Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Orange, CA
VS
Port St. Lucie, FL
🏆 Port St. Lucie leads 15 of 22 categories
Orange
California
7
wins
Cost of Living Index
115.5⚠ High
Median Household Income
$109,335 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
60
Population
138,728
Port St. Lucie
Florida
15
wins
Cost of Living Index
101.7⚠ High ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$75,040
Violent Crime Index
31 ✓ Safer
Population
210,520 ✓ Larger
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Orange, CA
Pros
Households earn $34,295 more per year on average
Violent crime is well below the national average (226.1 vs 380/100k)
Stronger job market — unemployment is 1.0 pts lower (4.7%)
More college-educated — 40.3% hold a bachelor's or higher
Cooler summers — July highs near 83°F vs 89°F
Cons
Pricier housing — median home is $848,200
Higher rents — median is $2,148/mo
Living costs are well above the U.S. average (index 115.5)
Cost of living runs 14% higher than Port St. Lucie
Port St. Lucie, FL
Pros
Homes cost $555k less ($292,900 vs $848,200)
48% less violent crime than Orange
Rent averages $464/mo less ($1,684 vs $2,148)
Violent crime is well below the national average (116.7 vs 380/100k)
14% cheaper overall cost of living than Orange
Smaller class sizes — 19.4:1 student-teacher ratio
Cons
Median income trails Orange by $34,295/yr
Higher unemployment (5.7% vs 4.7%)
Key Differences at a Glance
Orange
Median Income
$34,295
$109,335 vs $75,040/yr
Orange
Unemployment
1.0 pp lower
4.7% vs 5.7% unemployment
Port St. Lucie
Cost of Living
14% cheaper
COL index 101.7 vs 115.5 (100 = US avg)
Port St. Lucie
Violent Crime
48% lower
116.7 vs 226.1 per 100k
Port St. Lucie
Median Home Value
$555k less
$292,900 vs $848,200
Port St. Lucie
Summer Heat
6.1°F warmer
July avg high 88.6°F vs 82.5°F
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Orange, CA | Port St. Lucie, FL |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 115.5⚠ High | 101.7⚠ High ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $848,200⚠ High | $292,900 ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $2,148⚠ High | $1,684⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $109,335 ✓ Higher | $75,040 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.7%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 5.7%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 26.5 min ✓ Shorter | 29.2 min⚠ High |
| Work From Home % | 14.1% ✓ Higher | 9.0% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 60 | 33 ✓ Safer |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 60 | 31 ✓ Safer |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 61 | 36 ✓ Safer |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | B (98) ✓ Better | B- (92) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 24.1:1 | 19.4:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 40.3% ✓ Higher | 26.2% |
| High School or Higher | 88.2% | 90.7% ✓ Higher |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Orange Unified | ST. LUCIE |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 69.3°F | 73.1°F ✓ Warmer |
| Avg High — July | 82.5°F | 88.6°F ✓ Warmer |
| Annual Precipitation | 12.5" ✓ Drier | 60.1" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" | 0.0" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 138,728 | 210,520 ✓ Larger |
| Median Age | 36.5 | 43.5 ✓ Older |
| Homeownership Rate | 58.9% | 82.8% ✓ Higher |
| Under 18 | 20.5% | 20.8% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 14.5% | 21.4% ✓ More |
Frequently Asked Questions
Orange's cost of living index is 115.5 vs Port St. Lucie's 101.7 (US average = 100).
Port St. Lucie is 14% less expensive overall.
Based on the 22 decided categories above, Port St. Lucie leads 15 of 22 categories. Orange wins 7 and Port St. Lucie wins 15. 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 Orange to Port St. Lucie or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($848,200 vs $292,900 median home), income ($109,335 vs $75,040), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Orange, CA and Port St. Lucie, FL are about 2,262 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.