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Palm Beach County property records and hazards

Palm Beach County is home to about 1,582,100 people, and FEMA counts $267.8 billion in buildings there. FEMA's National Risk Index rates its overall natural-hazard risk "Relatively High", higher than 99% of U.S. counties. For property, the costliest hazards here are hurricanes, inland flooding and tornadoes: together about $428.8 million of expected building damage a year. Its incorporated cities and towns are Atlantis, Belle Glade, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Briny Breezes, Cloud Lake, Delray Beach, Glen Ridge, Golf, Greenacres and 29 more. 37 hurricanes have passed within 30 miles since 1851 and 3 made landfall on its coast.1

What Palm Beach County faces most

Ranked by FEMA's National Risk Index: the hazards expected to do the most damage to buildings in this county each year, with each hazard's FEMA risk rating.

  1. 1

    Hurricanes

    Very High

    The local numbers

    • FEMA rates hurricane risk in Palm Beach County "Very High" (score 99.9 of 100, compared with every U.S. county).1
    • Expected damage to buildings: about $254.4 million a year, the 5th-highest expected building loss from this hazard of 67 counties in the state.1
    • 37 hurricanes passed within 30 miles of the county since 1851 (13 of them at Category 3 or stronger while nearby); counting tropical storms, 74 storms in all.2
    • Hurricane landfalls on this county's coast: 3 since 1851, most recently an unnamed storm (1949) at Category 4, an unnamed storm (1933) at Category 3 and an unnamed storm (1928) at Category 4.2
    • Strongest storm on record nearby: an unnamed storm (1928), at Category 4 strength (about 146 mph sustained) as it passed.2
    • Most recent hurricanes nearby: Nicole (2022), Category 1, Wilma (2005), Category 3 and Katrina (2005), Category 1.2
    • 25 federal disaster declarations for hurricanes have included the county.3

    What it means for a buyer or owner

    In Palm Beach County, hurricane wind and storm surge tend to arrive together, and the county has taken 3 direct hurricane landfalls. Wind is the part every property shares, so the roof and openings matter as much as the flood zone.

    Ask for the roof's age and permit, any shutters or impact-rated windows, and a wind mitigation report.

    In your report: the Storm history & wind sheet · Guide: Hurricanes, roofs and insurance

  2. 2

    Inland flooding

    Relatively High

    The local numbers

    • FEMA rates inland flooding risk in Palm Beach County "Relatively High" (score 98.9 of 100, compared with every U.S. county).1
    • Expected damage to buildings: about $167.3 million a year, the 4th-highest expected building loss from this hazard of 67 counties in the state.1
    • FEMA's index maps about 606 square miles of the county inside the 1%-annual-chance floodplain it uses for inland flooding.1
    • 58 inland flood events in FEMA's record, about 2.1 a year.1
    • 1 federal disaster declaration for flooding.3

    What it means for a buyer or owner

    Beyond the roughly 606 square miles of mapped floodplain in Palm Beach County, rain-driven flooding follows rivers, lakes, wetlands and canals, and it doesn't stop at the mapped lines: FEMA says more than 20% of flood insurance claims come from outside high-risk areas.

    Ask whether the home has flooded or had a flood claim, and look at the lot's elevation in the report.

    In your report: the Flood & hazard sheet · Guide: How to read a Florida flood zone

  3. 3

    Tornadoes

    Relatively High

    The local numbers

    • FEMA rates tornado risk in Palm Beach County "Relatively High" (score 93.8 of 100, compared with every U.S. county).1
    • Expected damage to buildings: about $7.1 million a year, the 9th-highest expected building loss from this hazard of 67 counties in the state.1
    • 125 tornadoes recorded in the county in FEMA's index (NOAA Storm Prediction Center records), about 1.5 a year.1

    What it means for a buyer or owner

    With roughly 1.5 tornadoes a year on record, Palm Beach County sees mostly brief, narrow touchdowns, often spun up by tropical systems and spring squall lines, so damage is very local. The same roof-to-wall connections that resist hurricane wind help here.

