Last updated October 18, 2026
Moving to Stuart
Relocating to Stuart, Florida
Stuart is in Martin County, Florida. What it is actually like to live in Stuart: the neighborhoods, the commute, the costs people forget, and what homes there sold for last month.
The median single-family house in Stuart has closed at $589,000 so far this year, level with the $582,500 of the same period last year, across 425 sales. Stuart is the county seat of Martin County and the largest of its five municipalities, wrapped around the St. Lucie River where it meets the Indian River Lagoon. The population is 19,451 as of July 1, 2025, per U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimates. Here is what the market actually looks like before anyone tries to sell you on the lifestyle. See what your current home is worth.
Key takeaways
- The median single-family house in Stuart has closed at $589,000 so far this year, level with the $582,500 of the same period last year, across 425 sales.
- The population is 19,451 as of July 1, 2025, per U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimates.
- Millage is 17.3883 total mills inside the City of Stuart on 2025 final rates published by the Martin County Property Appraiser.
- Stuart is the county seat of Martin County and the largest of its five municipalities, wrapped around the St. Lucie River where it meets the Indian River Lagoon.
What Stuart costs right now
| Stuart | On the market | September 2026 | Jan 1 - Sep 30, 2026 | Jan 1 - Sep 30, 2025 | Months of supply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single-family houses | 174 for sale median asking $724,950 | 46 closed median $601,450 | 425 closed median $589,000 | 382 closed median $582,500 | 3.8 |
| Condos and townhomes | 205 for sale median asking $289,900 | 44 closed median $257,500 | 383 closed median $249,000 | 356 closed median $273,000 | 4.7 |
Source: BeachesMLS via our own Cotality Trestle data feed, houses and condos reported separately, Stuart only, retrieved October 18, 2026. Figures cover listings permitted for internet display, which is not every home in the market, and houses are never combined with condos or townhomes. Ask us for the sales behind any number on this page.
What a local would tell you
Downtown Stuart is the reason people pay a premium here. The revitalized district around Osceola Street, the riverwalk boardwalk and the Lyric Theatre give the city something almost no other Treasure Coast market has: a walkable center. Proximity to it is a real pricing factor, and it is the first thing we look at when we price a house or condo in the 34994 and 34996 ZIP codes.
The water is the other half. The north and south forks of the St. Lucie River, the Roosevelt Bridge and the ocean access through the St. Lucie Inlet mean dockage, bridge clearance and channel depth all show up in price. Two houses on the same street can be worth very different money because one can get a sailboat out and the other cannot.
Cleveland Clinic Martin North Hospital at 200 SE Hospital Avenue anchors the employment base along with Martin County government, which is headquartered here.
Getting around
Stuart sits on I-95 and US-1, roughly 45 minutes north of northern Palm Beach County. There is no Brightline station on the Treasure Coast; Martin County has pursued one in downtown Stuart at 500 SE Flagler Avenue, but as of this writing it is neither funded nor built, so plan on driving to West Palm Beach to board.
Taxes and assessments
Millage is 17.3883 total mills inside the City of Stuart on 2025 final rates published by the Martin County Property Appraiser. Special-district and non-ad valorem assessments are billed on top of that and vary by community, so the only number worth relying on is the actual bill for the actual address. Ask us and we will pull it before you write an offer. This is general information, not tax advice.
Before you list
- Roof age and insurance history. In this market the insurance quote is part of the negotiation, not an afterthought.
- Waterfront specifics. Dock permitting, bridge clearance and channel depth are value, not detail. Document them.
- Condominium reserves and milestone inspection status. A buyer's lender will ask. Knowing the answer first is worth money.
- The first asking price. It decides whether you sell in the first three weeks or spend three months getting back to the same number.
If your listing already failed
It is the most common situation we are called about, and it is almost never a marketing problem. See what the data says about Stuart listings that did not sell.
Buying here while selling somewhere else
Most people relocating to Stuart have a home to sell first, and the order you do it in decides your negotiating position on both ends. That is the part we are genuinely useful for. See the Stuart market report for the current figures.
What a website will never know about your Stuart home
No automated estimate can read a renovation, a lot line, dock access or the condition of a roof. Gia Freer, our Broker of Record, prepares a written opinion of value by hand from recent Stuart sales, and sends you the sales she used so you can check her work.
Selling first and buying here second? Tell us both sides and we will sequence them with you rather than guessing.
Prefer to talk it through? Call 561-395-8418 or email info@pbpre.com.
Prepared by Gia Freer, Broker of Record, PBP Real Estate, LLC (CQ1064615), licensed in Florida since 2000 (BK689801). Software helps us organize BeachesMLS data and draft; every opinion of value and market interpretation is prepared by Gia by hand. This page is general market information about real-estate process and pricing, not legal, tax or insurance advice.
Moving to Martin County
Moving to Stuart? Everything in one place
- Moving to Martin County guide — prices by city updated daily, houses and condos kept separate, homestead and insurance basics, and how to plan the search.
- Search homes for sale in Stuart — live BeachesMLS search; email me new listings.
- Public schools: check the address — The Martin County School District assigns schools by address, not by neighborhood name. Check each address in the Martin County Property Information Lookup (school zones by address) before you sign.
- More Martin County guides: Jensen Beach · Palm City
- All 4 Martin County cities — market data, guides and search for each one.
More about living in Stuart
Moving to Stuart: questions and answers
How much does a house cost in Stuart?
The median single-family house closed at $589,000 so far this year across 425 sales, and 174 houses are on the market at a median asking price of $724,950. Condos and townhomes are a separate market and are reported separately.
What are property taxes like in Stuart?
Millage is 17.3883 total mills inside the City of Stuart on 2025 final rates published by the Martin County Property Appraiser. Non-ad valorem assessments for special districts are billed on top of ad valorem taxes, so ask for the actual tax bill on any address rather than working from a rate. This is general information, not tax advice.
Is Stuart a good place to retire?
It is one of the more popular retirement markets on the Treasure Coast, largely because of the walkable downtown, the hospital and the boating access. Whether it suits you depends on how much you value being an hour from a major airport.
What do buyers in Stuart ask about most?
Roof age, insurance history, and for waterfront property, dock permitting and bridge clearance. Have those documented before you list; every day spent finding them after an offer is a day of leverage lost.
Ready to look at Stuart homes?
The Stuart market page shows what sold last month, at what price and how fast, plus the neighborhoods we track. If you already own here and are weighing a sale, the same page has the seller path.
764 closed transactions (Gia and Grant Freer, since 2000)5.0 from 86 Google reviewsLicensed since 1997 and 2000