Where Is Westlake, Florida? Inside Palm Beach County's Newest City
July 14, 2026 · 7 min read · By Onias Derilus, Broker
Westlake is Palm Beach County's newest city, built from scratch by Minto in the western part of the county. Here is where it sits, how it grew, and what living there looks like.
Where is Westlake, Florida? It sits in the western part of Palm Beach County, roughly 30 minutes west of downtown West Palm Beach and just past Loxahatchee, near the rural stretch known as The Acreage. Unlike the county's older beach towns, Westlake did not grow up over a century. Minto Communities built it from open land, and it became Palm Beach County's 39th municipality when it incorporated in 2016.
Key Takeaways
- Westlake is in western Palm Beach County, about 30 minutes west of West Palm Beach, past Loxahatchee.
- It incorporated in 2016 and is one of Florida's newest cities, developed by Minto Communities.
- The community spans roughly 3,800 acres and was originally approved for about 4,500 homes, with entitlements allowing more.
- Population has grown fast, from under 1,000 in 2020 to well over 7,000 by 2024.
- Homes range from townhomes in the mid-$300,000s to larger single-family houses.
Where is Westlake, Florida, on the map?
Westlake lies inland, west of the coastal cities most people picture when they think of Palm Beach County. From the beaches of Palm Beach or the offices of downtown West Palm Beach, you head west, past the suburbs and out toward the agricultural edge of the county. The city sits near Seminole Pratt Whitney Road, surrounded by the semi-rural communities of Loxahatchee and The Acreage. That location gives Westlake more space and newer construction than you find closer to the water, at prices that tend to undercut the coast.
A city built from scratch
Most Florida cities grew slowly around a port, a railroad, or a resort. Westlake did not. Minto Communities acquired a large tract of land in western Palm Beach County and set out to build a full master-planned city, complete with homes, retail, parks, and its own government. The site covers about 3,800 acres. When residents voted to incorporate in 2016, Westlake officially became a city rather than just a subdivision, which gave it local control over zoning, services, and growth.
That from-the-ground-up approach puts Westlake in the same category as other South Florida master-planned communities we have profiled, including Avenir in Palm Beach Gardens and Arden farther south. Each one sells the same core idea: a brand-new community with modern homes and built-in amenities.
How many homes and people?
Westlake was originally approved for about 4,500 homes, though later entitlements allow the developer to build more, with reports citing a cap as high as 6,500. Either way, this is a large, long-term build. The population has climbed quickly to match. Westlake counted fewer than 1,000 residents in 2020, and by late 2024 that figure had passed 7,600. The city led Palm Beach County in single-family home building activity in 2022, a sign of just how fast it has been filling in.
What does it cost to live in Westlake?
Housing in Westlake spans a range. Townhomes have been offered from the mid-$300,000s up to around $500,000, while single-family homes run higher depending on size and builder. Because Minto controls much of the construction, buyers get newer homes with current building codes, which matters for insurance and energy costs in South Florida. For a broader sense of what a household spends across the region, our guide to the cost of living in South Florida is a useful companion. Buyers weighing new construction should also read up on the builders shaping nearby communities before choosing.
Amenities and daily life
Westlake was designed to keep everyday errands close. A 50,000-square-foot Publix opened in the city in June 2024, and the community includes recreation features such as a long fitness trail and a central amenity area. Families in Westlake fall within the western Palm Beach County school zones, and the city's location gives quick access to the shopping and dining of the western suburbs. For those who work in West Palm Beach or the coastal job centers, the commute is the main trade-off, since Westlake trades beach proximity for space and value.
Is Westlake right for you?
Westlake suits buyers who want a new home, a planned community, and more square footage for the money than the coast offers. It is still filling in, so you buy into a place that is actively growing rather than one that is finished. If newer construction and a master-planned setting appeal to you, Westlake belongs on the list alongside the county's other new communities. Browse current new construction options or explore the wider Palm Beach County market to compare.
Frequently asked questions
What county is Westlake, Florida, in?
Westlake is in Palm Beach County, in the western, inland part of the county near Loxahatchee and The Acreage.
Is Westlake a real city?
Yes. Westlake incorporated in 2016 and is Palm Beach County's 39th municipality, with its own city government, rather than just a neighborhood.
Who built Westlake?
Minto Communities is the master developer and primary homebuilder, having built the community from open land in western Palm Beach County.
How far is Westlake from West Palm Beach?
Westlake sits roughly 30 minutes west of downtown West Palm Beach, past the suburbs and toward the agricultural edge of the county.
Curious about a new home in western Palm Beach County? Westlake and its neighboring communities offer newer construction at inland prices. Contact Pure Equity and we will help you compare communities, builders, and floor plans.
What buying in a brand new city actually means
Westlake being an incorporated municipality rather than a subdivision is the genuinely unusual thing about it, and it has practical consequences most buyers never consider.
A new city sets up its own governance, contracts its services, and builds a tax base from close to nothing. That means the millage rate, the service arrangements and the long term budget position are all young, and none of them has the decades of history you can look at in an established municipality.
None of that is a warning. It does mean the useful diligence is different: ask what the current millage is, how services are delivered and by whom, and how the city's budget is structured, rather than relying on general Palm Beach County assumptions.
The district assessment is separate from city taxes
This is where buyers most often misread the cost. Westlake's infrastructure was funded through a special district, and assessments to repay that sit on the property tax bill as non ad valorem lines rather than as ordinary property tax.
Two things follow. The capital portion has an end date and can often be paid off early, while the operations and maintenance portion continues indefinitely. And lenders count the whole assessment toward your debt ratios, so it reduces the loan you qualify for exactly as an association fee does.
Ask for the split on the specific home and how many years of bond payments remain. Two houses at the same asking price are not equally affordable if one is early in that schedule and the other is late.
The numbers right now
Westlake currently shows roughly 89 active listings at a median asking price near $769,990 and about $303 per square foot, averaging around 80 days on market.
Set that against Palm Beach County at $480,000 and $302 per square foot with a 107 day average. So Westlake is well above the county median in price while sitting almost exactly on it per square foot, and it sells materially faster. You are buying more house rather than more expensive ground, and demand is genuine.
Against its immediate neighbours, Loxahatchee runs about $809,000 at $342 per square foot and The Acreage about $752,475 at $349. Westlake is the cheapest per foot of the three, which reflects new construction on planned lots rather than rural acreage.
What new construction gives you here
The insurance position is the underrated benefit. Wind premiums are priced on roof age, roof to wall connections and opening protection, and a code current house generally has all three in their best configuration.
That offsets part of the assessment. When comparing Westlake against an older home elsewhere at a similar price, put both total monthly figures side by side including insurance and near term capital costs, rather than comparing the fee against zero. Older homes carry roof and system replacement risk that a new build does not.
The honest limitations
A young city is still filling in. Commercial services, dining and everyday amenities arrive over time rather than being present from the start, so check what exists now rather than what is planned.
Employment is the other consideration. Western Palm Beach County is a drive from the coastal employment centres, and that drive is longer in season. Test it at your real departure time before deciding it is manageable.
More common questions
Is Westlake genuinely a city?
Yes, an incorporated municipality in Palm Beach County rather than a subdivision within another city, which is what makes its governance and tax position distinct.
Does every home carry a district assessment?
Check the specific property's tax record. Where one applies, ask for the capital and maintenance split and the remaining bond term.
How far is it from the coast?
A genuine drive rather than a short hop, which is most of why the price per square foot sits below the coastal cities.
