in this county |
| North Palm Beach | village | 13,238 | 54 | Wholly in this county |
| Jupiter Farms | CDP | 12,945 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lantana | town | 12,256 | 24 | Wholly in this county |
| Palm Beach | town | 9,348 | 13 | Wholly in this county |
| Lake Park | town | 9,081 | 20 | Wholly in this county |
| Westgate | CDP | 8,151 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Tequesta | village | 6,193 | 11 | Wholly in this county |
| Pahokee | city | 5,609 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| South Bay | city | 5,102 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Highland Beach | town | 4,311 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Westlake | city | 4,237 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| Juno Beach | town | 3,890 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Watergate | CDP | 3,782 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lake Clarke Shores | town | 3,587 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Loxahatchee Groves | town | 3,462 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| San Castle | CDP | 3,052 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Haverhill | town | 2,823 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Hypoluxo | town | 2,798 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Seminole Manor | CDP | 2,678 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lake Belvedere Estates | CDP | 2,672 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mangonia Park | town | 2,384 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| Pine Air | CDP | 2,258 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cabana Colony | CDP | 2,045 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Atlantis | city | 2,038 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| South Palm Beach | town | 1,576 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ocean Ridge | town | 1,537 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Limestone Creek | CDP | 1,466 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Royal Palm Estates | CDP | 1,369 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Kenwood Estates | CDP | 1,263 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Palm Beach Shores | town | 1,248 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Juno Ridge | CDP | 1,072 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Gun Club Estates | CDP | 1,050 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Plantation Mobile Home Park | CDP | 1,032 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Gulf Stream | town | 785 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Stacey Street | CDP | 582 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Jupiter Inlet Colony | town | 511 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Schall Circle | CDP | 467 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Briny Breezes | town | 394 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Manalapan | town | 353 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Glen Ridge | town | 289 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Golf | village | 265 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cloud Lake | town | 212 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Canal Point | CDP | 207 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Acacia Villas | CDP | 131 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lake Harbor | CDP | 0 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 221 of the county's 2,504 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Palm Beach County, the largest being Lake Worth (157), Loxahatchee (41), Royal Palm (3). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.
Nearby