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Retiring in Highland Beach, Florida

A tiny, ultra-age-concentrated barrier-island town wedged between already-published Boca Raton and Delray Beach — almost entirely built out in oceanfront condo towers and gated enclaves rather than a downtown, with one of the oldest median ages of any Florida municipality and a genuine, current confrontation with Florida’s post-Surfside milestone-inspection law given its 1970s-90s-vintage buildings.

A tiny, ultra-age-concentrated barrier-island town between Boca Raton and Delray Beach, with one of the oldest median ages (70.8) and highest age-65-plus shares (roughly 64.5%) of any Florida municipality — appealing to retirees who want a quiet, purely residential oceanfront setting without a downtown, golf club, or hospital of its own, and who are prepared to evaluate individual buildings carefully given a genuine, current post-Surfside milestone-inspection divide between the town’s older and newer towers.

Part of the The Palm Beaches region.

Median sale price
$1,000,000
65+ population
64.5%
Golf
Not identified within the town itself in this research; golf-oriented buyers rely on neighboring Boca Raton or Delray Beach, both also covered on this site.
Waterfront
Extensive direct Atlantic and Intracoastal waterfront exists given the town’s narrow barrier-island geography; pricing is genuinely fragmented between condo/townhome and single-family measures, as detailed above.
55+ housing
No formally age-restricted community was identified in this research, though the town’s general population is itself among the most age-concentrated documented anywhere on this site, distributed throughout Toscana and Boca Highland rather than a separate designated development.
Walkability
Highland Beach has no traditional downtown; it is a purely residential barrier-island town without a walkable commercial core.
Nearest airport
Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) · ~15 mi

Highland Beach is a narrow, roughly two-mile barrier-island town sandwiched between Boca Raton to the south and Delray Beach to the north, both already covered on this site; unlike either neighbor, Highland Beach has no downtown, hospital, or golf club of its own, and its story is genuinely different from both — a purely residential barrier-island community rather than a downtown-and-amenity-anchored city. Population was roughly 4,368 by a 2024 estimate, up only modestly (roughly 1.7%) from 4,295 at the 2020 Census — genuinely slow, stable growth rather than a fast-developing town. Median age converges tightly across sources at 70.8, and age-65-plus share is most consistently reported at roughly 64.5%, among the highest concentrations documented anywhere in this research; some Census-vintage variation exists in secondary sources, and this page presents the 70.8/64.5% figures as the most consistent multi-source convergence found. The town operates a Commission-Manager government: an elected Town Commission sets policy and appoints a Town Manager for day-to-day administration. Its FY2025-26 budget, adopted September 4, 2025, totaled $32,241,402 at a final operating millage of 3.4159 mills — a genuine, roughly 7.12% increase over the computed rollback rate of 3.1889 mills, not a flat hold; combined with fire-department debt service, the overall millage runs 3.5875 mills. For FY2026-27, town staff recommended in a June 2026 presentation holding the combined millage flat at 3.5875, with an estimated 4.1% rise in taxable values generating roughly $600,000 in additional revenue, even as the town separately weighs the potential fiscal effects of Florida’s statewide Amendment 3 property-tax ballot measure, set for a November 3, 2026 vote. Highland Beach’s housing stock centers on Toscana, a three-tower complex built in phases from 2000 to 2004 (North, West, and South towers, totaling 420 units, designed by Sieger Suarez Architectural Partnership) between the Intracoastal and the Atlantic, and Boca Highland, a gated enclave of six named subdivisions — Aberdeen Arms, Braemar Isle, Carron House, Dalton Place, Evanton Bay, and Grand Cay Estates — with buildings described by realty sources as dating from the early 1970s through the 1990s, a manned gate, a private beach club and marina, and tennis and clubhouse amenities. Home prices show a genuinely wide spread by product type: condo and townhome medians clustered around $900,000-$1.13 million as of 2026, while the town’s small number of ultra-luxury single-family oceanfront estates pulled a separate "house" median as high as $6.725 million over a trailing twelve-month period — buyers should not treat any single blended figure as representative given how few single-family transactions occur. The building-age contrast here is genuinely significant for Florida’s post-Surfside milestone-inspection law (SB 4-D, requiring inspections at 25 years for buildings within three miles of the coast, then every 10 years): Boca Highland’s older enclave buildings, along with nearby Parker Highland East (built 1981) and Boca Cove (late 1970s), are already well past that threshold and facing recurring 10-year inspection cycles, while the newer Toscana towers (2000-2004) remain years from their own first mandatory milestone inspection — a real, buyer-relevant distinction rather than a uniform townwide risk. Highland Beach maintains its own town-run Milestone Recertification Information program alongside the statewide framework. Insurance costs for individual condo owners commonly run $8,000-$18,000-plus per year for higher-value coastal units, combining wind-only coverage ($4,000-$8,000), other-perils coverage ($1,500-$3,500), and flood coverage in a high-risk NFIP zone ($2,500-$6,000-plus) — a figure genuinely distinct from whole-building master-policy costs, which for an association covering a large coastal tower can run into the hundreds of thousands to low millions of dollars annually and flow through to individual condo fees.

