Port St. Lucie sits in the northern part of what most people consider South Florida, but home prices here are not quite as high as those you will find in places like Palm Beach County.
Because of this, Port St. Lucie is very attractive to retirees right now, and developers are building several 55+ communities to meet that demand.
Port St. Lucie 55+ Communities
Here is a list of all the 55+ communities in Port St. Lucie that are currently building and selling new homes.
Valencia Walk at Riverland
Valencia Parc at Riverland is one of the newest 55+ communities on Florida's East Coast. Located in Port St. Lucie, Valencia Parc at Riverland brings together GL Homes' famous 55+ resort-style living within the amazing 4,000-acre master-planned community of Riverland to create a Florida lifestyle that's second to none! In this new community, you'll find a million ways to have fun with everything connected through miles of eco-friendly greenways without ever having to get in your car. Walk or ride your golf cart to all the amenities right within your own neighborhood and to nearby shops and restaurants or enjoy a car ride to spend the perfect day at the beach.
Telaro at Tradition
Telaro at Tradition is Mattamy Homes' debut 55+ Active Adult neighborhood in the extraordinary master-planned community of Tradition. This highly anticipated enclave of 400+ homesites will feature elegant and contemporary villas and single-family homes ranging from 1,370 sq. ft. to 2,800 sq. ft.
The exclusive Telaro lifestyle offers resort-style perks with the comforts of low-maintenance living. Telaro will include an abundant amenity offering, planned social spaces, lifestyle programming, and convenient access to all that the sprawling community of Tradition has to offer. With just a short drive, residents are right down the road from Tradition’s Town Square, featuring a variety of shopping, dining and community activities. Starting from the $300k’s, Telaro offers 12 unique floor plans to suit your needs.
Cresswind at PGA Village Verano
PGA Village Verano is a gated, golf resort community in Port St. Lucie FL. While not exclusively 55+, there is a 55+ neighborhood within PGA Village Verano called Cresswind at PGA Village Verano that features a 27,000 sq ft Social Center with a state-of-the-art fitness center and a 27 court Pickleball center, the largest private complex in South Florida. A full-time Lifestyle Director and Activities Coordinator maintain a year-round calendar of social and fitness activities. Most homes start in the $300k's.
Del Webb Tradition – Port St. Lucie
Located in beautiful Port St. Lucie, Del Web Tradition is a gated community of 550 attached and single-family homes that began construction in 2017. Amenities here include a large clubhouse, a resort-style outdoor pool, and a state-of-the-art fitness center.
The attached homes at Del Webb Tradition clock in at 1,579 square feet and are available with either two or three bedrooms. The single-family homes range in size from 1,671 to 2,589 square feet and are available with two to four bedrooms. Prices start in the $300k’s.
Esplanade at Tradition – Port St. Lucie
Esplanade at Tradition is a new 55+ resort-style community in Port St. Lucie, in the 8,300-acre Tradition master-planned community.
Single-family homes here range in size from about 1,600 to 2,900 sq. ft. And prices start in the high $300k’s.
Veranda Preserve – Port St. Lucie
Veranda Preserve is a new, resort-style community in Port St. Lucie designed for residents “55 & Better” from Lennar Homes. Amenities include a private Clubhouse with social spaces, a resort-style pool with a lap area and wet decks, a poolside bar, a state-of-the-art fitness center, tennis, pickleball, and bocce ball courts, an event lawn, and more.
There are three classes of models at Verandah Preserve, ranging in size from 1,410 sq. ft. of living space to just over 2,800 sq. ft. of living space. Prices start in the $300k’s.
Learn more about Veranda Preserve here.
Located a little more than halfway from Daytona Beach to Miami, Port St. Lucie offers a more relaxed feel than its much larger coastal counterparts, but it does so without asking residents to concede many of the same amenities!
Getting There
Port St. Lucie is located on Florida's east coast, right off I-95 and Florida's Turnpike, so getting there by car is a breeze.
If you are flying down, Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) is about 40 miles away and probably the best bet for most people. Depending on what airlines service your area, you might also want to check out Melbourne Orlando International Airport (MLB) which is about 60 miles away.
Cost of Living in Port St. Lucie
The cost of living in Port St. Lucie is about 1% below the national average, and it is actually about 4% lower than the average cost of living in Florida.
One major factor in an area's overall cost of living is home prices and, at least for now, Port St. Lucie has some of the most attractive home pricing in the state, at least when it comes to places you'd actually want to retire.
Port St. Lucie Healthcare
The largest hospital here is HCA Florida St. Lucie Hospital, a 222-bed hospital that has been serving Florida's Treasure Coast community for more than 30 years. This facility offers a full range of services, including 24/7 emergency care in their “senior-friendly” emergency room. Another great option is the just slightly smaller 177- bed Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital on the west side of town which is actually where more of the 55+ communities are in Port St. Lucie.
Port St. Lucie Weather
Here’s a look at the average low and high temperatures in Port St. Lucie throughout the year:
| Month | Avg. Low | Avg. High |
| January | 56 | 73 |
| February | 59 | 76 |
| March | 63 | 79 |
| April | 67 | 83 |
| May | 72 | 86 |
| June | 74 | 88 |
| July | 74 | 89 |
| August | 75 | 88 |
| September | 74 | 85 |
| October | 67 | 80 |
| November | 62 | 77 |
| December | 57 | 73 |
Golf in Port St. Lucie
Port St. Lucie might just be the ideal location for people who love the game of golf! Here you will find 54 holes of golf at the PGA Golf Club, and more than a dozen other courses in the area.
Mets Spring Training Baseball
Another reason that Port St. Lucie is such a popular location is that the New York Mets call it home from February to March every year for their spring training. Coming out to see the big league squad during spring training can be an awesome experience, but residents also have the option to watch the Mets’ high class-A minor league affiliate play here in Port St. Lucie throughout the summer!
Port St. Lucie Area Beaches
As far as beach access is concerned, Port St. Lucie residents can either go north to Fort Pierce, or south to Jensen Beach. Hutchinson Island sits in between them. All in all, St. Lucie County has 21 miles of beaches. The county claims to have more public beach access points per square mile than any other coastal community in Florida.
With the exception of the Florida State Park beaches, all beaches in St. Lucie are free admission and free parking and many of them have amenities like bathrooms, pavilions, dune walkovers, and more.
History & Culture
While golf and baseball tend to take precedence in the Port St. Lucie area, there is no shortage of culture and history here either! The area contains attractions like the Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens, a museum dedicated to the history of the US Navy SEALs, the Hallstrom Planetarium, and the A.E. Backus Gallery and Museum. There are also a plethora of cultural events hosted as the Port St. Lucie Civic Center every year!
What are your thoughts about Merritt Island for a retirement location? Thanks.