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Pahokee, Florida

Pahokee is a city located on the shore of Lake Okeechobee in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. The population was 5,524 in the 2020 census.

According to the 2020 U.S. Census, 57% of the residents of Pahokee were African American and 33% were Hispanic or Latino. In 2018, the Mayor, Kenneth W. Babb, as well as the four members of the City Commission were all African American.

History
Pahokee was incorporated in 1922. The name "Pahokee" means "grassy waters" in the Creek language. Local residents refer to Pahokee as "The Muck", which signifies the mineral-rich dark soil in which sugar cane, citrus fruits, and corn are grown by agribusinesses. In the 1930s, it was known as the "Winter Vegetable Capital of the World".

The city was severely affected, as were the other communities to the south of the lake, by the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane. Hurricane Wilma, in 2005, destroyed a newly built marina.

Economy
Pahokee was founded on the produce grown in the muck, the fertile bottom of the Everglades after part of it was drained in the early 20th century. In 1939, the Federal Writers' Project guide said of Pahokee: "From Christmas until April, Pahokee is a 24-hour town; long trains of refrigerated cars roll out for northern markets day and night." "The streets are noisy and crowded; bars, restaurants and gambling places are never closed."

In 1963, with access to Cuban sugar restricted, a sugar plant was built, and agriculture shifted to the mechanized crop of sugar cane. The plant closed in 2009.

As a result, it is one of two Palm Beach County cities—the other is South Bay—on a list of 13 Florida municipalities in "a state of financial emergency." Records suggest it has been on the list continually since 1994. Unemployment exceeds 25%. Taxable property values dropped from about $99 million in 2007 to $66 million in 2014. A fifth of the population has migrated in the past 15 years. Dissolution of the city has been proposed.

On November 15, 1996, the old Pahokee High School building, built in 1928, was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

Everglades Regional Medical Center
Everglades Regional Medical Center, at 200 S. Barfield Highway was founded in 1936 as Everglades General Hospital; the current building opened in 1950. The 63-bed general hospital, financially nonviable, closed in 1998 after years of contention, a change from public to private ownership, and three lawsuits.

Glades Health Care Center
Adjacent to the former hospital, at 230 S. Barfield Highway, is Glades Health Care Center, a 120-bed skilled nursing facility, with about 70 full-time employees.

Public
Pahokee belongs to the School District of Palm Beach County.

 * Pahokee Elementary School, 560 East Main Place (grades pre-K–5). Enrollment: 375 (2015). Pahokee Elementary School is an IB (International Baccalaureate) school. Enrollment is 63% black, 35% Hispanic, 1% white, 1% other. 96% are from low-income families.
 * K. E. Cunningham/Canal Point Elementary School, 37000 Main Street, Canal Point (grades K–5). Enrollment: 329. The racial makeup of the student body is 69% black, 29% Hispanic, 2% white. 99% of the students are from low-income families.
 * Pahokee Middle–High School, 900 Larrimore Rd. (grades 6–12). Enrollment: 857 (2015). Enrollment is 68% black, 39% Hispanic, 2% white, 1% other. 93% are from low-income families.
 * Pahokee High School is best known for its football program that consistently ranks among the state's best. Pahokee, together with nearby rival Belle Glade, with whom it competes each year in the "Muck Bowl", has "sent at least 60 players to the National Football League". "In Muck City, football is salvation, an escape from the likelihood of prison or early death." "Football is the chief subject taught at Pahokee High," a town historian wrote in 1963. In 2014 five former Blue Devils were in the NFL, the second most from any high school in the country.

Public charter

 * Glades Academy, 7368 State Road 15 (grades K–8). Enrollment: 195 (2015). Enrollment is 72% black, 18% Hispanic, 9% white, 1% other. 97% are from low-income families.

Private

 * Everglades Preparatory Academy, 380 East Main St. (grades 9–12). Enrollment: 106 (2016). (There is another, unrelated Everglades Preparatory Academy in Homestead, Florida.) Enrollment is 92% black, 6% Hispanic, 2% white. 90% are from low-income families.
 * The Shepherd's School, 1800 Bacom Point Road, a Christian school (grades K–12). Enrollment: 71 (2016).
 * G.A.P Christian Academy, 183 S Lake Ave. (K–12 Education)

Miracle Village
Miracle Village, founded by a minister, offers a small residential community for registered sex offenders, who sometimes have great difficulty in finding housing, or are homeless (see Julia Tuttle Causeway sex offender colony), because of Florida's strict regulations limiting where sex offenders can live. It is located about three miles east of Pahokee, on Muck City Road, in a former migrant worker facility, surrounded by sugar cane fields. This helps the offenders better integrate into society and not be a burden or commit further crimes in order to survive after serving their time mandated by the state and being released with little or no assistance from the Department of Corrections.

Pahokee in the media
On December 18, 2009, Damien Cave, Miami Bureau Chief of the New York Times, wrote an article describing Pahokee's economic plight and the town's hopes that a new marina project might help rejuvenate business. In 2014, Governor Rick Scott pledged $1.3 million towards the restoration of Pahokee's infrastructure, in addition to $200,000 pledged by Senator Abruzzo.

Chasing Rabbits (2008)
A short by Aaron Kyle. Rabbit hunting as running training for would-be football players. Famous Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden makes a cameo appearance. Days after its release, it was shown on ESPN, and an Adidas commercial was made using footage from it.

Murder of a Small Town (2015)

 * James Patterson asks "What the hell happened here?" in the PBS documentary Murder of a Small Town, which examines unemployment, crime, drugs and high school football. The documentary deals with Belle Glade as well as Pahokee.

The Send-Off (2016)

 * The Send-Off, a 12-minute short by Patrick Bresnan and Yvette Lucas, called an "intimate portrait" of Pahokee, was shown at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. "Emboldened by a giant block party on the evening of their high school prom, a group of students enter the night with the hope of transcending their rural town and the industrial landscape that surrounds them." Along with others it was nominated for, it won three awards in 2016: the Golden Gate Award for Best Documentary Short at the San Francisco International Film Festival, the Grand Jury Prize – Special Mention, Live Action Short at the American Film Institute's AFI Fest, and the Grand Jury Award at the South by Southwest Film Festival.

The Rabbit Hunt (2017)

 * The Rabbit Hunt, another short by Patrick Bresnan and Yvette Lucas. It differs from Chasing Rabbits in its approach to the topic, although the action scenes are similar. The rabbits are driven out of the sugar cane fields by the harvesting machinery, or by smoky, slow-moving fires (humidity is high) deliberately set after harvest to clean up leaves and other waste. The emerging rabbits are killed with clubs, gutted, skinned, cooked, and eaten, or sold to others as meat. Rabbits are a food source for a very poor community; the atmosphere has been called "primitive". "In the Florida Everglades rabbit hunting is a rite of passage for young men, practiced since the early 1900s. The Rabbit Hunt follows a family as they hunt in the fields of an industrial sugar farm." Everyone who appears in the film is African-American. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2017, and won the award of Outstanding Non-fiction Short in the Cinema Eye awards of the Museum of the Moving Image.

Pahokee (2019)

 * Pahokee is a full-length (110 min.) feature from Bresnan and Lucas. It was shown at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. The description of its content is: "In the rural town of Pahokee, four teenagers experience the joys and heartbreaks of their last year in high school. This tightly knit community in the Florida everglades struggles with financial insecurity and pin their hopes for the future on their graduating seniors."
 * The film was shown on PBS on February 16, 2021, in the series America ReFramed.

Outta The Muck (2023)

 * Outta The Muck is a full-length (125 min.) feature from Ira McKinley, Bhawin Suchak, and Tracy Rector. The description of its content is: "Wade into the rich soil of Pahokee, Florida, a town on the banks of Lake Okeechobee. Beyond its football legacy, including sending over a dozen players to the NFL (like Anquan Boldin, Fred Taylor, and Rickey Jackson), the fiercely self-determined community tells their stories of Black achievement and resilience in the face of tragic storms and personal trauma."
 * The film was shown on PBS on February 6, 2023, in the series Independent Lens.

Local media
Pahokee's most recent local newspaper was A Better Pahokee, a free digital e-newspaper, founded in 2013 by Jessie Tsang and Minister Freddie Lee Peterkin. It ceased issuing new material in 2016.

Geography
Pahokee is located at 26.82472°N, -80.65972°W (26.824717, –80.659660).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.4 sqmi, all land.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 5,524 people, 1,718 households, and 1,227 families residing in the city.

2010 census
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 5,649 people, 1,749 households, and 1,219 families residing in the city.

2000 census
As of the US census of 2000, there were 5,985 people, 1,710 households, and 1,328 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,109.4 PD/sqmi. There were 1,936 housing units at an average density of 358.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 25.21% White (13.6% Non-Hispanic White), 56.06% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 15.20% from other races, and 2.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 29.46% of the population.

As of 2000, there were 1,710 households, out of which 44.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.3% were married couples living together, 22.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.3% were non-families. 18.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.35 and the average family size was 3.79.

In 2000, in the city, 38.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 10.3% were aged 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.2 males.

In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $26,731, and the median income for a family was $26,265. Males had a median income of $28,859 versus $20,066 for females. The per capita income for the city was $10,346. About 29.4% of families and 32.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.9% of those under age 18 and 32.0% of those age 65 or over.

In 2000, 72.78% of the population spoke only English at home, while those who spoke Spanish made up 26.65%, and those who spoke French Creole made up 0.56%.

