Palm Beach Relocation Guide

Moving to the Town of Palm Beach means buying on a fully built-out barrier island where supply is fixed, the town reviews exterior work, and most services sit across a bridge in West Palm Beach. This guide covers the decisions a relocating buyer actually faces: island or mainland, house or condominium, which part of the island, and what changes in the purchase itself. Reviewed September 10, 2026.

Key takeaways

• The county has roughly 1.5 million residents and 39 municipalities; the island town has about 9,000 year-round residents.
• Exterior changes visible from the street or water go before the Architectural Commission (ARCOM); designated landmarks are reviewed by the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
• Gia Freer, our Broker of Record, has been licensed in Florida since 2000 (BK689801) and prepares every opinion of value personally from current BeachesMLS sales.

Palm Beach is one town within Palm Beach County. The county has roughly 1.5 million residents and 39 municipalities; the island town has about 9,000 year-round residents. Many people who say they are "moving to Palm Beach" end up in West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter or Boca Raton, and a fair number of them should. Start with that question.

Should you live on the island or on the mainland?

Choose the island if you want walkable Midtown living or an oceanfront or lakefront house, accept a smaller housing stock, and are comfortable with the town's review rules. Choose the mainland if you need public middle and high schools nearby, a shorter airport or office commute, newer construction, or more choice at a given price.

The bridges are the practical line. Palm Beach Public Elementary (K-5) is on the island; public schools beyond that, Palm Beach International Airport, the Brightline station, hospitals and most employers are in West Palm Beach. Three bridges connect the two: Flagler Memorial to the north, Royal Park in the middle and Southern Boulevard to the south.

Which part of Palm Beach fits how you want to live?

• North End - single-family only, no condominiums or commercial buildings by zoning. Lakefront homes often have docks. Car-dependent.
• Midtown - condominiums, townhouses and houses within walking distance of Worth Avenue, Royal Poinciana Plaza and Midtown Beach. The only walkable district.
• Estate Section - south of Worth Avenue, the largest oceanfront and ocean-to-lake properties, many on landmarked or full-block parcels.
• South End - condominium buildings along South Ocean Boulevard from Sloan's Curve south toward Lake Worth Beach, generally the island's most accessible price points.

How is buying in Palm Beach different from the mainland?

Four things change once you cross the bridge:

• Cash is common. A large share of island purchases close without financing, which shortens timelines and reduces the leverage a financed buyer has on contingencies.
• Town review. Exterior changes visible from the street or water go before the Architectural Commission (ARCOM); designated landmarks are reviewed by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. If you are buying with a renovation in mind, price the approval time along with the construction, and confirm what is permitted with the town before you sign.
• Buildings have their own rules. Many condominiums and the island's cooperatives have application and approval processes, rental limits and pet rules. Read the documents during your inspection period, not after.
• Every property is its own comparable. Few homes trade in a year and no two are alike, so pricing has to be done property by property from actual island sales, not from a neighborhood average or an automated estimate.

What will insurance and taxes cost a Palm Beach buyer?

Insurance means two policies on a barrier island: wind and flood. Flood coverage is a lender requirement in most of the town and worth carrying without a lender. Quote both before your inspection period ends; on older oceanfront property the premiums can change the economics of the purchase. Condominium buyers should ask for the building's milestone inspection and structural integrity reserve study, which Florida now requires for many buildings, and read how the association is funding them.

Florida has no state income tax. Property tax is assessed by the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser; a buyer's first bill is based on the purchase, not the prior owner's capped assessment, so ask for an estimate on the new value rather than the seller's current bill. Owners who make the home their permanent residence can file for the homestead exemption. This is general information, not tax or legal advice.

When should you move to Palm Beach?

The island runs on a winter season. From November through April the population rises sharply, the most listings come to market and the most sales close. Summer is quieter, with fewer listings but also less competition. Relocating buyers who need to see several properties in one trip do better in season; buyers with flexibility sometimes find better terms in summer. Hurricane season runs June through November, and closings in those months should allow for a storm delaying inspections or binding insurance.

What is daily life like once you arrive?

Recreation is on the water and the Lake Trail, which follows the lagoon side of the island for several miles and is open to walkers, cyclists and leashed dogs, which the beaches are not. Midtown Beach and Phipps Ocean Park are the public beaches. The Society of the Four Arts and the Flagler Museum anchor the cultural calendar. Shopping and dining concentrate on Worth Avenue and Royal Poinciana Plaza; groceries, hardware and everyday services are ten to fifteen minutes away in West Palm Beach.

The town is governed by an elected Mayor and a five-member Town Council with its own police and fire departments. It has been fully built out for decades, which is why supply is fixed and why the review process exists.

Do you have a home to sell before you move?

Most relocating buyers do, and the order you do it in decides your negotiating position on the island, where cash buyers set the pace. Knowing what your current home will bring, from actual sales rather than an estimate, is the first number to get.

Gia Freer, our Broker of Record, has been licensed in Florida since 2000 (BK689801) and prepares every opinion of value personally from current BeachesMLS sales. PBP Real Estate, LLC, Boca Raton, brokerage license CQ1064615. Questions: call 561-395-8418 or email info@pbpre.com.