Palm Beach County, Florida: commercial real estate data.
Palm Beach County, Florida has a population of 1,533,806 across 1,970 square miles, up 6.0 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $140.51 bn in 2024, 55,803 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 2,504 7(a) approvals worth $1.46 bn.
129 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Palm Beach County
How many people live in Palm Beach County
- Population1,533,806
- Households605,430
- Average household size2.53
- Median household income$83,581
- Median age45.3
- Median gross rent$1,916 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$447,300
- Home value to household income5.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income27.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher40.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree16.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over1,131,157
- Population under 18289,116
- Share under 1818.8 percent
- Population 65 and over380,989
- Share 65 and over24.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64863,701
- Civilian labor force761,900
- Unemployment rate5.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over61.2 percent
- Rank by population among Florida counties3rd of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents25th
Palm Beach County is the 3rd largest of 67 Florida counties by population. A median home costs 5.4 times median household income, which is a stretched ownership market and usually shows up as rental demand. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 24.8 percent against 18.8 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Palm Beach County
Is Palm Beach County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base6.02 percent
- Census 2020 base population1,492,202
- Births, 202415,135
- Deaths, 202415,725
- Natural change, 2024-590
- Net domestic migration, 2024-7,546
- Net international migration, 202432,825
- Total net migration, 202425,279
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20249,955
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents404th
The county has grown 6.02 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Palm Beach County
Where people moving to Palm Beach County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving43,032
- People arriving, from those returns71,036
- Adjusted gross income arriving$11.19 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$260,093
- Largest single originPalm Beach County Non-migrants (598,646 households)
- Largest single destination (598,646 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Beach County Non-migrants | 598,646 | 1,103,970 | $106.21 bn |
| Broward County | 7,655 | 12,800 | $809.0 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 4,675 | 7,531 | $874.1 m |
| Miami-Dade County | 2,729 | 4,491 | $729.1 m |
| Other flows - South | 2,049 | 3,327 | $213.0 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 1,225 | 1,951 | $338.6 m |
| Nassau County | 1,139 | 1,927 | $404.8 m |
| St. Lucie County | 996 | 1,695 | $62.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Palm Beach County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Palm Beach County
What the Palm Beach County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$140.51 bn
- County GDP, 2023$133.50 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.2 percent
- GDP change over five years49.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among Florida counties5th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents34th
- GDP per resident$91,606
Output grew 5.2 percent in the latest year and 49.7 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Palm Beach County
Who employs people in Palm Beach County
- Covered employment, annual average666,889
- Establishments reporting71,342
- Average annual pay$77,246
- Average weekly wage$1,485
- Sector 62, employment100,538
- Sector 62, average annual pay$67,551
- Sector 44-45, employment78,563
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$45,349
- Sector 72, employment71,804
- Sector 72, average annual pay$35,582
- Sector 54, employment56,076
- Sector 54, average annual pay$112,906
- Sector 56, employment53,407
- Sector 23, employment43,371
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 100,538 | 8,020 | $67,551 |
| Sector 44-45 | 78,563 | 6,086 | $45,349 |
| Sector 72 | 71,804 | 3,580 | $35,582 |
| Sector 54 | 56,076 | 13,148 | $112,906 |
| Sector 56 | 53,407 | 5,948 | $67,378 |
| Sector 23 | 43,371 | 6,413 | $76,674 |
| Sector 52 | 27,492 | 4,252 | $208,222 |
| Sector 81 | 25,646 | 5,894 | $55,882 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 100,538 jobs, 15.1 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Palm Beach County
What businesses operate in Palm Beach County
- Establishments, all industries55,803
- Employment at those establishments592,227
- Annual payroll$39.29 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents36.4
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Palm Beach County
What is being built in Palm Beach County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20244,089
- Declared construction value permitted$1.84 bn
- Single family units authorised2,897
- Multifamily units authorised1,192
- Multifamily share of units29.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$449,730
- Units authorised per 1,000 households6.8
Multifamily is 29.2 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Palm Beach County
How much SBA lending happens in Palm Beach County
- 7(a) approvals recorded2,504
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.46 bn
- Average 7(a) approval$582,834
- Median 7(a) approval$240,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,555,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)26,820
- Jobs per approval10.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active148
- Distinct industries receiving approvals433
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer11.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms283
