Moving to Port St. Lucie? Here’s Everything Retirees Need to Know

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What You’ll Gain From Reading This Article: This article provides information about living in Port St. Lucie, Florida. The article covers the city’s climate, outdoor activities, taxes, health care options, and popular retirement communities.

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Is Port St. Lucie a good place to live? It is if you enjoy year-round sunshine, easy access to the beach, lots of golf, boating, fishing, and plenty of opportunities for shopping, entertainment, and recreation. This city of 217,000 residents can be found on Florida’s Treasure Coast, about 115 miles north of Miami and 120 miles south of Orlando. Also, this region has gained popularity over the years thanks to its climate, housing market, and abundance of recreation. 

If you’re ready to start exploring, here’s everything you need to know about Port St. Lucie.

Retiring in Port St. Lucie: Pros and Cons

Pros

• Port St. Lucie has fantastic weather. This area experiences an average of 238 sunny days per year. That means residents can golf in February and enjoy their morning coffees outdoors most days in December. 
• The beaches are beautiful. Florida is known for its expansive coastline, and the beaches along the Treasure Coast are especially attractive. Whether the plan is to swim, surf, fish, boat, or sunbathe, this is a gorgeous area to enjoy the sun, salt, and sea air. 
• Spring training baseball. Baseball fans have an especially great reason to move to Port St. Lucie. The New York Mets have a spring training facility here. That means intimate access to the home team and the visiting baseball squads from around Florida.

Cons

• Hurricanes. Yes, they’re a threat. Sometimes, it’s not the actual hurricane making a direct hit that’s the problem. Any kind of tropical system moving over the area can cause flooding and wind damage.
• Tourism. This is a popular place for people to visit. If you’ve been a visitor yourself, you know how much fun it is to breeze into town for a week or two. However, this can feel less fun when you’re a resident here who has to navigate larger crowds and slower traffic during the high seasons.
• Property taxes are higher. You’ll pay a little bit more in property taxes than you would in other U.S. cities when buying a home in Port St. Lucie. But many residents find their tax dollars more than worth it. There’s great infrastructure and property values stay pretty high.

Port St. Lucie Climate Considerations

Still not convinced if Port St. Lucie is a good place to live? We’ve mentioned the abundant sunshine. You won’t need to pack the snowboots and the winter wools when moving down here. But how do things really look (and feel) as we move from season to season in this part of Florida?

Summers

Summers in Port St. Lucie are long. They’re also very hot. Get comfortable with humidity, because there’s a lot of it. The average temperature usually hovers around 89 degrees. Summers are also rainy and most residents know to expect a late afternoon thunderstorm almost daily.

Winters

Winters, on the other hand, are a delight. There’s often a nice breeze and plenty of cloud cover. The temperatures don’t drop too low, but they also don’t stay oppressively high. During most winter months, you can expect an average daytime temperature of 55 degrees.

There’s no need to worry about snow, and temperatures even on the coldest nights rarely drop below 40 degrees. Rain is real, however, especially in June through August, when more than five inches of rain will fall every month. Hurricane season runs from June 1 until November 30. 

Outdoor Activities All Year

One of the best reasons to embrace Port St. Lucie’s climate is the availability of outdoor activities all year long. Residents and visitors enjoy golf, fishing, boating, hiking, as well as wildlife viewing. There are bicycle trails, dog parks, and of course, many beaches waiting to be enjoyed any month of the year.

Taxes in Port St. Lucie

Many retirees like living in a state that doesn’t tax their social security benefits. With no state income tax, Social Security benefits are safe as well as pensions, 401(k)s, or other retirement plans. Federal taxes will still apply, but there’s no state tax on estates or inheritances, either.

Property Taxes

The average effective property tax rate is around 1.31%. According to the City of Port St. Lucie, residents pay an average of $4,063 in property taxes annually, based on the FY 23/24 average taxable amount for a $221,661 property. That’s with a $50,000 homestead exemption, which is available to residents who make Port St. Lucie their primary residence. Seniors also have an additional exemption that they’re eligible to claim, depending on their income level.

Health Care Options in Port St. Lucie

Is Port St. Lucie a good place to live if you have health concerns? Luckily, there are two excellent medical centers in Port St. Lucie. HCA Florida St. Lucie Hospital is known for its full range of services including emergency medicine and rehabilitation. Also, Tradition Hospital Cleveland Clinic arrived in the area 10 years ago. It quickly established itself as a leader in specialties such as pain management, vascular medicine, cardiology, infectious diseases, and urology.

Is Port St. Lucie a Good Place to Live?

You may have already decided that Port St. Lucie is a good place for you to live. If that’s the case, here are some popular retirement communities for you to consider:

PGA Village Verano

Mid $3ks – Low $1Ms

Active adults who love to golf will be attracted to PGA Village Verano. In this community, there’s a total of 54 holes of golf spread out over three championship courses. Practice facilities cover 35 acres in this community, and residents can also visit the PGA Historical Center Museum. Additionally, there’s a fitness center with a yoga studio and a social club. Outdoors, there’s also a pool and tennis courts as well as bocce and basketball. New construction and resale homes are available in attached and single-family models. 

