ZIP Code 33460

Lake Worth Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, located about 64 miles (103 km) north of Miami. The 2010 census recorded a population of 34,910, which increased to 42,219 in the 2020 census. The city's name is derived from the body of water along its eastern border known as the Lake Worth Lagoon. Samuel and Fannie James, an African American couple, became the first known settlers in modern-day Lake Worth Beach in 1885, filing a homestead claim on 187 acres (76 ha) The city was incorporated in June 1913. Lake Worth grew rapidly during the 1920s land boom and in the decades following World War II. Residents voted to change the official name to Lake Worth beach in 2019. Several cultural events are hosted annually in the city, including a street painting festival, several ethnic festivals, and Palm Beach Pride, one of the largest LGBTQIA+ pride festivals in Florida. The remains of shell mounds sites, mostly dating back to approximately 7501500 CE, attest to pre-Columbian Jaega inhabitation near Lake worth Beach, including in Boynton Beach, Palm Beach, and South Palm Beach.Native Americans migrated into Florida beginning about 12,000 years ago. While evidence near the town of Jupiter indicates local inhabitation Dating back to the Paleo-Indian period, the Jaega were first known tribe to have resided along the Florida Atlantic coast in the areas of Martin and Palm beach counties. The first known non-indigenous settlers were the Black Diamonds, who settled on the shores of the Lake worth Lagoon near the current 5th Avenue South in 1883.

History

Lake Worth is the primary city name, but also Greenacres are acceptable city names or spellings, Green Acres on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. Samuel and Fannie James were among the city's first non-indigenous settlers. The Jameses were an African American couple reported to be ex-slaves, known as the Black Diamonds, who settled on the shores of the Lake Worth Lagoon in 1885. The area's first post office was Jewell (sometimes spelled Jewel),:20 which served the few residences between Lantana and West Palm Beach. The population of the nascent city stood at 38 in July 1912. The town grew rapidly enough that it was incorporated as the "town of Lake Worth" on June 14, 1913. The city is located on the Florida Atlantic coast in Martin and Palm Beach counties. It is one of the oldest incorporated cities in the U.S. and the second largest city in Florida, after the city of Palm Beach, which was founded in 1859. The first city to be annexed by the state of Florida was Palm Beach County, which became part of the state in 1913. It was the first city in the state to be incorporated after the Great Depression, and the first in Florida to become part of Florida's statehood in 1867. The name Lake Worth was adopted by the city council in 1913, when it was first incorporated as a city. The current name of the town is Lake Worth Beach, a reference to the town's former name, Lucerne, which is now a neighborhood in Miami Gardens, Florida. The word "Lake" means "lake" in Spanish and "beach" in English.

Geography

The city of Lake Worth Beach is named after a lagoon which is officially known as the Lake Worth Lagoon. This lagoon opens to the Atlantic Ocean at the Port of Palm Beach. The city has a total area of 6.81 square miles (18 km²), of which 5.89 sq miles (15 km²) is land and 0.92sq miles (2km²) (13.51%) is water. The average elevation of the city is 16 ft (4.9 m) The city is located about 64 miles (103 km) north of Miami and bordering West Palm Beach, Lake Clarke Shores, Lantana, and Palm Springs. A large unincorporated urbanized area with a Lake Worth postal address lies to the west ofLake Worth Beach. Only two zip codes are within the city's boundaries, 33460 and the eastern edge of 33641, while 33449, the remainder of 33461, 33462, 33463, and 33467 are located outside the city limits but may use a lake Worth mailing address. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has mapped most of Lake worth Beach in the Southern Florida Flatwoods land resource area. The western outskirts of Lakeworth Beach are in theSouthern Florida Lowlands area. Topsoils there are sandy, but the subsoils have a much higher content of clay and the soils are relatively fertile. The soils are poorly drained for many purposes unless drainage systems are installed. Much of the area is built on a rapidly drained white or gray sand which is too dry and infertile to support vigorous plant growth.

