Is Fort Pierce, Florida A Good Place To Live?

Finding your own place for the first time is not always easy. Simply finding a suitable place to stay is tough enough. When you actually factor cost into the equation, you may discover that your options are severely limited.

The good news is that there are places in the country where homes are more affordable. Fort Pierce, Florida is a prime example of that.

Fort Pierce is a great place to live because of the affordable housing, scenery, and entertainment opportunities. The water is a major benefit of living in Fort Pierce, Florida, but the risk of hurricanes is a downside. New homes in Fort Pierce are 33% cheaper than the national average, but you have to put up with the high crime rate in the city.

Fort Pierce deserves consideration if you’re looking for affordable housing. See what else that aforementioned Florida city has to offer by continuing with this article.

When you first contemplated moving, there’s a good chance Fort Pierce was not on your radar. That may have been the case even if you were focusing mainly on Florida cities. At this point, Fort Pierce simply doesn’t have the name recognition that many other cities in the Sunshine State possess.

Don’t worry if you hardly know anything about Fort Pierce. Use this article to study up on the city. After that, use what you learn to decide if moving to Fort Pierce makes sense to you.

Affordable housing is probably the number one reason why the idea of moving to Fort Pierce appeals to so many people. That may come as a bit of a surprise. The state of Florida is not typically known to feature affordable housing. House prices there are not super expensive, but they are still above average.

Consider that the median home price for the entire United States is $231,000. In Florida, that number goes up to $237,000. The increase is not too bad, but it still puts Florida home prices above the median mark for the country.

What’s so remarkable about house prices in Fort Pierce is that they are significantly lower than the Florida median. Even compared to the country’s median mark, Fort Pierce house prices are still very reasonable.

The median home cost in Fort Pierce is $154,000. That means a new Fort Pierce home costs about 33 percent less than a new house elsewhere in the United States. For first-time home-buyers, that kind of value proposition can prove irresistible.

Similar to many Florida locales, Fort Pierce is also situated very close to the water. That means you will have the opportunity to engage in all kinds of water-based activities as a Fort Pierce resident.

Fort Pierce Inlet State Park is a popular hangout spot for residents during the weekends. While there, you gain access to a half-mile beach and different ways to have a good time. Look for some of the services in the area if you want to try your hand at snorkeling or scuba diving.

Feel free to also try out surfing or just go for a swim. If you’re in the mood for something more relaxing, you can hang out on the beach and sunbathe for a while. A big part of why living in Florida is so much fun is the state’s close proximity to the water. You can take full advantage of that as a Fort Pierce resident.

Farmer’s markets are now popping up all over the place and that’s a good thing. Having more farmer’s markets means people get access to fresh food and other high-quality goods.

Fort Pierce is certainly not lacking in terms of farmer’s markets. The big farmer’s market is found downtown, but you can find alternative options in other parts of the city. Check the operating hours and days for your local farmer’s market to find out when you should drop by.

Unsurprisingly, Florida farmer’s markets have a wide assortment of delicious goodies on display. Even with no idea of what to buy, you’ll likely be struck by inspiration once you’re at the market.

Whenever possible, try to visit the farmer’s market downtown when you’re not in a rush. Apart from being able to shop better, you can also check out the dining establishments nearby once you’re done. That’s a great way to get your weekend started.

You must know about the crime rates in Fort Pierce before you decide to move there. For many locals, the threat of being victimized by a criminal is something they are keenly aware of. Let’s use some numbers to better illustrate what we’re talking about in terms of crime rates in Fort Pierce.

According to Neighborhood Scout, Fort Pierce is only safer than about 10 percent of cities in the United States. That is not a reassuring statistic if you’re a resident or someone who’s thinking about moving there.

Drilling further down into the numbers reveals that the property crime rate is 29.87 per 1,000 residents. Meanwhile, the violent crime rate is 5.64 per 1,000 residents. Those numbers should not be ignored.

Another notable thing about the prevalence of crime in Fort Pierce is that it’s affected by where you live. If you live closer to the center of the city, you may notice a larger number of crimes. It’s not quite as bad near the outskirts of Fort Pierce.

Being concerned about the high crime rates in Fort Pierce is more than understandable. It may be the deciding factor especially if you’re looking for a place to settle down together with your family. There are more dangerous cities in Florida, but Fort Pierce is definitely up there too.

It doesn’t explain everything, but unemployment likely has a significant influence on the crime rate in Fort Pierce. The unemployment rate in the United States is right at 3.7 percent. In Fort Pierce, that number jumps all the way up to 6.4 percent.

With an unemployment rate that high, it should come as no surprise that there are spots downtown where there’s no activity. You can find establishments and streets devoid of any vendors or other retail establishments.

The unemployment rate is also why you should consider your current status before moving to Fort Pierce. It’s good to have a job already lined up because finding one in the city won’t be easy.

Still, there is some reason for optimism on the job front. The city has posted positive job growth rates recently. Projections also indicate an above-average job growth rate over the next decade.

Related Questions

Is Rent Affordable in Fort Pierce?

We’ve established that housing prices are very affordable in Fort Pierce, but what about rent? Can you get great deals on that too?You’ll probably have to pay $1,400 per month to rent out a one-bedroom apartment in Fort Pierce. Interestingly enough, that’s well above the median cost of rent in the country. Monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the United States is about $1,100.Rent rates actually spiked quite a bit over the past year. It’s worth seeing if current rates will hold or if we could see a regression to the mean.

Is the Weather Comfortable in Fort Pierce?

For the most part, the weather in Fort Pierce is very comfortable. It only really becomes an issue during the summer months. Even then, the biggest source of discomfort is excess humidity rather than the heat.The months of July and August are notoriously bad for humidity in Fort Pierce. You may want to keep your dehumidifier on to wring the excess moisture out of the stagnant air.