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter2,098
- Franchise loans271
- Franchise share of approvals10.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (76)
- Most active lenderTD Bank, National Association (399)
- 504 approvals recorded552
- 504 gross approval dollars$500.5 m
- Average 504 approval$906,670
- Median 504 approval$621,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval10.4
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.4
- Most active CDCFlorida Business Development Corporation (274)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals81.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$1.96 bn
The average approval of $582,834 sits well above the median of $240,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 11.3 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Palm Beach County
Do SBA loans in Palm Beach County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded427
- Paid in full369
- Charged off58
- Charge off rate on resolved loans13.6 percent
- Status: Cancelled357
- Status: Paid in full369
- Status: Exempt from disclosure1,572
- Status: Charged off58
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed148
| NAICS | Industry | Resolved loans | Charged off | Charge off rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 722513 | Limited-Service Restaurants | 12 | 1 | 8.3% |
| 454110 | Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses | 12 | 2 | 16.7% |
| 238220 | Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | 11 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 811192 | Car Washes | 11 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 238210 | Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors | 10 | 1 | 10.0% |
| 524210 | Insurance Agencies and Brokerages | 10 | 0 | 0.0% |
Of the 427 loans that have reached a final outcome, 13.6 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong. Among industries with at least ten resolved loans, Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses carries the highest charge off rate at 16.7 percent.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Palm Beach County
Which parts of Palm Beach County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending54
- BOCA RATON, approvals526
- WEST PALM BEACH, approvals517
- DELRAY BEACH, approvals248
- BOYNTON BEACH, approvals228
- Jupiter, approvals182
- Lake Worth, approvals157
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| BOCA RATON | 526 | $288,985,000 |
| WEST PALM BEACH | 517 | $310,202,200 |
| DELRAY BEACH | 248 | $132,706,500 |
| BOYNTON BEACH | 228 | $134,440,200 |
| Jupiter | 182 | $111,327,700 |
| Lake Worth | 157 | $72,828,000 |
| PALM BEACH GARDENS | 110 | $57,417,800 |
| WELLINGTON | 93 | $49,791,700 |
BOCA RATON accounts for 526 approvals against 517 in WEST PALM BEACH. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Palm Beach County
How big is Palm Beach County
- Land area1,970 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Florida counties2nd of 67
- Width, east to west52.9 mi
- Height, north to south44.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land779
- Establishments per square mile28.33
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Palm Beach County
What hazards affect Palm Beach County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book40
- Of those, participating in the NFIP40
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 5
- Communities carrying a CRS class31
The EPA places the county in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The best Community Rating System class in the county is 5, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for properties in the participating community.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Palm Beach County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Palm Beach County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population1,533,806
- Households605,430
- Average household size2.53
- Median household income$83,581
- Median age45.3
Common questions
Palm Beach County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Palm Beach County, Florida?
1,533,806, in 605,430 households, ranking 3rd of 67 Florida counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Palm Beach County growing?
The population has grown 6.02 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 15,135 births against 15,725 deaths, with net migration of 25,279. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Palm Beach County?
$83,581. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $447,300, which is 5.4 times income, and median gross rent is $1,916 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Palm Beach County?
55,803 establishments, employing 592,227 people with an annual payroll of $39.29 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Palm Beach County?
Average annual pay is $77,246, or $1,485 a week, across 666,889 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Palm Beach County?
2,504 7(a) approvals totalling $1.46 bn since FY2020, across 148 lenders, with a median approval of $240,000, plus 552 504 approvals worth $500.5 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Palm Beach County get paid back?
Of the 427 loans that have reached a final outcome, 369 were paid in full and 58 charged off, a charge off rate of 13.6 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Palm Beach County?
4,089 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.84 bn. Multifamily was 29.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Palm Beach County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Palm Beach County come from?
The largest single origin is Palm Beach County Non-migrants, with 598,646 households. Arriving households report an average income of $260,093 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Palm Beach County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Palm Beach County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.