Carolyn DiPaoloThe Orchid City is Palm Beach County’s fastest-growing large municipality.
West Palm Beach is the county’s fastest-growing large city, according to new Census estimates.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Orchid City grew by more than 10,000 residents, or almost 9%, for an estimated population of 127,744.
Other PBC population movers in order of percentage growth since 2020:
- Palm Beach Gardens grew by about 4,100 residents, or nearly 7%, to 63,284.
- Royal Palm Beach grew by about 2,500 residents, or more than 6%, for a total of nearly 42,000 people.
- Palm Springs grew by nearly 1,700 residents, or more than 6%, for a population of more than 28,000. Estimates show a nearly 1,000-person increase in 2023.
- Riviera Beach added about 2,000 residents since the pandemic to grow about 5% to more than 39,000.
The big picture: Nearly 90,000 more people now live in Palm Beach County than since the beginning of the pandemic, according to Census estimates released in March.
The boom in PSL: From 2020 to 2024, Port St. Lucie added more than 53,000 residents to grow 26% to more than 258,000 in population.
Of note: Key West is the city in Florida that lost the most population since 2020. It is more than 4%, or 1,200 residents, smaller at just over 25,000.
I am a co-founder, writer and editor for Stet News. I am also a former senior editor at The Palm Beach Post. For 20 years, I oversaw some of the most consequential stories published by the paper, including the “Corruption County” reporting project that led to multiple arrests of elected officials. I am a member of the Leadership Palm Beach County Class of 2013. I live in West Palm Beach with my husband, Bill DiPaolo.
