City comparison
No. Port St Lucie's crime index is 38 versus 242 in Orlando, and its violent crime index is 37 versus 241, using 2022 FBI data for Orlando and 2024-2025 FBI data for Port St Lucie.
Orlando is cheaper. Median rent is $1,747 a month versus $1,937 in Port St Lucie.
Safety is where Orlando and Port St Lucie split most clearly. Port St Lucie scores 204 points better on the crime index, a gap that shows up in evening walks, parking situations, and insurance rates. Rent runs $1,747 in Orlando and $1,937 in Port St Lucie.
This is a genuine split. Orlando wins on cost of living and Port St Lucie wins on the job market and 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 Orlando has quiet ones: the index tells you the average, not your block.
The move
Orlando and Port St Lucie are 106 miles apart in a straight line.
Median rent goes from $1,747 a month in Orlando to $1,937 a month in Port St Lucie, up $190 a month (11%).
Median household income goes from $72,336 in Orlando to $80,648 in Port St Lucie, up $8,312 (11%).
The crime index goes from 242 in Orlando to 38 in Port St Lucie, down 204 points (84%).
The move
Port St Lucie and Orlando are 106 miles apart in a straight line.
Median rent goes from $1,937 a month in Port St Lucie to $1,747 a month in Orlando, down $190 a month (10%).
Median household income goes from $80,648 in Port St Lucie to $72,336 in Orlando, down $8,312 (10%).
The crime index goes from 38 in Port St Lucie to 242 in Orlando, up 204 points (537%).
Orlando, FL
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 Orlando and Port St Lucie? Check mortgage rates before you decide where to buy.
Rent
10% cheaper
Orlando rent is 10% cheaper than Port St Lucie
Orlando
Winner$1,747/mo
Port St Lucie
$1,937/mo
Typical rent runs $1,747 a month in Orlando versus $1,937 in Port St Lucie, so Orlando is 10% 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 $2,280, enough to notice in savings, not enough to ignore schools, safety, or pay. Orlando 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 Port St Lucie? Check mortgage rates before you decide.
Median income
11% higher
Port St Lucie's median income is 11% higher than Orlando
Orlando
$72,336
Port St Lucie
Winner$80,648
Median household income is $80,648 in Port St Lucie versus $72,336 in Orlando, so typical pay runs 11% higher in Port St Lucie (about $8,312 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, Port St Lucie is the stronger labor market on paper. Orlando can still win if housing is cheap enough to offset the weaker median or if your specific role already pays well there.
Crime index
84% lower crime
Port St Lucie's crime index is 84% lower than Orlando
Orlando
242 (100 = avg)
Port St Lucie
Winner38 (100 = avg)
Port St Lucie's crime index is 38 versus 242 in Orlando (100 = national average), so citywide crime runs 84% 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. Orlando can still work if you pick the right pocket. Just budget more diligence before you sign a lease.
Typical weather
Neck and neck
Orlando and Port St Lucie are about even on typical weather.
Orlando
71°F avg · 77°F highs · comfort 100/100
Port St Lucie
72°F avg · 76°F highs · comfort 100/100
Orlando averages about 71°F (77°F highs); Port St Lucie averages about 72°F (76°F highs). Orlando sits near 71°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
People with a job, family, or neighborhood already pulling them to Orlando
Orlando is the clearer landing pad if housing cost is what keeps you up at night. Typical rent is 10% cheaper here at about $1,747 a month. Choose Orlando if you are stretching a salary, starting over, or want slack for travel and debt instead of a flashier skyline.
Fit check
Career-focused movers who want salary upside and professional growth
Port St Lucie is the better city for career-focused movers who want salary upside and professional growth. Median household income is 11% higher here ($80,648). Start with Port St Lucie if your next chapter is about building earnings, and make weather or nightlife a secondary screen.
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 84% lower than Orlando (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
Orlando carries the heavier crime signal on this page (33/100 safety vs 89/100 in Port St Lucie). That 56-point spread matters more than the $190 rent gap when you are choosing where to walk after dark.
With only $190 separating typical rent, run both offer letters before housing cost alone picks the city.
Median income is $80,648 in Port St Lucie versus $72,336 in Orlando.
If safety drives your move, Port St Lucie is the stronger match (89/100 safety versus 33/100). If an employer or family tie already points to Orlando, treat $1,747/month rent and $72,336 income as the numbers that actually govern the decision.
Common questions
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