City comparison
Yes. Port St Lucie's crime index is 38 versus 46 in Cape Coral, and its violent crime index is 37 versus 35, using 2024-2025 FBI data for Port St Lucie and 2024 FBI data for Cape Coral.
Cape Coral is cheaper. Median rent is $1,858 a month versus $1,937 in Port St Lucie.
Port St Lucie and Cape Coral are closer on paper than many city pairs, so the move comes down to how you weight cost, safety, and climate. Typical rent sits near $1,937 in Port St Lucie and $1,858 in Cape Coral, and median household income lands at $80,648 versus $78,104. Use the category rows below to see which gaps would change your daily life.
This is a genuine split. Port St Lucie wins on the job market and safety and Cape Coral wins on cost of living. Which matters more depends entirely on how you live: remote workers and families weight these categories differently than commuters or single professionals.
Visit both if you can. Cities reveal themselves in the ordinary moments, a Tuesday morning commute, a Saturday errand run, not on a weekend visit.
The move
Port St Lucie and Cape Coral are 111 miles apart in a straight line.
Median rent goes from $1,937 a month in Port St Lucie to $1,858 a month in Cape Coral, down $79 a month (4%).
Median household income goes from $80,648 in Port St Lucie to $78,104 in Cape Coral, down $2,544 (3%).
The crime index goes from 38 in Port St Lucie to 46 in Cape Coral, up 8 points (21%).
The move
Cape Coral and Port St Lucie are 111 miles apart in a straight line.
Median rent goes from $1,858 a month in Cape Coral to $1,937 a month in Port St Lucie, up $79 a month (4%).
Median household income goes from $78,104 in Cape Coral to $80,648 in Port St Lucie, up $2,544 (3%).
The crime index goes from 46 in Cape Coral to 38 in Port St Lucie, down 8 points (17%).
Port St Lucie, FL
School quality varies by neighborhood. Check GreatSchools.org for current ratings.
Cape Coral, FL
School quality varies by neighborhood. Check GreatSchools.org for current ratings.
Comparing Port St Lucie and Cape Coral? Check mortgage rates before you decide where to buy.
Rent
4% cheaper
Cape Coral rent is 4% cheaper than Port St Lucie
Port St Lucie
$1,937/mo
Cape Coral
Winner$1,858/mo
Typical rent runs $1,858 a month in Cape Coral versus $1,937 in Port St Lucie, so Cape Coral is 4% cheaper. The monthly spread is about $79, or $948 a year: noticeable, but rent alone should not pick the city. Use this as a tie-breaker after you compare income, schools, and crime, unless you are already stretching every dollar.
Planning to buy in Port St Lucie? Check mortgage rates before you decide.
Median income
3% higher
Port St Lucie's median income is 3% higher than Cape Coral
Port St Lucie
Winner$80,648
Cape Coral
$78,104
Median household income is $80,648 in Port St Lucie versus $78,104 in Cape Coral, so typical pay runs 3% higher in Port St Lucie (about $2,544 more household income a year). The income edge is modest. Treat it as extra negotiating context, not a reason to ignore rent, schools, or climate. Remote workers especially should not treat citywide pay as a personal raise if their employer will not localize salary.
Crime index
17% lower crime
Port St Lucie's crime index is 17% lower than Cape Coral
Port St Lucie
Winner38 (100 = avg)
Cape Coral
46 (100 = avg)
Port St Lucie's crime index is 38 versus 46 in Cape Coral (100 = national average), so citywide crime runs 17% 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. Cape Coral can still work if you pick the right pocket. Just budget more diligence before you sign a lease.
Typical weather
Neck and neck
Port St Lucie and Cape Coral are about even on typical weather.
Port St Lucie
72°F avg · 76°F highs · comfort 100/100
Cape Coral
72°F avg · 79°F highs · comfort 100/100
Port St Lucie averages about 72°F (76°F highs); Cape Coral averages about 72°F (79°F highs). Port St Lucie sits near 72°F on average, a range where people can be outside without fighting extreme heat or cold. Cape Coral 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
Port St Lucie is the better city for career-focused movers who want salary upside and professional growth. Median household income is 3% 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 17% lower than Cape Coral (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.
Fit check
People with a job, family, or neighborhood already pulling them to Cape Coral
Cape Coral is the clearer landing pad if housing cost is what keeps you up at night. Typical rent is 4% cheaper here at about $1,858 a month. Choose Cape Coral if you are stretching a salary, starting over, or want slack for travel and debt instead of a flashier skyline.
Bottom line
Cape Coral carries the heavier crime signal on this page (84/100 safety vs 89/100 in Port St Lucie). That 5-point spread matters more than the $79 rent gap when you are choosing where to walk after dark.
Cape Coral rent at $1,858/month is still below Port St Lucie's $1,937, so cost-sensitive households should weigh the lease before the paycheck.
Typical rent stays $1,858 in Cape Coral and $1,937 in Port St Lucie.
Port St Lucie clears the bar on safety in this dataset. Cape Coral deserves a serious look only when you already know the Cape Coral block you would live on and the safety gap is acceptable.
Common questions
Ready to move to Port St Lucie?
Next steps
Quotes and listings for Port St Lucie when you're ready to act.
Keep researching
Nearby research
Open full neighborhood reports for Port St Lucie and Cape Coral, plus other cities in FL.
