Four MLS areas, Many ways to read the island
North End — MLS 5001 · In-Town — MLS 5002 · Estates — MLS 5003 · South End — MLS 5004.
The four MLS areas provide a reporting geography. Buyers, sellers and agents also read the island by Oceanfront, Intracoastal and Interior settings, and by recognizable enclaves such as Billionaires Row. These overlapping perspectives, along with street, property type, building, lot and condition, help define a relevant comparison. They are not additional MLS areas, and the four MLS areas do not capture every distinct market on the island.
Market Intelligence · September 2026
The Palm Beach market, measured carefully
A median can describe direction. It cannot explain a landmark estate, an ocean-to-lake parcel, a teardown acquired for land, or a transaction that never appeared in the MLS.
Historical coverage: North End, In-Town and Estates; South End absent · Data through September 20, 2026The current evidence
Three figures that frame the market
Palm Beach single-family and attached homes sold for a median of $3,167 per living square foot in 2026 year-to-date, 159% above 2019 and 1.2% below the 2022 median.
Since 2024, 48% of concluded listing attempts in the North End, In-Town and Estates reporting subset ended without a sale: 195 expired, canceled or withdrawn attempts against 211 closed attempts.
The trailing-year median sold prices were The North End $10.43M; Midtown & In-Town $11.85M; The Estate Section $25.15M. These MLS-area medians combine properties with different settings, housing types and characteristics.
Historical direction
The repricing held
The 2023–2024 correction was real. The floor held at more than twice the pre-pandemic level, and 2025–2026 returned to near the 2022 peak.
| Year | Closed sales | Median sold price | Median sold $/living SF |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 79 | $4,900,000 (based on 79 sales) | $1,225 (based on 79 sales) |
| 2020 | 180 | $5,325,000 (based on 180 sales) | $1,340 (based on 180 sales) |
| 2021 | 143 | $7,630,000 (based on 143 sales) | $1,928 (based on 143 sales) |
| 2022 | 62 | $12,706,288 (based on 62 sales) | $3,204 (based on 62 sales) |
| 2023 | 42 | $8,855,000 (based on 42 sales) | $2,764 (based on 42 sales) |
| 2024 | 51 | $10,750,000 (based on 51 sales) | $2,634 (based on 51 sales) |
| 2025 | 76 | $12,062,500 (based on 76 sales) | $2,953 (based on 75 sales) |
| 2026 YTD | 82 | $12,250,000 (based on 82 sales) | $3,167 (based on 82 sales) |
Partial-year figures are marked. Annual medians reflect modest samples and the mix of what sold.
Historical reporting coverage
North End, In-Town and Estates in this edition
| Area | Sales | Median sold price | Median $/living SF | Active listings | Months of supply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The North End | 44 | $10,425,000 (based on 44 sales) | $2,848 (based on 44 sales) | 25 | 6.8 |
| Midtown & In-Town | 38 | $11,850,000 (based on 38 sales) | $3,251 (based on 38 sales) | 7 | 2.2 |
| The Estate Section | 19 | $25,150,000 (based on 19 sales) | $3,937 (based on 19 sales) | 13 | 8.2 |
The skeptic’s ledger
This is not a market in which anything sells at any price
Since January 1, 2024, the North End, In-Town and Estates reporting subset recorded 211 closed listing attempts and 195 expired, canceled or withdrawn attempts: 48% of concluded attempts ended without a sale. The closed attempts represent 209 distinct closings after duplicate transaction records are removed. 90 of 209 eligible closings (43%) had a final asking price below the original asking price. Median time from market entry to contract was 104 (based on 205 closings) days.
The listing-attempt percentage describes outcomes in the record; it is not a property’s probability of selling.
Each price band is its own market
The mix of land, frontage, size and condition changes across tiers. These are observed medians, not an isolated premium for any one feature.
| Sold-price tier | Closed sales | Median sold $/living SF |
|---|---|---|
| Under $5M | 17 | $1,999 (based on 17 sales) |
| $5M–under $10M | 110 | $2,488 (based on 110 sales) |
| $10M–under $15M | 79 | $3,062 (based on 79 sales) |
| $15M–under $20M | 41 | $3,461 (based on 40 sales) |
| $20M–under $25M | 17 | $3,742 (based on 17 sales) |
| $25M and above | 49 | $4,930 (based on 49 sales) |
Housing mix
| Property type | Closed sales | Median sold price | Median sold $/living SF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-family detached | 89 | $12,689,525 (based on 89 sales) | $3,201 (based on 89 sales) |
| Townhouses and villas | 11 | $9,000,000 (based on 11 sales) | $2,514 (based on 11 sales) |
| Conflicting MLS property-type records | 1 | Limited sample (based on 1 sale) | Limited sample (based on 1 sale) |
Property-specific context
Use the market to frame the property—not replace it
A private discussion applies the correct area, tier, condition, and transaction evidence to the actual brief.
Periods, formulas and data limits
Single-family homes, townhouses and villas · North End, Midtown & In-Town and Estate Section · Condos and co-ops excluded. This edition covers North End (MLS 5001), In-Town (MLS 5002) and Estates (MLS 5003); South End (MLS 5004) is absent from these historical figures. Records must identify Palm Beach and ZIP 33480. These are the named development groups, not all transactions in ZIP 33480.
Medians require at least 5 eligible observations; percentage comparisons require at least 10 in each comparison group. Smaller samples show “Limited sample” and the count. The count shown with a figure is the number of eligible sales, closings or listing attempts behind it. Sold $/living SF is each closing price divided by its recorded living area, then the median of those ratios. Counts remain visible when medians are suppressed.
Closed sales are deduplicated by parcel number, closing date and closing price; listing key is used when parcel number is absent. When duplicate closing records disagree on detached versus attached housing type, the sale remains in the overall total and appears in a separate conflicting-type row. The ledger counts listing attempts separately: a property can expire and later sell. It is not a count of unique owners or unsuccessful properties. Failed-attempt dates use the recorded status-change date. Price reductions compare final asking price with original asking price; they do not reconstruct every price change.
Market time runs from OnMarketDate (or ListingContractDate if absent) to PurchaseContractDate; missing, negative or over-ten-year intervals are excluded. Months of supply = active listings ÷ (trailing-year closings ÷ 12), with at least 5 closings. Only Active status counts as available inventory; pending and active-under-contract listings are excluded.
Annual rows before 2026 are full calendar years; 2026 is partial through 2026-09-20. Changes in medians reflect sales mix, not repeat-sales appreciation. Waterfront groups follow explicit MLS flags and features; ocean access or beach access alone does not establish frontage. A record coded for both oceanfront and lakefront does not verify an ocean-to-lake parcel. Tax parcel counts are deduplicated by property-control number and include vacant parcels; they are not a count of homes for sale.