Palmetto Bay Relocating Guide

Miami-Dade County has been one of the top choices for relocation among Americans. While most people opt for city lives, a selected few prefer village lives, away from the chaos. The fact that you’re here reading this tells us you’re one of these selected few. This is your complete relocation guide to Palmetto Bay, Miami-Dade, Florida. This suburban incorporated village is a great place to move. It’s simply because you get all of Florida’s benefits without going through the chaos.

Palmetto Bay at a Glance

Nicknamed the “Village of Parks”, Palmetto Bay is an incorporated village just west of Biscayne Bay. It’s a village by the Atlantic Ocean. Thankfully, over 99% of the total area is occupied by land. According to Wikipedia, only 0.44% of the area is water. If you’ve been doing your research on Florida, you may know that the sunshine state is notoriously known for hurricanes. In the last 100 years or so, many areas across Florida have been destroyed and then rebuilt. The same goes for Palmetto Bay too. However, the last disastrous hurricane struck the shores in 1992, a time when the area was not classified as Palmetto Bay. Rather, it was a territory held by Rockdale, Cutler, and Easter Perrier census-designated places. While the majority of Miami has gone through major rebuilding, Palmetto Bay is apparently a reminder of the deadly hurricane. While it’s not something you might want to hear as a potential resident of the village, it’s true. The village was finally incorporated in September 2022. The founding Mayor was Eugene Flinn.

Population and Geography

By size, Palmetto Bay is nothing to be excited about. It only has a mere 8.8 square miles of area with a population of over 24,000. This data is extracted from the 2020 US Census. As for zip codes, the area expands to 33157, 33158, and 33176. And it covers area codes 305 and 786. Among the residents, more than 80% are white. It’s interesting because some other cities and villages in Miami-Dade can’t say the same. As you’d expect, the rest of the population is made up of Asians, Blacks, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders. Another interesting aspect of Palmetto Bay is that you find a tiny 0.07% slice of Native American people in the area. As for the weather, you can expect a similar scenario to other Miami-Dade County cities and villages. It’s mostly hot and humid. But as the area is closer to the ocean, it sees occasional dips in temperature with moderate to heavy rain. You can also experience the tropical winter from December to February.

What’s Palmetto Bay’s Economy Like?

With an average 6.87% poverty rate, it’s safe to say that the economy is very stable in Palmetto Bay. Of course, you can’t expect the economic momentum of a city when you’re dealing with an incorporated village. Among the most notable businesses in this area, Burger King is the most prominent. Apparently, the headquarters was in Cutler, one of the 3 census-designated places before Palmetto Bay was incorporated. However, the company later decided to change its location to an unincorporated area in Miami-Dade County. In case you don’t know, an “incorporated” area is overseen by a government in place. Palmetto Bay, for example, has a mayor-council system. City councils, regular maintenance of public parks, road amendments, etc. are general characteristics of incorporated areas. An “unincorporated” area, on the other hand, is one where no government monitoring is present. But it doesn’t mean people can’t live. Plenty of communities have grown in these areas across the US and Canada. It’s simply these 2 countries have so much habitable area that the government is yet to include everything in the system. From a relocation standpoint and future property value, you must look for incorporated cities or villages. Coming back to the topic of discussion for this section, Palmetto Bay has an unemployment rate of 0.8%. It’s a little higher than the national average of 6%. But if you already have a secure job in place, you have nothing to worry about. The income tax rate all over Florida is 0% which means it also applies to Palmetto Bay. The sales tax, however, is at 7%. When compared to surrounding cities and suburbs, it’s a bit on the higher side. This brings us to the average income of the residents. It’s $42,363. It’s way over the US national average of $28,555. If your mind is already blown, be ready to take it to the next step. The median household income. It’s a whopping $108,360! It’s more than double the national average of $53,482! As you can see, you have nothing to worry about when you move to Palmetto Bay from anywhere in the US. The last area we want to cover is the possible job sectors. Let’s take a look at the available industries with sustainable workforces in the area.

Agriculture
Manufacturing
Construction
Finance and insurance
Management of companies
Accommodation
Food services
Public administration

Quality of Education in Palmetto Bay

One of the universal truths of relocation is that you have to look at the quality of education. It’s not necessary for you to have children to look up this information. It’s simply because the quality of education can tell a lot about the quality of the people that live in that area. Palmetto Bay might be a small village but it doesn’t have any shortage of good schools. From private to public, you have all kinds of options open. The public schools in the area include:

Coral Reef Elementary School
Howard Drive Elementary School
Henry E. Perrine Academy of Arts
Southwood Middle School
Miami Palmetto Senior High School

This brings us to the list of private schools. The list includes:

Alexander Montessori School
Christ Fellowship Academy
KLA Schools of Palmetto Bay
Little Disciples Preschool
Palmer Trinity School
Palmetto Bay Academy
Sunrise School of Miami
Westminster Christian School
Weinhold Preschool Academy

If you want even more options for being a Palmetto Bay resident, it’s certainly possible. Miami is only 13 miles from the village. If you’re willing to go 17 miles, you get the options from Hialeah too!

