North Palm Beach Real Estate & Neighborhood Guide

North Palm Beach Waterfront Real Estate

North Palm Beach is a residential village of about 13,000 people in northern Palm Beach County, Florida. It was incorporated in 1956 and is surrounded by the Intracoastal Waterway. Waterfront homes sit directly on the Intracoastal or on canals that connect to it, with ocean access through the Jupiter and Palm Beach inlets. Property ranges from high-rise waterfront condominiums to single-family estates.

Living in North Palm Beach

North Palm Beach began in 1954, when John D. MacArthur bought roughly 2,600 acres and planned a village around the water. It was incorporated on August 13, 1956, and that same year the National Association of Home Builders named it the best planned community of 1956. Seventy years on, the street plan still reads as intended: quiet, tree-lined blocks, many ending at a dock, where neighbors have known one another for decades.

The Intracoastal rings the village, and three bridges connect it, including the Parker drawbridge on U.S. 1. The village owns the North Palm Beach Country Club, which is open to residents and the public alike, with a Jack Nicklaus Signature course, a tennis center, a pool and a clubhouse rebuilt in 2019.

Anchorage Park Marina offers residents wet and dry storage and a boat ramp, and John D. MacArthur Beach State Park is a short drive away. Each December the Palm Beach Holiday Boat Parade begins here, which we wrote about in The Boat Parade Starts in North Palm Beach.

Waterfront Homes and Property Types

Most waterfront property in North Palm Beach falls into one of three groups:

• Intracoastal homes generally have the best natural depth and the most open views.
• Canal homes are the larger share. They sit on dredged waterways that branch off the Intracoastal, and depth varies from one canal to the next.
• Waterfront condominiums, including the towers on Water Club Way, offer views and marina access with far less upkeep.

Our article on choosing between a condo, townhome and estate sets out the trade-offs. For boaters, three details matter: water depth at mean low tide, bridge clearances on the route to the inlet, and dock rights. We cover these in Where to Find Deepwater Docks in North Palm Beach and Bridge Clearances and Dock Basics. If you are weighing a gated enclave against an open street, Gated vs. Open Waterfront Streets may help.

Many of the area's most private addresses carry the North Palm Beach name without being inside the village. Lost Tree Village, for example, is an unincorporated club community with its own beach and golf course, and Harbour Isles is a gated waterfront neighborhood nearby. Each has its own rules and its own market.

Buying Here: What to Know

Permits and flood rules. Building permits in the village require registered contractors, and a Notice of Commencement must be recorded before inspections begin. Floodplain rules across Palm Beach County treat improvements costing 50 percent or more of a structure's market value as substantial improvement, and the structure must then meet the elevation standards for new construction. That rule often decides whether an older waterfront house is renovated or replaced.

Renovate or rebuild. David Reback, our Managing Partner and Broker, has also worked as a general contractor for 15 years. He can look at a house with you and give a grounded view of cost, timing and what the lot will support. Our article on renovating or rebuilding older waterfront homes is a good starting point.

What is changing. The largest proposal in the village is Village Place, a mixed-use plan for the former Twin City Mall site at U.S. 1 and Northlake Boulevard. Its master plan was approved in April 2025, and the developer's dispute with the village over the approval's conditions has since gone to court. We follow it in North Palm Beach's Biggest Redevelopment Is Waiting on a Landscaping Clause.

Why Families Choose Reback Realty

Sheri and Paul Reback founded Reback Realty in 1975, and our office is on U.S. 1 in North Palm Beach. Over more than 50 years we have completed more than 1,500 sales, many for families we have known across generations. Some of the best homes here change hands quietly, and we often hear of them early.

Whether you are starting to look or wondering what your own home might bring, you can request a confidential valuation, reach the family, or call David Reback at (561) 313-7762. We are glad to talk whenever the time is right.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is North Palm Beach its own town?

Yes. North Palm Beach is an incorporated village in Palm Beach County, founded in 1956 on land assembled by John D. MacArthur. Many nearby homes have a North Palm Beach mailing address without being inside the village, including those in Lost Tree Village, which is unincorporated. Permits, taxes and services depend on which jurisdiction a property is actually in.

How do boats in North Palm Beach reach the ocean?

Boats reach the Atlantic by the Intracoastal Waterway, heading north to the Jupiter Inlet or south to the Palm Beach Inlet depending on where the dock is. Before buying, confirm the water depth at mean low water and any fixed-bridge or utility clearances along the route, and check whether the dock is deeded, assigned or controlled by an association.

Is the North Palm Beach Country Club private?

No. The Village of North Palm Beach owns the club, and it is open to the public seven days a week, with memberships available. It has a Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course, which Nicklaus Design began renovating in 2018, along with a tennis center, a pool, a restaurant and a clubhouse rebuilt in 2019.

What flood rules apply when renovating a waterfront home?

Under Palm Beach County floodplain rules, work costing 50 percent or more of a building's market value counts as substantial improvement, and the structure must then meet the elevation standards for new construction. You will also need an elevation certificate from a surveyor or engineer. Checking the flood zone early often shapes the choice between renovating and rebuilding.

What is planned for the former Twin City Mall site?

Village Place is a proposed mixed-use redevelopment of the former Twin City Mall site, about 13 acres at U.S. 1 and Northlake Boulevard. As reported, the plan includes apartments, condominiums, a hotel, senior living and retail. The Village Council approved its master plan in April 2025, and the developer has since challenged the approval's conditions in court.