Boca Raton vs Port St. Lucie
The short version
- Port St. Lucie is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 12% lower than in the Boca Raton area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $369,200 in Port St. Lucie and $722,700 in Boca Raton.
- Households earn more in Boca Raton ($106,273 vs $80,648 median).
- Port St. Lucie has more scorching days: 81 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 59.
- Port St. Lucie is growing faster: +30.9% since 2020 vs +4.2%.
- Commutes are shorter in Boca Raton (21 vs 31 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Boca Raton, FL | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 101,582 | 268,062 |
| Growth since 2020 | +4.2% | +30.9% |
| People per square mile | 3,481 | 2,249 |
| Median age | 46.0 | 43.9 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 62% | 28% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $106,273 | $80,648 |
| Median home value | $722,700 | $369,200 |
| Home value to income | 6.8× | 4.6× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $2,508 | $1,937 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 114.2 | 100.2 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 155.6 | 113.6 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $85,600 | $75,200 |
| Homeowners | 66% | 84% |
| Top state income tax | None | None |
| Combined sales tax | 6.98% | 6.98% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 21.2 | 30.5 |
| Work from home | 24% | 13% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 0% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.5% | 6% |
| Poverty rate | 10% | 9.5% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 76° / 60° | 74° / 56° |
| July high / low | 91° / 78° | 91° / 76° |
| Precipitation per year | 56 in | 63 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 59 | 81 |
| Nights below freezing | 0 | 0 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.2 | 96.1 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 53% | 79% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.7% | -0.6% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +58.7% | +45.1% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Boca Raton: November to April. Port St. Lucie: November to April.
Full monthly tables: Boca Raton weather by month and Port St. Lucie weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $85,600 in Boca Raton and $75,200 in Port St. Lucie. Moving from Boca Raton to Port St. Lucie, you would need about $65,800 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Boca Raton and Port St. Lucie
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Boca Raton and Port St. Lucie.
Which would you pick?
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