West Palm Beach and Palm Beach County: Why Investors Are Watching (2026)
Palm Beach County’s investment case rests on things you can check: a Brightline station that has been open in West Palm Beach since January 2018, a financial-services cluster the Business Development Board markets as Wall Street South, a county single-family median of $650,000 in August 2026 with 3.5 months of supply, and a tax roll up 7.35 percent this year. It also comes with higher entry prices than the Treasure Coast, Brightline’s Chapter 11 restructuring, and barrier-island flood and condo rules. Here is the sourced case, with the numbers, the dates and the things to weigh before you buy.
December in Palm Beach County: Sandi the Sand Tree, a 100-Foot Tree in Delray, a Boat Parade to the Jupiter Lighthouse, the Nutcracker at the Kravis and Christmas in Shorts (2026)
December is season at full volume in Palm Beach County: a sand sculpture gets lit on the West Palm Beach waterfront, Delray lights a 100-foot tree you can walk inside, a boat parade runs the Intracoastal from North Palm Beach to the Jupiter Lighthouse behind its own fireworks, Ballet Palm Beach dances the Nutcracker at the Kravis, and Whitehall does a Gilded Age Christmas. Here’s the month, with the dates I could confirm on the organizers’ own pages, and the ones I couldn’t.
November in Palm Beach County: Delray’s Turkey Trot, a Tree Lighting in Mizner Park, Zoo Lights on Thanksgiving Night, King Tides, the First Cold Front and the Start of Season (2026)
November is when Palm Beach County stops being hot and starts being busy. The first real front comes through, the airport fills up, the horse shows and the tennis come back to town, Boca lights its tree in Mizner Park, the zoo turns on its lights, and West Palm Beach gets one more round of king tides over Thanksgiving week. Here’s the month, with the dates I could confirm on the organizers’ own pages.
October in Palm Beach County: Oktoberfest in Lantana, Spookyville, the Delray Halloween Parade, the Mullet Run at the Inlets and the First Night You Open the Windows (2026)
The second half of October is when Palm Beach County turns back into itself: the wet season is officially over, the mullet are moving along the beach, Oktoberfest has one weekend left on Lantana Road, the fairgrounds are running haunted houses, and Delray Beach shuts down Atlantic Avenue for a Halloween parade. Here’s what I’d put on the calendar from the 16th to the 31st, with the dates I could confirm.
Every Beach in Palm Beach County: A Local’s Guide From Jupiter to Boca Raton (2026)
Palm Beach County has more than two dozen public beaches between Jupiter Island and the Boca Raton inlet, and most of the county-run ones are free to park at. Here’s the list from north to south: what each one costs, where the lifeguards are, where the dogs can go, where to snorkel, where the turtles nest, and which beach town fits which kind of buyer.
Cruise Whenever You Want: Living Near the Port of Palm Beach, Port Everglades and PortMiami (2026)
Palm Beach County has a cruise ship in its own backyard, and PortMiami and Port Everglades, two of the busiest cruise ports anywhere, are within about an hour’s drive. Margaritaville at Sea sails two to five nights to the Bahamas from Riviera Beach, Port Everglades counted 4.8 million passengers last year, and PortMiami just passed 10 million. Here’s what sails from each, what parking costs, how long the drive is, and where to live if the ships are part of the plan.
Disney, Universal and Epic Universe From Palm Beach County: Brightline, the Turnpike and Home for Dinner (2026)
From Jupiter, Universal Orlando is about 150 miles and two and a half hours up the Turnpike; from West Palm Beach it is 165 and from Boca Raton 188. The difference here is the train: Brightline runs from West Palm Beach and Boca Raton to the Orlando airport in about two to two and three quarter hours, and a shuttle finishes the trip. Here’s the drive, the tolls, the train, the October 2026 Florida resident deals and the three parks that are already in the county.
55+ Communities in Palm Beach County: Valencia, Century Village and the Boynton-Delray Belt Compared (2026)
Palm Beach County has been building age-restricted housing for more than 50 years, and most of it sits in a band between Lake Worth Beach and Delray Beach. Here are the 55+ communities I’d look at, from Century Village condos with a theater and a bus to GL Homes’ newest Valencia at $1.2 million and up, with sizes, clubhouses, fee ranges and the rules that come with them.
Gated Communities in Palm Beach County: Admirals Cove to Boca West, the Complete 2026 Guide
Palm Beach County’s guard gates mean three different things: equity golf clubs where the membership comes with the deed, clubs where joining is optional, and plain subdivisions where the gate is about traffic. Here’s who’s gated from Jupiter to Boca Raton, what the club pages say about membership, and what the listing and market pages say they cost.
Moving to Palm Beach County to Fish: The Inlets, the Gulf Stream, the Loxahatchee and Where to Live for Each (2026)
Palm Beach County has four inlets, the Gulf Stream a few miles off the beach, a federally designated Wild and Scenic river full of snook, and Lake Okeechobee at the west end of the county. Here’s what each one fishes like, what NOAA says about running the inlets, the ramps, the piers, the rules as of October 2026 and which town puts you closest to the fish you want.
Jupiter vs. West Palm Beach vs. Wellington: Where to Live in Palm Beach County (2026)
Jupiter is the beach town with the north county jobs and the highest prices of the three. West Palm Beach is the county seat with the downtown, the Brightline station, the new office towers and the lowest prices. Wellington is the planned village 16 miles inland with the horses and the highest household income. Here’s how they compare on price, commute, flood risk and who they suit.