West Palm Beach is the first major market to recover pre-pandemic foot traffic rate

West Palm Beach, Fla., recently became the first major U.S. market to see office foot traffic return to pre-pandemic levels, according to Avison Young’s Office Busyness Index.

Nationally, foot traffic continues to lag far behind pre-pandemic levels with the U.S. average standing at 64.7%. Some markets are showing signs of a comeback, though.

Las Vegas ranks second to West Palm Beach, with a foot traffic rate of 87.9% of the pre-pandemic mark. New York City’s Outer Boroughs at 80.4% and Miami at 78% rank third and fourth respectively.

More than 1.5 million sf of office inventory is in West Palm Beach’s pipeline, making it one of the most active markets for new office space in the U.S. Most of that space, about 1 million sf, is from one development, Related Companies’ CityPlace, which is scheduled for delivery in 2027 or 2028.