Palm Beach County, Florida: A Local Guide for Home Buyers and Homeowners
Palm Beach County stretches 1,964.30 square miles from about 47 miles of Atlantic coast west to the shore of Lake Okeechobee, and about 1.58 million people live here. The Property Appraiser keeps service centers from downtown West Palm Beach all the way out to Belle Glade, which tells you how far this county reaches.
Here’s what we cover with Palm Beach County buyers and owners before anyone writes an offer: how the loan limits are set, which county, city and state programs can help with the down payment, how homestead filing works, the hurricanes that shaped the county, and the offices you’ll need after you move in.
Every source for this guide is listed at the bottom of the page.
- County seatWest Palm Beach
- Founded1909, from northern Dade County
- PopulationAbout 1.58 million
- Land area1,964.30 sq mi
- Homestead filing deadlineMarch 1
- FHA limit, 1 unit$667,000 in 2026
- Conventional limit, 1 unit$832,750 in 2026
- School districtSchool District of Palm Beach County
- Cities and areas
- Homes and loan limits
- Down payment help
- Property taxes
- Storms and insurance
- Jobs, schools, commute
- Parks and local favorites
- Moving checklist
- Buying or refinancing
Cities and towns from the coast to the Glades
Palm Beach County has 39 municipalities, from Jupiter and Tequesta at the top of the county to Boca Raton at the bottom and Belle Glade, Pahokee and South Bay out on Lake Okeechobee. Your city decides which local housing money you can apply for, so we always start a Palm Beach County file by confirming the address.
The county was carved from northern Dade County on April 30, 1909, and took its name from the town of Palm Beach, one of its oldest settlements.
West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach is the county seat and the largest city in The Palm Beaches, on the shore of the Lake Worth Lagoon. It incorporated on November 5, 1894, and Clematis Street is its downtown main street. The Property Appraiser and Tax Collector both work out of the County Governmental Center at 301 North Olive Avenue.
Palm Beach
The town of Palm Beach sits on a barrier island, reached by bridge from West Palm Beach. Worth Avenue is its shopping district, and Henry Flagler’s Royal Poinciana Hotel opened here in 1894.
Jupiter and Juno Beach
Jupiter is the county’s northernmost city. The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, built in 1860, is the oldest surviving structure in the county, and Juan Ponce de León is said to have landed at Jupiter Inlet in 1513.
Juno Beach centers on the Juno Beach Pier, with the Loggerhead Marinelife Center close by, where you can see sea turtles.
Palm Beach Gardens
Palm Beach Gardens is known for golf courses, shopping and resorts, and it’s home to the PGA of America. The Property Appraiser’s North County service center is at 3188 PGA Blvd.
Riviera Beach and Singer Island
Riviera Beach, Singer Island included, draws snorkelers and scuba divers, and the Port of Palm Beach is here.
Wellington
Wellington bills itself as the “Equestrian Capital of the World,” and it keeps its own SHIP housing office.
Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Boynton Beach
Boca Raton is known for its beaches, art and architecture, and it’s home to Florida Atlantic University and Lynn University, with Tri-Rail and Brightline stations. Delray Beach has a downtown known for festivals, dining and arts, plus the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens and stops on both Tri-Rail and Amtrak.
Boynton Beach is a boating and water sports town, and the 147,392-acre Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge is in the Boynton Beach area. All three cities run their own SHIP offices.
The Glades: Belle Glade, Pahokee and South Bay
Belle Glade, Pahokee and South Bay are agricultural communities along Lake Okeechobee, the same towns the lake flooded in the 1928 hurricane. The Property Appraiser keeps a Belle Glade service center at 2976 State Road 15, so Glades owners can handle homestead close to home.
Lake Worth Beach, Lantana and the small towns
Lake Worth Beach is a beach town on the Tri-Rail line, and the county’s Park Airport is in Lantana. The smaller towns on the county’s list include Hypoluxo, Manalapan, South Palm Beach, Ocean Ridge, Briny Breezes, Gulf Stream and Highland Beach.
