How we are growing

Five interesting things we found in the U.S. Census 2023 population estimate released in the spring:

1.  Palm Beach County grew by nearly 1 percent or almost 14,000 people from July 2022 to July 2023. Since 2020, we’re up about 2.5 percent.
2.  If you are asked to recite the county’s population, you can confidently estimate it at 1.53 million.
3. PBC’s newest city, Westlake, is the county’s fastest-growing by percentage, with a population of 5,999 in 2023, up more than 40% from the year before. Westlake is a Minto housing development expected to top out at 11,000 exurbanites.
4. Among larger Palm Beach County municipalities, West Palm Beach saw the most growth, clocking in at 124,130 residents, with 3,198 new neighbors putting out welcome mats since the previous year.
5. West Palm Beach’s population has increased more than 5 percent since 2020, most notably downtown, where former Downtown Development Authority Executive Director Raphael Clemente estimates the population has ballooned from 2,500 city dwellers to 10,000.

• Context: The Orchid City doesn’t crack the top 15 most populous cities in Florida.

🕰️ Flashback: As Stet News reported in March, Palm Beach County’s population slipped to No. 4 in Florida behind Miami-Dade, Broward and Hillsborough counties.

➡️ What we’re watching: Riviera Beach. The coastal city added an estimated 1,000 residents since 2020, putting it at 38,663 — No. 11 and just behind Royal Palm Beach.