Notable people

 * Reidel Anthony, NFL wide receiver, 1996 Florida Gators football team, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
 * Bill Bentley, NFL cornerback, Louisiana-Lafayette, Detroit Lions
 * Anquan Boldin, NFL wide receiver, Florida State University, Baltimore Ravens
 * Kevin Bouie, NFL running back, Mississippi State University
 * Zabian Dowdell, basketball player for Phoenix Suns
 * Rickey Jackson, NFL linebacker, New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers, NFL Hall Of Fame
 * Janoris Jenkins, NFL cornerback, St. Louis Rams, New York Giants, New Orleans Saints
 * Jorge Labarga, Florida Supreme Court Justice
 * Pernell McPhee, linebacker, Baltimore Ravens
 * Eric Moore, NFL Defensive end, New England Patriots
 * Freddie Lee Peterkin, minister, soul and gospel singer and actor
 * Alphonso Smith, NFL cornerback, Detroit Lions
 * Antone Smith, NFL running back, Florida State and Atlanta Falcons
 * Vincent Smith, running back, University of Michigan
 * Fred Taylor, NFL running back, Jacksonville Jaguars
 * Mel Tillis, country musician, born in Tampa, raised in Pahokee
 * Andre Waters, defensive back, Philadelphia Eagles
 * Riquna Williams, basketball player, University of Miami and WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks

title: Pahokee, Florida


text:
Palm Beach, Florida

Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. Located on a barrier island in east-central Palm Beach County, the town is separated from West Palm Beach and Lake Worth Beach by the Intracoastal Waterway to its west and a small section of the Intracoastal Waterway and South Palm Beach to its south. It is part of the South Florida metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, Palm Beach had a year-round population of 9,245.

The Jaega arrived on the modern-day island of Palm Beach approximately 3,000 years ago. Between 1816 and 1858, the Seminoles were expelled from the area. Americans settlers began to inhabit the area as early as 1872, and opened a post office about five years later. Elisha Newton "Cap" Dimick, later the town's first mayor, established Palm Beach's first hotel, the Cocoanut Grove House, in 1880, but Standard Oil tycoon Henry Flagler became instrumental in transforming the island of jungles and swamps into a winter resort for the wealthy. Flagler and his workers constructed the Royal Poinciana Hotel in 1894, The Breakers in 1896, and Whitehall in 1902; extended the Florida East Coast Railway southward to the area by 1894; and developed a separate city to house the hotel workers and other laborers. This later became West Palm Beach. The town of Palm Beach was incorporated on April 17, 1911. Addison Mizner also contributed significantly to the town's history, designing 67 structures between 1919 and 1924, including El Mirasol, the Everglades Club, La Querida, the William Gray Warden House, and Via Mizner, which is a section of Worth Avenue.

Forbes reported in 2017 that Palm Beach had at least 30 billionaires, with the town ranking as the 27th-wealthiest place in the United States in 2016, according to Bloomberg News. Many famous and wealthy individuals have resided in the town, including United States presidents John F. Kennedy and Donald Trump. Palm Beach is known for upscale shopping districts, such as Worth Avenue, Royal Poinciana Plaza, and the Royal Poinciana Way Historic District.

Native beginnings
Native Americans previously inhabited the island of Palm Beach, with the Jaega people arriving at least 3,000 years ago. Evidence for their inhabitation of the island are three pre-Columbian archaeological complexes. These complexes include a burial mound, six unmarked Native American cemeteries, and a more recent burial site which suggested interaction between indigenous people and Europeans.

1872–1900
White settlers began arriving in modern-day Palm Beach by 1872. Hiram F. Hammon made the first homestead claim in 1873 along Lake Worth. At the time, the lake area had fewer than 12 people. By 1877, the Tustenegee Post Office was established in modern-day Palm Beach, becoming the lake area's first post office. Along the coast of Palm Beach, the Providencia wrecked in 1878 with a cargo of 20,000 coconuts, which were quickly planted. In 1880, Elisha Newton "Cap" Dimick converted his private residence to a hotel known as the Cocoanut Grove House. At the time of its opening, the Cocoanut Grove House was the only hotel along Florida's east coast between Titusville and Key West. A fire destroyed the hotel in October 1893. The Star Route, also known as the Barefoot Mailman route, began serving the area in 1885. Carriers delivered mail by foot or boat from Palm Beach and other nearby communities to as far south as Miami, a round trip of 136 mi. The first schoolhouse in southeast Florida (also known as the Little Red Schoolhouse) opened in Palm Beach in 1886.

Henry Flagler, a Standard Oil tycoon, made his first visit to Palm Beach in 1893, and described the area as a "veritable paradise". That same year, Flagler hired George W. Potter to plot 48 blocks for West Palm Beach, a city to house workers at his hotels, and construction began on the Royal Poinciana Hotel. The Royal Poinciana Hotel opened for business on February 11, 1894. Flagler, also the owner of the Florida East Coast Railway, extended the railroad southward to West Palm Beach by the following month. In 1896, Flagler opened a second hotel originally known as Wayside Inn, before being renamed Palm Beach Inn, and later becoming The Breakers. Fires later burned down the hotel in 1903 and 1925, but it was rebuilt twice. The Palm Beach Daily News began publication in 1897 originally under the name Daily Lake Worth News.

1900–1940
The first pedestrian bridge across the Intracoastal Waterway opened near the modern-day Flagler Bridge in 1901, replacing the original railroad spur. Flagler's house lots were bought by the beneficiaries of the Gilded Age, and in 1902, Flagler himself built a Beaux-Arts mansion, Whitehall, designed by the New York-based firm Carrère and Hastings and helped establish the Palm Beach "winter season". Telephone service was established in Palm Beach in 1908, with 18 customers initially. Prior to the 1910s, many African Americans in the area lived in a segregated section of Palm Beach called the "Styx", with an estimated population of 2,000 at its peak. Between 1910 and 1912, though, African Americans were evicted from the Styx. Most of the displaced residents relocated to the northern West Palm Beach neighborhoods of Freshwater, Northwest, and Pleasant City.

In January 1911, it became known West Palm Beach intended to annex the island of Palm Beach in the upcoming Florida legislative session. Residents objected and hired an attorney from Miami to officially become incorporated. Dimick, Louis Semple Clarke, and 31 other male property owners met at Clarke's house and signed a charter to officially incorporate the town of Palm Beach on April 17, 1911. Dimick became the first mayor, John McKenna became town clerk, and Joseph Borman became town marshal, while J. B. Donnelly, William Fremd, John Doe, Enoch Root, and J.J. Ryman served as the first council members. Also in 1911, Dimick built the Royal Park Bridge, with its first incarnation being a wooden structure. Passage from West Palm Beach to Palm Beach on the bridge originally required a toll – 25 cents per vehicle and 5 cents per pedestrian.

Between 1919 and 1924, American resort architect Addison Mizner designed 67 structures in Palm Beach. Some of Mizner's clients included Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle Jr., Paul Moore Sr., Gurnee Munn, John Shaffer Phipps, Edward Shearson, Eva Stotesbury, Rodman Wanamaker, and Barclay Harding Warburton II. His designed works included the Costa Bella, El Mirasol, Everglades Club (in collaboration with Paris Singer), El Solano, La Bellucia, La Querida, Via Mizner,  Villa Flora,  and William Gray Warden House. Via Mizner was the first shopping complex along Worth Avenue, which was then a mostly residential street.

In February 1924, the town council allotted $100,000 to construct a new municipal building. Harvey and Clarke architectural firm designed the building, while Newlon and Stephens built the structure after bidding $160,200 for the contract. The Palm Beach Town Hall opened on December 18, 1925, and is still used for town council meetings. Before its completion, the council meetings took place in a one-story wooden building on Royal Poinciana Way. Also in 1925, citywide construction revenue reached $14 million, attributed to the Florida land boom.

The 1928 Okeechobee hurricane made landfall in the town of Palm Beach, with sustained winds of 145 mph (235 km/h). High winds and storm surge damaged 610 businesses, 60 homes, and 10 hotels, as well as to the Public Service Corporation and Ocean Boulevard. Damage in 1928 dollars totaled $10 million in Palm Beach.

1940–1960
Palm Beach's population grew from 1,707 in 1930 to 3,747 in 1940, a 119.5% increase. The Royal Poinciana Hotel, damaged heavily in the 1928 hurricane, also suffered greatly during the Great Depression, and was demolished in 1935. Around 4,000 people purchased the salvageable remains of the hotel. The Palm Beach-Post Times estimated some 500 homes could be built from the scraps of the hotel. Residents of Palm Beach established the Society of the Four Arts on January 14, 1936, with Hugh Dillman as the first president. The 1930s decade also saw the construction of the Flagler Memorial Bridge, the northernmost bridge linking Palm Beach and West Palm Beach, completed on July 1, 1938. Palm Beach mayor James M. Owens acted as master of ceremonies for the bridge's opening, while then–U.S. senator Charles O. Andrews and former U.S. senator Scott Loftin gave speeches during the event.

Early in World War II, the United States Army established a Ranger camp at the northern tip of the island, which could accommodate 200 men. The Palm Beach Civilian Defense Council ordered blackouts in Palm Beach beginning on April 11, 1942. Throughout the war, German U-boats sank 24 ships off Florida, with eight capsized off Palm Beach County between February and May 1942. The Army converted The Breakers into the Ream General Army Hospital, while the Navy converted the Palm Beach Biltmore Hotel into a U.S. Naval Special Hospital. The Biltmore Hotel would also become a training school for SPARS, the United States Coast Guard Women's Reserve.

On September 15, 1950, the Southern Boulevard Bridge opened, the third and southernmost bridge linking Palm Beach and West Palm Beach. Palm Beach residents elected Claude Dimick Reese (son of former mayor T.T. Reese and grandson of Dimick) as mayor in 1953. He became the only native-born mayor of Palm Beach in its history. In the 1950s, the town's population grew around 56%, from 3,866 in 1950 to 6,055 in 1960.

1960–1990
John F. Kennedy was elected President of the United States in 1960, and selected as his Winter White House La Querida, which his father bought in 1933. In December 1960, police in Palm Beach averted a retired postal worker's attempt to assassinate then president-elect Kennedy. The president also spent the last weekend of his life in Palm Beach, several days before his assassination in November 1963. Yvelyne "Deedy" Marix became the first woman elected to the town council in February 1970, and later became the first woman elected mayor of Palm Beach in 1983. Between 1971 and 1977, Earl E.T. Smith served as mayor of Palm Beach. He was previously an Ambassador of the United States to Cuba.

Preservationist Barbara Hoffstot published a book titled Landmark Architecture in Palm Beach in 1974. She personally photographed and summarized many older buildings in the town. The book also called for more awareness of and improvements to a system for protecting historic landmarks. The town council responded in 1979 by approving an ordinance establishing the Landmarks Preservation Commission, which identifies and works to protect historic structures.

