How a Florida city rebranded itself to escape the shadow of its own suburbs

Countries & Cities · Published 15 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Lake Worth Beach, Florida, is a city defined by its complex history, from its origins as a homestead for formerly enslaved people to its mid-century reputation as a hub for adult cinema. In 2019, residents voted to rename the city to distinguish it from the sprawling, unincorporated suburbs nearby.

The city of Lake Worth Beach sits along the Lake Worth Lagoon, an estuary that was once a freshwater body before manmade inlets connected it to the Atlantic Ocean. While the area holds archaeological evidence of Jaega inhabitation dating back thousands of years, modern settlement began in 1885 when Samuel and Fannie James, an African American couple, filed a homestead claim for 187 acres. Fannie James served as the local postmaster from 1889 to 1903, operating out of a small dry goods shop that served the pioneer homesteads along the lagoon.

Incorporated in 1913, the town experienced rapid growth during the 1920s land boom, quintupling its population between 1920 and 1930. However, the city has faced repeated cycles of destruction and rebirth. The 1928 Okeechobee hurricane demolished roughly 600 homes and damaged 75% of the business district, causing $4 million in damages. Later, the city struggled through a period of decline in the late 20th century, during which it gained a reputation as the country's 'skin-flick capital' due to the prevalence of adult theaters, a far cry from its current status as a diverse municipality known for its historic districts and cultural festivals.

Today, the city maintains a unique identity within the Miami metropolitan area. It is one of the most racially and ethnically diverse municipalities in Palm Beach County, home to significant populations of Finnish immigrants, Haitian residents, and Guatemalan-Mayans who arrived seeking refuge from the Guatemalan genocide. The 2019 name change was a strategic move to distance the city from the higher crime reputations of the surrounding unincorporated areas and to rebrand as a distinct beach destination. This effort reflects a long-standing pattern of the city attempting to define itself against the backdrop of its larger, often confusingly named, suburban neighbors.

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