Port St Lucie/ Vero Bch/ Ft Pierce (Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines: insurance, budget)

[mrsg04]

Hi All,
Would love some opinions about these areas. Currently in Broward and we're looking for objective opinions. Would anyone mind sharing their knowledge? Looking to find out about home pricing, jobs (salons), quality of life, traffic, etc.
Thanks in advance!!

[PBCboy]

Check out this thread I posted not too long ago:

Vero Beach, Hobe Sound, or Port Saint Lucie?

[mrsg04]

Thank-you for your info.
I've noticed on a couple of the city comparison sites that personal crime is higher in Vero than where we currently are in North Broward.
Do you or does anyone know offhand if this seems to be true? Any personal experiences?
Thank-you.

[FlaLadyB]

I can not possibly even think that Vero Beach would have a higher crime rate than any place in Broward county! You might be seeing facts for Ft. Pierce, where I would NOT live, which is just south of Vero, but I find a high crime rate in Vero Beach a hard thing to believe and have not seen that.

[TriMT7]

Originally Posted by FlaLadyB

I can not possibly even think that Vero Beach would have a higher crime rate than any place in Broward county! You might be seeing facts for Ft. Pierce, where I would NOT live, which is just south of Vero, but I find a high crime rate in Vero Beach a hard thing to believe and have not seen that.

North Broward has some nice areas, so I can believe it if it's true.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by FlaLadyB

I can not possibly even think that Vero Beach would have a higher crime rate than any place in Broward county!

It's a common misconception that no place on earth has higher crime than Broward County, except for Dade, and it's automatically safer when you head further north, even in Palm Beach County. None of those statements are completely true.
Crime in Vero Beach by Year
Type 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Murders 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0
per 100,000 0.0 5.8 0.0 5.4 5.7 0.0 0.0 0.0
Rapes 6 17 5 10 5 4 6 7
per 100,000 36.1 99.4 27.5 54.0 28.3 22.5 34.1 40.3
Robberies 23 24 18 18 32 12 16 23
per 100,000 138.5 140.3 99.1 97.2 181.2 67.6 90.9 132.4
Assaults 55 50 53 62 55 58 64 46
per 100,000 331.3 292.3 291.8 334.9 311.4 326.9 363.7 264.9
Burglaries 175 170 160 207 130 137 145 121
per 100,000 1054.1 993.9 880.9 1118.1 736.1 772.1 824.0 696.8
Thefts 790 791 591 616 572 523 551 498
per 100,000 4758.5 4624.4 3253.7 3327.2 3239.0 2947.6 3131.2 2867.7
Auto thefts 50 45 27 32 32 28 44 23
per 100,000 301.2 263.1 148.6 172.8 181.2 157.8 250.0 132.4
Arson 2 5 5 1 3 1 1 6
per 100,000 12.0 29.2 27.5 5.4 17.0 5.6 5.7 34.6
City-data.com crime index (higher means more crime, U.S. average = 321.1) 424.9 467.3 313.8 375.3 346.2 288.3 330.2 299.0

Looks like Vero Beach has come down significantly, but it's still comparable with

Crime in Sunrise by Year
Type 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Murders 3 2 3 4 1 0 1 3
per 100,000 3.7 2.3 3.4 4.5 1.1 0.0 1.1 3.3
Rapes 23 30 38 11 23 19 22 15
per 100,000 28.3 34.5 43.2 12.3 25.5 20.9 23.8 16.3
Robberies 116 126 137 145 145 104 128 177
per 100,000 142.5 145.0 155.7 161.6 160.9 114.1 138.7 192.1
Assaults 173 207 269 280 255 249 230 231
per 100,000 212.6 238.2 305.7 312.1 283.0 273.3 249.3 250.8
Burglaries 687 538 690 551 513 471 554 576
per 100,000 844.1 619.0 784.1 614.3 569.4 516.9 600.5 625.3
Thefts 3,451 3,367 3,353 2,896 2,857 2,517 2,288 2,449
per 100,000 4240.1 3874.1 3810.1 3228.5 3171.0 2762.4 2479.8 2658.6
Auto thefts 570 500 482 403 392 310 306 318
per 100,000 700.3 575.3 547.7 449.3 435.1 340.2 331.7 345.2
Arson 9 5 17 6 3 19 4 4
per 100,000 11.1 5.8 19.3 6.7 3.3 20.9 4.3 4.3
City-data.com crime index (higher means more crime, U.S. average = 331.9) 400.0 367.7 400.3 337.7 329.0 279.5 280.5 305.1