General Foods and Post Cereals heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post bequeathed Mar-a-Lago to the United States upon her death in 1973, hoping it would be used as a Winter White House. The residence was returned to the Post family in 1981, before being purchased by Donald Trump in 1985 for roughly $10 million. He converted the estate into a club by 1995 and would later use Mar-a-Lago as a Winter White House during his presidency from 2017 to 2021. A nor'easter in November 1984 caused the Mercedes I to crash into the seawall of Mollie Wilmot's estate. Wilmot's staff served the 10 sailors sandwiches and freshly brewed coffee in her gazebo and offered martinis to journalists reporting on the incident.

1990–2010
On October 31, 1991, the Perfect Storm produced waves 20 ft in height in Palm Beach. About 1200 ft of seawall at Worth Avenue were destroyed, while some parts of the town experienced coastal flooding, especially along Ocean Boulevard. By that afternoon, police allowed only residents to enter the town. The trial of William Kennedy Smith, a member of the Kennedy family, drew international media attention in 1991. Smith had been accused of committing rape at La Querida, but a trial at the Palm Beach County Court resulted in his acquittal on December 11, 1991. Another notable mayor, Paul Ilyinsky, son of Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia and heiress Audrey Emery, was elected to the office in February 1993. The town's population peaked at 10,468 people in the 2000 census. In March 2005, the Palm Beach Police Department – under the guidance of Police Chief Michael Reiter – began the first inquiry into the crimes committed by sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, leading to his arrest and indictment in July 2006. Despite an FBI investigation discovering at least 40 victims, the state attorney of Palm Beach County only charged Epstein with soliciting a prostitute and soliciting a minor for prostitution in June 2008. He pleaded guilty on both counts and received a controversial plea deal.

2010–present
The town had a population of 8,348 people in 2010, a decrease of 20.3% from the previous census. Palm Beach celebrated its centennial on April 17, 2011. About 1,200 people attended a parade that began at the Flagler Museum (Whitehall). Between February and December 2015, the Town Square, which includes the Addison Mizner Memorial Fountain and the town hall, underwent a $5.7 million restoration. The fountain's restoration was named "project of the year" by the American Public Works Association's Florida chapter.

The FBI conducted a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago on August 8, 2022, approved by Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart after a criminal referral by the National Archives and Records Administration relating to classified documents. Although former President Trump surrendered 235 classified documents by June 2022, the search at Mar-a-Lago yielded another 102 such documents. This discovery, along with allegations that Trump transported documents to his golf club in New Jersey and showed them to some guests there, led a grand jury at the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida to indict him on 37 felony counts relating to the mishandling of classified documents on June 8, 2023.

Name
The January 1878 wreck of the Providencia is credited with giving Palm Beach its name. The Providencia was traveling from Havana to Cádiz, Spain, with a cargo of coconuts harvested in the Crown Colony of Trinidad and Tobago in the British West Indies, when the ship wrecked near Palm Beach. Many of the coconuts naturalized or were planted along the Palm Beach coast. A lush grove of palm trees soon grew on what was later named Palm Beach.

Geography
Palm Beach is one of the easternmost towns in Florida, though the state's easternmost point is in Palm Beach Shores, just north of Lake Worth Inlet. The town is on an 18 mi long barrier island between the Intracoastal Waterway (locally known as the Lake Worth Lagoon) on the west and the Atlantic Ocean on the east. At no point is the island wider than three-quarters of a mile (1.2 km), and in places it is only 500 feet (150 m) wide. The northern boundary of Palm Beach is the Lake Worth Inlet, though it adjoined with Singer Island until the permanent dredging of the inlet in 1918. To the south, a section of Lake Worth Beach occupies the island in the vicinity of State Road 802, though an exclave of Palm Beach extends farther southward until the northern limits of South Palm Beach. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has an area of 8.12 mi2, with land accounting for 4.20 mi2 and water covering the remaining 3.92 mi2. The average elevation of the town is 7 ft; the highest point is 30 ft above sea level on the golf course at the Palm Beach Country Club. Geologically, the island is a sand-covered ridge of coquina rock. Before settlement, the island was a pronounced coastal ridge bordering the Atlantic Ocean. The Intracoastal Waterway coast was primarily low-lying and swampy; marshy sloughs generally lay between the two features, though an oolitic limestone ridge stood along some parts of the island's westward side. Since 1883, the environment has been significantly altered by developing land, the filling of the sloughs, and a receding coastline due to erosion, but the Atlantic ridge is still the dominating topographical feature of the island and acts as a seaward barrier. The former slough areas are flood-prone.

The town and entire barrier island are within Evacuation Zone B, and evacuations are often ordered if a hurricane is forecast to impact the area, most recently in anticipation of Hurricane Dorian in 2019. Palm Beach town officials may deploy law enforcement officers to strategically place roadblocks to limit access to the island during unsafe conditions.

As of 2016, land use of the town is 60% residential, 13% rights-of-way, 10% private group uses, 3% recreational, 3% commercial, 2% public uses, 1% hotels (not including The Breakers), and less than 1% conservation, while The Breakers is a planned unit development accounting for 6% of land use. The remaining 2% of land was vacant. Palm Beach does not have any land dedicated to agricultural or industrial purposes. The town is essentially built out and cannot extend its boundaries.

Conservation is mainly confined to Bingham Island, Fishermen's Island, and Hunter's Island. Functioning as bird sanctuaries and rookeries, the islands are leased by the National Audubon Society, though state trustees of the Internal Improvement Fund and the Blossom Estate hold the titles to the islands. A part of Blossom Estate Subdivision just south of Southern Boulevard is also designated a conservation area.

Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification, Palm Beach has a tropical rainforest climate (Af) with hot, humid summers and warm, drier winters. The annual average precipitation is 62.3 in, most of which occurs from May through October. In the wet summer season, short-lived heavy afternoon thunderstorms are common. Palm Beach reports more than 2,900 hours of sunshine annually. Although tropical cyclones can impact Palm Beach, strikes are rare, with the last direct hit in 1928. The wet season is from May to October, when convective thunderstorms and downpours are common. Average high temperatures in Palm Beach are 83 to 91 F with lows of 68 to 76 F, though low temperatures at or above 80 F are not uncommon. During this period, more than half of the summer days bring occasional afternoon thunderstorms and seabreezes that somewhat cool the rest of the day. The dry season (winter) brings dryer, sunny, and much less humid weather. Between December and March, average high temperatures range from 74 to 82 F and low temperatures average between 57 and 68 F. High temperatures occasionally drop below 70 F, while at other times highs occasionally reach 90 F in mid-winter. The highest recorded temperature, 101 F, occurred on July 21, 1941, while the lowest observed temperature, 24 F, occurred on December 29, 1894, during the Great Freeze. In some years, the dry season can become quite dry, and water restrictions are imposed.

Demographics
The town's population peaked at 10,468 people in the 2000 census but fell by 20.3% to 8,348 people in 2010. However, during the "winter season", defined as November through April, the population of Palm Beach swells to around 25,000. The town's affluence and its recreational facilities, shops, restaurants, social scene, and "community-oriented sensibility" were cited when it was selected in June 2003 as America's "Best Place to Live" by Robb Report magazine. Palm Beach ranked as the 27th-wealthiest place in the United States in 2016 according to Bloomberg News. In the following year, Forbes reported the town had 30-plus billionaires.

Palm Beach had the 40th-highest percentage of Russian residents in the United States in 2000, with 10.30% of the populace – tied with Pomona, New York, and the township of Lower Merion, Pennsylvania. It also had the 26th highest percentage of Austrian residents in the United States, at 2.10% of the town's population, tied with 19 other municipalities in the United States.

In 2000, the town's household income was $109,219. Males had a median income of $71,685 versus $42,875 for females; 5.3% of the population and 2.4% of families were below the poverty line. About 4.6% of those under the age of 18 and 2.9% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. Palm Beach had a median household income of $124,562 and a median family income of $137,867.

Economy
In 2018, the town of Palm Beach had an estimated labor force of 2,788 people. Palm Beach had an unemployment rate of just 2.3%, although 66% of the town's population was not in the labor force. The most common professions among the town's labor force are finance, insurance, real estate, rental, and leasing (24.1%); professional, scientific, management, administrative, and waste management services (23.6%); retail (12.2%); and educational services, health care, and social assistance (10.5%). However, as of 2017, only 4.1% of jobs in Palm Beach were held by residents of the town, with the most common other home destinations being West Palm Beach (15.4%), Palm Beach Gardens (3.9%), Lake Worth Beach (3.7%), Wellington (3.3%), and Greenacres (3.1%).

Tourism is a major industry in the town, bringing in around $5 billion in annual revenue. Palm Beach has several historical and luxurious hotels and lodgings, most notably The Brazilian Court, The Breakers, the Palm Beach Hotel (now the Palm Beach Hotel Condominium), the Tideline Ocean Resort & Spa, and the Vineta Hotel. The Breakers alone employs more than 2,200 people from around the world. The town of Palm Beach also contains Worth Avenue, an upscale shopping and dining district. Known for selling high-quality merchandise since the 1920s, Worth Avenue includes about 250 high-end shops, boutiques, restaurants, and art galleries. Other commercial districts of note include Royal Poinciana Plaza and Royal Poinciana Way Historic District, with the latter being listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015 due to its status as "the town's original Main Street", as noted by the Palm Beach Daily News.

Arts and events
The Society of the Four Arts is a nonprofit charity organization established in 1936. Located on the north side of Royal Palm Way near the Royal Park Bridge, the Four Arts Plaza has an art gallery, a concert hall auditorium, two libraries, a botanical garden, and a sculpture garden. The two libraries serve as public libraries for the town of Palm Beach, one a children's library and the other a general public library. Officially named the Gioconda and Joseph King Library, the town's general public library has more than 70,000 items, including books, audiobooks, DVDs, and periodicals. The Dixon Education Building features art studio and classrooms, as well as an apartment for an artist visiting the Society of the Four Arts.

Royal Poinciana Playhouse, near Cocoanut Row and Royal Poinciana Way, formerly hosted ballets, Broadway plays, opera, and other cultural events. Although the venue has been closed since 2004, it remains structurally sound. Up Markets acquired control of the playhouse in 2014 via a long-term lease. In December 2022, extensive renovations began on the building's interior, which will have a capacity of about 400 people upon its expected completion in 2024.

