City comparison
No. Port St Lucie's crime index is 38 versus 162 in Austin, and its violent crime index is 37 versus 130, using 2024-2025 FBI data.
Austin is cheaper. Median rent is $1,729 a month versus $1,937 in Port St Lucie.
Safety is where Austin and Port St Lucie split most clearly. Port St Lucie scores 124 points better on the crime index, a gap that shows up in evening walks, parking situations, and insurance rates. Rent runs $1,729 in Austin and $1,937 in Port St Lucie.
This is a genuine split. Austin wins on cost of living and the job market and Port St Lucie wins on safety. Which matters more depends entirely on how you live: remote workers and families weight these categories differently than commuters or single professionals.
The crime gap is citywide. Port St Lucie has rougher pockets and Austin has quiet ones: the index tells you the average, not your block.
The move
Austin and Port St Lucie are 1,072 miles apart in a straight line.
Median rent goes from $1,729 a month in Austin to $1,937 a month in Port St Lucie, up $208 a month (12%).
Median household income goes from $93,658 in Austin to $80,648 in Port St Lucie, down $13,010 (14%).
The crime index goes from 162 in Austin to 38 in Port St Lucie, down 124 points (77%).
The move
Port St Lucie and Austin are 1,072 miles apart in a straight line.
Median rent goes from $1,937 a month in Port St Lucie to $1,729 a month in Austin, down $208 a month (11%).
Median household income goes from $80,648 in Port St Lucie to $93,658 in Austin, up $13,010 (16%).
The crime index goes from 38 in Port St Lucie to 162 in Austin, up 124 points (326%).
Austin, TX
School quality varies by neighborhood. Check GreatSchools.org for current ratings.
Port St Lucie, FL
School quality varies by neighborhood. Check GreatSchools.org for current ratings.
Comparing Austin and Port St Lucie? Check mortgage rates before you decide where to buy.
Rent
11% cheaper
Austin rent is 11% cheaper than Port St Lucie
Austin
Winner$1,729/mo
Port St Lucie
$1,937/mo
Typical rent runs $1,729 a month in Austin versus $1,937 in Port St Lucie, so Austin is 11% cheaper. A meaningful but not dramatic gap. Factor it into your budget alongside salary differences between the two markets. Over a year the spread is about $2,496, enough to notice in savings, not enough to ignore schools, safety, or pay. Austin still wins on housing cost; just do not let a 10–20% rent edge override a job that only exists in Port St Lucie.
Planning to buy in Austin? Check mortgage rates before you decide.
Median income
16% higher
Austin's median income is 16% higher than Port St Lucie
Austin
Winner$93,658
Port St Lucie
$80,648
Median household income is $93,658 in Austin versus $80,648 in Port St Lucie, so typical pay runs 16% higher in Austin (about $13,010 more household income a year). Higher median income usually signals a stronger local job market and better negotiating leverage on salary. Remote workers should weigh this against cost of living rather than treating it as a direct personal benefit. For people who will actually work in town, Austin is the stronger labor market on paper. Port St Lucie can still win if housing is cheap enough to offset the weaker median or if your specific role already pays well there.
Crime index
77% lower crime
Port St Lucie's crime index is 77% lower than Austin
Austin
162 (100 = avg)
Port St Lucie
Winner38 (100 = avg)
Port St Lucie's crime index is 38 versus 162 in Austin (100 = national average), so citywide crime runs 77% lower in Port St Lucie. That gap is meaningful day-to-day. It affects whether you feel comfortable walking at night, leaving your car on the street, or letting kids play outside unsupervised. Indexes still compress a lot of reality: a calmer city has blocks you would skip, and a higher-crime city has streets that feel neighborly at 10 p.m. On the everyday test of walking from the car to the door, Port St Lucie is the easier city. Austin can still work if you pick the right pocket. Just budget more diligence before you sign a lease.
Typical weather
Neck and neck
Austin and Port St Lucie are about even on typical weather.
Austin
68°F avg · 76°F highs · comfort 100/100
Port St Lucie
72°F avg · 76°F highs · comfort 100/100
Austin averages about 68°F (76°F highs); Port St Lucie averages about 72°F (76°F highs). Austin sits near 68°F on average, a range where people can be outside without fighting extreme heat or cold. Port St Lucie sits near 72°F on average, a range where people can be outside without fighting extreme heat or cold. On daily comfort these two are close enough that the better fit is whichever season you already know you can live with.
Fit check
Career-focused movers who want salary upside and professional growth
Austin is the clearer landing pad if housing cost is what keeps you up at night. Typical rent is 11% cheaper here at about $1,729 a month. Choose Austin if you are stretching a salary, starting over, or want slack for travel and debt instead of a flashier skyline.
Austin is the better city for career-focused movers who want salary upside and professional growth. Median household income is 16% higher here ($93,658). Start with Austin if your next chapter is about building earnings, and make weather or nightlife a secondary screen.
Fit check
Families with young children and retirees who prioritize peace of mind over urban energy
Port St Lucie is the better fit for families with young children and retirees who prioritize peace of mind over urban energy. The crime index is 77% lower than Austin (38 vs a 100 national average). That gap shows up in how freely you walk at night and how much attention you spend on the car and the deadbolt.
Bottom line
Neither city is a free pass on neighborhood choice, but Port St Lucie leads on safety (89/100 vs 45/100 in Austin). Typical rent is $1,937 in Port St Lucie and $1,729 in Austin; do not assume the cheaper lease buys the calmer blocks.
Safety still diverges (89/100 in Port St Lucie vs 45/100 in Austin), so climate preference should not be the only filter.
Typical rent stays $1,729 in Austin and $1,937 in Port St Lucie.
Port St Lucie is ahead on safety (89/100 vs 45/100); Austin is still viable when you have a vetted ZIP there and $1,729/month rent plus $93,658 income fit your budget better than the safety margin.
Common questions
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Nearby research
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