Who Highland Beach Tends to Fit

  • Retirees who want an extremely quiet, purely residential barrier-island setting rather than a downtown-and-amenity-anchored city
  • Those specifically seeking one of the most age-concentrated populations in Florida — median age 70.8, roughly 64.5% age 65-plus
  • Buyers who want newer coastal condo construction with a later post-Surfside inspection horizon — Toscana’s 2000-2004 towers remain years from their first mandatory milestone inspection
  • Those who want gated, amenity-rich enclave living at Boca Highland, including a private beach club and marina
  • Retirees comfortable relying entirely on nearby Boca Raton for hospital, downtown, and golf amenities while living in a quieter, purely residential setting

Who May Prefer Somewhere Else

  • Buyers wanting a hospital, downtown, or golf club within the town itself — Highland Beach has none of these; Boca Raton Regional Hospital, roughly 4.5-7 miles away, is the practical hospital option
  • Those considering Highland Beach’s older buildings (Boca Highland’s enclave, Parker Highland East, Boca Cove) without accounting for Florida’s post-Surfside milestone-inspection requirements — these buildings are already past the 25-year threshold and face recurring 10-year inspection cycles, with real potential for special assessments
  • Buyers wanting a single, settled home-price figure — condo/townhome medians (roughly $900,000-$1.13 million) sit far below the town’s ultra-luxury single-family "house" median (as high as $6.725 million in one measure), reflecting a small, skewed single-family sample rather than a representative blended figure
  • Those wanting a confirmed, specific FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area coverage percentage or a verified shoreline-erosion-rate figure for the town — this research could not independently confirm either from a primary town or FEMA source and flags both as needing direct verification
  • Buyers wanting low insurance costs — individual condo owners commonly face $8,000-$18,000-plus per year in combined wind, other-perils, and flood coverage for higher-value coastal units
  • Those wanting fast, ongoing growth or new development — Highland Beach’s population has grown only modestly (roughly 1.7% since 2020), reflecting a stable, built-out barrier-island town rather than an actively developing one

Housing Market

Median sale price: $1,000,000 (as of 2026-03).

A small number of ultra-luxury oceanfront estates exist, with a reported trailing-twelve-month "house" median as high as $6.725 million — an outlier figure reflecting very few transactions rather than a representative market.

The dominant housing type, anchored by Toscana’s 420 units across three towers (2000-2004) and Boca Highland’s six gated subdivisions (buildings dating early 1970s-1990s); condo/townhome medians clustered around $900,000-$1.13 million as of 2026.

Minimal; Highland Beach is a genuinely built-out barrier-island town with modest population growth (roughly 1.7% since 2020) rather than an active new-construction market.