Worth Avenue and its vicinity also has several art galleries, including DTR Modern Galleries, Evey Fine Art Gallery, Galeria of Sculpture, Gallerie Y, and the John H. Surovek Gallery. Additionally, the Norton Museum of Art and its sculpture gardens are just across the Intracoastal Waterway in West Palm Beach.

The Hope for Depression Research Foundation hosts an annual 5K run/walk known as the Race of Hope to Defeat Depression. In 2020, the event raised about $400,000 for depression research. The Palm Beach International Film Festival had been hosted in the town in the months of March and April since 1996. However, the festival has been on hiatus since 2018, following the resignation of CEO Jeff Davis. Various events are hosted on Worth Avenue, including historical walking tours held year-round. Once a year, the Palm Beach Charity Register magazine publishes a guide to charitable events held in the town and other nearby localities. The magazine promoted 186 charity galas, luncheons, and parties scheduled between the fall of 2019 and summer of 2020.

Attractions
Whitehall reopened as the Flagler Museum on February 6, 1960, after Henry Flagler's granddaughter, Jean Flagler Matthews, purchased the property in 1959 to prevent its demolition. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and the National Historic Landmark list in 2000, the museum replicates the original appearance of the house and has exhibits about Flagler himself, Flagler's personal railcar (built in 1886), the Florida East Coast Railway, life in the Gilded Age, and the early history of Palm Beach. Almost 100,000 people visit the museum annually. Adjacent to the Flagler Museum and behind the Royal Poinciana Chapel is a giant, almost 200-year old kapok tree, which also attracts visitors.

The Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach established Pan's Garden in 1994 along Hibiscus Avenue between Chilean Avenue and Peruvian Avenue. The garden has a statue of Pan (originally designed in 1890 by Frederick William MacMonnies), the ancient Greek god who protects and guards flocks. Another significant feature is the Casa Apava wall, a 1920s tile wall from the remnants of the Casa Apava estate. Encompassing approximately 0.5 acres, the garden also features many endangered species of native vegetation.

Bethesda-by-the-Sea, originally a mostly wooden structure built from lumber from the beach in April 1889, is the oldest church in Palm Beach. The church opened at its current location by Christmas 1926. Bethesda-by-the-Sea has hosted the weddings of a few notable individuals, including Donald and Melania Trump in 2005 and Michael Jordan and Yvette Prieto in 2013.

Other points of interest
The Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce identifies several other points of interest in the town, including:
 * Major Alley - Located on Peruvian Avenue just one block north of the western terminus of Worth Avenue, Major Alley (named after architect Howard Major) has six Georgian revival-style cottages built in the 1920s.
 * Royal Poinciana Chapel - Built in 1897 by Henry Flagler, he intended for the interdenominational chapel to be used by guests at his hotels. The chapel expanded to 400 seats about a year later. It is adjacent to the Whitehall property.
 * Seagull Cottage - Situated between the Royal Poinciana Chapel and Whitehall, Seagull Cottage is the oldest surviving home in the Palm Beach, constructed in 1886 by R.R. McCormick, a railroad and land developer from Denver. Flagler purchased Seagull Cottage from McCormick in 1893 for $75,000, and it remained his winter residence until 1902, when Whitehall was completed.
 * Phipps Plaza Historic District - Described by the Palm Beach Daily News as a "picturesque ensemble" of buildings, the Phipps Plaza Historic District is a tight ring of structures built between the 1920s and the 1940s. Located just north of the intersection of Royal Palm Way and South County Road, the buildings at Phipps Plaza were mostly constructed by the Palm Beach Company, with the assistance of Addison Mizner and Marion Sims Wyeth.
 * The Colony Hotel Palm Beach - A British Colonial-style hotel at South County Road and Hammond Avenue, just one block south of Worth Avenue. Opened in 1947, the six floor hotel has eighty-nine rooms and three penthouses.
 * Addison Mizner Memorial Fountain - Erected by Mizner himself in 1929, the fountain is in the middle of South County Road directly north of the town hall and to the west of the police department headquarters. The fountain is constructed of double-bowl cast stone. In 2017, the restoration of the fountain was named the project of the year by the American Public Works Association's Florida chapter.

Parks and recreation
The Recreation Department of Palm Beach oversees several public recreation facilities, including the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center, Palm Beach Docks, Par 3 Golf Course, and many tennis centers. The only public marina in the town, the Palm Beach Docks opened in the 1940s and is along the Intracoastal Waterway between the Royal Palm Bridge and Worth Avenue. Palm Beach Docks has three main docks and eighty-eight boat slips, along with many accommodations for boaters.

There are three public beaches in the town, the Palm Beach Municipal Beach, Phipps Ocean Park, and R. G. Kreusler Park. The former, also known as Midtown Beach, has metered parking spots along South Ocean Boulevard from Royal Palm Way southward to Hammon Avenue. Phipps Ocean Park includes the Little Red Schoolhouse, the first school building in southeast Florida (built in 1886), restored and moved from its original location near where the Flagler Memorial Bridge stands today. The town also has many private beaches, while R. G. Kreusler Park (owned and operated by Palm Beach County) lies directly north of the Lake Worth Municipal Beach. In addition to Pan's Garden, the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach also owns the Ambassador Earl T. Smith Memorial Park and Fountain, a small, 0.24 acre (0.097 ha) park near the town hall.

The town has three bicycling and pedestrian paths. The Lake Trail is a 4.7 mile (7.6 km) path along the Intracoastal Waterway from Worth Avenue to near the Lake Worth Inlet. Another trail, the County Road Pedestrian Path/Bicycle Lane is around 1.1 mi in length from Kawama Lane to Bahama Lane along North County Road. The third path is the Southern Pedestrian/Bicycle Path, running from Sloan's Curve to the town's southern boundaries along State Road A1A, a distance of roughly 3.5 mi.

Palm Beach has several social and golf clubs, most notably the Everglades Club and Mar-a-Lago. The former, built by Addison Mizner and Paris Singer in 1918, had the original purpose of being a hospital for soldiers injured in World War I. However, the war soon ended and the facilities were restructured into a private club which opened in January 1919. Some of the amenities include a golf course, tennis courts, and reception halls. Everglades Club has nearly 1,000 members. The club, which is very exclusive, does not have a website and prohibits cellphones. Mar-a-Lago is 126-room, 62,500-square-foot (5,810 m2) mansion that features many hotel-style amenities. Built between 1924 and 1927, General Foods and Post Cereals heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post originally owned the estate, but willed it to the United States government prior to her death in 1973 in hopes the residence would be used as a Winter White House. Mar-a-Lago was returned to the Post family in 1981, before being sold to future United States president Donald Trump in 1985 for approximately $10 million.

Government
Palm Beach operates under a council–manager form of government. The town's legislative body, the town council, is composed of five members, who serve two-year terms and seek office in staggered, at-large, non-partisan elections. Once a month, the town council meets at the Palm Beach Town Hall, though special meetings may be conducted as needed. The mayor, also elected to two year terms, acts as ombudsman and an intergovernmental figure. Danielle Moore, a former three-term member of the town council, has served as mayor since April 13, 2021. Additionally, a town manager has the authority to appoint and supervise the senior management team, including the deputy town manager and department directors. The officeholder of town manager is appointed annually by the town council. Kirk Blouin, a former Palm Beach chief of police and later Director of Public Safety, has served as town manager since February 13, 2018.

Palm Beach is part of Florida's 22nd congressional district, which has been represented by Democrat Lois Frankel since 2023. The town at the state level is part of the 89th district of the Florida House of Representatives, which covers many of the immediate coastal cities in Palm Beach County from Palm Beach Shores southward. Palm Beach is also part of the 30th district of the Florida Senate, which includes northeastern and some of east-central Palm Beach County. Two districts represent the town at the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners. The town north of Worth Avenue is part of the 1st district, while the 7th district covers areas south of Worth Avenue. Palm Beach is a generally Republican town. In 2016, Donald Trump received 3,231 votes and Hillary Clinton received 2,612 votes.

Education
The School District of Palm Beach County operates one school in the town, Palm Beach Public Elementary School, on Cocoanut Row between Seaview Avenue and Royal Palm Beach and directly east of the Society of the Four Arts. Opened in 1929, Palm Beach Public Elementary School has a school grade of A and an attendance of 362. Palm Beach Day Academy is a private school in the area. It was formed in 2006 from a merger between Palm Beach Day School and the Academy of the Palm Beaches. The school has one campus in Palm Beach and another in West Palm Beach. Most public middle school students attend Conniston Community Middle School in West Palm Beach, while students who live in the southern portions of the town attend Lake Worth Middle School. Public high school students in northern Palm Beach attend Palm Beach Gardens Community High School and students residing elsewhere in the town attend Forest Hill Community High School. Palm Beach is also near Dreyfoos School of the Arts, though that school has no attendance boundaries.

There are no colleges or universities in Palm Beach. However, the nearby cities of Lake Worth Beach and West Palm Beach have a few public and private higher education institutes, including Keiser University, Palm Beach Atlantic University, and Palm Beach State College.

Media
The town is served by the Palm Beach Daily News, with a daily circulation of approximately 4,500. The Palm Beach Daily News began publishing in 1897 under the name Daily Lake Worth News. Between 1925 and 1974, the newspaper was published in a building that has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1985. Owned by Cox Enterprises since 1969, GateHouse Media purchased the newspaper and The Palm Beach Post in May 2018. The Palm Beach Daily News is also known as "The Shiny Sheet" due to its former heavy, slick newsprint stock.

Residents of the town are also served by The Palm Beach Post, which is actually published in West Palm Beach. The Palm Beach Post had the 5th largest circulation for a newspaper in Florida as of November 2017 and is served to subscribers throughout Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast.

Palm Beach is part of the West Palm Beach–Fort Pierce television market, ranked as the 38th largest in the United States by Nielsen Media Research. The market is served by stations affiliated with major American networks including WPTV-TV/5 (NBC), WPEC/12 (CBS), WPBF/25 (ABC), WFLX/29 (FOX), WTVX/34 (CW), WXEL-TV/42 (PBS), WTCN-CD/43 (MYTV), WWHB-CD/48 (TBD), WHDT/59 (Court TV), WFGC/61 (CTN), WPXP-TV/67 (ION), as well as local channel WBWP-LD/57 (Ind.). Since 2017, the Palm Beach Civic Association has produced weekly video newscasts, known as Palm Beach TV, which have a weekly viewership of approximately 12,000.

