Data Analysis
Martin County house listings showed a median tax bill of 0.75 percent of the asking price on November 2, 2026, against 1.33 percent in St. Lucie County, though St. Lucie's average rate is the higher of the two.
The median St. Lucie house listing showed $5,795 in taxes on a $440,000 price; Martin's showed $6,769 on $836,000. A buyer's first bill can be far higher.
On November 2, 2026, the median single-family house for sale in St. Lucie County asked $440,000 and showed a 2025 property tax bill of $5,795, or 1.33 percent of price. In Martin County the median house asked $836,000 with a $6,769 bill, just 0.75 percent. At each county's average rate, 22.85 mills in St. Lucie and 15.47 mills in Martin, a bill assessed at those prices would be about $10,050 and $12,930 before exemptions. 894 of 2,169 St. Lucie houses (41 percent) and 329 of 623 Martin houses (53 percent) showed a bill below half of that full-value figure. All MLS figures are ours, computed from BeachesMLS records.
With 2026 tax bills mailed on November 1, buyers comparing Treasure Coast homes this month are reading sellers' bills that reflect years of capped assessments. Our statewide property tax reset analysis explains why. Recent Treasure Coast coverage on listings past 180 days, St. Lucie contracts and the Solaeris new-home pipeline covers supply, and monthly figures are on the Treasure Coast market data hub.
Why does a Treasure Coast listing understate a buyer's tax bill?
Florida's Save Our Homes rule limits yearly growth in a homesteaded property's assessed value to 3 percent or the inflation rate, whichever is lower. Section 193.155 of the Florida Statutes resets the assessment to just value on the January 1 after a change of ownership. The seller's bill reflects the capped value. The buyer's first full bill starts from a new assessment that usually lands near the purchase price.
Our calculators use the 2025-26 Florida TaxWatch county averages: about 22.85 mills for St. Lucie County and 15.47 mills for Martin County. The homestead exemption is worth about $980 a year in St. Lucie and $611 in Martin at those rates.
Why is the listed bill higher in St. Lucie than in Martin?
| County and type (active, 2025 or 2026 tax line) | Listings | Median asking price | Median listed tax bill | Bill as share of price | Share under 1% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Lucie houses | 2,169 | $440,000 | $5,795 | 1.33% | 36% |
| St. Lucie townhomes | 117 | $319,900 | $4,870 | 1.52% | 36% |
| St. Lucie condos | 429 | $299,000 | $4,232 | 1.46% | 22% |
| Martin houses | 623 | $836,000 | $6,769 | 0.75% | 72% |
| Martin townhomes | 116 | $414,975 | $3,787 | 1.12% | 45% |
| Martin condos | 332 | $254,198 | $2,670 | 1.15% | 37% |
Source: Momentum Research, computed from BeachesMLS records, St. Lucie and Martin county active listings, live snapshot, November 2, 2026. Listed tax bill is the seller's annual amount as reported on the listing. Deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Two things drive the difference. St. Lucie's average millage is about 48 percent higher than Martin's. And St. Lucie's supply is newer: much of Port St. Lucie was built or resold in the past decade, so assessments there sit closer to market value. Martin's resale houses in Stuart, Palm City and Hobe Sound are more often long-held, which keeps their bills low relative to today's prices.
Which cities show the widest gap?
| City (single-family) | Active | Median asking price | Median listed tax bill | Bill as share of price | Share under 1% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port St. Lucie | 1,609 | $450,000 | $6,318 | 1.45% | 32% |
| Fort Pierce | 470 | $375,000 | $3,912 | 1.04% | 48% |
| Stuart | 241 | $740,000 | $6,108 | 0.80% | 68% |
| Palm City | 195 | $795,000 | $6,381 | 0.79% | 68% |
| Jensen Beach | 78 | $595,000 | $5,932 | 0.90% | 59% |
| Hobe Sound | 70 | $762,500 | $6,388 | 0.67% | 76% |
| Jupiter (Martin County addresses) | 48 | $3,244,500 | $19,423 | 0.73% | 83% |
Source: Momentum Research, live snapshot, November 2, 2026. City follows the listing address. Deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Port St. Lucie's median house shows the highest bill relative to price on the Treasure Coast. Listed totals in newer Port St. Lucie communities can also include special-district assessments, which a buyer pays on top of the county millage. In Hobe Sound, about three in four houses for sale show a bill under 1 percent of price.
