Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Fort Lauderdale, FL
VS
Port St. Lucie, FL
🏆 Port St. Lucie leads 10 of 19 categories
Fort Lauderdale
Florida
9
wins
Cost of Living Index
111.8⚠ High
Median Household Income
$75,376 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
—
Population
182,673
Port St. Lucie
Florida
10
wins
Cost of Living Index
101.7⚠ High ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$75,040
Violent Crime Index
31
Population
210,520 ✓ Larger
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Pros
More college-educated — 40.3% hold a bachelor's or higher
Cons
Pricier housing — median home is $417,600
Living costs are well above the U.S. average (index 111.8)
Cost of living runs 10% higher than Port St. Lucie
Port St. Lucie, FL
Pros
Homes cost $125k less ($292,900 vs $417,600)
Violent crime is well below the national average (116.7 vs 380/100k)
10% cheaper overall cost of living than Fort Lauderdale
Smaller class sizes — 19.4:1 student-teacher ratio
Cons
Nothing stands out — a close match here.
Key Differences at a Glance
Port St. Lucie
Cost of Living
10% cheaper
COL index 101.7 vs 111.8 (100 = US avg)
Port St. Lucie
Median Home Value
$125k less
$292,900 vs $417,600
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Fort Lauderdale, FL | Port St. Lucie, FL |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 111.8⚠ High | 101.7⚠ High ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $417,600⚠ High | $292,900 ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,627⚠ High ✓ Lower | $1,684⚠ High |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $75,376 ✓ Higher | $75,040 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.4%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 5.7%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 26.3 min ✓ Shorter | 29.2 min⚠ High |
| Work From Home % | 14.0% ✓ Higher | 9.0% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | — | 33 |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | — | 31 |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | — | 36 |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | B (98) ✓ Better | B- (92) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 21.7:1 | 19.4:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 40.3% ✓ Higher | 26.2% |
| High School or Higher | 89.6% | 90.7% ✓ Higher |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | BROWARD | ST. LUCIE |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 76.6°F ✓ Warmer | 73.1°F |
| Avg High — July | 90.5°F ✓ Warmer | 88.6°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 63.0" | 60.1" ✓ Drier |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" | 0.0" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 182,673 | 210,520 ✓ Larger |
| Median Age | 43.2 | 43.5 ✓ Older |
| Homeownership Rate | 54.2% | 82.8% ✓ Higher |
| Under 18 | 16.9% | 20.8% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 19.3% | 21.4% ✓ More |
Frequently Asked Questions
Fort Lauderdale's cost of living index is 111.8 vs Port St. Lucie's 101.7 (US average = 100).
Port St. Lucie is 10% less expensive overall.
Based on the 19 decided categories above, Port St. Lucie leads 10 of 19 categories. Fort Lauderdale wins 9 and Port St. Lucie wins 10. The right choice depends on your priorities — use the Pros & Cons and full table above to weigh what matters to you.
Whether you're moving from Fort Lauderdale to Port St. Lucie or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($417,600 vs $292,900 median home), income ($75,376 vs $75,040), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Fort Lauderdale, FL and Port St. Lucie, FL are about 80 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.