Many radio stations are within range of the town. Radio stations WRMF (97.9 FM) and WPBV-LP (98.3 FM) are both based in the town of Palm Beach.

Historic preservation
The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), established by an ordinance approved by the town council in 1979, studies and protects historic structures in Palm Beach. The LPC has a list of 328 properties, sites, and vistas it works to protect under the 1979 ordinance. Similarly, the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach is "dedicated to preserving the architectural and cultural heritage and the unique scenic quality of the Town of Palm Beach", according to its mission statement. The town of Palm Beach also conducts historic sites surveys in collaboration with preservation organizations, historians, and local officials, with the most recent survey completed in December 2020. The 2010 survey identified 50 structures that had been demolished since the previous survey in 2004 and others that had been altered significantly.

Federally, thirteen structures and one historic district have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. However, two of the designated buildings have since been destroyed. A fire and subsequent burglaries at the Bingham-Blossom House likely contributed to the owner's decision to have it demolished in 1974, while construction crews razed the Brelsford House in 1975 after trustees at the Royal Poinciana Chapel (the property where the building was located) believed "the aging structure was more of a liability than an asset" and also cited its high costs of renovation for public use, according to The Palm Beach Post.

Transportation
Three bridges traverse the Intracoastal Waterway, linking Palm Beach and West Palm Beach by roadway. The northernmost bridge, the Flagler Memorial Bridge, is along State Road A1A, which is locally known as Royal Poinciana Way in Palm Beach and Quadrille Boulevard in West Palm Beach. First opening in 1938, the bridge underwent a 5-year reconstruction and renovation between 2012 and 2017 at a cost of $106 million. State Road 704, also known as Royal Palm Way in Palm Beach and Lakeview Avenue and Okeechobee Boulevard in West Palm Beach is the location of the middle bridge. Named the Royal Park Bridge, it first opened in 1911 and was most recently replaced in 2005. The Southern Boulevard Bridge at the conjunction of U.S. Route 98 and State Road 80 (locally known as Southern Boulevard) is the southernmost bridge. First completed in 1950, the bridge underwent a $97 million replacement project between April 2017 and September 2022.

State Road A1A also runs northward through much of Palm Beach, beginning at the southern limits of the town as South Ocean Boulevard until being redirected onto South County Road, which later becomes North County Road. At Royal Poinciana Way, A1A turns westward onto that road and across the Flagler Memorial Bridge. State Roads 80 and 704 and U.S. Route 98 all terminate shortly after entering the town after intersecting with A1A. The town has no interstate highways, though Interstate 95 passes through the nearby city of West Palm Beach. Private vehicles and taxis are the predominant means of transport in Palm Beach. Incidents of profiling of lower-cost cars and minorities have occurred, sometimes resulting in tense relations between visitors and the town.

The nearby city of West Palm Beach has two train stations. Tri-Rail and Amtrak serve the Tamarind Avenue station, while the higher speed Brightline serves the Evernia Street station. Palm Beach is about 4.5 mi east of the Palm Beach International Airport. The northern and central portions of Palm Beach are served by Palm Tran Route 41, which travels to places in the town such as the Lake Worth Inlet, North County Road and Wells Road, Publix (Bradley Place and Sunrise Avenue), Royal Palm Way (State Road 704) and South County Road (State Road A1A), and various points between. The route returns to the Intermodal Transit Center in West Palm Beach, which connects to several other bus routes and is adjacent to the train station on Tamarind Avenue.

Police
The town has its own police department, established on October 17, 1922. Prior to then, town marshal Joseph Borman served in the capacity of chief law enforcer as outlined in the 1911 charter. The department employed 61 officers in 2018. With a population of 8,295 people in 2018 according to the Florida Bureau of Economic and Business Research, this translated to 7.35 officers per 1,000 people, compared to the Florida average of 2.49 officers per 1,000 people. In the same year, the department made 2,039 arrests – equal to about 24,581 arrests per 100,000 people, the highest arrest rate in Florida and over sevenfold the state average. However, many arrests were in relation to non-violent crimes, such as those involving auto theft, criminal traffic citations, fraud, and scams. The police department reported no rapes or homicides in Palm Beach in 2018.

Firefighting
In its early days, the town of Palm Beach depended heavily on the city of West Palm Beach for firefighting efforts. The Flagler Alerts, a volunteer firefighting group which later became the West Palm Beach Fire Department, responded to fires in Palm Beach by traversing the Intracoastal Waterway via ferry or railroad. Delayed response times and high insurance rates eventually led Palm Beach to establish its own fire-rescue department in December 1921. Today, the Palm Beach Fire Rescue has three stations, retains 82 employees – 75 full-time and 7 part-time, and annually responds to approximately 2,600 calls.

Utilities
Florida Power & Light (FPL) provides electricity to the town of Palm Beach, along with much of the state's east coast. As of December 31, 2019, FPL serves 5 million customers statewide, which is approximately 10 million people. Much of the electricity supplied by FPL is sourced from natural gas, followed by nuclear energy. The nearest FPL power plant is in Riviera Beach, while the closest nuclear power station is the St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant, on Hutchinson Island. Palm Beach officials have considered undergrounding at least since commissioning a 2006 study on the burial of electrical lines. In the subsequent years, undergrounding projects were initially performed by neighborhood on a "as requested" basis. However, following a 2014 town council meeting with FPL workers and a related voter-approved ballot question in 2016, it was decided a town-wide undergrounding project would be undertaken at a cost of approximately $90 million. The project is ongoing as of March 2020.

The town government provides and oversees sewage systems and wastewater treatment. Sewage is collected via 41 mi of mainline pipes at the more than 40 pumping stations, which are capable of transporting over 100000 gal of water each minute. The sewage is then pumped into a regional wastewater treatment facility in West Palm Beach. Tap water has been supplied by the city of West Palm Beach since 1955, when the city purchased Palm Beach's water system, then owned by the Flagler Water Company. West Palm Beach provided tap water services to the town at no cost until the beginning of 1995.

Recycling and garbage collection services are also provided by the town of Palm Beach. The former is taken to a transfer station, where the Palm Beach County Solid Waste Authority transports the garbage to a landfill in West Palm Beach. Vegetative yard trash is taken to two different sites in West Palm Beach.

Notable people
The town of Palm Beach is also known for its many famous part-time and full-time residents. Prior to the arrival of Henry Flagler in the 1890s, a few wealthy or otherwise notable people already resided in Palm Beach, including businessman and Autocar Company founder Louis Semple Clarke and scientist Thomas Adams, a pioneer of the chewing gum industry. Earl E. T. Smith and Paul Ilyinsky, both of whom formerly held the office of Mayor of Palm Beach, were notable for other reasons. Smith previously served as an Ambassador of the United States to Cuba, while Ilyinsky was the son of Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia and heiress Audrey Emery.

Two United States Presidents have been part-time residents, John F. Kennedy and Donald Trump, with both designating their respective Palm Beach properties as a Winter White House. Kennedy's Winter White House, La Querida, was built by Addison Mizner in 1923 and previously owned by department store magnate Rodman Wanamaker of Philadelphia before Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. purchased the property in 1933. Trump has owned Mar-a-Lago since 1985, purchasing the property from the family of the late Marjorie Merriweather Post, heiress of Post cereal. In October 2019, Trump and first lady Melania Trump filed to switch their primary domicile from New York City to Mar-a-Lago, officially establishing residency in Palm Beach. Since the conclusion of his presidency in January 2021, Donald and Melania Trump are residing at Mar-a-Lago amidst a dispute from some neighbors about the legality of them taking up permanent residence at the club. Additionally, former Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney was a resident of Palm Beach from 1997 until his death in 2024.

In popular culture
In Dr. Seuss's classic children's book Horton Hatches the Egg, Palm Beach is the vacation destination for Mayzie the bird.

Palm Beach is the setting of the 2024 American period comedy-drama television miniseries Palm Royale.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Palm Beach, Florida


text:
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

Palm Beach Gardens is a city in Palm Beach County in the U.S. state of Florida, 77 miles north of Miami. Palm Beach Gardens is a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area. , the population was 59,182.

History
Prior to development, the land that became Palm Beach Gardens was primarily cattle ranches and pine forests, as well as swampland farther west. In 1959, wealthy landowner and insurance magnate John D. MacArthur announced plans to develop 4000 acre and build homes for 55,000 people. He chose the name Palm Beach Gardens after his initial choice, Palm Beach City, was denied by the Florida Legislature, because of the similarity of the name to the nearby Palm Beach. MacArthur planned to build a "garden city" so he altered the name slightly. The city was incorporated as a "paper town" (meaning that it existed only on paper) in 1959. The 1960 Census recorded that the city officially had a population of one, apparently a squatter whom MacArthur had allowed to stay on his property.

Rapid development took place in the 1960s. By 1970 the city had a population approaching 7,000 people. To showcase his new community, MacArthur purchased an 80-year-old banyan tree located in nearby Lake Park, that was to be cut down to enlarge a dentist's office. It cost $30,000 and 1,008 hours of manpower to move it. A second banyan was moved the following year. While moving the first banyan tree over the Florida East Coast Railway, the massive tree shifted and disconnected the Western Union telephone and telegraph lines running adjacent to the railroad, cutting off most communications between Miami, 78 mi to the south, and the outside world until the damage could be repaired. These trees still remain at the center of MacArthur Boulevard near Northlake Boulevard and are still featured on the city shield. In January 2007, the great-grandson of impressionist artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Alexandre Renoir, presented a painting to the city which depicts the Gardens banyan tree. It is currently on display at the city hall on North Military Trail.

City growth was slow but steady throughout the 1970s and 1980s, as the population had still not reached the predicted 55,000 people envisioned by MacArthur. However, the opening of the 1300000 sqft Gardens Mall in 1988 initiated a new wave of development, as did the sell off in 1999 of approximately 5000 acre in the city by the MacArthur Foundation. Development of this property happened quickly and led to much new growth in the city. The city adopted an Art in Public Places ordinance in 1989 and has amassed an eclectic collection of works.

