Cost of Living in Fort Pierce
Fort Pierce runs below the national cost-of-living average, but that affordability sits alongside a real economic gap -- a median household income well below the state average and a poverty rate above 26% -- rather than being purely a bargain with no context.
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Learn moreA below-average cost-of-living index
Salary.com's 2026 index puts Fort Pierce at 91 (9% below the national average of 100), with monthly costs estimated at $2,410 for a single adult and $5,306 for a family of four -- up about 2% from 2025. Housing runs the most below-average of any category, with a housing index of 76 (24% below the national average).
Lower cost of living reflects a real income gap, not just a bargain
Fort Pierce's median household income is $48,622 (2024, Census ACS-derived), roughly 37% below Florida's statewide median (about $77,735) and well below neighboring Stuart's $70,308. The poverty rate is 26.24%, well above typical national (roughly 11%-12%) and Florida (roughly 13%) rates. The below-average cost index and the income gap are two sides of the same economic picture, not independent facts -- both are disclosed here rather than presenting affordability without that context.
Utilities run above the national average even as overall costs run below it
Fort Pierce's utilities index is 109 (9% above the national average) even though the overall city index runs below average -- a real, specific exception worth noting for anyone budgeting month to month, since it's not the case that every cost category tracks the below-average headline number.
Key takeaways
- Fort Pierce's cost-of-living index is 91 (9% below the national average), with monthly costs estimated at $2,410 (single) and $5,306 (family of four), per Salary.com's 2026 data.
- Housing runs 24% below the national average (index 76), the single biggest driver of the below-average overall cost.
- Median household income ($48,622, 2024) runs about 37% below Florida's statewide median and well below Stuart's; the poverty rate (26.24%) is well above national and state norms -- the below-average cost of living and the income gap are the same underlying economic picture, not separate facts.
- Utilities run 9% above the national average even though the overall index runs below it -- not every cost category follows the headline number.
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