More historic than 5% of U.S. towns · #558 of 638 in Florida. What drives it
Most of North Bay Village was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1985. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1950 on, and the census since 1950.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, North Bay Village is more historic than 5% of U.S. towns, #558 of 638 in Florida. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
D
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of North Bay Village’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 North Bay Village’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.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 1945.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to D. The pre-1940 share (±1.8 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: Wikipedia (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 North Bay Village’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Prior to 1940, most of what is now North Bay Village lay beneath the waters of Biscayne Bay. The only dry land was Broadcast Key, a 5-acre (20,000 m2) island from which pioneer radio station WIOD began broadcasting in 1926.
Today, television station WSVN-TV maintains its headquarters at this same site, now joined with Treasure Island. WIOD moved inland during the mid-2010s.
In 1940, dredging and bulk-heading created North Bay Island. By 1941, palm-lined streets had been laid out, and 12 homes had been built and occupied. Today, the island has grown into a neighborhood of single-family residences.
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.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of North Bay Village. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1950Miami sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of North Bay Village.
Then & now
Stand where they stood
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Retake this viewConnecticut -New Haven County - -Windham County- -- Delaware -entire state- -- District of Columbia -- Florida -Alachua…, 1940
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on North Bay Village’s page.
In 1945, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. the census of 1950 counted 198 people here.
How does North Bay Village rank for history?
North Bay Village is more historic than 5% of U.S. towns, #558 of 638 in Florida. 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 North Bay Village?
2% of North Bay Village’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.8 points), against a typical 0.6% for a Florida town; the median home was built in 1985.
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 (4), Wikipedia, 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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