II. PALM BEACH COUNTY POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS The following section provides an overview of the population characteristics of Palm Beach County and its largest municipalities. Emphasis is also given to select socioeconomic disparities among municipalities including educational attainment, occupations, income, and poverty. A more comprehensive accounting of these disparities is found in the “Municipal Profiles” section of the report (see Appendix B).
Population and Households According to 2018 American Community Survey (ACS) estimates, Palm Beach County’s population has increased by 9.3 percent (126,867 persons) since 2014. The County’s 2018 population of 1,485,941 is the third largest behind Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. The largest municipality in Palm Beach County is West Palm Beach (108,365 persons) followed by Boca Raton (95,745 persons) and Boynton Beach (75,720 persons). The highest population growth rate since 2014 was in Palm Springs (15.8 percent) followed by Jupiter (10.4 percent), Palm Beach Gardens (8.7 percent) and Boca Raton (8.6 percent). Table 2.1: Palm Beach County Population Change, 2014-2018 Total Population Municipality Boca Raton Boynton Beach Delray Beach Greenacres Jupiter Lake Worth Beach Palm Beach Gardens Palm Springs Riviera Beach Royal Palm Beach Wellington West Palm Beach Palm Beach County
2014
2018
88,187 95,745 70,355 75,720 62,828 67,353 38,444 40,224 57,625 63,617 35,903 37,728 50,147 54,528 21,302 24,675 33,123 34,352 35,482 38,344 59,022 63,681 102,283 108,365 1,359,074 1,485,941
Source: US Census, ACS, 2014 & 2018 5-Year Estimates
% Change 8.6% 7.6% 7.2% 4.6% 10.4% 5.1% 8.7% 15.8% 3.7% 8.1% 7.9% 5.9% 9.3%
According to the Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning & Building Department, “Unincorporated Areas” comprise 82.9 percent of the County’s land area (1,640 square miles) and 43.4 percent of the County’s population (629,451 persons). Since 1990, the population of Unincorporated Areas have grown at a faster rate (61 percent) than the Palm Beach County (58 percent), as a whole. This trend as escalated in recent years with the population in Unincorporated Areas increasing by 11.8 percent (70,823 persons) since
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