Port St. Lucie was the fastest growing city in the United States among those over 250,000 people, adding 9,131 residents in the year to July 2025 and growing 29.6% since 2020. It now has about 268,062 people.
For a reverse mortgage that growth translates into something specific and useful: the newest housing of any market we cover. The median home here dates to 2002, and 87.1% of units are single-family detached. Newer construction and no condominium framework together produce some of the most straightforward files we handle.
Port St. Lucie and St. Lucie County by the numbers
| Figure | Value | Source and period |
|---|---|---|
| Port St. Lucie median sale price | $399,782 | Redfin, June 2026, essentially flat year over year across 1,305 sales |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $369,200 | US Census QuickFacts, ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates |
| Residents aged 65 or older | 21.8% | US Census QuickFacts. St. Lucie County is 24.9% |
| Owner-occupancy rate | 84.0% | US Census QuickFacts, ACS 2020-2024 |
| Median year built | 2002 | US Census ACS 2019-2023. The newest of any market we cover |
| Single-family detached share of housing | 87.1% | US Census ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates |
| Population growth since 2020 | Up 29.6% | US Census Vintage 2025 estimates. Ranked first among US cities over 250,000 |
| St. Lucie County single-family median sale price | $399,000 | MIAMI REALTORS, June 2026, up 8.3% year over year across 523 closings |
| Total millage, Port St. Lucie | 22.3097 mills | St. Lucie County Property Appraiser, 2025. Unincorporated county 19.1481. Among the highest rates in Florida |
| Average home insurance premium, St. Lucie | $3,491 per year | Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, July 2026, data as of 31 March 2026 |
Figures are as published by the cited sources as of August 2026 and will move. Nothing here is an offer of credit or a quote for your property.
The tax rate deserves a proper mention
Port St. Lucie's total millage was 22.3097 for 2025, against 19.1481 in the unincorporated county. That is among the highest rates in Florida, and it is well above the 14 to 20 mills common in most of the markets we work.
It matters for one specific reason. Every reverse mortgage requires property taxes to be kept current for the life of the loan, and a HECM financial assessment weighs whether you can do that. Taxes at that rate on a $370,000 home are a substantial annual figure, and combined with St. Lucie insurance at $3,491 a year the total carrying cost is higher than the modest house price suggests.
None of that prevents a reverse mortgage. Where the payment history is thin, a lender may require a set-aside from the loan to cover property charges, which reduces what you can draw but protects the loan. Knowing that before you apply is better than meeting it at underwriting.
Newer housing, cleaner files
A median build year of 2002 is unusual in Florida, where most markets we cover run from the 1970s to the early 1990s. It shows up throughout a reverse mortgage file.
Roofs are on their first or second replacement rather than their fourth. Electrical and plumbing rarely trigger appraisal conditions. Insurers price 2000s construction better than 1970s construction, which matters because coverage has to stay in force for the life of the loan. And fewer repair conditions means fewer repair set-asides holding back proceeds.
Meanwhile 87.1% single-family detached means the condominium framework is irrelevant to most homeowners here. No FHA project approval, no milestone inspection, no structural reserve study, and none of the special assessment risk running through the coastal condominium markets. St. Lucie does have condominium stock, 105 condo closings against 523 single-family in June 2026, but it is a secondary part of the market.
One of the largest 55+ markets in the state
Port St. Lucie has an unusual concentration of age-restricted communities, most of them recently built. Valencia Vista at Riverland runs to about 2,100 homes, PGA Village Verano about 1,800, Vitalia at Tradition about 1,200, Cascades at St. Lucie West about 1,158, Valencia Grove at Riverland about 1,133, TownPark at Tradition about 1,100 and Valencia Cay at Riverland about 1,071. Then Esplanade at Tradition about 650, LakePark at Tradition about 644, Del Webb Tradition about 550, Telaro at Tradition about 440, Cresswind at PGA Village about 249 and Veranda Preserve about 188.
Most are fee-simple single-family homes in HOAs. What varies is the monthly obligation, and that is what the financial assessment looks at alongside taxes and insurance. In a city with millage at 22.3097, the combination of taxes, insurance and HOA dues is the number that matters rather than any one of them alone.
Counseling for St. Lucie borrowers
Federal rule 24 CFR 206.41 requires counseling with a HUD-approved agency independent of your lender before any HECM. No HUD-approved agency in St. Lucie County carries the reverse mortgage counseling designation, and the agency in nearby Stuart does not either.
The nearest listed are in West Palm Beach: Real Estate Education and Community Housing at (561) 491-1670, about 36 miles away, and Credit Card Management Services, operating as DebtHelper, at (561) 472-8000. HUD permits HECM counseling by telephone through national agencies including GreenPath at (888) 860-4167.
Check the current roster at HUD's counselor search or call (800) 569-4287.
Questions we get from Port St. Lucie homeowners
Our taxes here are very high. Does that affect the loan?
It affects the analysis rather than eligibility. Port St. Lucie's total millage was 22.3097 for 2025, among the highest in Florida, and a HECM financial assessment weighs whether you can keep taxes, insurance and any HOA dues current. Where the history is thin, a lender may set aside part of the loan to cover property charges.
Does newer housing really make a difference?
Yes, throughout the file. A median build year of 2002 means roofs on their first or second replacement, electrical and plumbing that rarely trigger appraisal conditions, and better insurance pricing. Fewer repair conditions also means fewer repair set-asides holding back proceeds.
Do the Florida condo inspection laws apply to me?
Probably not. Those rules apply to condominium and cooperative buildings of three habitable storeys or more, and 87.1% of Port St. Lucie housing is single-family detached. The county has condominium stock but it is secondary, with 105 condo closings against 523 single-family in June 2026.
Is a Del Webb or Valencia home treated differently?
Not usually, because most are fee-simple single-family homes in HOAs rather than condominiums. What varies between communities is the monthly obligation, and that is what the financial assessment considers alongside taxes and insurance. With millage at 22.3097, the three together are what matter.
The city is growing fast. Does that help my appraisal?
It usually means plenty of recent comparable sales, which makes an appraisal more straightforward than in a thin market. Port St. Lucie recorded 1,305 sales in June 2026 alone. Prices were essentially flat year over year, so this is an active market rather than a rising one.
Talk to someone who works St. Lucie
The newer housing here usually makes for a quick, clean file. Free, no obligation, and if a reverse mortgage is not the right answer for you we will say so. Hablamos Español.
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Sunshine State Home Loans, LLC. NMLS ID 1901827, Florida license MBR3278. We are not affiliated with, and are not acting on behalf of, HUD, FHA or any government agency. Proprietary and jumbo reverse mortgages are not FHA insured. Reverse mortgage proceeds are loan proceeds rather than income; consult a tax advisor about your situation. Borrowers remain responsible for property taxes, homeowners and flood insurance, association dues and property maintenance, and the loan may become due if those obligations are not met. This is not a commitment to lend.