Port St. Lucie is a city located in St. Lucie County Florida. Port St. Lucie has a 2024 population of 257,756. Port St. Lucie is currently growing at a rate of 5.2% annually and its population has increased by 24.63% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 206,815 in 2020.
The average household income in Port St. Lucie is $94,089 with a poverty rate of 8.46%. The median age in Port St. Lucie is 43.5 years: 42.5 years for males, and 44.5 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:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
|---|---|---|
| White | 133,173 | 63.26% |
| Black or African American | 38,528 | 18.3% |
| Two or more races | 23,853 | 11.33% |
| Other race | 9,820 | 4.66% |
| Asian | 4,536 | 2.15% |
| Native American | 475 | 0.23% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 135 | 0.06% |
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 | 74,960 | 2.8 | 82.8 | 17.2 |
| Married | 41,673 | 3.22 | 88.6 | 11.4 |
| Non Family | 18,783 | 1.26 | 78.1 | 21.9 |
| Female | 10,688 | 3.65 | 75.7 | 24.3 |
| Male | 3,816 | 3.36 | 61.5 | 38.5 |
3.19
Average Family Size
2.8
Average Household Size
82.8%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 9th to 12th Grade | 9,033 | 5.96% |
| Associates Degree | 17,653 | 11.65% |
| Bachelors Degree | 26,714 | 17.63% |
| Graduate Degree | 12,965 | 8.56% |
| High School Graduate | 46,832 | 30.9% |
| Less Than 9th Grade | 4,990 | 3.29% |
| Some College | 33,355 | 22.01% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 87,053 | 80,857 | 23,214 |
| Hispanic | 31,322 | 27,022 | 7,093 |
| Black | 25,276 | 22,655 | 6,699 |
| 2+ Races | 15,253 | 13,821 | 3,680 |
| Other Race | 6,570 | 5,333 | 1,123 |
| Asian | 3,666 | 3,145 | 1,451 |
| Native American | 380 | 334 | 152 |
| Islander | 118 | 76 | 20 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 92.88%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among native american people with a rate of 40%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelors Degree | $54,396 | $57,384 | $49,597 |
| Graduate Degree | $58,007 | $64,989 | $54,181 |
| High School Graduate | $35,667 | $41,385 | $28,083 |
| Less Than 9th Grade | $32,875 | $38,771 | $27,276 |
| Overall | $44,134 | $49,511 | $37,401 |
| Some College | $43,875 | $51,074 | $36,590 |
$44,134
Average Earnings
$49,511
Average Male
$37,401
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
74% of Port St. Lucie residents speak only English, while 26% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 16.68% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 110,874 | 8,726 | 7.87% |
| Hispanic | 48,024 | 4,139 | 8.62% |
| Black | 38,038 | 3,671 | 9.65% |
| Multiple | 23,847 | 1,747 | 7.33% |
| Other | 9,755 | 1,442 | 14.78% |
| Asian | 4,535 | 282 | 6.22% |
| Native | 475 | 74 | 15.58% |
| Islander | 135 | 33 | 24.44% |
8.46%
Overall Poverty Rate
6.95%
Male Poverty Rate
9.92%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Port St. Lucie is Islander, with 24.44% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Port St. Lucie is Asian, with 6.22% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 1.92%. Among those working part-time, it was 6.87%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 14.44%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 16.64% |
| High School | 9.72% |
| Some College | 6.04% |
| Bachelors or Greater | 3.18% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Female Unemployed | 22% |
| Male Unemployed | 8.98% |
| Female Employed | 3.36% |
| Male Employed | 2.36% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Families | $82,429 | $103,003 |
| Households | $75,040 | $94,089 |
| Married Families | $90,411 | $112,266 |
| Non Families | $47,553 | $58,556 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
51.9%
Overall Marriage Rate
55.1%
Male Marriage Rate
48.8%
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
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
16,080
Number of Veterans
14,611
Male Veterans
1,469
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
|---|---|
| Vietnam | 5,139 |
| First Gulf War | 4,365 |
| Second Gulf War | 2,959 |
| Korea | 581 |
| World War II | 154 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
|---|---|
| 35 to 54 | 4,480 |
| 75+ | 4,154 |
| 65 to 74 | 3,517 |
| 55 to 64 | 3,064 |
| 18 to 34 | 865 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 11,541 | 10.61% |
| Black | 2,551 | 8.95% |
| Hispanic | 2,139 | 6.01% |
| 2+ Races | 1,454 | 8.54% |
| Other Race | 370 | 4.85% |
| Asian | 129 | 3.29% |
| Islander | 20 | 16.95% |
| Native American | 15 | 3.71% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
3.6%
Veteran Poverty Rate
29.34%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
59.9%
Labor Force Participation
56.4%
Employment Rate
5.7%
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
31.32%
Born in Port St. Lucie
80.48%
Native Born
19.52%
Foreign Born
5.03%
Non Citizen
14.48%
Naturalized
80.48% of Port St. Lucie residents were born in the United States, with 31.32% having been born in Florida. 5.03% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2029 | 321,432 | 12,735 | 4.13% |
| 2028 | 308,697 | 12,735 | 4.3% |
| 2027 | 295,962 | 12,735 | 4.5% |
| 2026 | 283,227 | 12,736 | 4.71% |
| 2025 | 270,491 | 12,735 | 4.94% |
| 2024 | 257,756 | 12,735 | 5.2% |
| 2023 | 245,021 | 13,169 | 5.68% |
| 2022 | 231,852 | 13,988 | 6.42% |
| 2021 | 217,864 | 11,049 | 5.34% |
| 2020 | 206,815 | 5,116 | 2.54% |
| 2019 | 201,699 | 6,959 | 3.57% |
| 2018 | 194,740 | 5,609 | 2.97% |
| 2017 | 189,131 | 5,497 | 2.99% |
| 2016 | 183,634 | 5,836 | 3.28% |
| 2015 | 177,798 | 5,041 | 2.92% |
| 2014 | 172,757 | 3,278 | 1.93% |
| 2013 | 169,479 | 1,531 | 0.91% |
| 2012 | 167,948 | 1,632 | 0.98% |
| 2011 | 166,316 | 1,456 | 0.88% |
| 2010 | 164,860 | 0 | 0% |
| 2000 | 88,769 | 32,903 | 58.9% |
| 1990 | 55,866 | 41,176 | 280.3% |
| 1980 | 14,690 | -306,742 | -95.43% |