    Check the roof covering, any hurricane straps or clips, and the insurer's windstorm deductible.

    In your report: the Hazards (FEMA National Risk Index) sheet

  4. 4

    Coastal flooding and storm surge

    Relatively High

    The local numbers

    • FEMA rates coastal flooding risk in Palm Beach County "Relatively High" (score 93.4 of 100, compared with every U.S. county).1
    • Expected damage to buildings: about $6.8 million a year, the 9th-highest expected building loss from this hazard of 67 counties in the state.1
    • 17.9% of the county's building value ($47.9 billion) sits in FEMA's coastal flood hazard areas.1
    • 7 tropical-storm or hurricane landfalls on this stretch of coast since 1851.2

    What it means for a buyer or owner

    With 17.9% of Palm Beach County's building value in FEMA's coastal flood areas, check three things before you buy: the flood zone (VE and Coastal A zones carry the strictest building rules), the ground and floor height against the base flood elevation, and the storm-surge evacuation zone.

    In your report: the Storm surge sheet · Guide: How to read a Florida flood zone

Rules that apply in every Florida county, from the building code and wind-mitigation discounts to flood insurance, seller flood disclosure and sinkhole coverage: Florida rules for buyers and owners.

Hurricanes near Palm Beach County

37 hurricanes have come within 30 miles of Palm Beach County since 1851; the busiest decade was the 1940s, with 6. The 12 most recent are listed, with the strength NOAA recorded as each passed.2

YearStormStrength nearbyClosest approach
2022NicoleCategory 126 mi
2005WilmaCategory 3inside the county
2005KatrinaCategory 118 mi
2004JeanneCategory 315 mi
2004FrancesCategory 212 mi
1999IreneCategory 1inside the county
1979DavidCategory 20 mi
1964IsbellCategory 2inside the county
1964CleoCategory 2inside the county
1953HazelCategory 127 mi
1950KingCategory 4inside the county
1949UnnamedCategory 4inside the countyLandfall here

Federal disaster declarations

41 federal declarations have included Palm Beach County since 1965, 25 of them major disasters. By type: 25 hurricane, 5 freezing, 3 fire, 3 severe storm, 2 biological, 1 flood, 1 human cause and 1 tropical storm.3

Most recent

All FEMA hazards for Palm Beach County

Every hazard FEMA scores here, costliest for buildings first.1

HazardFEMA risk ratingRisk score (0-100)Expected building loss a yearRank in the state
HurricanesVery High99.9$254.4 million5 of 67
Inland floodingRelatively High98.9$167.3 million4 of 67
TornadoesRelatively High93.8$7.1 million9 of 67
Coastal flooding and storm surgeRelatively High93.4$6.8 million9 of 67
WildfireRelatively Moderate95.3$2.9 million15 of 67
LightningVery High99.8$1.2 million1 of 67
Cold wavesRelatively High92.4$517,0003 of 67
Strong windRelatively High93.2$440,00025 of 67
EarthquakesVery Low44.9$122,00027 of 67
HailRelatively Low43.9$52,00012 of 67
LandslidesRelatively Low77.5$10,0001 of 67
Heat wavesRelatively High98.2$8402 of 67
DroughtRelatively High94.1$0n/a
Winter weatherNo Rating0.0$0n/a

Local property economy

Palm Beach County had about 1,582,055 residents in 2024. Its largest groups of self-employed businesses are professional, scientific, and technical services (36,633), administrative and support and waste management (31,158) and real estate and rental and leasing (31,086). The table counts businesses with no employees, the sole proprietors behind much of the local real estate and building trade.4

Businesses with no employeesPalm BeachPer 1,000 residentsFlorida per 1,000
All self-employed businesses261,006165.0146.6
Real estate, rental and leasing31,08619.615.4
Real estate (agents, brokers, landlords, managers)30,16919.114.8
Construction22,19614.014.5
Residential building construction6,4344.14.7

Area profile

Census figures for Palm Beach County next to Florida and the U.S. (ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates; ± is the margin of error). Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (opens in a new tab).

