PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — A new study by Consumer Affairs ranks Port St. Lucie as the No. 1 mid-size housing market for buyers in the country for 2026, citing metrics like availability and affordability in cities with a population of 250,000 to 499,000.
Kelley Decowski, a real estate agent on the Treasure Coast, told WPTV it is a buyer's market with more homes to choose from and lower prices.
WATCH BELOW: Port St. Lucie ranked the top mid-size housing market for buyers
"A few years ago, if you wanted to live in a particular neighborhood, you had one house and 25 people were fighting over it," Decowski said. "Now, when you go into a neighborhood, you'll have five or seven homes to choose from, which is really nice from the buyer's perspective."
According to Zillow, the average home price in the area is just over $380,000, which is down more than three percent since last year.
"It's absolutely growing and thriving. It's a great place to live," Decowski said.
WPTV took the study to Decowski, who noted the shift in inventory is giving house hunters an advantage.
"When you go into a neighborhood, you'll have, you know, five or seven homes to choose from, which is really nice from the buyer perspective," Decowski said.
While the market has improved for buyers recently, Decowski noted it still looks different from what it did a decade ago.
"It's not as good as it was maybe 10 years ago, but it's definitely better than we've seen in the last few years," Decowski said.
On the "Let's Hear It Port St. Lucie" Facebook page, resident Eric Reikenis commented that the city's housing inventory has been increasing over the last four years. He noted that prices are negotiable, sellers are offering incentives, and buyers have more options.
WPTV spoke to Stacey Williams, who moved to Port St. Lucie seven years ago from Miami. Her mother just bought a house last year, but Williams wished she had moved now.
"We got a good price," said Williams. "But it's a (lower) price now,”
Williams said her daughter is also currently looking for a home in the area.
"She has a lot of options, and that's a good thing," Williams said.
While the sticker price might look good, Decowski advises buyers to look at property taxes and other fees that could increase monthly payments.
"Taxes do tend to be a little higher in St. Lucie County than they are in Martin County," Decowski said. "Dig into what that monthly cost is going to be, the price of the house, the taxes, the insurance, the HOA fees to really be able to compare apples to apples across county lines."
Despite the extra costs, recent buyers tell WPTV they are still happy with their purchase.
"I love Florida. Go to the beach anytime I want to. Yeah, it's great," recent buyer Danny McKinney said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and portions have been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
