Fort Pierce today
What this means
Twelve month change in Fort Pierce: −0.7%, essentially flat, now 5.9% below the Apr 2024 peak.
Permits January to September 2026: 228 homes, 41% fewer than 2025.
Rents are area estimates; check comps for the exact house. Sources and method: how these figures are built.
Quick facts
| Fort Pierce | vs St. Lucie County | vs Florida | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 51,737 (2025 estimate) | ||
| Growth since 2020 | 9% | -13.2 pts | +0.1 pts |
| Median home value | $250,800 | 28% lower | 30% lower |
| Median gross rent | $1,217 | 23% lower | 27% lower |
| Median household income | $47,072 | 34% lower | 37% lower |
| Owner occupied homes | 49.5% | -29.1 pts | -18.1 pts |
| Residents 65 and older | 20.8% | -3.8 pts | -0.5 pts |
| Average commute (minutes) | 27 | 6% lower | 2% lower |
| Homes built 2010 or later | 7.5% | -9.0 pts | -6.7 pts |
| Median property tax paid | $1,839 | 43% lower | 33% lower |
Census survey figures are 2020 to 2024 averages; methods.
Living in Fort Pierce
St. Lucie County seat on the Treasure Coast, the Sunrise City, grown from an 1838 army post.
As an incorporated city, Fort Pierce sets its own zoning inside St. Lucie County.
Known for: National Navy UDT SEAL Museum; Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute; Heathcote Botanical Gardens
Getting around and growth: Incorporated in 1901; the Treasure Coast Connector bus links it to Martin County.
Against the St. Lucie County averages, fewer homes are owner occupied (49.5% vs 78.6%); it grew slower than the county since 2020 (9% vs 22.2%); household incomes are lower ($47,072 vs $71,457) and more of the housing is in apartment and condo buildings (30% vs 13.3%).
If you like the numbers here, also look at Gainesville ($247,500, $1,296), Winter Haven ($269,800, $1,246), Leesburg ($228,600, $1,258).
Growth and housing
The Census estimates 51,737 residents in 2025, up from 47,480 in 2020: 9% growth.
| 2025 building permits | Fort Pierce |
|---|---|
| Single family | 133 |
| 5 or more units | 252 |
| Total units | 409 |
| Per 1,000 residents | 7.9 |
Half the homes are older than 1982. The housing mix is 40.4% detached houses and 30% larger buildings. Households average 2.57 people.
Fewer newcomers from out of state than the county average (1.5% vs 2.2%).
Risks to price in
| Risk item | Detail |
|---|---|
| County average homeowners insurance with wind | $3,491 a year |
| Hurricanes tied to St. Lucie County since 2000 | Frances (2004), Jeanne (2004), Nicole (2022) |
| Coastal county | check flood zone and elevation per address |
44% of homes predate 1980: expect four point inspections. Inspections
12.6% of homes are in buildings of 20 or more units; condo reserves and inspections decide financing. Condo financing
Flood, storms and jobs
The city earned Community Rating System class 6; federal flood policies in its high risk zones cost 20% less. Insured homes in the city filed 1,033 flood claims since 2000, with $32,940,080 paid. For county flood claims, disaster history and jobs, see the St. Lucie County guide (4.9% of homes there are in high risk zones).
Buying a home in Fort Pierce
| 2026 loan limits (county) | Amount |
|---|---|
| FHA, one unit | $603,750 |
| Conforming, one unit | $832,750 |
| Median home value here | $250,800 |
Homes cost 5.3 times median household income here (St. Lucie County 4.9, Florida 4.8).
- Conventional: the most common loan in St. Lucie County.
- FHA: $352,950 of room between the median home and the FHA limit.
Investing in Fort Pierce
Long term rentals
| Fort Pierce | vs St. Lucie County | |
|---|---|---|
| Renter occupied homes | 50.5% | +29.1 pts |
| Rental vacancy | 6.3% | -1.1 pts |
| Rent as share of renter income | 39.4% | +2.0 pts |
Short term rentals
Vacation home share is above the county (10.3% vs 9.6%), so nightly demand here is stronger.
| Short term rental taxes | Rate |
|---|---|
| County tourist development tax | 5% |
| State sales tax | 6% plus any county surtax |
Check the address against local zoning and the HOA documents first. State rules
Property types
| Housing stock | Share |
|---|---|
| Single family detached | 40.4% |
| Buildings with 5+ units | 30% |
| Manufactured homes | 3.5% |
Nearby
Other Florida markets
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5 year estimates. 2020 to 2024.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates, Vintage 2025. July 1, 2025.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025 annual. 2025.
- FFIEC HMDA Data Browser, originated loans. 2025 and 2024.
- LendingTree: 2026 FHA loan limits in Florida by county (HUD figures). 2026.
- Florida Realtors: FHFA sets 2026 conforming loan limits. 2026.
- Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research: 2026 local option tourist tax rates. 2026.
- Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, July 2026 Insurance Stability Unit report (average homeowners premium with wind, as of March 31, 2026). March 31, 2026.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey. week of October 22, 2026.
- Wikipedia: List of counties in Florida. checked October 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file. 2024.
- Wikipedia county article and statewide lists (colleges, teams, airports); Florida Defense Support Task Force installation map. checked October 2026.
- Wikipedia article for this place (history, setting, roads). checked October 2026.
- Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), all homes, middle tier, smoothed and seasonally adjusted. September 2026.
- Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (county annual, metro and state quarterly, all transactions). through Q2 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, January to September 2026 and 2025. September 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Residential Penetration Rates. as of August 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims (2000 to 2026). as of September 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book (Community Rating System class). August 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries (2000 to 2026). October 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023. 2023.
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020 to 2024, median gross rent by bedrooms (B25031). 2020 to 2024.
- Hurricane landfalls: Wikipedia, List of Florida hurricanes (2000 to present). checked October 2026.
Estimates from public data; they change over time. General information, not investment, tax or legal advice, and not a loan offer. Methods and assumptions.