Riviera Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States, which was incorporated on September 29, 1922. Due to the location of its eastern boundary, it is also the easternmost municipality in the Miami metropolitan area. In the 2020 U.S. census, the total population of Riviera Beach residents was 37,604 people.
Riviera Beach is predominantly an African-American city and it is on the list of U.S. cities with African American majority populations. It is home to the Port of Palm Beach and a United States Coast Guard station, and has its own marina. Riviera Beach is home to Blue Heron Bridge, one of the country's top-rated beach dive sites. In 2015, Riviera Beach renamed part of Old Dixie Highway that runs inside the city limits as President Barack Obama Highway. The city is also home to Rapids Water Park, a water park attraction for both tourists and residents.
History
Riviera Beach was originally called Oak Lawn, but the settlement was renamed Riviera in 1893. The city was named after the French Riviera.
Geography
The approximate coordinates for the City of Riviera Beach is located in the northeast central part of Palm Beach County.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (15.33%) is water. The eastern part of the city includes most of Singer Island, a peninsula on the Atlantic coast of Palm Beach County, Florida, which is separated from the mainland portion of the city by Lake Worth's Lake Worth Lagoon.
Climate
Riviera Beach has a tropical climate, more specifically a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen climate classification Af), as its driest month (February) averages 64.8mm of precipitation, meeting the minimum standard of 60mm in the driest month needed to qualify for that designation. Much of the year is warm to hot in Riviera Beach, and frost is extremely rare. As is typical in South Florida, there are two basic seasons in Riviera Beach, a mild and dry winter (November through April), and a hot and wet summer (May through October). Daily thundershowers are common in the hot season, though they are brief. The city of Riviera Beach is home to many varieties of tropical vegetation, which can be seen in its variety of plants, trees, and flowers all over South Florida and the city itself.
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+Riviera Beach, Florida – Racial and ethnic composition<br><small></small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(NH = Non-Hispanic)</small>
!Pop 2000
!Pop 2010
!
!% 2000
!% 2010
!
|-
|White alone (NH)
|7,586
|7,440
|style='background: #ffffe6; |8,302
|25.38%
|22.90%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |22.08%
|-
|Black or African American alone (NH)
|20,066
|21,126
|style='background: #ffffe6; |22,877
|67.15%
|65.03%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |60.84%
|-
|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)
|38
|76
|style='background: #ffffe6; |45
|0.13%
|0.23%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.12%
|-
|Asian alone (NH)
|295
|765
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,087
|0.99%
|2.35%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.89%
|-
|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)
|7
|18
|style='background: #ffffe6; |7
|0.02%
|0.06%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.02%
|-
|Other race alone (NH)
|49
|98
|style='background: #ffffe6; |164
|0.16%
|0.30%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.44%
|-
|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)
|495
|547
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,082
|1.66%
|1.68%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.88%
|-
|Hispanic or Latino (any race)
|1,348
|2,418
|style='background: #ffffe6; |4,040
|4.51%
|7.44%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |10.74%
|-
|Total
|29,884
|32,488
|style='background: #ffffe6; |37,604
|100.00%
|100.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%
|}
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Riviera Beach had a population of 37,604. The median age was 39.4 years. 23.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 88.9 males age 18 and over.
There were 14,120 households in Riviera Beach, of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 34.9% were married-couple households, 20.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 37.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 9,214 || 24.5%
|-
| Black or African American || 23,207 || 61.7%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 118 || 0.3%
|-
| Asian || 1,111 || 3.0%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 15 || 0.0%
|-
| Some other race || 1,289 || 3.4%
|-
| Two or more races || 2,650 || 7.0%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 4,040 || 10.7%
|}
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 32,488 people, 12,015 households, and 7,710 families residing in the city.
2000 census
As of 2000, 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.1% were married couples living together, 27.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were non-families. 22.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.04 and the average family size was 4.62.
In 2000, the population was spread out, with 37.5% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $28,715, and the median income for a family was $26,756.
In 2000, males had a median income of $27,232 versus $22,410 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,159. About 29.6% of families and 32.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.1% of those under age 18 and 21.4% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2000, those who solely spoke English at home accounted for 90.30% of all residents, while speakers of Spanish were 4.71%, French Creole 2.42%, and French speakers 0.95%.
Government
Riviera Beach has a mayor–council–manager form of government. Ronnie Felder was elected to a second three-year term as its mayor in 2022. Jonathan Evans, who was fired as city manager by three city council members in 2017 "for cause, for misfeasance" but without further explanation, returned to that position in 2019, and was in negotiations for a contract renewal. The city is divided into five districts, each with a council member; the mayor does not vote. In 2013, Lozman won against the city at the United States Supreme Court in an admiralty case after the city seized his floating home. In 2018, Lozman won a rare second victory at the court, this one arising from his arrest during a city council meeting in November 2006.
Education
Public Elementary Schools
- Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary School
- Lincoln Elementary School (formerly Lincoln High School was only for black students during segregation, and before that it was a called West Riviera Junior High School)
- Washington Elementary School
- West Riviera Elementary School
Public Middle School
- John F Kennedy Middle School (originally John F. Kennedy High School was only for black students during segregation)
With 32,723 residents to provide services to, the collection contains 70,257 volumes and circulates about 14,949 materials a year. They also have digital subscriptions to multiple sources, including Black Life in America, which gives users access to records spanning from 1704 to today about African Americans’ experiences. They also have an African American Room where they provide even more digital resources on their smartboard about news regarding African American history.
Transportation
Riviera Beach is served by several bus routes operated by PalmTran.
Business and economy
- EDF Incorporated (1978)
Notable people
- Anthony Carter (born 1960) – Michigan and NFL wide receiver, 3× Pro Bowl selection
- Paul DeJong (born 1993) – MLB infielder for the San Francisco Giants.
- Devin Hester (born 1982) – NFL record-holding kick returner for Chicago Bears and Atlanta Falcons
- Elizabeth Jacobson (1984–2005) – USAF airman, killed in Iraq War
- Richard Rellford (born 1964) – professional basketball player
- Burt Reynolds (1936–2018) – actor; his father was once the Riviera Beach Chief of Police
- Willie Young (born 1985) – NFL defensive end
See also
- Amaryllis (ship)
References
External links
- Online version (made available for public use by the State Archives of Florida) of a 1939 WPA exhibit on the Conchs of Riviera Beach, Florida