Thinking about relocating from the Orlando area- advice appreciated. (West Palm Beach: home, schools)

[Cclight]

Hi there! We are a family of 4 (soon to be 5) with 2 boys ages 7 and 3 and are thinking about relocating to the Treasure Coast area- specifically looking at Palm City and Stuart. We are coming next week to check the area out, but I’m wondering if anyone has made a similar move and if you are happy with the decision. We work from home, so that is not an issue. We are looking for a slower pace of life in a less crowded, family friendly area. My concern is that, coming from an area with an abundance of things to do we may get bored. Secondly, I worry that this area may be catered more to retirees as opposed to young families. I would love to find out also the best areas to consider for families similar to us to check out while we are there.

Thank you in advance!

[manny118]

If you are working from home and don't need to be close to 95 or the turnpike for commuting to work, then you should also consider Jensen Beach. Jensen Beach is family friendly and has the A rated Martin County schools, but it's much closer to the beach and intracoastal waterway than Palm City. Jensen Beach has a downtown area and just seems to have more going on than Palm City.

The area does have a noticeable snowbird population, so there is certainly a large retiree population in the winter months. From Census data Jensen Beach, Stuart, and Palm City have an average age of 52.7, 51.1, and 50.6, respectively which is comparable to Sarasota with an average age of 49.2 and much younger than Naples at 66. Port St Lucie borders the area and has a much younger average age of 42.5. Port St Lucie has a population of close to 200,000, so it does bring some youth to the area. Orlando has an average age of 33.8, so the area will be noticeably older than where you are coming from.

If you enjoy the beach, fishing, boating, diving, and other activities on the water, then I think you will enjoy this area more than Orlando. This area is also known for golf just like Orlando. Obviously this area does not have theme parks like Orlando. Bigger city amenities can be found in West Palm Beach about an hour away.