A city in Palm Beach County, in Florida, Boca Raton is the County’s southernmost city.
Initially, it was incorporated under the name of Bocaratone in 1924. In 1925, the incorporated name was changed to what it is today – Boca Raton.
According to the 2017 Census, the population of the City was 98,150.
Boca Raton’s population has been growing consistently since 1940 when there were approximately 700 inhabitants.
Advantages of Living in Boca Raton, Florida
1 Real estate.
You get a spectrum of choice in terms of homes to buy or rent in Boca Raton.
Anything from basic condominiums through to highly extravagant estate type homes, you’ll find it in Boca Raton.
Golf has a lot to do with who chooses to live here.
Have a look here for a list of golf courses in Boca Raton.
Many communities in Boca Raton have their own onsite course.
2 Public safety.
The taxes may be a little higher in Boca Raton, but there is a beneficial impact of that.
The 1 percent extra sales tax helps in funding public services, inclusive of police, fire brigade, and more.
Boca Raton has its own police force. Additionally, the Boca Raton police receive support from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
This is reflected in terms of the amount of violent crime in Boca Raton which is significantly lower than the U.S. average.
However, for property crime, it’s a different story. Property crime in Boca Raton is slightly above that of the national average.
3 Education in Boca Raton.
There are plenty of schools that are rated well above the national average in terms of quality of education provided in Boca Raton.
Search for a list of schools in Boca Raton.
4 Blend of suburban life and city life.
You get the best of both worlds in Boca Raton – suburbia and city life combined.
In Boca Raton, there are the benefits of suburban life – relatively safe, plenty of wide open spaces with sumptuous greenery, and a sense of community.
There are, likewise, benefits to gain from city life – cultural and arts highlights, plenty of work-related opportunities, shopping, restaurants, et cetera.
There’s always stuff to do for all the family or for the single professional person in Boca Raton. The City is lively, both through the day and during the night.
In terms of restaurants, you might want to check out the following highly rated eateries:
The Capital Grille: 6000 W, Glades Road. Fine dining.
Seasons 52: 2300 NW Executive Center Dr. New American.
Abe & Louie’s Boca Raton: 2200 Glades Rd. Steak.
J. Alexander’s Restaurant: 1400 Glades Rd. American.
Farmer’s Table: 1901 N Military Trl. Family friendly.
Casimir French Bistro: 416 Via de Palmas #81. French.
5 Lots of open space.
Most U.S. cities are comprised of building upon building stacked ever so closely together. There’s little space to stretch your legs, other than walking down the street.
Boca Raton is rather different. There’s plenty of open space in this city. A walk to the shops or to the beach is a congenial affair in Boca Raton.
6 Even more open space.
In Boca Raton, you’ll find plenty of parks, reserves, nature trails, and beaches.
There are rivers, there are lakes, there are springs.
There is an array of wildlife to see in Boca Raton, from iguanas to alligators.
Best places in or not too far from Boca Raton for wildlife?
Serenoa Glade Preserve: 1101 NW 15th St, Boca Raton, FL 33486. Wildlife refuge.
Wakodahatchee Wetlands: 13270 Jog Rd, Delray Beach, FL 33484.
Pondhawk Natural Area: NW, 1501 Spanish River Blvd, Boca Raton, FL 33431. Park and garden.
South Florida Wildlife Center: 3200 SW 4th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315. Wildlife reserve.
Daggerwing Nature Center: 11435 Park Access Rd, Boca Raton, FL 33498. Recreation center.
Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge: 10216 Lee Rd, Boynton Beach, FL 33472.
Disadvantages of Living in Boca Raton
1 It’s hot and it’s humid in Boca Raton, Fl.
Hosting regular poolside gatherings or beach-fun adventures are great and all, but when you’re not at the pool and not at the beach, the heat and the humidity in Boca Raton can become stifling and oppressing.
If you’re heading here from the northern parts of the U.S., or from a country that doesn’t experience heat and humidity much, if ever, you’ll quickly fall in love with your home’s and your car’s air conditioning.
It really does become swelteringly hot and humid in Boca Raton.
Of course, along with very hot weather comes occasional-to-frequent thunderstorms.
As such, one moment you’re out enjoying the hot rays from the sunshine, and the next, you’re soaked to the skin – not from the heat and humidity (though there is that, too) but from a torrential rainstorm.
2 Traffic congestion.
It makes complete sense to dodge the toll roads in and around Boca Raton. There’s the Florida Turnpike – toll road. There’s the Sawgrass Expressway – toll road. There’s the I-95 – toll road – or, at least, multiple toll lanes.
However, when you’re intent on doing the exact same as everyone else, namely, to dodge the toll roads, you’ll frequently hit on a traffic cluster.