Vitalia at Tradition

Low $300ks – Mid $500ks

Vitalia at Tradition offers 1,200 single-family homes ranging from 1,400 to 2,907 square feet with two to five bedrooms. Amenities include a pool, tennis courts, pickleball courts, and a large recreation center with an aerobics studio and arts and crafts center. Also, this is a golf cart-friendly community. That means it’s not unusual to motor over to the grocery store or across the neighborhood in a golf cart.

Cascades at St. Lucie West

Mid $200ks – Low $400ks

Located within a master-planned community, Cascades at St. Lucie West offers active adults a low-maintenance lifestyle. There’s a nine-hole golf course as well as a fitness center with an aerobics studio. Single-family homes are available in three different collections: The Crystal Collection, The Jewel Collection, and The Vintage Collection.

TownPark at Tradition

High $200ks – High $400ks 

TownPark at Tradition offers buyers single-family homes in The Coastal Collection and The Shoreline Collection. These homes offer 1,895 to 3,242 square feet, two to four bedrooms, and two to three-and-a-half bathrooms. Amenities include a spacious community clubhouse with a fitness center as well as a wet bar and coffee station. Outside, there’s a pool and whirlpool spa as well as tennis courts, pickleball courts, and walking and biking trails. Also, there are no age restrictions in this community.

Valencia Cay at Riverland

Low $400ks – High $900ks

Focused on fitness and activity, Valencia Cay at Riverland offers a 14-acre Sports and Racquet Club as well as a fitness center, tennis courts, and pickleball courts. There’s also a clubhouse with a social hall and a pool. Over 1,000 single-family homes are available in this community, with more than a dozen floor plans spanning three collections. There’s also an onsite activities director to help with social functions and events.

Valencia Walk at Riverland

High $300ks – High $700ks

Also located within the Riverland master-planned community is Valencia Walk at Riverland. This community includes new single-family homes with 1,348 to 3,436 square feet and two to four bedrooms. Within the neighborhood, there’s a Wellness & Fitness Center and an Arts & Culture Center. Additionally, Paseo Park provides 12 acres of greenspace for residents to enjoy.

Lake Forest

Mid $200ks – High $400ks 

Lake Forest features walking and biking trails as well as a playground for kids and a clubhouse with an exercise facility. Homes offer single-family floor plans, with 1,300 to 2,208 square feet, two to four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and attached two-car garages. Conveniently located, this community is close to Interstate 95 as well as shops and restaurants.

Del Webb Tradition

Mid $300ks – High $600ks

Del Webb is a builder known for its fantastic active adult communities. And Del Webb Tradition is especially attractive, with its amenities, inclusive and social energy, and selection of well-designed homes. The clubhouse includes a fitness center as well as a dance studio. Outside, there’s a pool and patio with lots of seating. In this community, homes come in attached villa and single-family models.

Telaro at Tradition

High $300ks – High $900ks

Another desirable 55+ community within the master-planned Tradition development is Telaro at Tradition. Great amenities can be found here, including a clubhouse, a fitness center, sports courts, as well as a resort-style pool. Single-family homes and attached villas in this community offer open floor plans and primary suites on the main level.

Encore at Tradition

$2,100 – $3,900

Active adults looking to rent before they buy may want to consider Encore at Tradition. This apartment community offers maintenance-free living, thanks to a property management company taking care of any repairs. Renters can choose between one-story attached villas or apartments inside a low-rise building.

Veranda Gardens

High $300ks – Mid $700ks

A community of single-family homes with no age restrictions, Veranda Gardens is ideal for anyone looking for low-maintenance living. Walking paths wind throughout the neighborhood, with several lakes and ponds providing scenic views and lots of bird life. Homes are available in models ranging from 1,433 to 2,589 square feet, with two to four bedrooms, and two or three bathrooms.

Cresswind at PGA Village Verano

Low $300ks – High $500ks

There’s plenty of golf available to residents living at Cresswind at PGA Village Verano. There are three championship courses and acres of practice facilities here, as well as a clubhouse, a pool, tennis courts, a sprawling pickleball complex, and an event lawn. This is an intimate and gated 55+ community of only 249 single-family homes. Homes in this neighborhood feature energy-efficient designs, spacious floor plans, two to four bedrooms, and 1,571 to 2,576 square feet.

Veranda Preserve

Low $300ks – High $400ks

Veranda Preserve is a gated 55+ community offering new construction single-family homes. Spacious floor plans, open kitchens, stainless appliances, covered terraces, and large primary suites are just some of the features offered in these homes. Also, the community clubhouse includes a cafe, a large fitness center, a pool, pickleball courts, and lots of outdoor seating in well-landscaped courtyards.

Tarpon Bay Yacht Club

Mid $100ks – Low $200ks

Live on the water at Tarpon Bay Yacht Club, a 55+ condo community on the St. Lucie River. Boat docks are available, and it’s easy to launch a kayak in the Okeechobee Canal. Condo homes are in six three-story buildings, all with elevators, and most are two-bedroom, two-bathroom models.

55places Can Help You Retire in Florida!

So, is Port St. Lucie a good place to live? We certainly think so, but everyone’s retirement needs are personal and unique. Our experienced real estate agents are ready to guide you through the homebuying process, from finding the right location to closing on the perfect home. If you’re ready to discover what’s next, then we’re ready to help. Contact 55places.com today to learn more about homes for sale on Florida’s Treasure Coast!