Highland Beach

Welcome to Highland Beach

Highland Beach Real Estate: Oceanside Living at Its Finest

Located in Palm Beach County, Florida, Highland Beach is a beautiful location on the southeastern coast of Florida. The name comes from the elevation, which is higher than surrounding areas. The location right on the Atlantic Coast offers easy access to the pristine beaches and the various amenities that the city offers.

Highland Beach real estate is always in demand because of this prime location. Residents often flock here during the winter months to enjoy the less harsh tropical climate that Florida offers. Here you can enjoy living in a tightly knit community of approximately 4,000 residents. Leave the hustle and bustle behind to enjoy the laidback living of Highland Beach.

Highland Beach Homes for Sale

Highland Beach home for sale are large luxury residences and condos. The single family homes here will typically start at $2 million and the condos at $350,000. For those who are willing to spare no expense, sprawling estates can be found here for upwards of $15 million as well.

The median price for homes in Highland Beach tends to waver around $500,000. Average listing prices tend to be around $1 million. The relatively small population promotes a very laidback and carefree lifestyle which makes this a very relaxing and serene place to live when compared to a bustling city.

The city was incorporated in 1949, since then the population tends to stay around 4,000, but it does swell up to approximately 8,500 during the winter when people come to escape the harsh cold and enjoy the agreeable weather that the Atlantic Coast offers. The area encompasses 1.1 square miles in total with the cities of Delray Beach, Boca Raton, and of course, the Atlantic Ocean, bordering it on the north, south, and east respectively. You can also find the Intracoastal Waterway to the west.

There is a five member commission that governs the city, in addition to 37 full-time employees, 12 part-time employees, and 5 elected officials. The value of Highland Beach has grown over the years from $10 million to $1.82 billion. Common amenities like police protection, a library, water and waste services, and postal services are all provided as well.

In terms of the residents, over 80% are retirees and the other 20% are composed of people engaged in business practices in the Palm Beach and Broward Counties area.

Highland Beach in the Past and Present

The first residents of this area were members of the Caloosa Tribe in the thirteenth century. It wasn’t until 1896 that Henry Flagler finished the East Coast Railway. This brought modern civilization to the area. Travelers came to establish homes along the Atlantic Ocean. Present day Highland Beach first began in 1949 when it was incorporated by 21 free voters for two major reasons:

• A fresh water supply was needed since other towns couldn’t assist, and the funds were needed to build a water plant.
  
  
• Plans had been circulating to turn the area into a trailer camp, which was not something the voters wanted.

They chose the name because the land at the time rose up to 25 feet above high tide, which was higher than other dune crests in the area. The value of land in 1945 was $45 a foot. In 1950 it was selling for $50 a foot. Today, the value exceeds $80,000 per “front” foot. This is the amount of feet where the property is facing the ocean.

In 1999, Highland Beach celebrated its fiftieth anniversary. Currently the city is enjoying a strong real estate market and a low tax rate (within the lowest 15% of all Palm Beach County). In March of 2000, the city began construction on a Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Plant behind Town Hall. It was put into service in October 2004.

In March of 2002, voters approved a new library as well next to the Intracoastal Waterway. It is 10 times larger than the previous one and has a variety of features for patrons, in addition to vastly increased choices and variety.

The library opened in 2006 with the following features:

• A reading rotunda with leather chairs.
  
  
• Two screened porches which face the Intracoastal Waterway
  
  
• More public computers for internet access.
  
  
• A community room used for activities, classes, or exhibits.