Port St. Joe today
What this means
Values in Port St. Joe are down 1.3% over the past year, now 9% below the Mar 2024 peak.
Builders are busier: 113 homes permitted so far in 2026, up 31%.
Treat these as area figures and confirm rent with comps. Sources and method: how these figures are built.
Quick facts
| Port St. Joe | vs Gulf County | vs Florida | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,995 (2025 estimate) | ||
| Growth since 2020 | 18.9% | +6.6 pts | +10.0 pts |
| Median home value | $353,100 | 41% higher | 2% lower |
| Median gross rent | $1,433 | 21% higher | 14% lower |
| Median household income | $55,542 | 9% lower | 26% lower |
| Owner occupied homes | 81.6% | +0.8 pts | +14.0 pts |
| Residents 65 and older | 29.5% | +5.8 pts | +8.2 pts |
| Average commute (minutes) | 18 | 27% lower | 37% lower |
| Homes built 2010 or later | 26% | +6.5 pts | +11.8 pts |
| Median property tax paid | $2,411 | 53% higher | 12% lower |
Census survey figures are 2020 to 2024 averages; methods.
Living in Port St. Joe
Gulf County seat on St. Joseph Bay at US 98 and State Road 71, refounded after the railroad arrived in 1909.
Port St. Joe is an incorporated city in Gulf County, with its own zoning and rental rules.
Known for: Port of Port St. Joe; Gulf Coast State College Gulf/Franklin campus; Birthplace of the Florida Constitution
Development and roads: The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway links it to Panama City and Apalachicola.
Next to the rest of Gulf County, homes are pricier than the county median ($353,100 vs $250,000); the Census median rent is $1,433, above the county's $1,187; commutes are shorter (18 vs 24 minutes) and it grew faster than the county since 2020 (18.9% vs 12.3%).
Cities with similar prices and rents: Ormond Beach ($354,800, $1,411), DeLand ($330,900, $1,355), Fern Park ($346,900, $1,612).
Growth and housing
Population went from 3,360 in 2020 to 3,995 in 2025 (18.9%), versus 12.3% for Gulf County.
| 2025 building permits | Port St. Joe |
|---|---|
| Single family | 112 |
| 5 or more units | 0 |
| Total units | 112 |
| Per 1,000 residents | 28.0 |
Newer housing (26% built since 2010) often comes with HOA and CDD fees that lenders count. CDD fees
The typical home here was built around 1994. Detached houses dominate (83.3% of homes). Households average 2.07 people.
2% of residents moved in from another state in the past year (county 1.3%).
Risks to price in
| Risk item | Detail |
|---|---|
| County average homeowners insurance with wind | $3,752 a year |
| Hurricanes tied to Gulf County since 2000 | Michael (2018) |
| Coastal county | check flood zone and elevation per address |
With 39.1% of the stock built before 1980, budget for roof, electrical and plumbing updates. Inspections
Flood, storms and jobs
Port St. Joe holds Community Rating System class 10, which gives no flood insurance discount. Since 2000, flood insurance has paid $46,062,053 on 401 claims inside Port St. Joe. The Gulf County guide covers storms, flood claims and employers; 40.9% of county homes are in high risk flood zones.
Buying a home in Port St. Joe
| 2026 loan limits (county) | Amount |
|---|---|
| FHA, one unit | $541,287 |
| Conforming, one unit | $832,750 |
| Median home value here | $353,100 |
Homes cost 6.4 times median household income here (Gulf County 4.1, Florida 4.8).
- Conventional: the default for buyers with solid credit and 5% or more down.
- FHA: $188,187 of room between the median home and the FHA limit.
- VA: veterans are 10% of adults.
Investing in Port St. Joe
Long term rentals
| Port St. Joe | vs Gulf County | |
|---|---|---|
| Renter occupied homes | 18.4% | -0.8 pts |
| Rental vacancy | 24.9% | -14.6 pts |
| Rent as share of renter income | 51% | +14.6 pts |
Short term rentals
With 14.8% of homes kept for seasonal use, Port St. Joe is a true vacation market.
| 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 | 83.3% |
| Buildings with 5+ units | 4.2% |
| Manufactured homes | 0.4% |
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.