The city suffered much damage to its tropical landscaping in the hard freezes of 1985 and 1989, but has experienced no freezing temperatures since then. The city was hit by Hurricane Frances, Hurricane Jeanne, and Hurricane Wilma in 2004 and 2005. Much of the city lost power for days at a time after each storm, and many traffic signals and directional signs in the city were destroyed. Many homes and businesses were severely damaged during the first two storms and contractors and construction materials were at a premium. Hundreds of homes were only nearing final repair when Hurricane Wilma hit the following year damaging or destroying many of those completed or ongoing repairs.

The Gardens Mall, PGA Commons, Midtown, Legacy Place, and Downtown at the Gardens are the center of the city's retail market. They are located on the municipality's main stretch on PGA Boulevard.

Geography
The approximate coordinates for the City of Palm Beach Gardens is located at 26.84879°N, -80.16712°W.

The city has a total area of 55.3 sqmi, of which 55.1 sqmi is land and 0.2 sqmi (4.5%) is water.

Climate
Palm Beach Gardens has a tropical rainforest climate (Af) with long, hot, and rainy summers and short, warm winters with mild nights.

2010 and 2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 59,182 people, 24,359 households, and 15,515 families residing in the city.

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 48,452 people, 21,346 households, and 12,452 families residing in the city.

2000 census
As of 2000, 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.70.

In 2000, the city's population was spread out, with 18.7% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 21.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males.

In 2000, males had a median income of $50,045 versus $33,221 for females. In 2015, The per capita income for the city was $52,191. About 3.5% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.9% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over. In 2007, the median income for a household in the city was $69,630 and the median income for a family was $83,715.

As of 2000, 89.27% of the population spoke only English at home; Spanish was spoken by 5.60% of the population, Italian by 1.00%, French by 0.83%, and German by 0.61%. Eleven other languages were spoken in the city, each of which are reported at less than 0.5%.

Law Enforcement
The Palm Beach Gardens Police Department has 127 sworn officers. Its operational divisions include Road Patrol, Traffic, K-9, Detective and Crime Scene Investigation, SWAT and Hostage Negotiation. The department also has an 85-member Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) unit, including a Police Explorer Post.

As of 2022, the Chief of Police is Clinton Shannon. In 2016 a police officer was convicted for the killing of Corey Jones, an African American man awaiting a tow truck after his vehicle broke down in Palm Beach Gardens.

The Police Department provides protection to the city and also manages NorthComm - The North County Communications Center which handles emergency communications for the City of Palm Beach Gardens, the villages of Tequesta and North Palm Beach, and the towns of Jupiter, Juno Beach and Palm Beach Shores. When someone calls 9-1-1 in one of these locations, their call is routed to NorthComm and from there they notify the nearest available police unit.

The Palm Beach Gardens Police Foundation is a non-profit foundation holding IRS 501(c)(3) status. The Mission of the Palm Beach Gardens Police Foundation is to secure private funding to enhance the integrity of the community and the effectiveness of the Police Department. It does this by providing funding for innovative police department projects, that would not otherwise be funded from the city's budget.

Fire Rescue
The Palm Beach Gardens Fire Rescue Department has been serving the citizen's of the city since 1964. The department operates out of the following five stations located throughout the city:

 * Station 61 - Battalion 61, EMS 61, Ladder 61, Rescue 61, Brush 561, Light/Air 61, Boat 61;
 * Station 62 - Engine 62, Rescue 62;
 * Station 63 - Engine 63, Rescue 63, Brush 563;
 * Station 64 - Engine 64, Rescue 64, Truck 64;
 * Station 65 - Engine 65, Rescue 65.

On September 11, 2010, the city dedicated its "09.11.01 Memorial Plaza" at Fire Station 63 on Northlake Boulevard. The memorial commemorates the September 11, 2001 attacks. Its centerpiece is a steel section retrieved from the ruins of the World Trade Center in New York City.

Government
The city charter provides for a council-manager government. The city council consists of five Palm Beach Gardens residents elected to serve three-year terms. A quorum of three members may conduct city business. The city manager is appointed by a majority vote of the council.

Each year, the council appoints one of its members to be mayor, and another to be vice-mayor.

Transportation
In December 1987, the last "missing link" of Interstate 95 (I-95) opened between PGA Boulevard in Palm Beach Gardens and State Road 714, west of Stuart, paving the way for new development immediately to the north. There are three interchanges on I-95 serving the city and a fourth at Central Boulevard is under consideration. The city also is served by two interchanges on Florida's Turnpike.

Public transit is available to the rest of Palm Beach County through the regional commuter bus system PalmTran. In addition, the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority has proposed extending the Tri-Rail commuter rail system northward with a proposed station near PGA Boulevard north of the current terminus at Mangonia Park. A trolley system is also proposed to serve the newly developed "Downtown" area.

The nearest major airports, with driving distances measured from Palm Beach Gardens city hall, are:

 * West Palm Beach – 12 mi south
 * Fort Lauderdale – 58 mi south
 * Miami – 82 mi south

The nearest general aviation airports are:

 * North Palm Beach County – 12 mi west
 * Lantana – 20 mi south
 * Stuart – 28 mi north
 * Boca Raton – 36 mi south

Top employers
According to Palm Beach Gardens' 2014 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Education
All public K-12 primary and secondary schools are administrated by the School District of Palm Beach County.

Palm Beach Gardens Community High School and William T. Dwyer High School are the local public high schools. The Upper School campus of The Benjamin School is also located in Palm Beach Gardens.

The Edward M. Eissey Campus, a satellite campus of the Palm Beach State College, is located in Palm Beach Gardens. It includes the Eissey Theatre for the Performing Arts.

Sport
There are 12 golf courses within the city limits, including a course owned by the municipality. The Professional Golfers' Association of America has its headquarters in the city.

The Honda Classic has been held at two Palm Beach Gardens locations: from 2003 to 2006 at the Country Club at Mirasol and since 2007 at the PGA National Resort and Spa. Also, the Senior PGA Championship was held at the current BallenIsles from 1964 to 1973, and at the PGA National Golf Club from 1982 to 2000. PGA National was also the site of the 1983 Ryder Cup and the 1987 PGA Championship.

In February 2018, the Palm Beach Gardens-based company FITTEAM concluded a 12-year deal with Major League Baseball′s Houston Astros and Washington Nationals giving it the naming rights to The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches – spring training home of the Astros and Nationals – in nearby West Palm Beach. The facility was renamed FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.

Notable people
Some notable Palm Beach Gardens residents, past and present, include:

 * Paul Goldschmidt (born 1987), baseball MLB first baseman and 2022 National League MVP
 * Max Greyserman (born 1995), professional golfer on the PGA Tour
 * Sally Ann Howes (1930–2021), English actress best known for her role as Truly Scrumptious in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
 * Dustin Johnson (born 1984), professional golfer on the PGA Tour
 * Anirban Lahiri (born 1987), professional golfer on the Asian Tour and LIV Golf
 * Jack Langer (born 1949), investment banker and former college basketball player for Yale University
 * Thomas Levet (born 1968), professional golfer on the PGA European Tour
 * Stacy Lewis (born 1985), professional golfer on the LPGA Tour
 * Vincent Marotta (1924–2015), entrepreneur, co-developer of Mr. Coffee
 * Grayson Murray (1993–2024) professional golfer.
 * Charl Schwartzel (born 1984), professional golfer on the Asian Tour, Sunshine Tour, and LIV Golf
 * Loris Spinelli (born 1995), racing driver for IMSA SportsCar Championship
 * Chris Volstad (born 1986), MLB pitcher
 * Lee Westwood (born 1973), professional golfer on the PGA European Tour and PGA Tour
 * Serena Williams (born 1981), tennis professional
 * Venus Williams (born 1980), tennis professional

title: Palm Beach Gardens, Florida


text:
Palm Beach Shores, Florida

Palm Beach Shores is a town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The town is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. The population was 1,330 at the 2020 US census.

Geography
The approximate coordinates for the Town of Palm Beach Shores is located on Singer Island at 26.77806°N, -80.03444°W.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.4 sqmi. 0.2 sqmi of it is land and 0.1 sqmi of it (34.21%) is water.

The town occupies the southern tip of Singer Island. It borders the City of Riviera Beach on the north, the Atlantic Ocean on the east and Lake Worth Lagoon on the west. On the south, the Palm Beach Inlet separates it from the town of Palm Beach. Florida's easternmost point is in Palm Beach Shores. The town contains many mid-century homes, many of which have been restored or are being restored, giving the town the charming character of "a slice of old Florida".

Climate
The Town of Palm Beach Shores has a tropical climate, similar to the climate found in much of the Caribbean. It is part of the only region in the 48 contiguous states that falls under that category. More specifically, it generally has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification: Aw), bordering a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen climate classification: Am).

2010 and 2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,330 people, 635 households, and 319 families residing in the town.

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 1,142 people, 521 households, and 225 families residing in the town.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,269 people, 697 households, and 322 families residing in the town. The population density was 5,010.5 PD/sqmi. There were 1,171 housing units at an average density of 4,623.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 89.13% White (88% were Non-Hispanic White), 9.06% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.39% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.13% of the population.

As of 2000, there were 697 households, out of which 8.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were married couples living together, 4.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 53.8% were non-families. 44.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.82 and the average family size was 2.52.

In 2000, in the town, the population was spread out, with 11.3% under the age of 18, 3.3% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 33.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 52 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males.

In 2000, the median income for a household in the town was $47,262, and the median income for a family was $60,833. Males had a median income of $34,107 versus $31,944 for females. The per capita income for the town was $40,612. About 1.9% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 1.4% of those age 65 or over.

As of 2000, speakers of English as a first language accounted for 91.10% of all residents, while Spanish accounted for 5.61%, Russian made up 1.20%, French and Italian were at 0.86%, and German as a mother tongue was at 0.34% of the population.

As of 2000, Palm Beach Shores had the twentieth highest percentage of Canadian residents in the United States, making up 1.70% of the total population (which tied with Ocean Ridge, FL and 28 other areas in the US.)

Education
Palm Beach Shores is served by the School District of Palm Beach County, but there are no public or private schools within the town.

