FL
Boca RatonCity Guide
Mediterranean Revival rooftops, Atlantic beaches, and a Brightline stop at the front door.
Boca Raton sits in southern Palm Beach County, 28 miles north of Fort Lauderdale and 50 miles north of Miami, with seven miles of Atlantic coast and a 2026 population of roughly 104,200. The city was first incorporated as Bocaratone in 1924 and re-chartered as Boca Raton on May 26, 1925 — the year architect Addison Mizner arrived from Palm Beach and began stamping the city with the Mediterranean Revival style that still defines it.
A city shaped by one architect's vocabulary
Mizner's vocabulary — barrel-tile roofs, arched loggias, ochre stucco, courtyards built around fountains — was applied first to the Cloister Inn (now the Boca Raton Resort & Club) and then propagated through a century of zoning preferences. Mizner Park, the city's downtown core, is a 1991 mixed-use reinterpretation of the same language, and most newer luxury developments still pull from the same palette.
The city is a federation of mostly-gated communities woven around a small walkable downtown. Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club, The Sanctuary, Boca West, Broken Sound, and Boca Pointe each have their own gate, their own clubhouse, and their own price tier; East Boca and the Spanish River corridor handle the coastal single-family stock; condos cluster along A1A, Mizner Park, and the Federal Highway corridor. Florida Atlantic University's 850-acre campus on the west side adds a 25,000-student counterweight to the retiree majority.
Boca Raton is what happens when one architect's idea of Mediterranean Florida is allowed, for a hundred years, to set the rules everyone else builds inside of.
Key Details
What makes Boca Raton special
What to Expect
A polished, mostly-suburban city of gated country clubs, Mediterranean-tile rooftops, and a small walkable downtown around Mizner Park. Median age is 46 and 29% of residents are 65+, but the St. Andrews corridor and East Boca pull in younger families. Evenings are quieter than Delray Beach; days revolve around clubs, FAU, and the beach.
The Market
March 2026 median sale price is $828,000 (down 2.6% YoY) at $453/sqft (down 5.4%); homes sit roughly 78 days before selling. Inventory has rebuilt sharply — about 1,600 active listings, up 163% YoY — pushing the market toward balance. Gated single-family communities and condos dominate; ultra-luxury Intracoastal estates set the top end above $20M.
Districts
Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club and The Sanctuary anchor the ultra-luxury Intracoastal/ocean tier; Boca West and Broken Sound are the country-club country; Mizner Park and East Boca handle walkable urban and coastal single-family. West of I-95, Boca Pointe and the St. Andrews corridor pull families targeting top-rated public schools.
Getting Around
A Brightline station opened at Mizner Park in December 2022 (Miami–Orlando line), and Tri-Rail's Yamato Road station is the system's busiest stop. I-95 and Florida's Turnpike run north-south through the city; FLL is ~25 miles away (30 min), PBI ~28 miles (30–40 min), MIA ~50 miles. Downtown is the only walkable pocket — everywhere else is car-dependent.
Schools & FAU
Top-rated Palm Beach County public schools cluster on the west side: Blue Lake Elementary, Addison Mizner School, Omni Middle, Spanish River Community High. Private prep is anchored by Saint Andrew's School and Pine Crest's Boca campus. Florida Atlantic University adds a 25,000-student research campus, an American Conference D-I athletic program, and a 2023 men's basketball Final Four run.
Outdoors & Beach
Seven miles of Atlantic coast spread across South Beach Park, Red Reef Park (with a snorkelable living coral reef 50–100 yards offshore), Spanish River Park (95 acres, kayak launch, 40-foot observation tower), and South Inlet Park. Gumbo Limbo Nature Center handles sea-turtle rehab on a barrier-island boardwalk; Sugar Sand Park and Patch Reef Park handle inland family time.
Storm Risk & Climate
Boca is in the hurricane belt — Wilma (2005) caused widespread damage — and First Street modeling puts roughly 70% of the building stock at significant flood risk, with 77 of 86 census tracts above the 50% threshold. Sea-level projections range 10–17 inches by 2040 above 2000 Key West MSL. Newer construction meets elevated flood minimums; older waterfront stock carries the most exposure.
Lifestyle & Highlights
The best of Boca Raton
Market Intelligence
Real estate trends in Boca Raton
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Boca Raton
Talk to a Boca Raton expert
Get matched with an agent who lives and sells in Boca — gated communities, beachfront condos, downtown Mizner, and St. Andrews schools.