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Ask The WizardHighland Beach is the Gold Coast's residents-only shoreline: a narrow barrier-island town between Delray Beach and Boca Raton with oceanfront towers, estate homes, no traffic lights, and beaches effectively reserved for the people who live there. It suits empty nesters, second-home buyers, and privacy-first families who want Boca schools and total silence.
In this guide
The short answer, with the numbers
Yes, for the right buyer, and Highland Beach is Palm Beach County's most disciplined beach address. The town is a narrow island strip between Delray Beach and Boca Raton, zoned almost entirely residential, with a charter that actively restricts public beach access and no commercial district at all. Redfin's 2026 read for ZIP 33487 put the median sale around $812,000, up about 20 percent year over year, with homes averaging roughly 102 days on market, while Homes.com showed a $995,000 median with about 119 days.
The lifestyle is pure Oceania: oceanfront condominium towers and single-family estates, residents-only beach access through private walkways, sea-turtle-season lighting rules, and the nearest stoplight well outside the town line. Boca Raton's dining, shopping, and schools sit 10 minutes south; Delray's Atlantic Avenue 10 minutes north.
The honest trade-offs: there is no public beach access, no downtown, no commercial district, and 'errands' always start with a car. Much of the housing stock is older mid- and high-rise condominium product with association fees to match, and prices run well above the county norm. If privacy, the ocean, and self-containment are the goals, Highland Beach is hard to top.
Palm Beach County · An exclusive oceanfront lane in the county
Median home sale price (33487)
~$812,000
Redfin, 3 months ending 2026 (up 20.3% YoY)
Median sale price (alt read)
~$995,000
Homes.com, 2026 (down 13% YoY)
Median days on market
~102-119
Redfin / Homes.com, 2026
Cost-of-living index
~114
BestPlaces, 2026 (U.S. average = 100)
Every figure on this page carries its source and its as-of date, because a good advisor labels the data before he uses it. Jump to the Highland Beach Market Data Snapshot for the full grid.
The character of the town
Highland Beach is the barrier-island town where the whole reason to exist is the water: a narrow strip of land between the Atlantic and the Intracoastal, zoned almost entirely residential, with a charter that authorizes the town to restrict and regulate access to its private oceanfront beaches. There are no traffic lights, no shops, no downtown, just dunes, towers, estates, and quiet.
Life here is tower-club and estate-lane: oceanfront condominiums with pools and beach walkways, single-family estates behind the dune line, sunrise walks on residents-only sand, and sea-turtle-season lighting rules from March through October to keep the beach dark for nesting turtles.
The town is small, disciplined, and protective of exactly what it is, and that is the point. Residents gave up the convenience of a commercial district years ago and never regretted it, trading errands for the most reliably quiet mile of oceanfront in Palm Beach County.
The money line, sourced
The honest numbers: the index, the home values, the income range, and the one tax break that changes the math for relocators.
The index, honestly
BestPlaces puts the Palm Beach County cost-of-living index at about 114, roughly 14 percent above the U.S. average, and Highland Beach sits at the top of that curve: a barrier-island town where housing, not groceries, carries the cost.
BestPlaces, 2026
Home values
Redfin's three months ending 2026 put the 33487 median near $812,000, up 20.3 percent year over year, while Homes.com's twelve-month read ran about $995,000. Oceanfront towers and estate homes keep the highs high and turnover patient.
Redfin / Homes.com, 2026
No state income tax
Florida levies no state income tax at all, a permanent line for empty nesters and second-home buyers downsizing from high-tax states. It applies in Highland Beach exactly as it does across the state.
State law, applies in Highland Beach
The bottom line
Highland Beach is the Gold Coast's residents-only shoreline: oceanfront, no traffic lights, and a patient market Redfin scores near 17 out of 100 for competitiveness. Property insurance on the island is the honest line, and Michael prices it into every plan.
BestPlaces / Redfin, 2026
| Category | Highland Beach | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living vs. U.S. average | ~14% above (index ~114) | U.S. average = 100 (BestPlaces, 2026) |
| Median home sale price (33487) | ~$812,000 | Redfin, 3 months ending 2026; up 20.3% YoY |
| Median sale price (12 months) | ~$995,000 | Homes.com, 2026; down ~13% YoY |
| State income tax | None | Florida state law, applies in Highland Beach |
| Property insurance | Coastal reality | A barrier-island address carries Florida's highest premiums |
The current picture, in numbers
Here is the honest, current picture, labeled by source and date. Highland Beach's 33487 figures swing with the mix of towers and estates: Redfin's 2026 read put the median sale around $812,000, up about 20 percent year over year, with homes averaging roughly 102 days on market, while Homes.com showed a $995,000 median over twelve months with about 119 days.
