South Palm Beach is a very small coastal town (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of Florida. With a population of 1,441 people and two constituent neighborhoods, South Palm Beach is the 403rd largest community in Florida.
South Palm Beach home prices are not only among the most expensive in Florida, but South Palm Beach real estate also consistently ranks among the most expensive in America.
South Palm Beach is a decidedly white-collar town, with fully 92.92% of the workforce employed in white-collar jobs, well above the national average. Overall, South Palm Beach is a town of professionals, sales and office workers, and managers. There are especially a lot of people living in South Palm Beach who work in sales jobs (18.95%), business and financial occupations (11.19%), and office and administrative support (10.50%).
Of important note, South Palm Beach is also a town of artists. South Palm Beach has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape South Palm Beach’s character.
One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 15.20% of the workforce. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce this is high compared to the rest of the county. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.
Another notable thing is that South Palm Beach is a major vacation destination. Much of the town’s population is seasonal: many people own second homes and only live there part-time, during the vacation season. The effect on the local economy is that many of the businesses are dependent on tourist dollars, and may operate only during the high season. As the vacation season ends, South Palm Beach’s population drops significantly, such that year-round residents will notice that the city is a much quieter place to live.
In addition, South Palm Beach is home to many people who could be described as "urban sophisticates". Urban sophisticates are people who are both educated and wealthy, and thus tend to be older, richer, and more established than young professionals. "Urban sophisticates" is not just about being educated and well-off financially: it is a point of view and state of mind, one that you might call 'urbaneness'. But such people can and do regularly live in small towns, suburbs and rural areas, as well as in big cities. They read, support the arts and high-end shops, and love travel.
South Palm Beach is also nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Quite often, nautical areas such as these attract visitors and locals who come to enjoy the scenery and various waterfront activities.
If knowledge is power, South Palm Beach is a pretty powerful place. 55.07% of the adults in South Palm Beach have earned a 4-year college degree, masters degree, MD, law degree, or even PhD. Compare that to the national average of 21.84% for all cities and towns.
The per capita income in South Palm Beach in 2010 was $46,215, which is wealthy relative to Florida and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $184,860 for a family of four. However, South Palm Beach contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.
The people who call South Palm Beach home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of South Palm Beach residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in South Palm Beach include Italian, Polish, German, Russian, and Irish.
Foreign born people are also an important part of South Palm Beach's cultural character, accounting for 19.93% of the town’s population.
The most common language spoken in South Palm Beach is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and German/Yiddish.
