Manalapan, Florida

Manalapan, Florida
Town
Town of Manalapan
Seal
Location of Manalapan, Florida
Coordinates: 26°34′15″N80°2′40″W / 26.57083°N 80.04444°W / 26.57083; -80.04444
Country	United States
State	Florida
County	Palm Beach
Settled	1889 [1]
Incorporated	1931 [1] [2] [3]
Named for	Manalapan Township, New Jersey [4]
Government
• Type	Commission-Manager
•  Mayor	John Deese
•  Vice Mayor	Simone Bonutti
•  Commissioners	Orla Imbesi, Cindy McMackin, Dwight Kulwin, David Knobel, and Mayor Pro Tem Elliot Bonner
•  Town Manager	Eric Marmer
•  Town Clerk	Erika Petersen
Area [5]
• Total	10.52 sq mi (27.25 km2)
• Land	0.45 sq mi (1.16 km2)
• Water	10.07 sq mi (26.09 km2)
Elevation	3 ft (1 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	419
• Density	937.36/sq mi (361.76/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	33462
Area code(s)	561, 728
FIPS code	12-42700 [6]
GNIS feature ID	0286344 [7]
Website	www.manalapan.org

Manalapan is a town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. The population was 419 at the 2020 United States census.

History

United States President Benjamin Harrison granted George H. K. Carter a homestead in 1889 on the yet unnamed land. ^[1] In 1931, the sparsely populated settlement was incorporated by Harold Stirling Vanderbilt as the "Town of Manalapan". ^{[1] [2] [3]} A large share of the first settlers being natives of Manalapan, New Jersey caused the name to be selected. ^[4]

One of the most puzzling mysteries in Florida history was the disappearance of Circuit Judge Curtis Chillingworth and his wife Marjorie, who left a friend's home on the night of June 14, 1955, en route to their oceanfront cottage in Manalapan. It was established five years later that the couple were murdered by hitmen hired by one of Curtis Chillingworth's fellow judges. The Chillingworths were thrown overboard from a boat into the ocean with lead weights strapped to their legs; their bodies were never recovered. ^[8]

The U.S. presidential yacht Sequoia was auctioned at the La Coquille Club in Manalapan on May 18, 1977, during the Carter administration, for US$286,000 ^[9] as a symbolic cutback in Federal Government spending (annual cost to the U.S. Navy was $800,000) and to reduce signs of an "imperial presidency". ^[10]

A 22-acre property in Manalapan was purchased by Larry Ellison in 2022 for $173 million, making it the most expensive home sale in Florida history. The property spans A1A and is connected by a series of tunnels under the road. ^[11]

Geography

The approximate coordinates for the Town of Manalapan is located at 26°34′15″N80°2′40″W / 26.57083°N 80.04444°W / 26.57083; -80.04444 . ^[12]

Manalapan is a small beach side community. It is bordered on the north by the bridge, beach access road and beach for the Town of Lantana, Florida; on the west by the Lake Worth Lagoon; on the south by the South Lake Worth Inlet (known locally as "Boynton Inlet"); and on the east by the Atlantic Ocean.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²), of which 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²) is land and 2.0 square miles (5.2 km²) (81.48%) is water.

Climate

The Town of Manalapan has a tropical climate, similar to the climate found in much of the Caribbean. It is part of the only region in the 48 contiguous states that falls under that category. More specifically, it generally has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification: Aw), bordering a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen climate classification: Am). ^[13]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1940	40		—
1950	54		35.0%
1960	62		14.8%
1970	205		230.6%
1980	329		60.5%
1990	312		−5.2%
2000	321		2.9%
2010	406		26.5%
2020	419		3.2%
U.S. Decennial Census [14]

2010 and 2020 census

Manalapan racial composition
(Hispanics excluded from racial categories)
(NH = Non-Hispanic)

Race	Pop 2010 [15]	Pop 2020 [16]	% 2010	% 2020
White (NH)	365	386	89.91%	92.12%
Black or African American (NH)	16	5	3.94%	1.19%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)	0	0	0.00%	0.00%
Asian (NH)	5	11	1.23%	2.63%
Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH)	0	0	0.00%	0.00%
Some other race (NH)	0	0	0.00%	0.00%
Two or more races/Multiracial (NH)	1	1	0.25%	0.23%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	19	16	4.68%	3.82%
Total	406	419

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 419 people, 162 households, and 105 families residing in the town. ^[17]

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 406 people, 152 households, and 104 families residing in the town. ^[18]

2000 census

As of the census ^[6] of 2000, there were 321 people, 167 households, and 107 families residing in the town. The population density was 712.7 inhabitants per square mile (275.2/km²). There were 271 housing units at an average density of 601.7 per square mile (232.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.13% White (95% were Non-Hispanic White), ^[19] 1.56% Asian, and 0.31% Pacific Islander. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 3.12% of the population.