Three honest frames before the numbers: the market splits between oceanfront towers and estate sales, so the spread is the truth, this snapshot is static and dated, not a live ticker, and the tax angle that never moves, Florida has no state income tax.
Median home sale price
~$812,000
up 20.3% year over year
Redfin · 3 months ending 2026
Median sale price (12 months)
~$995,000
down ~13% year over year
Homes.com · 2026
Median days on market
~102-119
a patient, low-turnover market
Redfin / Homes.com · 2026
Market temperature
Not very competitive
Redfin competitiveness score ~17/100
Redfin · 2026
Cost-of-living index
~114
U.S. average = 100
BestPlaces · 2026
Redfin / Homes.com · 2026
| Measure | Figure | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $812,000 | Redfin, up 20.3% year over year |
| Median sale price (12 months) | $995,000 | Homes.com, down ~13% year over year |
| Median days on market | ~102-119 | tower and estate mix drives the spread |
| Typical product | Oceanfront towers and estates | condo associations and HOA fees are part of the math |
Palm Beach County market brief · 2025-2026
| Measure | Figure | Note |
|---|---|---|
| County single-family median | $605K-$645K | through 2025, near record highs |
| County condo median | $300K-$315K | 2025 |
| County buyer mix | Top all-cash market in the U.S. | cushions the county against mortgage-rate swings |
Read it honestly: Highland Beach's market is really two markets on one island: oceanfront condominium towers, where association fees and age of product drive value, and single-family estates, where scarcity rules. Portals smooth them into one median around $812,000 to $995,000, and the honest buyer keeps the split in mind. For the freshest look at what is for sale in Highland Beach today, the snapshot above is the starting point; your exact building gets current numbers on a call.
The honest trade-offs, local read
The genuine upsides and the honest trade-offs locals actually talk about, every one grounded in the sourced numbers on this page. Highland Beach is a wonderful place to live, and it is not the right fit for everyone. That is exactly the conversation worth having before you move.
The town is a narrow island strip, so nearly every home either fronts the Atlantic or sits steps from a beach walkover. The beach, not a downtown, is the amenity.
Walled estates, private streets, and a low-rise scale give Highland Beach the feel of a guarded enclave without the resort crowds.
No hotels, no commerce, no nightlife: the town exists purely for residents, which keeps it calm year-round.
Boca Raton's Mizner Park and dining and Delray Beach's Atlantic Avenue are each five to ten minutes away, plus easy beach access via A1A.
Scarcity and owner longevity keep prices firm. When a home lists, serious buyers move fast.
Intracoastal and deep-water dock properties exist behind the oceanfront row, giving boaters the best of both sides.
Oceanfront homes routinely trade in the millions, and there is no affordable tier. Buyers need genuine capital and patience.
Atlantic frontage means wind and flood premiums at the top of the county scale, with lenders requiring flood coverage in mapped zones.
A barrier-island address in an evacuation zone: storm planning, generators, and insurance strategy are part of ownership.
There is no commercial core, so groceries, schools, and services all require a car out to Boca or Delray.
Owners stay for decades; serious buyers may wait months for the right property. Bidding can be competitive when one appears.
Whether Highland Beach fits comes down to your street, your budget, and your season of life. Talk it through on a free 15-minute strategy call, or call Michael directly.
Where to look first
5 pockets buyers ask Michael about most, each with the honest read attached. The spread between them is the single most important thing to understand about Highland Beach, and the reason the right neighborhood matters more than the town name.
Mid- and high-rise condominiums between A1A and the Atlantic
Most of Highland Beach's residents live in oceanfront and near-ocean towers with pools, beach walkways, and security. Association fees and building age are the real price variables, not the ocean.
Fits best: Empty nesters and second-home buyers who want the beach as amenity
Single-family estates behind the dune line
Estates along the ocean side of A1A offer the beach at the end of the lawn, the rarest product in town and the top of the market. When one lists, it is an event.