And for information's sake, the only Florida city that is safer than Port St. Luice is Coral Springs as of 2006 (based on 2005). Broward city. As of 2007 (based on 2006 data), Coral Springs and Pembroke Pines rank 1 and 2 in the the state, respectively, the former ranking as one of the 25 safest cities in the country for it's second year in a row and the both ranking within the 50 safest for several years. And unless they are in Pompano Beach or Deerfield Beach, their north Broward city is safer than Vero Beach, because those were the only two north Broward cities to have high crime than Vero.That being said, it's gorgeous up there and I think I would rather live in Vero myself lol.

And to compare St Lucie, Indian River and Broward as counties, yes, the latter two are significantly safer according to the FDLE

Broward reported 4,295.9 crimes per 100,000 and a percent change of negative 1.7 percent. Indian River reported a low 3,269.2 crimes per 100,000 and a significant decrease of 10.3% over previous year. St. Lucie reported a slightly-below-average 3,822.4 crimes per 100,000 people, which is a 2.1 percent increase over last year.

Total Index Crime by County, 2006

[rbayle]

I live in Vero-born here, but currently have my house for sale. I can tell you anything about the area. It is a slower pace of life. We still have rural areas-fishing and hunting are still major sports. We dont' have as many northerners in the winter.

[PAdams626]

I live in Fort Pierce, granted it's been only since June '07, it seems to be safe. I guess it's where I live is safe. In Broward I've seen and lived in some rough areas (all over Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach), and some good ones too (Coral Springs and Coconut Creek). I've seen life on both sides of the track. By no means does Fort Pierce compare to Coral Springs or Coconut Creek, Port St. Lucie compares with those a little better, especially Traditions. But, Fort Pierce is like Fort Lauderdale 15 years ago. But, I'm hoping that the Community Redevelopment sparks the economy of the city and improved streetscapes. I just hope the positive waves of Port St. Lucie spill over to the north.

[Samsam23]

Fort Pierce- Some areas are really drug ridden with lots of crime. The "downtown" is going through a revitalization process (public and private funds) but it will takes YEARS to push the criminal element out. Many neighborhood nearby are also low-income housing (section 8 type). I would be hard pressed to recommend anyone to this area. I

Port St Lucie- I live in PSL West which a newer area. There is already a traffic issue due to very poor planning. The schools system (from what I hear) leaves a lot to be desired. This area is more geared towards families (if you're single, forget it, there is NO and I mean NO night life here) and retired folks. Otherwise, many big box stores are moving into the area, especially at Traditions. In a way it's nice because everything is nearby but it also increases traffic. Home prices are dropping and you should really shop around. Insurance and taxes are still a big issue, be here or anywhere else in FL.

Good luck

[Prettygyrl777]

The city and downtown areas of Ft. Pierce are not desirable but Hutchinson Island is nice- not sure what you're budget is but I went to a charity event near the water down there and it was gorgeous. I could easily live there with no problem. I can't say the same for the rest of Ft. Pierce.

I live in PSL. The housing prices are coming down but there are other issues to deal with: school, jobs, insurance, etc... I like it here because it's convenient for where I am in my life right now but I have my sets on Palm Beach Gardens. Look up some info on that area and you may find something you like. I go to school in PBG and I LOVE the area-- it's a great place for 'upwardly mobile' individuals but I didn't find it anymore expensive than the other areas. There's a wider variety of housing options there and you're minutes away from various types of employment.