It was 1894, two years before Henry Flagler built his railroad, that a former American Civil War major named Nathan S. Boynton first set eyes on the area that now bears his name. He was so impressed by the natural beauty of what he saw, the year-round sunshine and pristine beaches, that he built the famous Boynton Beach Hotel to serve as his family's summer residence.
The first settlers soon realized that an unlimited assortment of fruits and vegetables thrived in the fertile climate. Cultivated pineapples, tomatoes, mangos, oranges, lemons, grapefruits and limes were packed in crates and shipped by the ton on the newly built Florida East Coast Railroad to satisfy the appetites of hungry Americans across the country.
Hurricane Wilma struck Boynton Beach on Monday, October 24, 2005 causing widespread damage to homes and businesses.
Famous Residents, Past and Present
George Burns, PGA professional golfer
Rick Rhoden, former major league baseball player
Otis Thorpe, former NBA basketball player
Kendra Todd, The Apprentice, winner
Vince Wilfork, current defensive lineman for the NFL's New England Patriots
Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 60,389 people, 26,210 households, and 15,673 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,468.3/km² (3,803.5/mi²). There were 30,643 housing units at an average density of 745.0/km² (1,930.0/mi²).
There were 26,210 households out of which 22.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.4% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.2% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the city the population was spread out with 19.9% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 25.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $39,845, and the median income for a family was $47,546. Males had a median income of $32,503 versus $26,399 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,573. About 7.4% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.9% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.
