Port St. Lucie authorized 566 homes in September, its busiest month since at least 2025, with 312 apartments. Single-family permits are down 6% this year.
Port St. Lucie issued building permits for 312 apartment units in September. They are the city’s first permits for buildings of five or more homes since January 2025.
The figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Building Permits Survey, which collects monthly counts from local permit offices. The apartments are in 11 buildings, with a construction value of $59,879,217. The survey does not name the projects.
With 254 single-family homes, the city authorized 566 housing units in 265 buildings in September. That is the most in any month since at least the start of 2025. The total construction value was $212,523,844.
The busiest month in at least 21 months
The Census Bureau’s monthly place files show Port St. Lucie authorized between 159 and 307 units a month from January to August. Every one of those units was a single-family home.
The last month with apartment permits was January 2025, when the city authorized 190 units in 27 buildings. The previous monthly high in that period was also January 2025, at 441 units.
Fewer single-family homes than last year
The apartments mask a slower year for houses. From January through September, according to the Census Bureau’s year-to-date file:
| Jan. to Sept. 2026 | Jan. to Sept. 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Single-family homes | 2,094 | 2,220 |
| Homes in 3- and 4-unit buildings | 0 | 24 |
| Homes in buildings of 5 or more | 312 | 190 |
| All housing units | 2,406 | 2,434 |
Single-family permits are down 126, or about 6%. The total is down 28 units.
The neighbors in September
Neighboring places authorized far fewer homes in September, according to the same survey:
- Fort Pierce, about 10 miles north, authorized 38 units: 14 houses and 24 apartments in one building.
- Unincorporated St. Lucie County authorized 40 units: 34 houses and six homes in two-unit buildings.
- Stuart, about 11 miles south in Martin County, authorized none.
What the numbers can and cannot tell you
- A permit is not a start. The survey counts homes authorized, not homes under construction or finished. Some permitted projects are delayed or never built.
- Some figures are estimates. The Census Bureau fills gaps when a permit office reports late, and it revises the monthly numbers in its annual file.
- Construction value is the builder’s estimated cost on the permit, not a sale price.
What it means for you
- New apartments add to rental supply. The Zillow Observed Rent Index from Zillow Research put the typical asking rent in Port St. Lucie at $2,356 in September, up 2% on the year.
- Home values are flat. Zillow’s Home Value Index put the typical home at $384,099 in September, down 0.9% on the year. Our home prices page tracks it monthly.
- Want to know what is planned near you? Our building permits and zoning guide explains how to look up site plans and when the Planning and Zoning Board meets.
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