MeasurePalm Beach CountyFloridaU.S.
Population1,533,80622,416,077334,922,499
Median household income$83,581 ±$1,022$74,568$80,734
Per-capita income$52,359 ±$729$42,609$44,673
People below the poverty level11.3% ±0.4%12.6%12.5%
Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher40.5% ±0.5%34.1%35.7%
Median home value (owner-occupied)$447,300 ±$4,180$359,000$332,700
Median gross rent$1,916 ±$19$1,669$1,413
Homes that are owner-occupied70.1% ±0.5%67.6%65.2%
Housing units vacant15.8% ±0.4%14.7%10.1%
Median year built1986 ±119881980
Median age45.3 ±0.142.638.9
Average household size2.5 ±0.02.52.5
Mean travel time to work (minutes)26.5 ±0.42826.4
Race and Hispanic origin (Census table B03002)
GroupPalm Beach CountyFloridaU.S.
Not Hispanic or Latino: White alone49.6%50.4%57.4%
Not Hispanic or Latino: Black or African American alone18.1%14.6%11.9%
Not Hispanic or Latino: American Indian and Alaska Native alone0.1%0.1%0.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino: Asian alone2.8%2.9%5.9%
Not Hispanic or Latino: Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone0.0%0.1%0.2%
Not Hispanic or Latino: Some other race alone0.9%0.7%0.6%
Not Hispanic or Latino: Two or more races4.1%3.8%4.3%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)24.4%27.4%19.3%

These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau. OnlineRecords.US doesn't rate, rank or recommend areas by who lives there, and none of these figures are used in any ranking on this page. This product uses Census Bureau data but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

What our free report covers in Palm Beach County

Statewide data works for every Palm Beach County address: (verified on test reports ). Parcel, owner and legal description, assessed and just values, FEMA flood zone and ground elevation, evacuation zone and FEMA hazard ratings, storm history and estimated wind, storm surge and high-water marks, earthquakes, faults and sinkhole reports, environmental sites nearby and condo and HOA records link to the official source for now. For the county's own records, the report links to each office's search; none is automated and verified here yet unless marked.6

County recordsStatusWhere to check
Recorded deeds, mortgages and liens (clerk)Link to the official source Official records search (opens in a new tab)
Property tax bill (tax collector)Link to the official source Palm Beach County Tax Collector (opens in a new tab)
Building permitsLink to the official sourceLink-out to Palm Beach County PZB Building Division (ePZB) (ePZB). City of West Palm Beach Building Division (opens in a new tab)

Neighboring counties

Palm Beach County borders Broward County, Glades County, Hendry County, Martin County and Okeechobee County. On hurricanes, Palm Beach County ranks 2nd of 6 among itself and its neighbors; Broward County is highest.7

CountyCostliest hazard for buildingsOverall FEMA ratingExpected building loss a year
Broward CountyInland floodingRelatively High$567.2 million
Glades CountyInland floodingRelatively Low$6.2 million
Hendry CountyInland floodingRelatively Low$13.5 million
Martin CountyHurricanesRelatively Moderate$106.3 million
Okeechobee CountyInland floodingRelatively Low$20.0 million

Sources of information

  1. FEMA National Risk Index (county level) (opens in a new tab). release: December 2025; retrieved 2026-10-05.
  2. NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic) (opens in a new tab). storms through 2025; track within 30 miles of the county boundary while at tropical-storm strength or stronger; landfall points within 6 miles assigned to the nearest county; retrieved 2026-10-05.
  3. OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (opens in a new tab). retrieved 2026-10-05.
  4. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Nonemployer Statistics and Vintage 2024 population estimates (opens in a new tab). retrieved 2026-10-05.
  5. onlinerecords.us county registry (official office links). retrieved 2026-10-05.
  6. onlinerecords.us coverage checks on test reports. retrieved 2026-10-05.
  7. U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file (2024) (opens in a new tab). retrieved 2026-10-05.

Figures describe the county as a whole, not any one property. A free report shows the parcel's own flood zone, elevation, storm history and records.