Finding the Best Places to Retire Since 2006!
Retire in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida?
Overview: Pretty Palm Beach Gardens (PBG) sits just inland from the Atlantic Ocean in southeastern Florida and is known for it golf courses and many gated, planned communities. The area was just swampland until wealthy landowner John D. MacArthur developed a residential community in the late 1950s. Housing and retail venues grew throughout the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, and the opening of Gardens Mall, an upscale, enclosed shopping mall, ushered in more growth in the late-1980s and 1990s.
The city is busy and lush, with 30% of its land dedicated to open space, lakes and canals. Several parks have boat ramps or kayak access. The Art in Public Places program ensures an impressive extensive collection of works around town. The Eissey Theatre, part of the Palm Beach State College campus, attracts top local and touring talent. Downtown at the Gardens is an open-air, pedestrian-only shopping oasis and is adjacent to the Gardens Mall. The Professional Golfers' Association of America is headquartered in town, and 12 golf courses are within municipal borders. Residents enjoy an aquatics complex and miles of walking trails. Just to the west of town, the main path in the 12,000-acre the Loxahatchee Slough Natural Area allows hikers, bikers, and horseback riders.
Neighborhoods are well-tended and populated with coconut palms, gardens, Mediterranean-style homes and condominiums. Many residences back to water and have a boat dock.
Population: 55,000 (city proper)
Age 45 or Better: 50%
Cost of Living: 25% above the national average
Median Home Price: $385,000
Climate: This area has a humid subtropical climate, meaning two seasons a year. Summer and early fall are hot and humid. Late fall and winter are cooler and less humid.
At Least One Hospital Accepts Medicare Patients? Yes
At Least One Hospital Accredited by Joint Commission? No, although Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center has been recognized by the Joint Commission as a top performer in "improving performance on evidence-based interventions that increase the chances of healthy outcomes for patients with certain conditions such as heart attack, heart failure" and more.
Public Transit: Yes, provided by Palm Tran
Crime Rate: Below the national average
Public Library: Yes.
Political Leanings: Liberal
College Educated: 48%
Is Florida Considered Tax Friendly for Retirement? Yes
Cons: The area is susceptible to hurricanes and tropical storms.
Notes: Many residents are from somewhere else, usually the Northeast. The city has some racial diversity.
Recommended as a Retirement Spot? Yes
Florida:
Named Pascua Florida by Juan Ponce De Leon, the Sunshine State did not enter the Union until March 3, 1845. Balmy mild winters began attracting snowbirds to the state in the late 19th century. Retirees continue to flock to the state. It's not hard to see why tourism has become the leading industry.
International trade and citrus are also major contributors to the state's economy. Eighty percent of the nation's oranges and grapefruits are grown here, and 40 percent of all U.S. exports to Latin America flow through Florida.
Florida's landscape includes uplands and coastal plains. It contains more than 11,000 miles of waterways and about 4,500 islands spread across 10 acres.
The state has 1,250 golf courses, more than any other state in the Union. The 47 mile Pinellas Trail is the longest urban trail on the east coast. Orlando theme parks attract more visitors than any other theme parks in the U.S. The only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles co-exist is in National Everglades Park.
Stats:
Population - 20,612,439
Persons 65 years old and over - 20%
High school graduates, persons age 25+ - 87%
Bachelor's degree or higher, persons age 25+ - 27%
Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin - 24%
White persons, not Hispanic - 58%
Median household income - $47,525
Median home value - $159,900
Social Security taxed? No
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
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