Most of Golden Beach was built recently: 5% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1982. Below: 12 old photos and papers, maps from 1981 on, and the census since 1930.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Golden Beach is more historic than 13% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Golden Beach’s overall grade.
Few Florida towns list much on the Register (a typical Florida town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Golden Beach’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (33% of Florida towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.0 points). Two sources give 1924.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Golden Beach’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Golden Beach yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Golden Beach is a town in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, between the Intracoastal Waterway and Atlantic Ocean. The town is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. As of the 2020 US census, the town had a population of 961. Golden Beach is known as a very upscale community. Celebrities who've lived in the town include Bill Gates, Tommy Hilfiger, and Ricky Martin. Eric Clapton's album 461 Ocean Boulevard was named after the address of his Golden Beach house, and the photo of where he lived is featured as the album cover. High-rise construction and commercial development are not permitted within the town limits. In 1981, all but one of the roads into the town from A1A…
Golden Beach was established in 1924. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 919 to 961 (+5%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Timeline
Golden Beach, 1924 to 1981
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
In 1924, according to Wikidata. the census of 1930 counted 36 people here.
How does Golden Beach rank for history?
Golden Beach is more historic than 13% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Golden Beach?
5% of Golden Beach’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.0 points), against a typical 0.6% for a Florida town; the median home was built in 1982.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (12), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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