Port St. Lucie, FL vs The Villages, FL

The Villages is moderately more affordable than Port St. Lucie, with a 5.5% lower cost of living index. Port St. Lucie scores 117 compared to 111 for The Villages, where the US average is 100. This difference means residents of Port St. Lucie can expect to pay noticeably more for everyday expenses, housing, and services.

On the housing front, median rent in Port St. Lucie is $1,781/month compared to $1,541/month in The Villages — a 16% difference. Interestingly, home values tell a different story: while The Villages has cheaper rent, Port St. Lucie actually has lower median home values ($327,700 vs $375,100).

Median household income in Port St. Lucie is $78,137 compared to $76,523 in The Villages (+2.1%). Port St. Lucie does offer higher incomes, but the salary premium barely offsets the higher cost of living, leaving residents with a tighter budget. Looking at affordability, residents of Port St. Lucie spend roughly 27.4% of their income on rent, more than the 24.2% in The Villages.

Climate-wise, both cities share similar average temperatures (73.1°F vs 72.8°F). Port St. Lucie receives more rainfall at 51.2" per year compared to 43.8" in The Villages.