Property Taxes & Homestead

The Town Commission adopted a final FY2025-26 operating millage of 3.4159 mills (a roughly 7.12% increase over the computed rollback rate) for a $32,241,402 total budget; combined with fire-department debt service, the overall millage runs 3.5875 mills. Town staff recommended holding the combined FY2026-27 millage flat at 3.5875 as of a June 2026 presentation, with an estimated 4.1% rise in taxable values generating roughly $600,000 in additional revenue; the town is separately monitoring potential fiscal effects of Florida’s statewide Amendment 3 property-tax measure, on the ballot November 3, 2026.

Standard statewide Florida homestead exemption ($25,000/$50,000 structure) and the Save Our Homes 3%-per-year assessment cap apply, with no Highland Beach-specific variation identified in this research.

Insurance, Flood & Hurricane Risk

Individual condo owners commonly face combined annual costs of roughly $8,000-$18,000-plus for higher-value coastal units: wind-only coverage roughly $4,000-$8,000/year, other-perils (fire, theft, liability) coverage roughly $1,500-$3,500/year, and flood coverage in a high-risk NFIP zone roughly $2,500-$6,000-plus/year. This is distinct from whole-building master-policy costs, which for an association covering a large coastal tower can run into the hundreds of thousands to low millions of dollars annually and flow through to individual condo fees rather than being paid directly by unit owners.

This research could not independently confirm a specific FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area coverage percentage for Highland Beach from a primary town or FEMA source; one private climate-risk-modeling source (not an official FEMA figure) reports 86% of properties at risk of severe flooding over a 30-year horizon, a figure that should be understood as a private risk model rather than an official designation. A specific, sourced shoreline-erosion rate for Highland Beach could not be confirmed in this research either, despite the town maintaining its own Coastal Construction Control Line ordinance apparatus; buyers should check Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection "Critically Eroded Beaches" report directly for this specific shoreline segment.

Highland Beach is a true barrier island with direct Atlantic storm-surge and wave exposure, consistent with the risk profile documented elsewhere on this site for comparable South Florida barrier-island communities.

A specific, confirmed FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area coverage percentage for Highland Beach was not identified in this research; buyers should obtain a direct, address-specific flood-zone determination and consult the town’s own Flood Protection materials and Florida DEP’s critically-eroded-beaches reporting for this specific shoreline segment.

HOA, CDD & Condo Fees

Boca Highland’s six gated subdivisions each carry their own association governance and fees; Toscana’s three towers likewise operate under building-specific condo associations. Specific per-building fee figures were not independently confirmed in this research.

No Community Development District was identified as a governance structure within Highland Beach in this research.

Highland Beach maintains its own town-run Milestone Recertification Information program, layered on top of Florida’s statewide SB 4-D law (inspections required at 25 years for buildings within three miles of the coast, then every 10 years). Boca Highland’s older enclave buildings and nearby comparably aged buildings (Parker Highland East, built 1981; Boca Cove, late 1970s) are already past the 25-year threshold and face recurring 10-year cycles, while Toscana’s newer towers (2000-2004) remain years from their first mandatory inspection — buyers should request a specific building’s milestone-inspection and reserve-study status directly before purchasing.

Airports & Transportation

  • Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) — approximately 15 miles

South Ocean Boulevard (A1A) is the town’s sole through-road; I-95 access via neighboring Boca Raton or Delray Beach serves regional travel.

Lifestyle

Highland Beach fronts the Atlantic directly along its roughly two-mile length, with both public and private (Boca Highland) beach access points.

Not identified within the town itself in this research; golf-oriented buyers rely on neighboring Boca Raton or Delray Beach.

Boca Highland’s private marina provides boating access for that enclave’s residents; broader Intracoastal access exists given the town’s barrier-island geography.

Highland Beach has no traditional downtown; it is a purely residential barrier-island town without a walkable commercial core.

Highland Beach’s identity centers on its quiet, purely residential barrier-island character rather than a defined arts or cultural district; residents typically look to neighboring Boca Raton or Delray Beach for cultural amenities.

