Greenacres, Florida

Greenacres is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Miami metropolitan area in South Florida. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 43,990 residents.

Frederick E. Bryant, Harold J. Bryant, and William Greenwood of the Palm Beach Farms Company began buying and selling land in the area by 1909. The land was hard to farm because it was in wetland conditions, so it stayed mostly unused until the 1920s land boom. Lawrence Carter "L. C." Swain started planning the original part of Greenacres in 1923. The community became Greenacres City on May 24, 1926, after the name was picked from a hat. The city was dissolved in 1945 but then re-established in 1947. The population stayed small until it grew quickly in the 1970s. In 1990, the community changed its name to simply Greenacres.

Today, Greenacres is a diverse and large community. John I. Leonard High School, the largest high school in Palm Beach County and one of the largest in Florida, has been in Greenacres since the city added the land for it in 1994.

History

In 1909, three men bought land in the Everglades and along Lake Worth's coast. They sold small plots to people from the United States and Canada. Many buyers settled near Lake Worth, which later became Lake Worth Beach.

The town became Greenacres City in 1926, with around 1,250 people. A hurricane in 1928 damaged many buildings. After some people wanted to dissolve the town, residents voted to keep it in 1945. Over time, the city grew and built new buildings like a city hall and community center. In 1990, the town changed its name to Greenacres. Today, Greenacres has more than 40,000 people.

Geography

Greenacres is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The city covers 5.79 square miles (15.0 km²), and all of this area is land.

Greenacres is found in the east-central part of the county. It is northwest of Atlantis, east of Wellington, and borders Palm Springs to its east.

Climate

Greenacres has a tropical climate, much like the weather in the Caribbean. This is rare for the 48 contiguous states, as it is one of the only places there with this kind of climate. Specifically, it has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen climate classification, Am).

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

In the 2020 census, Greenacres had 43,990 people living there. The average age was 38.2 years. About 23.3% of the people were younger than 18, and 16.4% were 65 or older. For every 100 girls and women, there were 90.5 boys and men. For every 100 girls and women who were 18 or older, there were 86.4 boys and men.

There were 16,113 homes in Greenacres. About 35.3% of these homes had children younger than 18 living in them. Most homes were either married couples living together (42.1%), or had a woman as the main person living there without a husband (32.6%). Some homes had just one person living in them (25.4%).

2010 census

In 2010, there were 37,573 people living in Greenacres. The average age was 36.3 years. About 24.8% of the people were younger than 18, and 16.6% were 65 or older. For every 100 girls and women, there were 90.6 boys and men. For every 100 girls and women who were 18 or older, there were 86.6 boys and men.

Most homes were either married couples living together (16.4%), or had a woman as the main person living there without a husband (16.5%). Some homes had just one person living in them (27.9%).

2000 census

In 2000, there were 27,569 people living in Greenacres. The average age was 40 years. About 20.9% of the people were younger than 18, and 23.6% were 65 or older. For every 100 girls and women, there were 87.9 boys and men. For every 100 girls and women who were 18 or older, there were 84.2 boys and men.

Most homes were either married couples living together (45.9%), or had a woman as the main person living there without a husband (12.5%). Some homes had just one person living in them (29.7%).

In 2000, many people spoke English at home (73.64%), but some spoke Spanish (21.02%), Italian (1.69%), French Creole (1.09%), German (0.71%), or French (0.45%) as their first language.

Education

All public schools from kindergarten through 12th grade in Greenacres are run by the School District of Palm Beach County, which is one of the largest school districts in the United States.

The city has several elementary schools, including Cholee Lake, Diamond View, Greenacres, Heritage, Liberty Park, and Forest Hill. Middle schools include L. C. Swain, Okeeheelee, and Tradewinds. The main high school is John I. Leonard High School.