Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Port St. Lucie, FL
VS
Visalia, CA
🏆 Port St. Lucie leads 15 of 23 categories
Port St. Lucie
Florida
15
wins
Cost of Living Index
101.7⚠ High
Median Household Income
$75,040
Violent Crime Index
31 ✓ Safer
Population
210,520 ✓ Larger
Visalia
California
8
wins
Cost of Living Index
101.3⚠ High ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$75,658 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
115⚠ High
Population
141,466
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Port St. Lucie, FL
Pros
73% less violent crime than Visalia
Violent crime is well below the national average (116.7 vs 380/100k)
Milder winters — January highs near 73°F vs 55°F
Homes cost $24k less ($292,900 vs $316,600)
Cooler summers — July highs near 89°F vs 94°F
Smaller class sizes — 19.4:1 student-teacher ratio
Cons
Higher rents — median is $1,684/mo
Longer commutes — 29.2 min average each way
Visalia, CA
Pros
Rent averages $395/mo less ($1,289 vs $1,684)
Commutes run 7 min shorter each way
Cons
Pricier housing — median home is $316,600
Key Differences at a Glance
Port St. Lucie
Violent Crime
73% lower
116.7 vs 435.3 per 100k
Port St. Lucie
Median Home Value
$24k less
$292,900 vs $316,600
Both cities
Cost of Living
≈ Equal
Both near 101.7 on the COL index
Visalia
Median Income
$618
$75,658 vs $75,040/yr
Visalia
Summer Heat
5.2°F warmer
July avg high 93.8°F vs 88.6°F
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Port St. Lucie, FL | Visalia, CA |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 101.7⚠ High | 101.3⚠ High ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $292,900 ✓ Lower | $316,600⚠ High |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,684⚠ High | $1,289 ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $75,040 | $75,658 ✓ Higher |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.7%⚠ High | 5.6%⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 29.2 min⚠ High | 21.8 min ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 9.0% ✓ Higher | 6.4% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 33 ✓ Safer | 109⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 31 ✓ Safer | 115⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 36 ✓ Safer | 101⚠ High |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | B- (92) ✓ Better | C+ (88) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 19.4:1 ✓ Smaller | 21.5:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 26.2% ✓ Higher | 23.3% |
| High School or Higher | 90.7% ✓ Higher | 86.2% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | ST. LUCIE | Visalia Unified |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 73.1°F ✓ Warmer | 55.3°F |
| Avg High — July | 88.6°F | 93.8°F ✓ Warmer |
| Annual Precipitation | 60.1" | 10.3" ✓ Drier |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" ✓ Less | 0.1" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 210,520 ✓ Larger | 141,466 |
| Median Age | 43.5 ✓ Older | 33.0 |
| Homeownership Rate | 82.8% ✓ Higher | 60.0% |
| Under 18 | 20.8% | 28.2% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 21.4% ✓ More | 13.2% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Port St. Lucie's cost of living index is 101.7 vs Visalia's 101.3 (US average = 100).
Visalia is 0% less expensive overall.
Based on the 23 decided categories above, Port St. Lucie leads 15 of 23 categories. Port St. Lucie wins 15 and Visalia wins 8. 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 Port St. Lucie to Visalia or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($292,900 vs $316,600 median home), income ($75,040 vs $75,658), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Port St. Lucie, FL and Visalia, CA are about 2,353 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.