Snowbird vs Full-Time

Highland Beach follows a pronounced seasonal pattern typical of ultra-affluent South Florida barrier-island communities, with a substantial share of residents present primarily during the winter season.

Pros

  • One of the most age-concentrated populations of any Florida municipality (median age 70.8, roughly 64.5% age 65-plus)
  • A genuinely quiet, purely residential barrier-island setting between two larger, more amenity-rich neighbors
  • A real distinction between older and newer building stock for post-Surfside milestone-inspection purposes, letting buyers choose a later-inspection-horizon building if desired
  • Boca Highland’s gated, amenity-rich enclave with a private beach club and marina
  • Its own dedicated Milestone Recertification Information program supplementing the statewide framework

Drawbacks

  • No hospital, downtown, or golf club within the town itself
  • Real, current post-Surfside milestone-inspection exposure for the town’s older 1970s-90s buildings, with potential special-assessment risk
  • A genuinely wide, unresolved home-price spread between condo/townhome and single-family measures
  • Unconfirmed FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area coverage percentage and shoreline-erosion rate, both flagged as research gaps
  • High individual insurance costs for coastal condo owners ($8,000-$18,000-plus per year)
  • A real FY2025-26 property-tax increase (roughly 7.12% above rollback) alongside ongoing state-level property-tax-reform uncertainty

Compare Highland Beach

Highland Beach vs Palm Beach for Retirement: Quiet Barrier-Island Town vs Ultra-Affluent Historic Enclave Compared

Highland Beach and Palm Beach are both tiny, separately incorporated barrier-island towns in Palm Beach County with two of the most age-concentrated populations documented anywhere on this site, but they sit at very different points on the wealth and amenity spectrum. Highland Beach is a genuinely quiet, low-key town wedged between Boca Raton and Delray Beach, with no downtown, hospital, or golf club of its own — its identity is almost entirely residential, built around condo towers like Toscana and the gated Boca Highland enclave. Palm Beach, by contrast, is one of the most famous and expensive addresses in the United States, home to Worth Avenue, Mar-a-Lago, and The Breakers, with single-family home prices that have run as high as $11.3-$12.9 million. Both towns rely entirely on neighboring cities for hospital care and both carry genuinely extreme median ages relative to their surrounding county, but the retirement experience — Highland Beach’s low-profile residential quiet versus Palm Beach’s global-landmark wealth and social calendar — could hardly be more different. Highland Beach was built out gradually through the late 20th century as a purely residential enclave, with no meaningful commercial base of its own and a population that has grown only modestly (roughly 1.7% since 2020) rather than actively developing. Palm Beach, incorporated in 1911, developed an entirely separate civic identity almost immediately, founding Worth Avenue in 1913 partly to help preserve its independence from annexation pressure by West Palm Beach — the same dynamic, in miniature, that also shaped Highland Beach’s relationship with its own larger neighbors, Boca Raton and Delray Beach. Both towns carry a genuine, well-documented seasonal population swing, busier from roughly November through April than during the summer months, and both rely on Palm Beach International Airport for regional air access, though from opposite ends of the county. A retiree choosing between them is really choosing between two very different scales of the same barrier-island retirement proposition: Highland Beach offers relative anonymity and a meaningfully lower, though still expensive, price point, while Palm Beach offers global name recognition, deep historic architecture, and a price tier that places it among the most expensive addresses documented anywhere on this site.

Nearby Places to Compare

  • Boca Raton

    An upscale South Palm Beach County beach city built around Mizner Park’s Mediterranean Revival downtown, with an unusually dense concentration of large gated golf and country-club communities, from Broken Sound to Boca West.

  • Delray Beach

    Home to Atlantic Avenue, once named "Most Fun Small Town in America," plus the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens and Delray Medical Center, the area’s confirmed Level I trauma center, with an unusually deep bench of 55-plus retirement communities.

Sources

Last reviewed 2026-09-28.

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