Palm Beach County is the second largest county in Florida in land mass and has over 1,300,000 residents and more than 7 million visitors per year.  The major industries are tourism, construction, and agriculture, including some high-tech industries such as bioscience.  Tourism accounts for more than 53,530 jobs in Palm Beach County.  Palm Beach County had the state’s highest per capita annual income, $55,311, compared with a statewide average of $36,720. The Palm Beach County School District is the largest employer in Palm Beach County with approximately 22,144 employees. For the 2008–2009 school year, 169,454 students were enrolled in public elementary, middle, and high schools in the county.  

Palm Beach County has had a healthcare taxing district in place since 1988. This funding commitment provides various healthcare services, such as trauma care, school health, health coverage, hospitalization, and skilled nursing care.  About 55 percent of Palm Beach county residents live in one of 38 municipalities, the remainder live in unincorporated areas. The largest city both in area and population is West Palm Beach, which has an incorporated population of approximately 92,686 and covers 52 square miles. Eastern Palm Beach County is a thriving urban area, while the central and western areas are more suburban and rural.