West Palm Beach, FL 55+ Active Adult Retirement Communities

Overview

West Palm Beach, Florida is the largest city in Palm Beach County. Its tropical climate and cityscapes give its residents a unique opportunity to enjoy a diverse array of activities. With warm winters and hot summers, residents can enjoy all it has to offer year round, including art, music, and theater. 

Active lifestyles are stimulated by the natural landscapes and many museums and zoos that showcase the history of West Palm Beach and give residents many different options depending on style of living.

Climate & Geography

Temperatures can rise up to the 90s in July and August and fall to the low 60s in winter months December and January.

Though West Palm Beach is considered an urban city, it is also surrounded by wetlands and grassy waters. Due to West Palm Beach’s tropical climate, the city is filled with many different tropical plants giving it a unique feature.

Recreation, Culture, & Entertainment

Palm Beach County has the most golf courses of any county in Florida. There are plenty of different activities, including nature walks through the Mounts Botanical Garden, shopping local malls like Palm Beach Outlets and Northwood Village, appreciating art at the Antique Row Art and Design District, visiting the museums like the South Florida Science Museum, and exploring zoos like Palm Beach Zoo at Dreher Park or Lion Country Safari. 

The city has many historical neighborhoods and communities such as the Bel Air District where the developers of Palm Beach County first settled and resided. 

West Palm Beach is filled with neighborhoods recorded in the National Register of Historic Places, such as El Cid, Mango Promenade, Flamingo Park, Grandview Heights, Northwest, Old Northwood Historic District, Central Park. 

West Palm Beach is rich in culture and has a large variety of things to do, for music festivals like the SunFest which draws audiences of hundreds of thousands of people, for performances and shows, the Palm Beach International Film Festival and Palm Beach Opera.  

Cost of Living & Taxes

The cost of living in West Palm Beach is higher than the national and state average. However, the median home cost falls close to the average both Florida and U.S. Health and utilities fall below both state and national averages. Compared to surrounding areas, West Palm Beach is relatively cheaper.

The state of Florida does not have personal income, estate, or intangibles tax. Florida residents are not required to pay taxes on Social Security, IRA, 401(k), or pension income. Furthermore, residents over the age of 65 can take advantage of tax break programs for property taxes including widower exemptions of up to $500. 

Health Care

Local hospitals include high performing Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, which specializes in cardiac procedures like heart failure. Others include JFK Medical Center North Campus, Jerome Golden Center for Behavioral Health-West Palm Beach, Kindred Hospital the Palm Beaches, and St. Mary’s Medical Center-West Palm Beach.