The western communities
Inland, the county’s municipalities include Royal Palm Beach, Westlake, Loxahatchee Groves, Greenacres and Palm Springs, and its unincorporated communities include The Acreage, Jupiter Farms and Royal Palm Estates. The Property Appraiser’s Royal Palm Beach service center is at 200 Civic Center Way.
Homes from the coast to the Glades, and how loan limits work
Palm Beach County housing covers a lot of ground. On the coast you’re choosing between barrier-island towns, the cities along the Lake Worth Lagoon and the Intracoastal, and the inlet towns from Jupiter to Boca Raton. Inland, Wellington, Royal Palm Beach and The Acreage spread west toward the conservation lands, and out on Lake Okeechobee, Belle Glade, Pahokee and South Bay are farm towns. A county-wide price tells you very little across that spread, so ask us and we’ll pull the sales for the street you like.
Plenty of sellers here see cash offers, so a financed offer competes best with a full pre-approval behind it, income and assets already checked. HED’s Countywide Housing Dashboard tracks the local housing numbers if you want to dig deeper.
Renting in Boca, Lake Worth Beach or Wellington? Call 888-601-8344 and we’ll set a purchase payment beside the rent check you write each month.
Palm Beach County shares its FHA limits with Broward and Miami-Dade, since HUD sets them for the whole metro. The FHA and Conventional limits in effect are in the table below; HUD and FHFA reset them each January, and the table resets with them.
| Loan limits in Palm Beach County for 2026 | Maximum loan |
|---|---|
| FHA, single-family home | $667,000 |
| FHA, two-unit home | $853,900 |
| FHA, three-unit home | $1,032,150 |
| FHA, four-unit home | $1,282,700 |
| Conventional, single-family home | $832,750 |
HUD sets the FHA limits and FHFA sets the Conventional limits for every county, and both change each January. This table refreshes itself from HUD's published figures.
On a round-number example, a $450,000 purchase with FHA’s 3.5% minimum down payment takes $15,750 down, and down payment assistance can cover part or all of that. Call or text us at 954-816-8820 with the house you’re looking at and we’ll work up the real payment, taxes and insurance included.
Down payment help for Palm Beach County buyers
Palm Beach County buyers can look to the county’s Housing and Economic Development department (HED), five city SHIP offices, a regional bond program and the statewide Florida Housing programs. HED also runs a Workforce Housing Program and an Impact Fee Affordable Housing Assistance Program. County money tends to come in rounds and close when it’s spent, so timing matters.
Palm Beach County HOME First-Time Homebuyer Program
HED’s HOME First-Time Homebuyer Program is a 0% deferred loan that’s forgiven if you keep the home for the full term. It’s for income-qualified buyers who don’t own a home now, with limits on the purchase price and on liquid assets. HED: (561) 233-3600, 100 Australian Ave, 5th Floor, West Palm Beach.
HED opens HOME through an online portal in funding rounds, and each round has its own allocation, price cap and income limits; once the money is spoken for, the portal closes. Call 888-601-8344 and we’ll check with HED on Australian Avenue whether a round is open, so your pre-approval is ready the day it is.
Palm Beach County SHIP purchase assistance
The county’s SHIP (State Housing Initiatives Partnership) money runs through HED’s Mortgage and Housing Investments Division, which handles purchase assistance and foreclosure prevention.
How much SHIP money the county gets and how buyers apply can change from one state budget to the next. Call or text us at 954-816-8820 and we’ll ask Mortgage and Housing Investments what’s open for a purchase in unincorporated Palm Beach County or a city without its own office.
City SHIP programs
Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Wellington and West Palm Beach each run a SHIP office separate from the county’s. Buying in one of them? Check the city program as well as the county one.
Each of these five cities sets its own amounts and deadlines. Tell us the address at 888-601-8344 and we’ll call that city’s SHIP office, Boca to Wellington, to see whether it has purchase money for you.
Own a Home Opportunity Program
The Housing Finance Authority of Lee County runs its Own a Home Opportunity Program in six counties, and Palm Beach is one of them. It pairs a 30-year fixed first mortgage (FHA, VA, USDA-RD or Freddie Mac HFA Advantage) with a 0% deferred down payment assistance second. First-time buyers qualify, and veterans and buyers in targeted areas can get an exception to that rule. eHousingPlus administers it.
