West Palm Beach Apartments and Rentals

The beautiful and sunny city of West Palm Beach is situated on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean in Southeast Florida. West Palm Beach apartments for rent put residents in what many consider to be paradise, with a climate that allows for year-round outdoor fun in the sun and scenery that resembles a tropical island. Breathtaking waterfront views are what most people note about this ocean-side town, and a thriving downtown district, historic neighborhoods and eccentric shopping centers all seem to be marvelous bonuses for residents and visitors.

With the bustling city life, gorgeous ocean-side walkways, and close proximity to the Florida Everglades, West Palm Beach offers the best of natural wonders and thriving city life.

West Palm Beach is home to an estimated 101,043 residents as of July 2011, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The city's history goes back to 1893, when Henry Morrison Flagler arrived in the area and dreamed up a plan for the city that included one side of the it setup as America's first resort city and the other aside for the workers.

Between 1990 and 2000, West Palm Beach saw a massive population growth of 22.8 percent and is currently the largest community in Palm Beach County. Downtown West Palm Beach apartments are prime spots for business professionals looking to take advantage of the newly renovated downtown business district. The downtown area is home to two retail and entertainment districts known as CityPlace and the Clematis Street District. These areas are popular neighborhoods as here you will find nightlife attractions, fine dining, and specialty boutiques.

West Palm Beach apartments are popular choices for professionals and students. City Town Info reveals that there are at least 11 colleges in the city that represent a combined student body of nearly 5,000 students.

West Palm Beach boasts a vibrant downtown district. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the most common industry in this city is educational services, health care and social assistance, which is followed by professional, scientific, management, administrative and waste management services. City-Data revealed that the most common occupation falls in the category of building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations.

Palm Beach County released a list of their top 100 employers as of December 2011, according to data collected from Hoover's D&B data from Enterprise Florida. On the list are many West Palm Beach businesses. Some of the largest employers include the helicopter producer, Sikorsky Aircraft, Florida Crystals, the Palm Beach County Government, which employs more than 11,000 people; and Veterans Health Administration.

According to data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau, West Palm Beach apartments have a rental vacancy rate of 13.1 percent and the median rent in 2010 was $1,010. The range of rental cost is wide but most renters fall in the range of $1,000 to $1,499. More than 60 percent of total renters fall in the range of $750 to $1,499. Furthermore, roughly half of all renters spend 35 percent or more of their household income on rental costs.

City-Data information revealed that the cost of living in West Palm Beach in March 2012 was assigned a value of 102.3, which is very near the national average of 100. This puts West Palm Beach at only 2 percent above the U.S. cost of living.

One of the big attractions to the city of West Palm Beach is the stunning waterfront area that is filled with walkways and breathtaking views of Palm Beach and surrounding cities. The City of West Palm Beach hosts regular free waterfront events, many taking place in Centennial Square.

On the western side of the city, the 23 square mile wetlands ecosystem, Grassy Waters Preserve can be found. This is a popular spot for enjoying the outdoors and getting close up with nature for hiking, biking and other recreational activities.

Apartments near West Palm Beach put the many attractions of this vibrant city at your disposal. Theater buffs will enjoy the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, recognized as one of the premier performing arts centers in the southeast.

If you are looking for an apartment for rent or a house rental in West Palm Beach, Calif., search for rental properties at Rent.com®.