Notable people

 * Arthur Octavius Edwards (1876–1960), founder and developer of Palm Beach Shores
 * John D. MacArthur (1897–1978), insurance and real estate magnate and philanthropist, had a house on Singer Island with his wife Catherine T. MacArthur. He later resided at his well-known "Colonnades" hotel in Palm Beach Shores. Paul Harvey would frequently broadcast from the Colonnades, and the television series "Treasure Isle", and, later, Burt Reynolds "B.L Stryker" were filmed there. Noted artist and stylist Ilis (Donne) Price was an early resident

title: Palm Beach Shores, Florida


text:
Palm Springs, Florida

Palm Springs is a village in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States, situated approximately 61 mi north of Miami. The village's name was likely derived from the resort city of Palm Springs, California. Located in the east-central part of the county, Palm Springs is situated north of Atlantis, east of Greenacres, west of Lake Clarke Shores and Lake Worth Beach, and southwest of West Palm Beach. The 2010 United States census recorded the village's population at 18,928, which increased to 26,890 in the 2020 census. Palm Springs is also located within the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida, which had a population of approximately 6,138,333 people as of 2020.

William A. Boutwell operated a dairy farm on 5 acres of land in modern-day Palm Springs beginning in 1927, which expanded to about 700 acres prior to his retirement in 1956. One year later, the Florida Legislature approved a charter establishing the village of Palm Springs as Palm Beach County's 30th municipality on May 31, 1957. At the time of incorporation, the village consisted only of farmland, a dairy barn, and no permanent residents. Within two years, around 800 homes had been built, and four schools were constructed in or near Palm Springs between 1959 and 1970. The first village hall was erected in 1960.

Palm Springs has been expanding through annexation since 1998, more than doubling the village's land area and population within a few decades. Also around that time, the village government began planning for a new municipal complex, which opened in the mid-2000s. By 2010, Palm Springs became the first municipality in Palm Beach County in which a majority of its residents are of Hispanic or Latino ancestry. The village is also the home of the Fulton-Holland Educational Services Center, the headquarters of the School District of Palm Beach County.

History
Residents of Lake Worth (now the city of Lake Worth Beach) proposed to town commissioners in May 1922 that a municipal country club and golf course be constructed to attract winter tourists. According to The Lake Worth Herald, the facility would be located west of the town at "Section 19, Township 44 South, Range 43 East", an area that is now part of Palm Springs. However, a referendum held in the following month rejected the proposal by a narrow margin. Instead, Lake Worth's municipal golf course opened along the Intracoastal Waterway in November 1926. Commissioners nonetheless approved an ordinance that month to annex 1800 acres of land west of the city's boundaries, extending as far as 660 ft west of Military Trail; this included parts of modern-day Palm Springs.

In 1927, then-Lake Worth vice mayor William A. Boutwell, who moved to the area from Massachusetts earlier in the 1920s and owned a grocery store and masonry supply company in the city, began dairy farming on 5 acres of land in modern-day Palm Springs – in addition to the farmland he owned in Lake Worth. Over time, his dairy farm expanded to occupy approximately 700 acres, while the Boutwell Dairy herd increased to more than 1,000 Guernsey cattle in the vicinity of Congress Avenue and Forest Hill Boulevard (then named Selby Road) at its peak, becoming one of the largest dairy farms in Florida. Additionally, William A. Boutwell invented half-and-half creamer in Lake Worth. He retired in 1956, while his family sold the remaining farmland and livestock by 1965.

By 1957, Moore Associates Development Group of Miami created a plan to develop a new community west of Lake Worth on the land formerly used by the Boutwell dairy farm, at a townsite consisting of about 700 acres of farmland and only one structure, a large dairy barn. Consequently, Florida House of Representatives member Ralph Blank Jr. of Palm Beach County introduced legislation that same year to establish the village of Palm Springs. The bill passed unanimously and Palm Springs was chartered on May 31, 1957. The village was likely named after the resort city of Palm Springs, California. Moore Associates Development Group founder James E. Moore became the first mayor of Palm Springs, while other first officeholders included tax collector Bernard Jaffe, town counsel Rome Amari, and village council members Robert Levinson, William R. Moore, Buck Wentz, and Sid Zwirn.

To transform the pastures into land suitable for development, work crews shifted millions of tons of muck and sand to enhance both drainage and landscape appearances. Another early project was the creation of a water and sewage system, which cost approximately $1.5 million. By August 1958, about 800 homes had been built. Rapid population growth necessitated the construction of four schools in and near Palm Springs between 1959 and 1970, beginning with Palm Springs Elementary School in September 1959. Palm Springs was a 1959 recipient of the Florida Illustrated Magazine's community builders award. In the first few years of its existence, the village government functioned in the remodeled dairy barn, located at 153 Henthorne Drive, briefly sharing the building with Christ Community Church. However, construction soon began on a nearly 8,000 sqft village hall, which opened in February 1960. The 1960 census, the first conducted since the establishment of Palm Springs, recorded a population of 2,503 people. A 1962 profile in The Palm Beach Post reported that the village had 38 paved roads, while about 1,300 building permits had been approved over the past five years. The population of the village increased significantly in the 1970s, nearly doubling from 4,340 in the 1970 census to 8,166 in the 1980 census. On November 11, 1978, the Jeanette J. Guerty Palm Springs Library opened. Originally 6000 sqft in size, the building has since been enlarged, first in the mid-1980s. The village's original boundaries remained mostly unchanged for about four decades. However, in 1997, the village council adopted a plan for expanding Palm Springs. Under the plan, future annexation included all areas west to Military Trail from its boundaries at the time, between Lake Worth Road and north of Forest Hill Boulevard; and all areas east of the present boundaries to Florida Mango Road. The annexation plan was expected to increase the population of Palm Springs by another 10,000 residents, roughly twice the population in 1997. Also in the late 1990s, the village council began planning to renovate the original municipal complex after residents approved a bond referendum in 1999.

Consequently, a new village hall opened in July 2003 – a two-story, 24000 sqft structure, approximately thrice as large as the original village hall. Thereafter, the newly expanded library and public safety building opened in 2004 and 2005, respectively. Also in 2005, Hurricane Wilma destroyed 5 homes and damaged 2,462 others to some extent in Palm Springs, including substantial impact to 460 multi-family residences, more than in any other municipality in Palm Beach County. However, damage from Wilma totaled only $6.1 million, including $3 million to businesses, $2.5 million to residences, and $600,000 to government properties. In 2007, Palm Springs observed its 50th anniversary of incorporation alongside Independence Day celebrations. Beginning with the 2010 census, a majority of residents of the village identified as Hispanic or Latino.

Geography
Palm Springs is located at 26.63583°N, -80.09611°W (26.6359, –080.0936) in east-central Palm Beach County. The village is situated adjacent to Greenacres, Lake Clarke Shores, Lake Worth Beach, and West Palm Beach. Palm Springs has been expanding by annexation since 1998. The United States Census Bureau reported in 2000 that Palm Springs had a total area of 1.65 sqmi, of which 1.6 sqmi was land and 0.05 sqmi was water. As of 2020, the village has a total area of 4.25 sqmi, of which 4.21 sqmi is land and 0.05 sqmi is water.

The original village townsite includes a chain of artificial north-to-south oriented lakes linked to canals, engineered in 1957 as a mechanism to promote drainage. Geologically, Palm Springs is located within the Anastasia Formation region, which dominates far eastern Palm Beach County. This type of geological formation is composed primarily of coquina, sand, and sandy limestone. The average elevation of Palm Springs is 10 ft.

Climate
Palm Springs has a tropical climate, similar to the climate found in much of the Caribbean. It is part of the only region in the 48 contiguous states that falls under that category. More specifically, it generally has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen climate classification: Af), bordering a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen climate classification: Am).

2010 and 2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 26,890 people, 8,066 households, and 5,664 families residing in the village.

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 18,928 people, 6,889 households, and 4,150 families residing in the village.

Palm Springs was the fastest growing municipality in Palm Beach County between 2010 and 2020, with its population increasing by around 42% during that period. The censuses in the aforementioned years also indicated that Palm Springs is the only municipality in the county with a Hispanic majority.

In 2010, in the village, the age distribution was 12.7% at 65 or older, 23.7% was under 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, and 24.3% from 45 to 64; the median age was 36.2 years. For every 100 males, there were 107 females. For every 100 males age 18 and over, there were 112.3 females. Around 28.8% of the households in 2010 had children under the age of 18 living with them, 15.2% were married couples living together, 18.0% had a female householder with no spouse present, and 35.6% were not families. About 27.9% of all households were made up of one individual, and 25.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58, and the average family size was 3.13

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,699 people, 5,148 households, and 2,970 families residing in the Palm Springs, Florida. The population density was 2,805.6 /km2. There were 5,919 housing units at an average density of 1,419.5 /km2. The racial makeup was 84.24% White (65.6% were Non-Hispanic White), 6.68% African American, 0.33% Native American, 1.38% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 4.76% from other races, and 2.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 25.04% of the population.

In 2000, the age distribution of the population was spread out in 2000, with 21.6% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males. In 2000, 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no spouse present, and 42.3% were non-families. Approximately 33.7% of all households were made up of one individual, and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.90.

In 2000, the median income for a household in the village was $36,026, and the median income for a family was $42,430. Males had a median income of $30,920 versus $26,106 for females. The per capita income for the village was $18,763. About 4.9% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.

As of 2000, speakers of English as a first language accounted for 69.9% of all residents, while Spanish accounted for 24.1%, French Creole made up 2.0%, Italian was at 1.1%, German speakers were at 0.9%, French was spoken by 0.8%, Portuguese was at 0.6%, Polish at 0.4%, and Tagalog was a mother tongue for 0.3% of the population.

As of 2000, Palm Springs had the fifty-first-highest percentage of Cuban residents in the US, with 7.6% of the village's populace. It also had the fifty-second-highest percentage of Haitian residents, which was 2.9% (tied with four other areas, including Opa-locka), and the eighty-first-highest concentration of Colombian residents, which made up 1.9% of the population (tied with West Miami.)

Government
Palm Springs uses the council–manager form of government. The village council is composed of five elected officials, a mayor and four members. Of the four other persons on the village council, one serves as vice mayor and another as mayor pro tempore. Currently, the mayor of Palm Springs is Beverly "Bev" Smith. Twice a month, the village council meets in the village hall at 226 Cypress Lane. They are elected on a non-partisan basis for two-year terms. The terms for mayor and members of the village council are staggered and elections are held in odd-numbered years. These elections occur on the first Tuesday in March, followed by a runoff on the fourth Tuesday of March if a no candidate receives a majority of the vote. Other Palm Springs government officials include Village Manager Michael Bornstein, Village Attorney Glen Torcivia, and Village Clerk Kimberly M. Wynn.