Fits best: Families and buyers who want land with the ocean
Homes and small enclaves on the waterway side
The western edge of the island fronts the Intracoastal, trading ocean spray for docks, sunsets, and the waterway's parade of boats. Quieter, greener, and a different kind of water life.
Fits best: Boaters and sunset people
The blocks nearest Delray's Atlantic Avenue
The north end of town is minutes from Delray's shops and restaurants while staying firmly inside Highland Beach's residents-only calm, the best of both addresses on one island.
Fits best: Buyers who want Boca quiet with Delray dining
The southern end nearest Boca Raton's schools and shopping
The south end puts Mizner Park, Boca's schools, and Spanish River options minutes away, which is why families and school-plan buyers concentrate here.
Fits best: Families zoned to Boca's top cluster
Highland Beach is one narrow island, so the real choices are tower versus estate, ocean side versus Intracoastal, and how far you sit from the Boca line. Michael matches the building or street to the buyer, fees and all, before the offer.
Find Your Highland Beach NeighborhoodThe district report, with rankings
Highland Beach has no schools of its own and sits in the Boca Raton cluster of the School District of Palm Beach County, zoned by address to Boca's highly rated options. The area's headline public schools include A.D. Henderson University School and FAU High School, which Niche ranks among the top public high schools in Florida, Morikami Park Elementary, and S.D. Spady Elementary, with Spanish River High serving much of the corridor.
| School | Rating / rank | Source |
|---|---|---|
| A.D. Henderson University School & FAU High | Niche 4.59/5 · ranked #3 public high school in Florida | Niche, 2026 |
| Morikami Park Elementary School | Ranked among Florida's top public elementaries (Niche #62) | Niche, 2026 |
| S.D. Spady Elementary School | Public PK-5 option in the corridor; confirm zone | PBC district / Niche, 2026 |
Public K-12 · Boca Raton
PK-5 · Boca Raton
Rankings and attendance zones come from GreatSchools, US News, Niche, and PublicSchoolReview, all as of 2026 or the most recent published cycle, and they change. The School District of Palm Beach County zones by address, so Michael always confirms the exact assigned schools for a specific address before you make an offer.
The drive math, by the numbers
Highland Beach sits on the A1A corridor halfway between Boca Raton and Delray Beach, so the errand radius is short: Boca's Mizner Park and dining about 10 minutes south, Delray's Atlantic Avenue about 10 minutes north, and I-95 about 6 or 7 minutes west.
For flyers, Palm Beach International (PBI) is about 28 miles north, roughly 35 to 40 minutes in normal traffic, with Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood about 28 miles south and Miami about 45.
The daily routine for most residents barely involves a commute at all: the beach is the amenity, the club-and-pool life is inside the buildings, and every other errand, airport, doctor, and restaurant, fits in a 10 to 40 minute radius on A1A or I-95.
To Boca Raton
~10 min
Driving, A1A south
To Delray Beach
~10 min
Driving, A1A north
To Palm Beach Int'l (PBI)
~35-40 min · ~28 mi
Driving, I-95 north
Match the town to your life
The buyer types Highland Beach fits especially well, each with the sourced reason attached. This is the audience range Michael works with every week as The Life Transition Specialist: buyers, sellers, retirees, families, and investors from the Treasure Coast to South Florida.
Oceanfront towers with pools, security, and beach walkways, no lawn to mow, no downtown to manage. This is the Gold Coast's most turnkey retirement tower address.
A lock-and-leave oceanfront condo in a town with no tourists, residents-only beaches, and Boca and Delray dining a short drive away. The snowbird math is easy here.
Boca's top schools 10 minutes away, residents-only beaches, and a street life with no foot traffic. Families get the school story and the privacy in one address.
Single-floor tower living, medical services in Boca and Delray minutes away, and a gated calm that families trust. A Certified Senior Transition Specialist helps make that move a plan, not a scramble.
Oceanfront towers in a constrained, resident-protective town hold value across cycles, with rents from second-home and seasonal buyers when units turn.
The Intracoastal side and Delray's marinas minutes away put the waterway at the doorstep, with the ocean as the other backyard.
Moving from acreage to a managed oceanfront tower collapses maintenance, security, and travel time into one monthly association line, the cleanest downsizing math on the coast.
For out-of-state movers
Moving to Highland Beach from outside Florida is a life transition, and the people who plan it as one land better. Here is the practical short list, every point grounded in the sourced numbers on this page and in how Michael guides relocators from the Treasure Coast to South Florida.