The program guide sets the assistance amount and the Palm Beach price limits, and it gets revised. Call 888-601-8344 and we’ll read the guide in force, confirm Palm Beach is still covered and see whether a reservation is open before you count on it.
Florida Hometown Heroes (statewide)
Hometown Heroes is Florida Housing’s program for working buyers: a 30-year fixed first mortgage with a 0% second for the down payment and closing costs. Nothing is due monthly on the second, but it’s not a gift: it gets paid back when you sell, refinance or pay off the house, or move out.
To qualify, one buyer works full time for a Florida-based employer in health care, K-12 schools, first response, public safety, the courts or licensed child care, so a School District of Palm Beach County teacher or a hospital nurse in West Palm qualifies. Military buyers get wider rules: active duty qualifies with any employer, and veterans, Reserve and National Guard members qualify through full-time work at any Florida-based employer.
Florida Housing lets each buyer use its assistance once in a lifetime, and only through a participating lender or broker. That one shot should go on the right house with the right lender behind it, so call 888-601-8344 first and we’ll check that funds can be reserved.
FL Assist and HFA Preferred (statewide)
FL Assist is a 0% deferred second with no monthly payment behind a Florida Housing first mortgage, FHA, VA, USDA or Conventional, and it’s repaid when you sell, refinance, transfer or move out. HFA Advantage PLUS pairs a Freddie Mac Conventional first with a second that’s forgiven over 5 years while you keep living in the home, and FL HLP is a second with a small fixed monthly payment over 30 years.
Florida Housing sets income and price limits for Palm Beach County and changes them during the year. Call or text us at 954-816-8820 and we’ll tell you which of these does more for you next to the Own a Home second.
FHA 100% financing is another option: a 96.5% FHA first mortgage sits on top of a down payment assistance second, which can pay the entire down payment. County and city money opens and closes in rounds here, so call us before you sign a contract and we’ll see which programs have funds and how they work with your loan.
Property taxes and your homestead exemption
A Palm Beach County home you live in full time qualifies for the Florida homestead exemption. It can cut your taxable value by up to $50,000, puts the home under the Save Our Homes cap on assessment increases, and lets you port some or all of your accumulated savings to your next Florida homestead.
You have to qualify on January 1, and the application is due by March 1 of the year after you buy. The Palm Beach County Property Appraiser takes homestead applications online through its E-File portal, and posts its TRIM (proposed tax) notices at pbcpao.gov/trim.
Tax bills come from the Palm Beach County Tax Collector, on the 3rd floor of the same Olive Avenue building. With an escrow account on your mortgage, the lender pays that bill and spreads the cost across your monthly payments.
Palm Beach County Property Appraiser
301 North Olive Avenue, 5th Floor (County Governmental Center), West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Phone: 561-355-2866; general questions 561-355-3230
Service centers: Delray Beach (14925 Cumberland Dr, 561-276-1250), Palm Beach Gardens (3188 PGA Blvd, 561-624-6521), Royal Palm Beach (200 Civic Center Way, 561-784-1220), Belle Glade (2976 State Road 15, 561-996-4890)
Homestead filing and property search: pbcpao.gov
Tax bills and payments: Palm Beach County Tax Collector, 301 North Olive Avenue, 3rd Floor, (561) 355-2264
Hurricanes, Lake Okeechobee and your insurance
The 1928 Okeechobee hurricane came ashore in Palm Beach County between Jupiter and Boca Raton on September 16, 1928, as a Category 4. The coast took a surge of about 10 feet, with the heaviest damage near Jupiter. Inland, Lake Okeechobee topped its low levee and flooded an area about 6 miles deep and 75 miles long, with water about 7 feet above ground in Belle Glade, and at least 2,500 people died. The Herbert Hoover Dike that rings the lake now stands nearly 30 feet high.
Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne in 2004 and Wilma in 2005 all did serious damage. Wilma’s eye covered the whole county on Oct. 24, 2005. Palm Beach International recorded 82 mph sustained winds and a 101 mph gust, and the storm left the coast near Palm Beach Gardens around 11 AM as a Category 2.