As of 2000, there were 167 households, out of which 9.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.9% were married couples living together, 2.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.92 and the average family size was 2.33.

In 2000, 7.8% of the population was under the age of 18, 2.2% was from 18 to 24, 13.4% from 25 to 44, 35.8% from 45 to 64, and 40.8% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 61 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.

In 2000, the median income for a household in the town was $127,819, and the median income for a family was $117,051. Males had a median income of over $100,000 versus $36,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $143,729. About 3.7% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.

Those who spoke only English at home accounted for 98.54% of the population, while French was a home language of 1.45%. ^[20]

Notable people

• F. Lee Bailey, criminal defense attorney
• Geoff Brabham, race car driver; IMSA GTP champion
• Curtis Chillingworth, Circuit Judge, Palm Beach, Florida; murdered with his wife Marjorie in 1955
• Larry Ellison, purchaser of the most expensive home in Florida for $173 million in 2022 ^[11]
• Gloria Guinness, wife of Loel Guinness, Mexican socialite and fashion icon
• Thomas "Loel" Guinness, member of the Guinness beer family who made his own fortune in banking and real estate
• Sean Hannity, television and radio political commentator ^{[21] [22]}
• Don King, boxing promoter
• Charles Peter McColough, former Xerox chairman and CEO; his family had an oceanfront estate in Manalapan for nearly 50 years ^[23]
• Generoso Pope, Jr., founded National Enquirer
• Lois Pope, philanthropist/widow of Generoso Pope, Jr.
• Hal Prewitt, past Town Commissioner, artist, photographer, race car driver, inventor of personal computer products and early pioneer in the personal computer revolution ^[24]
• Tony Robbins, self-help guru; relocated to Manalapan in 2013 ^[25]
• Yanni, musician, lives in oceanfront home

References

1. "Town of Manalapan History". Town of Manalapan via the Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on September 22, 2018. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
2. "Timeline of Municipalities". Palm Beach County History Online via the Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on April 9, 2023. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
3. "FLORIDA CITIES BY INCORPORATION YEAR WITH INCORPORATION & DISSOLUTION INFO" (PDF). www.flcities.com.
4. Eliot Kleinberg (September 16, 1987). "What's in a name? Lots of history if it's a town". The Palm Beach Post. p. 7D. Retrieved January 14, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
5. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
6. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
7. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
8. McIver, Stuart B. (2008). Murder in the Tropics: The Florida Chronicles, Volume 2. Pineapple Press. ISBN   978-1-56164-441-4.
9. "Presidential Yacht Sequoia Sold for $286,000", Cincinnati Enquirer, May 19, 1977, p. A-3
10. Congressional Record – House – 108th Congress, vol. 150, Government Printing Office, November 20, 2004, p. 25146, retrieved June 9, 2010
11. "Billionaire Larry Ellison buys $173 million estate, Florida's largest residential sale ever". USA Today .
12. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
13. "Köppen Climate Classification Map: South Florida=Am/Aw=tropical wet & dry". Archived from the original on July 6, 2011.
14. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
15. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Manalapan town, Florida". United States Census Bureau .
16. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Manalapan town, Florida". United States Census Bureau .
17. "HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES". data.census.gov. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
18. "HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES". data.census.gov. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
19. "Demographics of Manalapan, FL". MuniNetGuide.com. Retrieved November 23, 2007.
20. "MLA Data Center Results for Manalapan, Florida". Modern Language Association . Retrieved November 23, 2007.
21. Kussin, Zachary (December 3, 2024). "Fox News star Sean Hannity pays $23.5M for a Florida home less than a year after leaving New York". New York Post. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
22. Mihaila, Georgie (December 3, 2024). "Step inside FOX News host Sean Hannity's new home in Florida, a $23.5M oceanfront estate in ritzy Manalapan". Fancy Pants Homes. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
23. Jacks, Dorothy. "PAPA-Property Detail" . Retrieved August 24, 2021.
24. "Hal Prewitt; a computer whiz kid challenges the big boys". Florida Trend. August 1, 1987. Retrieved January 31, 2010.
25. "Joseph Gordon-Levitt Returning to TV in Variety Show".

External links

• Town of Manalapan