Does the gap grow with price?
| Single-family asking price (both counties) | Active | In contract | Bill as share of price | Share under 1% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $400,000 | 845 | 270 | 1.45% | 30% |
| $400,000 to $599,999 | 1,109 | 263 | 1.23% | 41% |
| $600,000 to $999,999 | 491 | 126 | 0.96% | 52% |
| $1 million to $1,999,999 | 190 | 31 | 0.72% | 72% |
| $2 million and up | 157 | 22 | 0.59% | 90% |
Source: Momentum Research, live snapshot, November 2, 2026. In contract counts pending and active under contract listings. Deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Nine in ten houses at $2 million and up show a bill under 1 percent of price. Those bands also have the slowest contract pace: about 7.1 active listings per contract at $2 million and up, against 3.1 under $400,000. Unlike Miami-Dade and Palm Beach, newer Treasure Coast houses do not show a smaller listed bill: the 920 houses built in 2020 or later had a median of 1.22 percent of price, close to the 1.21 percent for houses built from 2000 to 2019.
What does this mean for buyers and sellers?
For buyers, compare homes on the bill you will pay, not the seller's. A St. Lucie house at $440,000 and a Martin house at $625,000 can land at similar first-year bills because of the millage difference, which our Florida property tax calculator shows. Community fees are listed on our St. Lucie County HOA fees and Martin County HOA fees pages.
For sellers in Martin County especially, a low tax line will not survive the sale, and a buyer's lender will escrow on the new figure. Month-by-month pace is in our Beaches Market Pulse.
People also ask
Are property taxes higher in St. Lucie or Martin County?
St. Lucie's 2025-26 county average is about 22.85 mills against about 15.47 mills in Martin, based on the Florida TaxWatch averages in our calculators. On the same taxable value, a St. Lucie bill runs about 48 percent higher.
Will my property taxes go up after buying in Port St. Lucie?
Often, if the seller owned for several years. The assessment resets to just value on the January 1 after a sale. The median Port St. Lucie house listing showed $6,318 in taxes on a $450,000 asking price on November 2, 2026.
How much are taxes on a Martin County house?
The median Martin County house listing showed a $6,769 bill on an $836,000 asking price on November 2, 2026. At the county average rate, a bill based on that price would be about $12,930 before exemptions.
Limitations
Tax amounts are the figures entered on each listing and can be incomplete, out of date, or include non-ad valorem assessments; listings without a 2025 or 2026 tax amount, and listings under $50,000, are excluded. The full-value comparison uses one county average rate, while actual bills depend on city millage, special districts, exemptions and the assessed value the property appraiser sets. Indian River County listings are not in this BeachesMLS snapshot and are not covered. This is a live snapshot and can differ from monthly inventory counts. Nothing here is tax or legal advice; each county's property appraiser and tax collector set actual bills.
Sources and links
- Momentum Research, computed from BeachesMLS records, St. Lucie and Martin county active and in-contract listings, live snapshot, November 2, 2026. Information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed by the MLS to be accurate.
- Florida Statutes, section 193.155 (homestead assessment limit and change of ownership).
- Florida TaxWatch 2025 county average millage, as used in our St. Lucie and Martin property tax calculators.
- Related: Florida property tax reset analysis, Treasure Coast market data.
Disclosure: Jon Brooks is a co-founder of Momentum Realty, a Florida real estate brokerage that owns and funds Florida Housing Intelligence. Momentum has a financial interest in Florida real estate transactions, including in markets named here. See our editorial standards.
Market statistics in this article are computed from MLS data licensed by Momentum Realty, and are current as of the date shown. Data may be preliminary and subject to revision by its source. This article is general information, not advice about any specific property, transaction, or financial decision, and is not a representation about any specific property, community, builder, or association.
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