- Before you make an offer on the Intracoastal or out by the lake, look up the address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. High-risk zones carry a flood insurance requirement on any federally backed loan.
- Find your evacuation zone with the county’s address lookup and its Know Your Zone page.
- Get homeowners quotes before you’re under contract. Wilma’s eye covered the whole county, insurers still price older roofs higher, and a wind mitigation inspection can lower the premium.
- Download the county’s Hurricane Guide, sign up for Alert PBC, and register anyone with medical needs for the special needs shelter program.
Work, schools and getting around
Palm Beach Gardens is home to the PGA of America, and the Port of Palm Beach operates in Riviera Beach. NextEra Energy, Carrier, Office Depot, ADT and American Sugar Refining keep headquarters in the county, and Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky, Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics give it an aerospace presence. The School District of Palm Beach County is the largest employer.
Out west, the county has been called the nation’s Winter Vegetable Capital for its nurseries, vegetables and sugar cane, and Belle Glade, Pahokee and South Bay are farm towns on the lake. The South Florida Fairgrounds on Southern Blvd host shows and events all year.
Schools and colleges
Public schools are run by the School District of Palm Beach County, headquartered at the Fulton-Holland Educational Services Center, 3300 Forest Hill Blvd, West Palm Beach.
Colleges include Florida Atlantic University and Lynn University in Boca Raton, Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Palm Beach State College and Keiser University.
Getting around
I-95 and Florida’s Turnpike run north and south, and Southern Boulevard (SR 80/US 98) crosses the middle of the county east to west. Tri-Rail stops in Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Lake Worth Beach, West Palm Beach and Mangonia Park on its way south, Brightline stops in West Palm Beach and Boca Raton on its way between Orlando and Miami, Amtrak’s Silver Meteor and Silver Star stop in West Palm Beach and Delray Beach, and Palm Tran runs the county buses.
The main airport, at 1000 James L. Turnage Blvd. in West Palm Beach, opened in 1936 as Morrison Field and served as an Air Force base from 1942 before going back to civilian use. The county also runs general aviation airports in Lantana, Pahokee and North Palm Beach County.
Beaches, wild lands and local favorites
Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail
The Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail runs on top of the Herbert Hoover Dike and is part of the Florida National Scenic Trail.
Big wild acreage
The county holds the 147,392-acre Loxahatchee refuge, the 60,348-acre J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area, the 21,875-acre DuPuis Management Area, and the 14,720-acre Grassy Waters Everglades Preserve inside West Palm Beach.
Closer to the coast, the county keeps natural areas at Juno Dunes, Jupiter Ridge, Frenchman’s Forest, Sweetbay, Royal Palm Beach Pines and Hypoluxo Scrub.
Beaches and islands
John D. MacArthur Beach State Park covers 348 acres of barrier island in North Palm Beach. Peanut Island, Hypoluxo Island and Munyon Island are among the county’s islands, coral reef patches lie offshore, and the coast has four inlets: Jupiter, Lake Worth, South Lake Worth and Boca Raton.
South Florida Fair
The fair runs 17 days every January at the South Florida Fairgrounds, 9067 Southern Blvd, where events have been held since 1912.
Museums and gardens
The Norton Museum of Art, the Flagler Museum, the Kravis Center, the Society of the Four Arts, the South Florida Science Museum and Mounts Botanical Garden are all here, along with the Morikami in Delray Beach.
Animals and game day
Lion Country Safari and the Palm Beach Zoo at Dreher Park are the two big animal outings, and FAU’s Owls play football at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton.
Spring training
Spring training comes to Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter and to The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, which opened in 2017. Wellington’s equestrian season is the other big winter draw.
Moving to Palm Beach County: your first-month checklist
- Driver license and tag: the Palm Beach County Tax Collector handles new licenses, renewals, out-of-state transfers, CDLs and ID cards. You need a reservation for in-person service at its service centers.
- Water: some cities run their own water systems. Palm Beach County Water Utilities (561-740-4600, option 1) has a Find Your Provider tool for your address.
- Electric: confirm the provider for the address with the seller and book the service start before closing day, so the lights are on when you get the keys.
- Homestead: file through the E-File portal or at any Property Appraiser office, Delray Beach to Belle Glade, by March 1 of the year after you buy.