Demographics

Lake Worth Beach ranked as the ninth largest city in Palm Beach County, with 42,219 residents according to the 2020 census. Less than a majority of residents identify as non-Hispanic white, while Hispanic whites represented a plurality of the population in 2019. Approximately 38.7% of residents were born outside of the United States, many of whom immigrated from the Caribbean or Latin America. The median household income in Lake Worth Beach is $42,500 as of 2019, significantly lower than the county and statewide medians from 2015-2019, which was $63,299 and $55,660, respectively. An estimated 24.4 per cent of residents in 2019 were considered impoverished, more than twice the countywide average of 12.0 per cent. Just 44.9% of people in the city only spoke English. In the city, the age distribution was 5.2% at 65 or older, 22.2%. was under 18, 17.0% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, and 24.5% from 45 to 64; the median age was 35.2 years. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 121 males. In 2000, 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65, and the average family size was 3.37. The racial makeup of the city was 65.1 per cent White, 18.9 per cent African American, 0.8 per cent Native American, 1.0per cent Asian, less than 0.1per cent Pacific Islander, and 4.6 per cent from two or more races.

Economy

The city has an estimated labor force of 19,978 people as of 2019, though 10,357 people age 16 or older were not in the labor force. The largest companies in the city by number of employees include 1,148 employees at Palm Beach State College, 307 employees with the city government, and 269 employees at Lake Worth Community High School. Only 6.9% of jobs in Lake Worth Beach were held by city residents, with the most common other residencies being West Palm Beach (12.4%), Boca Raton (5.3%), Palm Springs (4.9%), Boynton Beach (4.8%), and Delray Beach (3.7%). The most common professions among the city's labor force are professional, scientific, management, administrative, and waste management services (20.9%) and construction (13.2%). The city's CRA, established in 1989, seeks to redevelop private and public properties for the sake of community and economic growth. Since 2001, the CRA area has included the entirety of Dixie Highway and areas in the vicinity of 6th Avenue South and 10th Avenue North. The downtown area also saw a resurgence in the late 1990s, with many art galleries, sidewalk cafés, and night clubs lining its streets. The Gulf Stream Hotel, which has been closed to the public since 2005, has been proposed for renovation in order to reopen it, which voters strongly approved by a margin of 81.82% 18.18% in March 2020.

Government

The city uses the councilmanager form of government. Lake Worth Beach has a five-member city commission. The city commission acts in a legislative manner, approving motions, ordinances, and resolutions. The mayor, who presides over the city commission, also serves in three-year terms, but is elected by voters citywide. Betty Resch has served as mayor since March 16, 2021. Of the 17,738 registered voters as of December 2021, 8,552 were members of the Democratic Party. In 2020, Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in all of the city's precincts and in most by a margin of at least 20%. The city and Palm Beach County were both reliably right-leaning, with the latter voting for the Republican Party nominee for president of the United States in each election from 1948 to 1988. Decades later, the city has shifted to a more liberal partisan lean, with many residents voting for Democrats. In 2016, the county voted for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump by just under 12.8%. In the same year, Lake Worth voted for Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton by just over 12.9%. In 2012, the majority of Lake Worth residents voted for the Democratic presidential nominee, Barack Obama, by a narrow margin of less than 1%. In 2013, the percentage of Lake worth Beach residents who voted for Obama was less than half of the national average. In 2014, the number of registered voters in the city was more than 10,000, with more than half voting for Democratic candidates.

Culture

The Cultural Council for Palm Beach County hosts many cultural events. The Lake Worth Playhouse was founded in 1953. The annual Palm Beach Pride parade is one of the largest pride parades in Florida. Lake Worth Beach also has the county's only LGBT community center, Compass, and the gay bar Mad Hatter Lounge. A substantial portion of the 1981 movie, Body Heat, starring William Hurt and Kathleen Turner, was filmed in downtown Lake Worth. The city became the fictitious town of Miranda Beach in the 1984 movie Harry & Son. The old Lake Worth Museum is located on the second floor of the old City Hall, which functioned as the city's administrative center from the 1920s to 1973. The Historical Society of Lake Worth is located at the public library of the city. Substantial efforts by the city to preserve historic structures and dates back to back to an ordinance approved by city commission in 1996. In 2017, the city designated seven historical properties as the oldest residences in the city without major alterations. The Historic Preservation Board and the Lake Worth Historical Society designate seven historical homes constructed between 1913 and 1912 as historical districts. The City Tree Board organizes an annual "Lake Worth Festival of Trees" while a monthly celebration called "Lake Ave Block Party" takes place in the Cultural Plaza, next to the City Hall Annex. In late October, a Día de los Muertos event is also held in the downtown area. One of the biggest Oktoberfest events in South Florida is held every October just outside the city at the American German Club of the Palm Beaches.

