Palm Beach

Palm Beach is the island town that gave Palm Beach County its name, a roughly 9,300-resident town stretching along a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway, known for Worth Avenue's luxury shopping, Mediterranean Revival architecture, and a real estate market that ranges from condominiums to some of the most valuable oceanfront estates in the country. The Town of Palm Beach was incorporated in 1911, and its year-round population swells to an estimated 25,000 during the winter season, a seasonal shift that shapes much of daily life here.

From Flagler's Resort Town to Mizner's Mediterranean Revival

Palm Beach's development traces back to Henry Flagler, the Standard Oil co-founder who extended his Florida East Coast Railway to the area and opened the Hotel Royal Poinciana in 1894, followed by the Palm Beach Inn in 1896, later rebuilt and renamed The Breakers. Flagler built his own winter residence, Whitehall, on the shore of Lake Worth in 1902, a 55-room home that operates today as the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum. The Town of Palm Beach incorporated in 1911, partly to head off an annexation attempt by neighboring West Palm Beach. In the 1910s and 1920s, architect Addison Mizner arrived and designed the Everglades Club along with numerous private residences, introducing the Mediterranean Revival style, arched openings, stucco facades, courtyards, and clay tile roofs, that still defines much of the town's architectural character. The Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach continues to document and advocate for these landmark structures today.

Neighborhoods & Real Estate

Palm Beach's real estate covers a wide range, from condominiums to oceanfront estates well into eight and nine figures. As of 2026, single-family home prices in the town run from roughly the high six figures for smaller in-town homes to tens of millions of dollars for oceanfront and Intracoastal estates, and condominiums range from roughly the mid six figures to several million, with fees that vary by building and association. Market color: a Palm Beach oceanfront mansion listed for $185 million in late 2025, well above the town's typical range, is a useful data point on how high the ceiling goes here rather than a representative price. The town's record sale is a $170 million oceanfront estate on North County Road, the most expensive single-family home sale in Palm Beach's history. Broadly speaking, the island is organized into a handful of well-known areas: the North End, with larger lots and quieter, more residential streets; In Town, the walkable heart of Palm Beach near Worth Avenue; the Estate Section, home to many of the town's grandest ocean-to-lake properties; the South End, known for its boutique and mid-rise condominium buildings; and both Oceanfront and Intracoastal addresses running the length of the island. Each of these areas is significant enough to warrant its own dedicated page elsewhere on this site; this page covers Palm Beach as a whole.

Shopping & Lifestyle

Worth Avenue is Palm Beach's signature shopping district, a quarter-mile stretch first developed in the 1910s and 1920s that today holds roughly 250 boutiques, galleries, and restaurants, including many of the world's best-known luxury retail names, along with the smaller pedestrian "vias" branching off the main avenue. The Everglades Club, Mizner's first major Palm Beach commission, anchors the west end of the avenue. Beyond Worth Avenue, the Lake Trail offers a scenic path along the Intracoastal side of the island for walking, running, and biking, and the town's dining and social life lean toward country clubs, private membership, and a seasonal rhythm tied to the winter social season.

Schools

Palm Beach falls within the Palm Beach County School District. Palm Beach Public, a K-5 magnet school with a Gifted & Talented program located in the town itself, is the primary public option, drawing students from Palm Beach and the surrounding area. Palm Beach Day Academy, founded in 1921 as Florida's first independent school, offers private PK2 through grade 8 education on the island. Families on the island also have access to the broader roster of respected private schools throughout Palm Beach County for middle and upper grades.

Working With Me

Palm Beach is one of the most recognized real estate markets in the country, and whether you're looking at a condominium in the South End, a home closer to Worth Avenue, or an oceanfront estate, I'm glad to help you understand what's actually available and how the island's different areas compare. Reach out and I'll walk you through it.

Seth Mansfield | Douglas Elliman

Frequently Asked Questions