- Hurricane season: Emergency Management’s information line is 561-712-6400 (TTY 561-712-6342). Sign up for Alert PBC and look up your evacuation zone.
- County services: start at discover.pbc.gov.
Buying or refinancing in Palm Beach County with AAA Capital Funding
Buying a home
FHA is the loan most of our Palm Beach County buyers use, at 3.5% down, and it pairs with the county, city and state programs above. Eligible veterans can buy with a VA loan and nothing down, and we close Conventional, Hometown Heroes and FHA 100% loans plus DSCR loans for rental property.
As a licensed Florida mortgage broker since 1997, we lend in all 67 counties statewide, from Jupiter to the Glades and on to anywhere else in Florida. We shop multiple wholesale lenders for your loan and hand you a pre-approval that stands up next to a cash offer.
Refinancing the home you have
Lower your monthly payment, take cash out for a roof or impact windows, pay off higher-interest debt, or buy a co-owner off the title. The equity you’ve built in a Palm Beach County home can do a lot of that work.
Call 888-601-8344 and we’ll put the new payment, your cash at closing and every fee on one page, so you can weigh the refinance on your Palm Beach County home with the real numbers in front of you.
Palm Beach County questions we hear a lot
What is the FHA loan limit in Palm Beach County?
Palm Beach shares its FHA limits with Broward and Miami-Dade. The loan limit table on this page shows the FHA figures for one to four units and the Conventional limit for a single-family home, and it updates itself every January when HUD and FHFA set new limits.
Is there down payment assistance in Palm Beach County?
Yes. The county’s HOME program runs in funding rounds, HED’s Mortgage and Housing Investments Division handles SHIP purchase assistance, five cities run their own SHIP offices, and the Own a Home Opportunity Program and the statewide programs work here too. Check status the week you write an offer.
When do I file for homestead in Palm Beach County?
By March 1 of the year after you buy, with the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser, online or at any service center, including Belle Glade. Ownership and residence on January 1 is what counts.
Who supplies water to my new house?
That comes down to the address. Some cities run their own water systems, and Palm Beach County Water Utilities serves other areas. Call 561-740-4600, option 1, or use the county’s Find Your Provider tool.
Do I need flood insurance in Palm Beach County?
Your lender will require a flood policy on any federally backed loan when FEMA maps the home in a high-risk zone. The 1928 hurricane and Hurricane Wilma both showed how much water and wind this county can take, so look up the zone and get a quote before you make an offer.
City guides in Palm Beach County: West Palm Beach home loans and buyer guide.
Sources for this guide (22)
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Palm Beach County, FL
- Palm Beach County (Wikipedia, history, geography and transportation)
- School District of Palm Beach County (Wikipedia)
- Discover The Palm Beaches: Cities
- Palm Beach County HED: HOME First-Time Homebuyer Program
- Palm Beach County HED: Housing programs
- Palm Beach County government
- Florida Housing: SHIP office lookup
- eHousingPlus: Own a Home Opportunity Program guide
- Florida Housing: Hometown Heroes
- Florida Housing: Homebuyer programs
- Florida Department of Revenue: Property tax exemptions
- Palm Beach County Property Appraiser
- Palm Beach County Property Appraiser: Contact and service centers
- Palm Beach County Tax Collector
- National Weather Service Miami: 1928 Okeechobee hurricane
- National Weather Service Miami: Hurricane Wilma
- Palm Beach County Emergency Management: Hurricane
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center
- Palm Beach County Water Utilities
- Main airport, West Palm Beach (official site)
- South Florida Fair
AAA Capital Funding, Inc. NMLS #374739. Jason J. Sarji, NMLS #374700. Licensed Florida mortgage broker serving Palm Beach County and all 67 Florida counties since 1997. Equal Housing Opportunity.
You work with the same person from start to finish, in every county in Florida.
We've been closing Florida loans since 1997, in all 67 counties. If you want to know what's possible in Palm Beach County, call 888-601-8344 or text 954-816-8820. One call, under ten minutes. No application needed to start.
AAA Capital Funding, Inc. · NMLS #374739 · Jason J. Sarji, NMLS #374700