West Palm Beach, also known as West Palm, is the most populous city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida. in 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population to be 99,377. West Palm's economy is currently ranked #4 in the Milken Institute Best Performing 296 U.S. Cities index.
It is the county seat of Palm Beach County, and one of the principal cities in the South Florida metropolitan area, which has an estimated 2007 population of 5,413,212. The area is known as the West Palm Beach--Boca Raton--Boynton Beach Metropolitan Division, which covers the entire Palm Beach County area and has an estimated population of . It is situated in the northernmost county of the South Florida metropolitan area. Between 2007 and 2008, West Palm Beach saw a 20% decrease in overall crime, and crime in the downtown entertainment area dropped by nearly 50%. City officials have stated publicly that additional police officers, the deployment of new public safety technology and citizen cooperation have all contributed to the significant drop in crime and the resurgence of the city's downtown.