Things to Do in Palmetto Bay

If housing prices, living costs, and tax rates were the only things that mattered for relocation, a lot of places on earth would’ve been more populated. But that’s not the case. It’s simply because residents need fresh air to breathe and engage in recreational activities where they live. What are some of the activities in Palmetto Bay, Florida, you ask? Let’s find out!

Coral Reef Park

It was a dead giveaway that Coral Reef Park was going to be the first entry on the list. This 50+ acres of the land-locked park has been a major attraction for locals and tourists alike. Yes, you read that right. The name may contain an oceanic vibe but there is no water around the park. From weekend picnics to an afternoon walking to morning cycling, the Coral Reef Park is an all-rounder. However, in recent years, the park has become a lot more commercialized than before. It’s an observation by the residents of the village and they’re not a fan of it. The best way to avoid loud music or large groups of people would be to go for a visit on a weekday.

Deering Estate

If you’ve already started oiling your rifle for deer hunting, we recommend that you stop. The name of the property actually comes from Charles Deering, an American industrialist and the founder of the International Harvester Corporation. With over 400 acres of land to cover, this mesmerizing estate of Mr. Deering is open to the public and it’s quite reasonably priced. This used to be the winter home for the Deerings. You can only imagine the extent of gardening and maintenance this place might go through. After all, it’s the estate of one of the biggest industrialists!

Palmetto Golf Course

Florida and golf go pretty much hand in hand. When you imagine a Florida resident who’s retired, you think of them in their golf outfit, out on the field with their caddy on a sunny day. You can be that person and be a resident of Palmetto Bay too! All you have to do is visit the Palmetto Bay Golf course. It’s located on SW 152^nd Street where you can play a game of Par-70. Over 100 acres of land go into making this an ideal visit on weekends. Or, even on weekdays if you have the time. The golf course has been here even before the days of Palmetto Bay. According to records, the golf course was built during the 1950s as a private course. It was later turned into a municipal service in the 1960s.

Biltmore Hotel Guided Tour

You might be wondering, what’s there to see at a hotel, right? Well, the Biltmore Hotel in Palmetto Bay is not just any hotel. It was the pinnacle of luxury during the pre-WWII times. Especially, it’s known for housing concurrent Hollywood celebrities, business magnets, and the ultra-rich of the world. The guided tour in the modern day allows you to get a glimpse of what that life is all about. The great thing is that these tours are free! They only run on Sundays at 2 PM. You already know that you must show up early if you want to make it to the final batch that goes in.

Little Havana

Although this place is a legacy of Miami, who says you can’t drive to Little Havana on a warm afternoon? Once you park, walk right to Ocho or 8^th street to witness the glamor of coffee shops, galleries, art studios, and other things that scream Cuba.

Art & Culture

The village might be very small but there’s no way to deny that it has a florished culture of art. It has multiple art studios along with galleries for you to quench your thirst for art. If you’re feeling the urge on a fine evening, walk into any of these art galleries below:

Afrikin Art
BlackTower Gallery
O Haligon Fine Art
Brewing Buddha Café & Arthouse
Art Center
Tracy Ellyn Fine Arts Studio

Top Places to Eat and Drink

Fine dining might be something you don’t do very often. If you did, you wouldn’t be considered fine dining anymore, don’t you think? But you still need a good array of restaurants and eateries after you move somewhere new. So, what options does Palmetto Bay has to offer to the newcomers?

CHE 105 Dadeland Mall – Craving seafood? Visit CVI.CHE
Caffe Portofino – Excellent coffee to hang out with friends or even for business meetings
Askaneli – A blend of the best of everything Palmetto Bay has to offer
1111 Peruvian Bistro – Known for Sushi bars and authentic Peruvian food
The Butcher Shop & Deli – Heaven for meat lovers

Highways and Transportation

Being on the far side of Miami-Dade County, no major highways go through Palmetto Bay. The Florida 826 highway, also known as Palmetto Bay, is the only major road that swings by the outskirts of the village. The roads that run inside the village have all modern amenities such as bicycle lanes, sidewalks, traffic lights, and street lights, of course. As for public transportation, there are 2 I-Bus circulators that transport passengers to and from different areas of Miami-Dade County.

Political Status

Near the beginning of our guide to relocation in Palmetto Bay, we’ve mentioned that the city follows a mayor-council government system. You can also call it a council-manager format, according to the official website. The current mayor of the village is Karyn Cunningham. She’s accompanied by vice mayor Leanne Tellam and village manager Nick Marano. Every agenda of the area is taken care of by the village council. Its responsibilities include enacting ordinances, utilizing the village budget, creating and executing policies, and so on. The majority of these tasks go through the hands of the village manager. As for the Mayor, it’s more of a ceremonial role. It’s similar to what we’ve seen with many other council-manager type governments. Palmetto Bay village is divided into 3 different residential areas and 3 council members are responsible for these locations.