What it's like to live in Fort Pierce
Fort Pierce is a small city in Florida with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, air quality that stays clean most of the year, and a growing population. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Fort Pierce deals with unemployment above the national average, household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, and college degree attainment below the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Clean air
- Growing population
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Low college degree attainment
- High student-teacher ratio
- High poverty rate
How Fort Pierce compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Fort Pierce
Based on Fort Pierce's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,434
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $48,680 a year
- 63% of Fort Pierce renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$50,160
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $25,080
- Homes cost 5.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 14% below US
$1,217/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,217 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $250,800. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $250,800 · 63% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 35% above US
5.8% unemployment
Unemployment here is 5.8%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 28% above US
422 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 1583/100k · Fort Pierce Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 27.4 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 11% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 89°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 55°F. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 1.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 48% below US
19% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
16 public schools inside the boundary
There are 16 public schools inside the boundary and 8 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Canaveral National Seashore (97 miles away).
Bottom line
Fort Pierce's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are unemployment above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,217/mo) equals 31% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up and anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Fort Pierce
All Florida guides →Moving to Lakewood Park →
9 mi away · pop. 13,866
Rent $1,206/mo · Income $64,023
Compare with Fort Pierce →Moving to Port St. Lucie →
10 mi away · pop. 232,491
Rent $1,937/mo · Income $80,648
Compare with Fort Pierce →Moving to Florida Ridge →
11 mi away · pop. 20,889
Rent $1,342/mo · Income $66,625
Compare with Fort Pierce →Moving to Vero Beach South →
14 mi away · pop. 30,344
Rent $1,314/mo · Income $73,420
Compare with Fort Pierce →Not sure Fort Pierce is the one?
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