Manalapan is one of the smallest and most exclusive towns in Florida, a narrow barrier island of just 2.4 square miles between Palm Beach and Boynton Beach, with a year-round population of around 400 people. The land was first homesteaded in 1889, and the town itself was incorporated in 1931 by Harold Stirling Vanderbilt. Its name comes from a Lenape word generally translated as "good land to settle upon," and more than a century later, that description still holds: Manalapan is now home to some of the most valuable residential real estate anywhere in the country.
Manalapan's defining feature is its ocean-to-Intracoastal lots, properties that stretch from the Atlantic on one side to the Intracoastal Waterway on the other, offering direct ocean frontage and private Intracoastal docking on the same piece of land. Only about 60 properties in town have this exact setup, and it's part of why Manalapan carries some of the highest price-per-acre figures in Florida. Single-family homes generally start around $3 million, with condo options starting closer to $599,000, but the top of the market reaches into nine figures. In 2022, Oracle chairman Larry Ellison paid $173,000,000 for Netscape founder Jim Clark's oceanfront estate at 2000 South Ocean Boulevard, believed to be the most expensive home sale in Florida history. Ellison has continued building his footprint in town since: in June 2026, he and WeatherTech founder David MacNeil paid a combined $67 million for a 4-acre waterfront site from developer Stewart Satter, who had originally planned a record-setting $285 million spec mansion there but sold the land in two pieces instead, MacNeil taking $32 million of it and Ellison the remaining $35 million, as reported by The Real Deal and The Wall Street Journal. MacNeil has been active in town on his own as well, paying $68.3 million for a 1.9-acre property in February 2026 and selling a 3.6-acre oceanfront assemblage for $105 million that April, the most expensive land sale in Manalapan's history.
Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, a five-star property previously operated as a Ritz-Carlton, anchors the north end of town and functions as something of a landmark and border for the community. Larry Ellison bought the resort outright in 2024 for $277.4 million from the Lewis family, who had owned it since 2003. Manalapan property owners receive membership to La Coquille Club at Eau Palm Beach without paying initiation fees or dues, per the Town of Manalapan's own records, with access to dining, a spa and fitness center, tennis courts, a pool, and beach amenities. The town itself is almost entirely residential, with the privacy and quiet that comes with a population in the hundreds rather than the thousands.
Manalapan sits on Florida's Gold Coast directly south of the Town of Palm Beach and north of Boynton Beach and Delray Beach, giving residents quick access to Palm Beach's Worth Avenue, the restaurants and shops of downtown Delray Beach, and Palm Beach International Airport.
Manalapan's population is almost entirely made up of large private estates, with no dedicated public school inside the town itself. Families here fall within the Palm Beach County School District and typically look to private options in the broader Palm Beach area for their children's education.
Manalapan is about as private and tightly held a market as exists in Florida, and very little of it ever reaches the open market. My own time in town has mostly been spent at Eau Palm Beach rather than closing deals on this exact stretch of sand, but if you're interested in this level of privacy and this kind of setting, I'd welcome the conversation.
Seth Mansfield | Douglas Elliman
Manalapan is an ultra-exclusive barrier-island town of roughly 400 residents, known for ocean-to-Intracoastal estates, extreme privacy, and some of the highest home values in Florida.
Single-family homes generally start around $3 million, with the top of the market reaching well past $100 million. The town includes about 60 properties with rare ocean-to-Intracoastal setups, and has seen some of the largest home and land sales in Florida history, including Larry Ellison's $173 million purchase in 2022 and a combined $67 million land deal between Ellison and David MacNeil in 2026.
Manalapan itself is almost entirely residential with no dedicated public school in town. Families typically fall within the Palm Beach County School District or choose private schools in the surrounding Palm Beach area.
Manalapan property owners receive membership to La Coquille Club at Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa without initiation fees or dues, with access to dining, a spa and fitness center, tennis, a pool, and beach amenities. The resort itself was purchased by Larry Ellison in 2024.
Manalapan is generally split between oceanfront estates on the Atlantic side and Intracoastal-front estates on the west side of the island, with the rare ocean-to-Intracoastal lots in between commanding the highest values.
359 people live in Manalapan, where the median age is 64.3 and the average individual income is $228,730. Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Total Population
Median Age
Population Density
Average individual Income
There's plenty to do around Manalapan, including shopping, dining, nightlife, parks, and more. Data provided by Walk Score and Yelp.
Explore popular things to do in the area, including Cafe Del Mar, and Via Condotti.
| Name | Category | Distance | Reviews |
Ratings by
Yelp
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dining | 1.17 miles | 0 reviews | 0/5 stars | |
| Shopping | 1.19 miles | 0 reviews | 0/5 stars | |
|
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
|
Manalapan has 175 households, with an average household size of 2.05. Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. Here’s what the people living in Manalapan do for work — and how long it takes them to get there. Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. 359 people call Manalapan home. The population density is 803 and the largest age group is Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Total Population
Population Density Population Density This is the number of people per square mile in a neighborhood.
Median Age
Men vs Women
Population by Age Group
0-9 Years
10-17 Years
18-24 Years
25-64 Years
65-74 Years
75+ Years
Education Level
Total Households
Average Household Size
Average individual Income
Households with Children
With Children:
Without Children:
Blue vs White Collar Workers
Blue Collar:
White Collar:
In a market where access, timing, and trust determine everything, the person you choose to represent you is not a detail. It is the whole decision. If you're considering your next move or just want to start a conversation, I'm here to help.
ADDRESS 400 S US Hwy 1 Jupiter, FL 33477
ADDRESS 400 S US Hwy 1 Jupiter, FL 33477
