Best Neighborhoods to Buy a Home in Lake Worth Beach

A note on the map before the numbers

These are Zillow's typical values for all homes in each area, so a neighborhood with many condos reads lower than one of houses. Zillow's labels also stretch past city limits. Lantana and Atlantis are separate municipalities just south and west of the city, and "Lake Worth Corridor" covers unincorporated land west of the city. Homes there can carry a Lake Worth address without being inside Lake Worth Beach, which changes the tax rate, utilities and who handles permits. Check the jurisdiction for every address.

Citywide, values rose 1.4% over the year and 29.6% over five years.

Above $450,000: the established east-side areas

• College Park $794,591 (9.8%, 50.6%)
• Atlantis $652,808 (3.9%, 28.0%)
• Vernon Heights $622,140 (5.2%, 38.9%)
• Parrot Cove $594,477 (2.9%, 35.6%)
• Eden Place $500,769 (3.2%, 35.2%)
• South Palm Park $470,284 (3.6%, 31.0%)

College Park stands out on every measure: the highest value, the biggest one-year gain at 9.8% and the strongest five-year run at 50.6%. College Park and Parrot Cove are historic neighborhoods on the north end of the city close to the Lake Worth Lagoon, and South Palm Park lies along the lagoon on the south end. Buyers in these areas usually pay for location and older character houses, so expect historic district reviews for exterior changes, and inspect for the wear that comes with homes several decades old. Atlantis is its own small city; it is grouped here only because Zillow puts it on the Lake Worth Beach map.

$340,000 to $410,000: the middle of the market

• Sunset Ridge $403,512 (1.0%, 33.8%)
• Lake Worth Corridor $395,455 (2.6%, 30.2%)
• Lantana $379,004 (1.6%, 22.6%)
• Sosa/Pineapple Beach $374,232 (-0.0%, 34.5%)
• Mango Groves $364,760 (2.1%, 34.6%)
• Lake View Heights $364,076 (6.3%, 30.5%)
• Seminole Manor $357,815 (0.5%, 29.0%)
• Downtown Jewel $344,849 (-3.9%, 17.0%)
• Whispering Palms $341,605 (4.5%, 32.9%)

This is where most buyers in the city shop, and the trends split clearly. Lake View Heights (6.3%) and Whispering Palms (4.5%) led over the year. Downtown Jewel went the other way, down 3.9% with only 17.0% over five years, which is weak for a location near the downtown core and likely reflects a mix that includes condos and older multi-unit buildings. Buyers who want walkability can find value there but should inspect carefully. Sosa/Pineapple Beach and Mango Groves were flat or modest over the year but kept five-year gains above the city's.

Under $330,000: the lowest entry points

• Tropical Ridge $325,084 (2.3%, 38.6%)
• Memorial Park $323,914 (0.9%, 34.5%)
• Bryant Park $323,852 (-0.6%, 10.9%)
• Royal Poinciana $308,311 (-0.6%, 37.9%)
• Lake Osborne $285,336 (-0.5%, 22.6%)

Tropical Ridge and Royal Poinciana posted some of the strongest five-year gains in the city (38.6% and 37.9%) from a low base, which suggests buyers have been finding value there. Bryant Park is the opposite case: only 10.9% over five years, the weakest long-run gain on the list apart from Murry Hills. A trend that flat often means older attached units are pulling the index down, so pull recent sales of the specific housing type you want before reading too much into the average. Lake Osborne is the lowest-priced area on the list apart from Murry Hills, and its five-year gain of 22.6% trails the city.

Zillow also lists Murry Hills at about $92,853, down 7.6% over the year. A typical value that low points to manufactured homes, co-ops or very small units, which come with land-lease, financing and insurance questions of their own. Read the ownership structure before you look at anything there.

How these neighborhoods compare with the cities around them

The neighborhood list makes the city's position clearer. Most of the middle band, roughly $340,000 to $410,000, sits close to the all-homes values for West Palm Beach ($404,711) and Boynton Beach ($404,476). The lower band overlaps with Greenacres ($280,329) and Palm Springs ($268,845), which sit inland, farther from the coast. The top band, led by College Park, reaches toward Wellington ($661,404) and Jupiter ($704,524) territory.

So a buyer comparing cities is really comparing streets. A $360,000 budget can mean an older block house near downtown Lake Worth Beach or a house a few miles west in Greenacres. The first gets you closer to the beach, the lagoon and the Tri-Rail station; the second may get you more space, depending on the street. Compare insurance quotes on both, since the age of each house drives that cost. Decide which matters more before you start touring, because both choices are reasonable.

Picking a neighborhood with your inspection in mind

Across the city the median home was built in 1969, so the neighborhood choice often decides what kind of old house you buy. East-side historic areas lean toward wood-frame cottages and bungalows; areas further west lean toward 1950s to 1970s concrete block. For any of them, plan on a 4-point inspection for insurance, a wind mitigation report, a WDO (termite) inspection, and a FEMA flood zone check, since low streets near the lagoon carry more flood risk than higher ground inland.

If the home will be your primary residence, apply for homestead after closing and remember the assessed value resets to your purchase price. Tell me your budget and how much renovation you can handle, and I'll narrow this list to the two or three neighborhoods that fit.