KC KELBY CONTRERAS The Florida Real Estate Specialist

Coastal Enclave Guide · Palm Beach County

Ocean Ridge

A quiet barrier-island town with ocean on one side, Intracoastal on the other

Verified · October 2026

Town of Ocean Ridge (ZIP 33462)

Entry price range: $3M+

Every claim below links to a dated public source.

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The community in brief

Ocean Ridge at a glance.

Ocean Ridge is a small, quiet incorporated town on a barrier island south of Boynton Beach, ZIP 33462, squeezed between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway along A1A. Incorporated in 1931, it is one of the county's least-densely-developed municipalities, with roughly 1,900 year-round residents, no commercial zoning, and a market that divides between oceanfront estates and a modest condo tier. It is beach life, not nightlife, and that is the whole appeal.

Oceanfront estatesIntracoastal homesCondominiums and canal homes

Real-time availability is confirmed directly with Kelby: listings portals lag, and the best addresses in Ocean Ridge move before they are published.

Location & boundaries

One island, two bodies of water

Ocean Ridge occupies the barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway, ZIP 33462, just south of Boynton Beach and north of Gulf Stream and Manalapan. A1A runs the length of the island; Ocean Avenue to the north and Lantana Road to the south reach the mainland and I-95. The town spans roughly 1.75 square miles, of which less than a square mile is dry land.

Architecture & character

No commercial district, all single-family beach

The town's comprehensive plan describes a beach-oriented, primarily single-family residential community, and its zoning permits no commercial or industrial use. Homes range from long-held mid-century beach houses to fully rebuilt coastal estates on the ocean side, with Intracoastal and canal properties on the west. Median resident age sits in the mid-60s, and no small share of the island's homes are second or seasonal residences.

Sources · verified October 2026

Market positioning & pricing

Estates to $60 million, condos under $200,000

Active listings and closed sales, 2025 to October 2026

Oceanfront estates have listed from roughly $5 million to nearly $60 million; Intracoastal estates commonly run $5 million to $9 million, and canal and interior single-family homes about $2 million to $4 million. At the other end, condos in buildings like Colonial Ridge and Queens Cove start under $200,000. A recent Redfin median sale price sits near $1.72 million, and townwide price per square foot runs about $500 to $555. These are dated figures; confirm the current market with Kelby.

Amenities

Beach, waterway, and the essentials in Boynton

  • Direct Atlantic beach access across the island's ocean side
  • Intracoastal and canal frontage with boat-oriented living
  • Quiet streets with minimal through traffic
  • Boynton Beach's dining, marina, and services minutes north
  • No commercial zoning, by design

Schools

County district by address

Ocean Ridge public schools run through The School District of Palm Beach County, with assignments set per address; no single school zone was uniformly confirmed in this research, so verify current boundaries with the district before relying on any assignment.

School boundaries change and are set by address, never by community name: verify current boundaries with The School District of Palm Beach County before relying on any assignment.

Sources · verified October 2026

Access & commute

A1A north and south, three bridges to the mainland

A1A connects the town to Boynton Beach north and Gulf Stream and Manalapan south. The island's bridges at Ocean Avenue, Woolbright Road, and Lantana Road reach Federal Highway, U.S. 1, and I-95. Boca Raton is roughly 20 minutes south and West Palm Beach about 30 minutes north in normal traffic.

Sources · verified October 2026

HOA, club & restrictions

Mostly non-HOA estate streets, condo rules on the towers

The estate inventory is largely non-HOA single-family property; the condo buildings carry their own associations with fees and lease rules. The town operates a rental registration program for all rental properties. Exact covenants are per property and were not uniformly verified; the title and registration paperwork come with every offer.

Sources · verified October 2026

Waterfront, flood zone & insurance

Barrier island, coastal high-hazard exposure

Ocean and Intracoastal properties sit within FEMA-mapped coastal high-hazard and flood zones, with flood insurance required for federally backed mortgages in Special Flood Hazard Areas. Rates scale with elevation and construction; verify each property with FEMA's Flood Map Service Center and a specialist insurer before offering.

Sources · verified October 2026

New construction & pre-construction

Rebuilds on both shorelines

Unverified

The island is built out, so new construction means estate rebuilds and renovations on the ocean and Intracoastal sides, which surface regularly. Current rebuild inventory was not verified in this research; confirm directly with Kelby.

Sources · verified October 2026

Investment & rental considerations

Rentals of 30 days plus are the working model

Ocean Ridge's code defines vacation rentals as stays under 30 days and prohibits them in single-family residential districts, so nightly and weekly renting is effectively unavailable in the estate zones; leases of 30 days or more are the workable model, and rental properties must be registered with the town. Florida's 509.032 preemption creates a legal gray area around the town's rules, so confirm current rules and any condo policies before underwriting.

Frequently asked questions

Straight answers about Ocean Ridge.

Is Ocean Ridge its own town?

Yes. Ocean Ridge is an incorporated town of about 1,900 residents on the barrier island between the Atlantic and the Intracoastal, south of Boynton Beach, with no commercial zoning.

What does a home cost in Ocean Ridge?

Oceanfront estates run from about $5 million to nearly $60 million, Intracoastal estates commonly $5 million to $9 million, and condos in the town's buildings start under $200,000, per 2025-2026 sources. Confirm the current market with Kelby.

Can Airbnb-style short-term rentals operate in Ocean Ridge?

The town's code prohibits vacation rentals under 30 days in single-family districts, making 30-day-plus leases the workable model, and rental properties must be registered. Florida's state preemption law creates some legal uncertainty, so confirm the town's current rules.

Which schools serve Ocean Ridge?

Public schools run through The School District of Palm Beach County by address; no single zone was uniformly confirmed in this research, so verify current boundaries with the district.

Provenance

Information reviewed October 2026.

Every claim on this page is drawn from public research and linked to its dated source below. Figures such as asking prices, dues, and school assignments change; where a field could not be verified it reads “Contact for current information” and the answer is one call away. Nothing on this page is a guarantee of price, availability, or school assignment.

  • Wikipedia Ocean Ridge

    Incorporation history, area, and demographics

    Source
  • Jen Kilpatrick Ocean Ridge guide

    Housing tiers, pricing, and access

    Source
  • Judith Randon Ocean Ridge

    Waterfront inventory and flood context

    Source
  • Redfin Ocean Ridge

    Median sale price and price per square foot

    Source
  • Ocean Ridge rental registration

    Rental registration and vacation rental rule

    Source
  • Discover South Florida Ocean Ridge

    Market and rebuild context

    Source
  • Niche Ocean Ridge

    Community profile

    Source
  • Florida Statute 509.032

    State vacation rental preemption

    Source

Each source above verified October 2026

Interested in Ocean Ridge?

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