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| Palm Beach Gardens shopping center |
By Jane Feehan
Palm Beach Gardens wasn’t developed as a resort community. A
project of insurance magnate John D. MacArthur, the town started out with his vision
of 55,000 homes for year-round residents.
MacArthur (1897-1978) moved to Florida in 1958 from Chicago.
He had already made millions in Florida real estate and owned 100,000 acres, according
to The Miami Herald. The
newspaper also wrote that he had put up money for the development of Carol City
in Dade County.
His Palm Beach County purchase of 4,000 acres sat west of
North Palm Beach and three miles from the Florida Turnpike. MacArthur wanted it
to be named Palm Beach City. Palm Beach
County passed a resolution in March 1959 to prohibit use of that name because it
could convey that the hub of Palm Beach County was a suburb.
The name Palm Beach Gardens seemed less of a threat; the
city was incorporated June 20, 1959. MacArthur hired architect Tony Sherman (who
also designed the Yankee Clipper and the Jolly Roger hotels in Fort Lauderdale) to put his talents to work for the new community.
MacArthur reportedly said, “property isn’t worth much until
you bring people into the area.” In August 1960, after work began on Palm Beach
Gardens, he struck up an agreement with Radio Corporation of America—RCA—to open a facility in the new city with their purchase from MacArthur of 104 acres and their plans for more than 1,000 jobs. RCA opened on land not far from SR-A1A in 1961
and operated there until 1986. A street, RCA Boulevard, remains off PGA
Boulevard near the "Downtown" shopping center.
Like much of South Florida, Palm Beach Gardens grew over the decades, attracting both winter and year-round residents including some high-profile sports icons such as tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams and several entertainment figures.
Palm Beach Gardens has garnered national attention for the PGA National Resort with its golf courses and tournaments. Recreation also includes its 1.6-mile beach, which sits in the beautiful John D. MacArthur State Park. It’s a protected hammock and mangrove strip off the barrier island with kayaking, picnicking and more.
Juno, Jupiter, Jupiter Island, and Tequesta lie close to and north of Palm Beach Gardens. Abacoa borders Jupiter. It's all nearby.
This city attracts residents from communities as far away as Vero Beach who shop at Downtown Palm Beach Gardens, a center opened in 1988. It now includes Whole Foods, Nordstrom’s, Bloomingdale’s and a roster of high-end stores not found in other parts of county.
Shopping in other PBG locations includes a line up of specialty food and clothing stores. A few top-notch restaurants also draw locals and those from nearby towns for a night out.
Palm Beach Gardens stats (refer to sources below article for data sources; stats are very fluid)
Population (2024): 63,284
Population growth: 2020-2024 estimated 7%
Winter residents - 11% + (probably more)
Median age: 50.1 years; about 31% of the population is over 65.
Composition: female – 52.6%, 77 % white with 23% combined Asian, Black, and Hispanic minorities.
Median household income $110,563 (Data USA)
Industries of employment: healthcare, professional
scientific, and technical services
Real estate, very fluid numbers (August 2025)
Zillow lists 841 homes for sale
Realtor.com lists 1,031 homes for sale
Median listing: $799,000
More on John D. MacArthur
John D. MacArthur owned Bankers Life and Casualty, once the largest health and life insurance company in the United States. Forbes noted in the late 1950s that he was one of the 10 wealthiest men in the United States.
He owned and lived modestly in the Colonnades Beach Hotel on Singer Island where he also conducted much of his business. Upon MacArthur’s death, his net worth was estimated at $700 million.
Since his death, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has awarded more than $6.8 billion to “nearly 10,000 organizations and individuals in 116 countries and 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S Virgin Islands” (https://www.macfound.org)
Sources:
The Palm Beach Post, March 20, 1959
The Palm Beach Post, March 29, 1959
The Palm Beach Post, Aug. 14, 1960
The Miami Herald, Dec. 11, 1960
The Palm Beach Post, Jan. 5, 1978
New York Daily News, Jan. 7, 1978
Palm Beach Gardens- pbgfl.gov
Data USA
Data Commons
US Census
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/john-d-macarthur-beach-state-park
Tags; Palm Beach Gardens, PGA, John D. MacArthur, Palm Beach County history, Downtown Palm Beach Gardens
