Port St. Lucie is a city located in St. Lucie County Florida. Port St. Lucie has a 2023 population of 240,777. Port St. Lucie is currently growing at a rate of 5.21% annually and its population has increased by 16.46% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 206,752 in 2020.
The average household income in Port St. Lucie is $86,884 with a poverty rate of 8.32%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Port St. Lucie is 42.9 years, 42 years for males, and 43.7 years for females.
Port St. Lucie is located on the eastern coast of southern Florida in St. Lucie County about halfway between Miami and Orlando. Port St. Lucie is part of the Miami - Fort Lauderdale - Port St. Lucie Combined Statistical Area which has a population of nearly 6.8 million.
Port St. Lucie is a multi-ethnic and diverse community with a foreign-born population of more than 18%. About 25% of households speak a language other than English at home. The most common languages other than English spoken in Port St. Lucie include Spanish, Italian, French, German, and Haitian Creole.
Port St. Lucie’s growth has slowed since the 1990s and 2000s. Still, Port St. Lucie is expected to continue growing thanks to its modest home prices and the rising costs of neighboring Palm Beach County. The future population growth of Port St. Lucie will be fueled by younger families as well as baby boomers with numerous 55+ communities already in the works in western Port St. Lucie. In 2018, Port St. Lucie was named as one of the top 50 metropolitan areas with the largest net increases in population due to migration.
Port St. Lucie was a largely undeveloped and uninhabited area prior to the 1950s with just a few businesses and farms. In 1958, the General Development Corporation, once Florida’s largest land development company, bought the River Park development and land along St. Lucie River. GDC constructed a bridge over the river that finally allowed direct vehicle access to Port St. Lucie. GDC further developed the area with water and sewer plants, roads, landfills, basic amenities, and housing tracts. Port St. Lucie was incorporated as a city in 1961 with more than 250 homes.
By the 1990s, Port St. Lucie was growing rapidly. Core Communities bought and developed West St. Lucie, creating not only homes but also business sectors. In 2006, Core Communities developed the Tradition community, a massive 13 million square foot commercial area with space for 18,000 homes. Tradition remains one of the largest entitled residential development areas in the Uited States. Between 2000 and 2010 alone, Port St. Lucie’s population almost doubled from 88,000 to 164,000.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Port St. Lucie was:
White
Black or African American
Two or more races
Other race
Asian
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
---|---|---|---|---|
All | 71,609 | 2.81 | 80.4 | 19.6 |
Married | 39,547 | 3.24 | 85.7 | 14.3 |
Non Family | 18,074 | 1.3 | 77.5 | 22.5 |
Female | 9,932 | 3.66 | 72.5 | 27.5 |
Male | 4,056 | 3.33 | 61.5 | 38.5 |
3.2
Average Family Size
2.81
Average Household Size
80.4%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
74.33% of Port St. Lucie residents speak only English, while 25.67% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 16.06% of the population.
rate
8.32%
Overall Poverty Rate
6.76%
Male Poverty Rate
9.83%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Port St. Lucie is Other, with 13.48% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Port St. Lucie is Hispanic, with 6.47% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 1.68%. Among those working part-time, it was 6.98%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 15.26%.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
51.8%
Overall Marriage Rate
54.5%
Male Marriage Rate
49.3%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 55-64.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
3.91%
Veteran Poverty Rate
29.94%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
60.4%
Labor Force Participation
57%
Employment Rate
5.4%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
31.24%
Born in Port St. Lucie
81.62%
Native Born
18.87%
Foreign Born
5.59%
Non Citizen
13.28%
Naturalized
81.62% of Port St. Lucie residents were born in the United States, with 31.24% having been born in Florida. 5.59% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
1980 | 14,690 | -311,860 | 6.53% |
1990 | 55,866 | 41,176 | 14.29% |
2000 | 88,769 | 32,903 | 4.74% |
2010 | 164,603 | ||
2011 | 168,628 | 4,025 | 2.45% |
2012 | 172,653 | 4,025 | 2.39% |
2013 | 176,678 | 4,025 | 2.33% |
2014 | 180,703 | 4,025 | 2.28% |
2015 | 184,728 | 4,025 | 2.23% |
2016 | 188,753 | 4,025 | 2.18% |
2017 | 192,778 | 4,025 | 2.13% |
2018 | 196,803 | 4,025 | 2.09% |
2019 | 200,828 | 4,025 | 2.05% |
2020 | 206,752 | 5,924 | 2.95% |
2021 | 217,523 | 10,771 | 5.21% |
2022 | 228,855 | 11,332 | 5.21% |
2023 | 240,777 | 11,922 | 5.21% |
2024 | 253,321 | 12,544 | 5.21% |
2025 | 266,518 | 13,197 | 5.21% |
2026 | 280,403 | 13,885 | 5.21% |
2027 | 295,011 | 14,608 | 5.21% |
2028 | 310,380 | 15,369 | 5.21% |
2029 | 326,550 | 16,170 | 5.21% |