Florida taxes no wage or retirement income at the state level, a permanent line for anyone moving from a high-tax state.
Association fees and assessments are the second mortgage nobody quotes, and the age of the tower changes them dramatically. Michael works the real monthly number before anyone falls in love.
Oceanfront and waterway property carry serious wind, flood, and insurance exposure, with sea-turtle lighting rules part of the routine. Plan for it from day one.
Beach access in Highland Beach is resident-oriented by charter. Understand the building's walkway and parking rules before you buy the view.
Tower, estate, ocean side, or Intracoastal side each change fees, flood, and rhythm. Michael matches the product to the person before the offer.
Michael treats every relocation as a life transition, and a 15-minute strategy call sorts your timeline, budget, and building before you ever tour.
New to Florida entirely? Start with the Moving to Florida Checklist, the Florida Tax Guide, and the Relocation Guide Hub.
Michael "Wiz" Wisniewski · The Wizard of Real Estate
Highland Beach is the address I give people who want the ocean without the audience: no shops, no lights, no public beach parking, just dunes, towers, and the quietest shoreline in Palm Beach County. It is the Gold Coast's best-kept secret, and residents intend to keep it that way.
Michael "Wiz" Wisniewski · The Wizard of Real Estate · Talk Soon
Local favorites
Straight answers, no fine print
The questions buyers ask Michael most about moving to Highland Beach, answered directly with the sourced numbers on this page.
Yes, for the right buyer, and the case is privacy plus the ocean. Highland Beach is a narrow barrier-island town between Delray and Boca, zoned almost entirely residential, with no commercial district and beaches effectively reserved for residents. Redfin's 2026 read put the 33487 median near $812,000, up about 20 percent year over year. The honest trade-offs: no public beach access, no downtown, association fees on tower living, and prices well above the county norm.
Well above the county's middle. The ZIP 33487 median ran about $812,000 on Redfin's 2026 read and about $995,000 on Homes.com, against a county single-family range of $605,000 to $645,000. Add association fees and coastal insurance, and the honest monthly cost sits well above the headline price.
The town is the beach. Highland Beach sits between the Atlantic and the Intracoastal, and oceanfront residents reach the sand through private walkways and building beach access, with the caveat that access is resident-oriented by town charter. There is no public beach parking practice to plan around.
Yes, and it is one of the Gold Coast's most retiree-shaped towns: oceanfront towers with managed maintenance, security, pools, and beach walkways, medical services in Boca and Delray minutes away, and Florida's no state income tax. Michael, a Certified Senior Transition Specialist, helps retirees and their families plan the move itself.
Highland Beach has no schools and sits in the Boca Raton cluster of the Palm Beach County district. The area's public options are genuinely strong: A.D. Henderson University School and FAU High rank near the top of Florida (Niche 4.59/5), and Morikami Park Elementary ranks among the state's best. The exact assigned trio depends on address, and Michael confirms it before you commit.
Patient and split. Redfin's 2026 read put the median near $812,000 with about 102 days on market, and Homes.com showed $995,000 with about 119 days, a market rated not very competitive. The split between oceanfront towers and estates drives every headline, so the building and product matter more than the median.
For families who want Boca's strong schools, residents-only beaches, and an ultra-quiet street life, yes. The trade-offs are real: no downtown, no public beach access, and errands always by car. It suits privacy-first families, and it suits empty nesters even more directly.
Have a question this page did not answer? Ask it directly: (561) 441-8420 or michael@thecompleterealestateteam.com.
Keep exploring
The schools and dining hub ten minutes south
Read itAtlantic Avenue's walkable town up the road
Read itEstate calm on the next island north
Read itLow-rise beach village life up the coast
Read itComparing Highland Beach against its neighbors is the fastest way to see where it fits. Read the honest Highland Beach pros and cons, then the guides above.
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Michael "Wiz" Wisniewski, The Life Transition Specialist, is a Certified Real Estate Planning Advisor and Certified A.I. Real Estate Advisor at The Complete Real Estate Team, powered by Dalton Wade Real Estate, Florida DRE #3301665. Bring your questions about Highland Beach, your timeline, schools, and budget: he will tell you honestly whether this corner of the Gold Coast fits your plan, and which neighborhood pocket your money should live in.
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