Port St. Lucie, FL
The numbers that matter most
What an investor checks first when sizing up a new metro — affordability ratio, rent vs income, cap rate proxy, and where the market is moving. Each metric shown vs. state and national medians for instant context.
moderate
Price to income
4.49×
The single most-cited 'is this market still cheap' check. Below 3× and you're in an affordability tailwind.
- vs Florida
- 4.23×
- vs U.S.
- 3.43×
Benchmark
ACS median home value ÷ median HHI
moderate
Rent to income
29.1%
What share of a typical household's income goes to rent. Below 30% means tenants can absorb modest rent increases.
- vs Florida
- 28.1%
- vs U.S.
- 23.3%
Benchmark
(HUD FMR 2BR × 12) ÷ median HHI
deal-by-deal
Cap rate proxy
4.21%
Rough first-pass yield assuming a 35% expense ratio. Not an underwriting number — a 'is this even worth modeling' filter.
- vs Florida
- 4.40%
- vs U.S.
- 4.35%
Benchmark
(FMR 2BR × 12 × 0.65) ÷ ACS median home value
steady
Net migration
+1.53%
Forward-looking demand signal. Positive net migration drives rent growth and absorbs new supply.
- vs Florida
- 0.83%+0.70
- vs U.S.
- 0.03%+1.50
Benchmark
IRS net migration ÷ population
strong
Permit pipeline
8.93
permits per 1,000 residents
Forward-supply indicator. Above ~5 means the metro is building meaningfully relative to its size; below 2 means supply is tight.
- vs Florida
- 8.03+0.90
- vs U.S.
- 3.52+5.40
Benchmark
Census BPS permits TTM ÷ population × 1,000
softening
Unemployment
5.0%
Tighter unemployment means higher wages, more rental demand, lower vacancy.
- vs Florida
- 4.9%
- vs U.S.
- 3.9%
Benchmark
BLS LAUS, latest month
Where prices are and where they've been
5-year price appreciation
+62.2%
homeValues.yearOverYear
-0.4%
Median home value
$325,300
The rent ladder
| Bedroom | Monthly | Annual | % of median HHI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | $1,467 | $17,604 | 24.3% |
| 2 BR | $1,757 | $21,084 | 29.1% |
| 3 BR | $2,421 | $29,052 | 40.1% |
Labor market direction
Unemployment
5.0%
Median household income
$72,506
What's being built
Total TTM
4,410
Single-family
4,299
2–4 unit
111
5+ unit
0
All 2 counties, ranked by population
| County | Population | Home value | Median HHI | Permits TTM | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Lucie County | 334,682 | $305,800 | $69,027 | 3,463 | |
| Martin County | 159,399 | $386,500 | $80,701 | 947 | +51.0% |
Similar metros nationally
| Metro | Pop | Med HHI | P/I | Cap proxy | HPI 5y | Permits/1k | Unemp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★Port St. Lucie | 494,081 | $72,506 | 4.49× | 4.21% | +62.2% | 8.93 | 5.0% |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | 510,290 | $73,588 | — | — | +53.3% | — | 5.1% |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | 515,954 | $70,717 | — | — | +59.0% | — | 2.9% |
| Visalia, CA | 473,446 | $69,489 | — | — | +51.3% | — | 10.2% |
| Asheville, NC | 469,484 | $69,236 | — | — | +56.9% | — | 3.2% |
| Killeen-Temple, TX | 477,577 | $67,203 | — | — | +51.7% | — | 4.4% |
Where people are moving in from
Net migration
+7,568
+1.53% of population
| Origin county | Tax returns |
|---|---|
| Palm Beach County, FL | 4,848 |
| Broward County, FL | 2,414 |
| Martin County, FL | 1,360 |
| St. Lucie County, FL | 1,066 |
| Miami-Dade County, FL | 996 |
| Indian River County, FL | 661 |
Who lives in Port St. Lucie
- Median age
- 48
- Bachelor's+
- 29.1%
- Owner-occupancy
- 78.5%
- Vacancy rate
- 15.9%
- Rent burdened (30%+)
- 54.9%
- Median household income
- $72,506
This page shows federally sourced data. A full editorial analysis with charts and investment commentary is in progress.