Education

Public schools in Lake Worth Beach are part of the School District of Palm Beach County. Elementary school students are served by four public schools. All public high school students in the city are assigned to Lake Worth Community High School. Palm Beach State College is the oldest community college in Florida, founded in 1933. The city has more than 100 Little Free Library book exchanges as of late 2020. The library circulates approximately 65,000 items, including 57,468 books. It also houses noted artist R. Sherman Winton's only known collection, which features historical Florida themes of the Spanish period, as well as wood carvings by Sam J. Schlappich, a local artist who was featured in the Century of Progress Fair in 1933 and the World's Fair in 1939. The main campus of the school is located in unincorporated Lake Worth. The school moved to its present location in 1956. The name was changed to Palm Beach Community College in 1988 and later renamed Palm Beach state College in 2010 to reflect that the school was offering four-year degrees. There is also a charter school in theCity, the Academy for Positive Learning. The public library is a Mediterranean-style architectural building, completed in 1941 at a cost of $66,000, an amount raised by the Lake Worth Library Association. It is a part ofThe Library Cooperative of the Palm Beaches. By December 2020, the Little Free Libraries system in Lake worth Beach had distributed approximately 500,000 books. The Lake Worth Public Library is located at 15 North M Street, in the historic downtown area of the city.

Recreation

In 2013, the Lake Worth Casino complex reopened following a two-year, $6 million renovation. Near the casino is the William O. Lockhart Municipal Pier, a popular landmark in Lake Worth Beach. The Snook Islands Natural Area, located on the west shore of the Intracoastal Waterway just north of the bridge, is a 118-acre (48 hectarce) wetland restoration area that includes a boardwalk, floating dock, and kayak launch. The nearby municipal golf course includes 18-holes with a view across theIntracoasts Waterway. Bryant Park, located in downtown Lake Worth, has an Addison Mizner-designed 1930s bandshell, which is used for festivals and other events. On the west side of the city, the county-owned John Prince Memorial Park follows the winding shores of Lake Osborne and offers several miles of bike and walking trails as well as hundreds of acres for picnicking, volleyball, and overnight camping. The city's municipal beach is one of Southeast Florida's few remaining large areas of open, public space along the ocean. The structure of the pier and wave action result in the creation of sandbars, which, according to theLake Worth CRA, causes the pier to "provide the most consistent surf in South Florida". The city has more than 20 recreational facilities and municipal parks, including a golf course and a municipal park with 18-hole golf course. It is located on Florida's Atlantic Coast.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Lake Worth, Palm Beach County, Florida = 92. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 30. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 50. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Lake Worth = 6.3 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 42,219 individuals with a median age of 36.7 age the population grows by 0.73% in Lake Worth, Palm Beach County, Florida population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 2,766.10/km 2 (7,164.26 residents per square mile of area). There are average 2.55 people per household in the 13,584 households with an average household income of $36,631 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 10.20% of the available work force and has dropped -5.18% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 19.44%. The number of physicians in Lake Worth per 100,000 population = 264.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Lake Worth = 58 inches and the annual snowfall = 0 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 99. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 239. 89 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 58.5 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 27, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Lake Worth, Palm Beach County, Florida which are owned by the occupant = 44.90%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 45 years with median home cost = $78,310 and home appreciation of -8.36%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $13.37 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $5,153 per student. There are 16.7 students for each teacher in the school, 465 students for each Librarian and 448 students for each Counselor. 6.26% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 10.95% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 5.33% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).