Palm Springs is part of Florida's 21st congressional district, which has been represented by Lois Frankel (D) since 2017. The town at the state level is part of the 87th district of the Florida House of Representatives, which covers a large portion of east-central Palm Beach County. Currently, the district is represented by David Silvers (D). The village is within the Florida Senate's 31st district, which includes much of east-central and southeast Palm Beach County and is currently represented by Lori Berman (D). Nearly of all of Palm Springs is within the 3rd district for the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners, represented by Dave Kerner, while the small section of the village along Congress Avenue to the north of Forest Hill Boulevard is part of the 2nd district, represented by Gregg K. Weiss.

Economy
In 2020, Palm Springs had a workforce of 12,225 people, while approximately 1,188 residents were unemployed in March of that year, constituting a slightly higher unemployment rate than in surrounding communities. Although 55.1% of residents of the village worked within 10 mi of home, only 8.5% of residents worked in Palm Springs as of 2018. The other top workplace destinations for residents of Palm Springs included West Palm Beach (13.4%), Boynton Beach (3.9%), Lake Worth Beach (3.7%), Boca Raton (3.5%), and Riviera Beach (3.1%). Of those employed in Palm Springs but living elsewhere, the most common home destinations included West Palm Beach (7.5%), Wellington (approximately 5%), Boynton Beach (just under 5%), Greenacres (approximately 4%), and Royal Palm Beach (3.5%). The largest employers in Palm Springs are the cosmetic manufacturer Oxygen Development and the Fulton Holland Educational Services Center, the headquarters of the School District of Palm Beach County. The largest industries in Palm Springs in terms of the number of employees were construction, health care and social assistance, and retail trade.

In order to promote economic development, the Palm Springs Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) classified two commercial sections of the village for future capital projects. One of those sections is the Congress Avenue Subdistrict, which comprises 291 acres and includes larger businesses such as the Defy trampoline park, Fulton-Holland Educational Services Center, Off-Lease Only car dealership, Oxygen Development, and YMCA of the Palm Beaches. The other CRA section, the 221 acre Lake Worth Road Subdistrict, includes businesses such as a Home Depot store and the Lake Worth Swap Shop and Drive In. The village also has several other shopping plazas outside these districts, among the largest are the Palm Springs Shopping Center, located at 10th Avenue North and Congress Avenue, and the Greenwood Shopping Center, located farther north along Congress Avenue, anchored by a Publix store.

Education
Palm Springs is served by the School District of Palm Beach County; the district has its headquarters in the Fulton-Holland Educational Services Center in Palm Springs. Three public schools are located within the boundaries of Palm Springs – Palm Springs Elementary School, Palm Springs Community Middle School (formerly named Jefferson Davis Junior High School), and Clifford O. Taylor/Kirklane Elementary – while several schools in surrounding areas serve the village's public school students. Public grade school students are assigned to Berkshire Elementary School in unincorporated West Palm Beach, Clifford O. Taylor/Kirklane Elementary School, or Meadow Park Elementary School in unincorporated West Palm Beach. Public middle school students attend Conniston Community Middle School in West Palm Beach, Lake Worth Middle School in Lake Worth Beach, L. C. Swain Middle School in Greenacres, or Palm Springs Community Middle School. High school students living north of the L-8 canal or east of Congress Avenue attend Forest Hill Community High School in West Palm Beach, while all others are assigned to John I. Leonard Community High School in Greenacres. St. Luke's Catholic School, a private religious school, is located in Palm Springs. The village has a charter high school, the Palm Beach Preparatory Charter Academy, while G-Star School of the Arts, also a public charter high school, is located just outside the boundaries of Palm Springs.

There are no colleges or universities in Palm Springs. However, the main campus of Palm Beach State College in unincorporated Lake Worth Beach is located near the village's southern periphery. West Palm Beach also has a few public and private higher education institutes, including Keiser University and Palm Beach Atlantic University.

Palm Springs Public Library
The Palm Springs Public Library is located in the village government complex. As of November 2021, a total of 91,643 items are circulated by the library, including 48,071 volumes. The library began in the 1960s as a collection of books acquired via donations and then cataloged and shelved in a room in the old village hall. After the accumulating collection outgrew the room, the materials were transferred to a double-wide trailer. In the early 1970s, Jeanette J. Guerty was elected to the village council and lobbied for the construction of a library building, using funds from a capital improvements bond issue approved in 1976. Due to her death in September 1978, the library was officially named the Jeanette J. Guerty Palm Springs Library when it opened on November 11, 1978. Initially a 6000 sqft building, the library has been expanded multiple times, including in the mid-1980s and mid-2000s. In 1978, Janeen Campanero became the first appointed library director for the Palm Spring Public Library. She was the first professional librarian to hold that position. The current director of the Palm Spring Public Library is Jossie Maliska.

Recreation and culture
Palm Springs contains eight municipal parks, while John Prince Memorial Park is located just outside of the village's southeastern boundaries. The Village Center Complex includes several outdoor recreational facilities for baseball, basketball, miniature golf, tennis, and volleyball, as well as a park and water splashpad. Additionally, the Parks and Recreation Department hosts youth baseball, basketball, flag football, and soccer at the Village Center Complex.

Historic preservation
The only structure in the original townsite pre-dating the establishment of Palm Springs in 1957, a dairy barn on William A. Boutwell's farm, remains standing at 153 Henthorne Drive. However, the building underwent extensive renovations that year to become Christ Community Church, which also briefly served as the first village government center, and is currently known as Comunidad De Fe, a Spanish-speaking Reformed church. Palm Springs opened its first permanent village hall in February 1960, although that building was demolished in 2003, shortly after the completion of the current village hall. Since at least 2001, the Lake Worth Pioneers Association (LWPA) has been based in Palm Springs. Organized in 1894 and officially established in 1897, the LWPA is a historical society that has compiled biographies, stories, and photographs of people who settled in the Lake Worth Lagoon region during the 19th century. The organization also hosts events for the descendants of these pioneers, including an annual picnic at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach.

Media
The Lake Worth Herald and Coastal/Greenacres Observer, a weekly newspaper based in Lake Worth Beach, publishes stories about local news in Palm Springs. Residents of the village are also served by The Palm Beach Post, which is published in West Palm Beach. The Palm Beach Post had the 5th largest circulation for a newspaper in Florida as of November 2017 and is served to subscribers throughout Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast. The village of Palm Springs also publishes a monthly newsletter detailing upcoming activities and events.

Palm Springs is part of the West Palm Beach–Fort Pierce television market, ranked as the 38th largest in the United States by Nielsen Media Research. The market is served by stations affiliated with major American networks including WPTV-TV/5 (NBC), WPEC/12 (CBS), WPBF/25 (ABC), WFLX/29 (FOX), WTVX/34 (CW), WXEL-TV/42 (PBS), WTCN-CD/43 (MYTV), WWHB-CD/48 (Azteca), WHDT/59 (Court TV), WFGC/61 (CTN), WPXP-TV/67 (ION), as well as local channel WBWP-LD/57 (Ind.).

Many radio stations are located within range of the village. Radio station WWRF, an AM Regional Mexican station, is based in Palm Springs.

Transportation
State Road 802 (locally known as Lake Worth Road) passes east–west near the southern end of the village. Congress Avenue (designated as State Road 807) is a north–south oriented road close to the eastern boundary of Palm Springs. The far western edges of Palm Springs border Military Trail (designated as State Road 809). State Road 882 (locally known as Forest Hill Boulevard) moves west–east near the village's northern boundary. Two entrance and exit ramps for Interstate 95 are located along Forest Hill Boulevard and 10th Avenue North, just outside the village limits. A few Palm Tran routes serve Palm Springs, including Route 2 on Congress Avenue, Route 46 on Forest Hill Boulevard, Route 60 along Purdy Lane and then northward on Kirk Road, Route 61 on 10th Avenue North, and Route 62 on Lake Worth Road.

Emergency services
Palm Springs operates a municipal police department, with the headquarters building located at the village complex. The Palm Springs Police Department employs 59 full-time members, including 42 who are sworn officers and 15 others who serve as civilian employees. There are also part-time auxiliary officers and a volunteer staff. Thomas Ceccarelli serves as police chief.

The village originally had its own firefighting unit, which acquired their first fire truck in the fall of 1959. The unit was a volunteer force with 18 members, who also served as auxiliary law enforcement officers and members of the village's civil defense unit. Today, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue (PBCFR) is responsible for firefighting services in Palm Springs. PBCFR operates stations number 31 and 39 in the village, with the former located on 2nd Avenue N and latter being located adjacent to the police department.

Utilities
Two electrical providers serve Palm Springs, Florida Power & Light (FPL) and the city of Lake Worth Beach. The split in service between two providers stems from an agreement between the village and Lake Worth Beach back in August 1957. As of December 31, 2019, FPL serves approximately 5 million customers throughout Florida, equivalent to about 10 million people. Much of the electricity supplied by FPL is sourced from natural gas, followed by nuclear energy. The nearest FPL power plant is in Riviera Beach, while the closest nuclear power station is the St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant, on Hutchinson Island. Lake Worth Beach Electric Utility, based in nearby Lake Worth Beach, serves approximately 7,200 customers in Palm Springs and unincorporated Palm Beach County as of August 2019. The company has been providing electricity through nuclear and solar energy increasingly since 2017, accounting for more than 38% of power generated by Lake Worth Beach Electric Utility as of May 2021.

Since its founding in 1957, Palm Springs has had its own water utility service, with the water treatment plant originally constructed and owned by the F&F Construction Company. The village government purchased the water plant from the F&F Construction Company in 1966 and later implemented significant improvements to it in 1976 and 1978. Today, the plant includes nine water supply wells and the water has been treated regularly since February 1999.

Waste Pro is responsible for collecting solid waste in Palm Springs, through a contractual agreement with the village government. Bulk trash, yard trash, and recycling are collected once per week, while garbage is collected twice per week.

title: Palm Springs, Florida