If you’re new to the area, take a bit of time to figure things out in terms of avoiding the toll roads and toll lanes.
That way you’ll get a feel for how long it takes to drive to and from work at certain times of morning/ evening.
What’s more, you’ll get a sense of alternative routes that are a little less busy than other routes.
The winter months – from Thanksgiving through to around about the Easter holidays – experience even more traffic on the road than at other times of the year.
The reason being that snowbirds flock to this part of the U.S. in seek of shelter from the cold.
The same flocking occurs during the summer months when the holiday makers reach peak numbers.
3 Public transport is lacking.
It’s a very affluent city, and yet, public transport is very poor.
If you are not a car owner, it’s possibly a better alternative to hop on bike than to wait for buses.
Buses are, to say the least, inconsistent in Boca Raton.
4 Expenses are expensive.
Life in Boca Raton comes with some additional expenses in comparison to other areas within the United States, and other areas in Florida.
In Palm Beach County, sales tax is 7 percent as opposed to the usual 6 percent.
What that means is the cost of groceries, clothing and home goods and appliances are higher by that additional 1 percent sales tax.
Furthermore, due to the cost of living in Boca Raton being a bit higher than elsewhere, you’ll pay more for services.
So, if you think that the additional cost of hiring an electrician or plumber in Boca Raton is because that particular trades person is trying to put one over on you, it’s actually not so. Service people in Boca Raton charge more than in most of the surrounding cities.
5 Cost of housing in Boca Raton.
While the overall cost of living in Boca Raton is around 24 percent higher than the rest of Florida, the cost of living is 33 percent higher in Boca Raton than the average cost of living in the U.S.
This is mostly because of the cost of housing.
It costs around 75 percent more on average to buy a house here than a similar-sized house elsewhere in the U.S.
If you are renting, for a home that would cost a little upwards of $1,400/ month elsewhere in the U.S., you can expect to pay a little upwards of $2,000/ month in Boca Raton for something similar.
6 Nightlife? What nightlife?
Folks don’t flock to Boca for its nightlife.
There are a few bars, and there are a few clubs in the City. However, in the surrounding cities, you’ll find much more and much better.
Added to that, most establishments in Boca Raton close early.
If you’re looking for nightlife, head to West Palm Beach or to Fort Lauderdale instead.
7 Early closure.
As mentioned just above, for those that seek nightlife fun, the better alternative is to head to West Palm Beach or Fort Lauderdale.
The same can be said for late-night dining.
For the most part, clubs, pubs, and restaurants in Boca Raton close doors no later than 11pm.
What do residents of Boca Raton think about living there?
(Reference: Quora)
David Morton says:
It’s SPOTLESS….and I do mean SPOTLESS. The beaches are not crowded at all. My takeaway from living there 4 months is :
#1. Muscle cars constantly racing on almost every street you’re on. Loud , manic, and dangerous!
#2. Older women with their faces crammed with botox and maintain no eye contact with you unless you’re dressed in an Italian 3-piece suit.
#3. An EXTREMELY and I do mean EXTREMELY competitive economy.
I am a published author and the only job I was offered after a 4 month search was as a bus boy at the IPIC theatre in the Mizner center near glades avenue.
It is CUT-THROAT trying to find the even lowest level employment.
#4. The constant sun beating down took a toll on me. Christmas and Thanksgiving there seemed soul-less, mundane, and lifeless.
#5. Be prepared to spend 25% of your life at insanely DELAYED stop lights!!!
I should’ve put this one as the number #1 crappy thing in this list!
My god there is seemingly a stop light every frikken 3rd block…and if you dont peel out at these stoplights people blow their horns and ZOOM around you and most likely flip you the bird!
#6. Highway 95 North and South were averaging 1–3 major accidents/backups per day! Constant gridlocks!
#7. The oceans and beaches are amazing and there’s tons of clean malls and restaurants but other than that, if you combine the above drama with the out of control heat wave ( May through November ) I would stay away from this place and just visit the beaches once a year.
Ariel Barish says:
I lived in Boca for the first 17 years of my life (I’m 18 now).
It was a great place to grow up for me.
It taught me a lot about the power of privelage and entitlement.
Many people there are superficially kind, so it’s kind of difficult to find true friends.
Most people living there are upper-middle or upper class and people really REALLY enjoy flaunting their money, especially if they come from an affluent background.
I went to public school for elementary and middle school, and private school for high school, so a lot of my opinions have been shaped by that.
Growing up in Boca definitely it’s positives and negatives.
The weather for me was really hot and too humid, but some people loved it.
The absolute most annoying thing about growing up there was the snowbirds – old people who live in Boca for the winter then go back north the rest of the year.
Photo by Luis Quintero from Pexels