HousingPermits

Metro area in Florida · part of the Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL combined area

Port St. Lucie, FL

The Port St. Lucie metro area authorized 4,853 new housing units in 2025. The housing bust cut annual permits by 96%, from 10,782 at the 2004–2006 high to 384 in 2009, the fifth-deepest drop among the 387 US metro areas. Per 1,000 residents it authorized 12.1 units a year in 2021–2025, 2.6 times the national rate of 4.7.

03,0006,0009,00012k2004: 10,556 units (8,856 single-family, 246 in 2–4 unit, 1,454 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 10,782 units (9,112 single-family, 260 in 2–4 unit, 1,410 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 6,328 units (5,572 single-family, 113 in 2–4 unit, 643 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 2,409 units (2,008 single-family, 60 in 2–4 unit, 341 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 1,253 units (858 single-family, 40 in 2–4 unit, 355 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 384 units (360 single-family, 10 in 2–4 unit, 14 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 492 units (432 single-family, 8 in 2–4 unit, 52 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 539 units (471 single-family, 17 in 2–4 unit, 51 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 635 units (578 single-family, 24 in 2–4 unit, 33 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 1,117 units (1,061 single-family, 30 in 2–4 unit, 26 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 1,394 units (1,048 single-family, 25 in 2–4 unit, 321 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 1,601 units (1,268 single-family, 37 in 2–4 unit, 296 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 1,937 units (1,696 single-family, 120 in 2–4 unit, 121 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 2,287 units (2,087 single-family, 152 in 2–4 unit, 48 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 3,970 units (2,974 single-family, 172 in 2–4 unit, 824 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 4,277 units (3,503 single-family, 216 in 2–4 unit, 558 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 5,238 units (4,807 single-family, 208 in 2–4 unit, 223 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 8,403 units (6,447 single-family, 253 in 2–4 unit, 1,703 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 7,804 units (5,043 single-family, 449 in 2–4 unit, 2,312 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 6,137 units (5,405 single-family, 226 in 2–4 unit, 506 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 5,515 units (5,095 single-family, 42 in 2–4 unit, 378 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 4,853 units (4,311 single-family, 100 in 2–4 unit, 442 in 5+ unit buildings)200420072010201320162019202220252005 high · 10,78204,0008,00012k2004: 10,556 units (8,856 single-family, 246 in 2–4 unit, 1,454 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 10,782 units (9,112 single-family, 260 in 2–4 unit, 1,410 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 6,328 units (5,572 single-family, 113 in 2–4 unit, 643 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 2,409 units (2,008 single-family, 60 in 2–4 unit, 341 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 1,253 units (858 single-family, 40 in 2–4 unit, 355 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 384 units (360 single-family, 10 in 2–4 unit, 14 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 492 units (432 single-family, 8 in 2–4 unit, 52 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 539 units (471 single-family, 17 in 2–4 unit, 51 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 635 units (578 single-family, 24 in 2–4 unit, 33 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 1,117 units (1,061 single-family, 30 in 2–4 unit, 26 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 1,394 units (1,048 single-family, 25 in 2–4 unit, 321 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 1,601 units (1,268 single-family, 37 in 2–4 unit, 296 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 1,937 units (1,696 single-family, 120 in 2–4 unit, 121 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 2,287 units (2,087 single-family, 152 in 2–4 unit, 48 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 3,970 units (2,974 single-family, 172 in 2–4 unit, 824 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 4,277 units (3,503 single-family, 216 in 2–4 unit, 558 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 5,238 units (4,807 single-family, 208 in 2–4 unit, 223 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 8,403 units (6,447 single-family, 253 in 2–4 unit, 1,703 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 7,804 units (5,043 single-family, 449 in 2–4 unit, 2,312 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 6,137 units (5,405 single-family, 226 in 2–4 unit, 506 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 5,515 units (5,095 single-family, 42 in 2–4 unit, 378 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 4,853 units (4,311 single-family, 100 in 2–4 unit, 442 in 5+ unit buildings)2004200820122016202020252005 high · 10,782

Single-family2–4 units5+ units

Its population grew 16% between 2020 and 2025, the sixth-fastest growth among the 387 US metro areas.

Busiest permit offices

Across the metro area, 10 permit offices authorized new housing in 2021–2025. The busiest was Port St. Lucie, with 23,057 units or 70% of the total, followed by Martin County (unincorporated) with 3,066.

  • Port St. Lucie70% (23,057 units)
  • Martin County (unincorporated)9.4% (3,066 units)
  • St. Lucie County (unincorporated)9% (2,955 units)
  • Fort Pierce6.1% (1,986 units)
  • Stuart3.7% (1,219 units)
  • Indiantown village0.9% (302 units)
  • Ocean Breeze town0.2% (60 units)
  • Sewall's Point town0.1% (39 units)

Share of the units authorized in the metro area, 2021–2025.

Boom, bust and since

Port St. Lucie authorized the most units in 2005 (10,782); 2025 reached 45% of that. Its peak year is shared by 105 other metro areas, among them Portland, ME, Reno, Modesto. The 2021–2025 pace of 6,542 units a year is 29% below the 2004–2006 pace. Permits rose 12 years in a row up to 2021. From 2024 to 2025 the count fell 12%.

Houses or apartments

In Port St. Lucie, 80% of the units authorized in 2021–2025 were single-family houses and 16% were in buildings of five or more units, against 34% nationally. The closest match in building mix among the 386 other metro areas is Abilene (16% in five-plus buildings). Units in five-plus buildings peaked in 2022 (2,312), single-family houses in 2005 (9,112).

2021–202580.4%80%3.3%16.3%16%2004–200685.1%85%2.2%12.7%13%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%2021–202580.4%80%3.3%16.3%16%2004–200685.1%85%2.2%12.7%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%

The wider Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale region

The Census Bureau groups Port St. Lucie with 2 neighboring metro areas in the Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL combined area. Metro areas in it authorized 28,822 units a year in 2021–2025 (micropolitan parts not counted); Port St. Lucie accounted for 23%. The others, with their yearly averages: Miami (21,232), Sebastian (1,048).

Where in the metro

St. Lucie County accounted for 86% of the metro area's units in 2021–2025, Martin County for 14%.

  • St. Lucie County86% (4,008 in 2025)
  • Martin County14% (845 in 2025)

Similar in size

Metro area2004–20252025 unitsPer 1,000 a year5+ share
Reno, NV2,9518.545%
Portland-South Portland, ME3,4876.032%
Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA6391.17.5%
Port St. Lucie, FL4,85312.116%
Lancaster, PA1,2962.430%

Rates and shares: 2021–2025.

Put Port St. Lucie beside Lancaster

Every yearly figure behind the chart, split by building size: yearly-units.csv. State view: Florida. Counting rules.