Real Estate Investing in Fort Pierce, Florida (34945)

Everything the listing leaves out — vacancy, rent trend, cap rate, landlord climate. All free.

Saint Lucie County • Population: 6,214 • Data updated: September 2026

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Should you buy in 34945 (Fort Pierce, FL)? Our answer, based on the numbers below.

🏠 For Homebuyers
CAUTION
Grade D (45/100)

Proceed carefully. Weak appreciation or affordability makes this a harder case for most buyers.

📈 For Investors
MIXED
3.0 / 5 (47/100)

A middle-of-the-road market. Workable, but the best opportunities may be nearby ZIPs rather than this one.

⚠️ Risks to Know
1 flag
  • High vacancy: 12.3% of homes vacant — above national norms.

• Modeled rent — no observed market rent for this ZIP; the figure is estimated from HUD fair-market rent.

What’s happening in Fort Pierce, FL (34945)?

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3.0/ 5

Investability

Overall investment appeal

3.0/ 5

Appreciation

Long-term value growth

3.0/ 5

Cashflow ROI

Rental yield potential

Avg Home Value $411,502
Avg Monthly Rent $1,557
1% Rule ✗ Does Not Meet
Median Income $66,917
% Renters 6.5%

Market Analysis: 34945 Fort Pierce

ZIP 34945 inside Saint Lucie County looks affordable on the surface — median value of $412K — but the discount exists for reasons that a careful buyer should understand before committing.

Rent of $1,557/mo on a $412K basis reads well until vacancy, delinquency, and capex enter the model. The honest cap rate in 34945 sits below the stated 0.0% once reality is priced in.

Nearby ZIPs in Fort Pierce have seen price recovery that 34945 has not matched. Saint Lucie County data supports the view that the spread is structural rather than temporary.

A solid renter share of 7% in 34945 is not, on its own, a problem — but paired with below-average income and high mobility, it changes the operating playbook.

The 34945 ZIP fits a narrow investor profile — hands-on, patient, and willing to accept that the cap rate on paper is not the cap rate in reality.

Explore the Data — Click a Tab Below
🏦 Current 30-yr Fixed Mortgage Rate: 6.76% as of Sep 10 Source: Freddie Mac PMMS

Here's what matters if you're considering buying a home in Fort Pierce:

C+ Average
Buy Confidence Score: 61/100
Affordability
5/25
Appreciation
22/25
Stability
9/20
Timing
10/15
Rental backup
15/15
Affordability
Expensive
Homes cost 6.1× the median income
Value Trend
Stable (+0.1%)
How home values changed in the past year
Rental Backup
Strong
Could rent for $1,557/mo if you need to move
Market Conditions
COOL
More inventory, negotiating room for buyers
Bottom Line: Mixed signals in this market. Research specific properties carefully and be prepared to negotiate.
❄️
COOL MARKET
Port St. Lucie, FL Metro Area
More inventory, negotiating room for buyers
95 days
Average time to sell
Slow
7.2%
Listings with price cuts
Few Cuts
0.0%
Sale price vs asking
Below Ask
0.0%
Income needed for mortgage
Affordable
📅 Market conditions as of August 29, 2026 — updated weekly from Port St. Lucie, FL metro data
🏠

Property Strategy for 34945

Which property type performs best in this market?

Best for Cash Flow
4BR
5.0% cap rate
Best for Appreciation
2BR
+10.1% 5yr CAGR
Best Overall Value
4BR
$91,676/bedroom
📊 Compare All Property Types →
Type Median Value Est. Rent Cap Rate 5yr CAGR $/Bedroom
2BR $329,206 $1,730 3.8% +10.1% $164,603
3BR $397,621 $2,250 4.1% +9.0% $132,540
4BR $366,704 $2,550 5.0% +8.2% $91,676

Market Trends

Home Value History (with trend line)

$444K$376K$308K$239K$171K$103KJul 2006Jul 2016Jul 2026

📊 How Does 34945 Compare?

Metric 34945 Fort Pierce Port St. Lucie, FL Florida
Home Value $411,502 $308,526 N/A $374,697
5-Year CAGR 5.4% 5.4% N/A 7.4%
Avg Rent $1,557 $1,930 N/A -
Cap Rate 3.0% 5.1% - -
💡 Why Invest in 34945? Click to expand

With a 3/5 investability rating, this ZIP shows solid fundamentals for buy-and-hold investors.

📊 See where this ZIP ranks in our Best-of lists →
A great house in the wrong ZIP is still a bad deal — screen every market by cash flow & cap rate.
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Landlord Ground Truth

Real numbers from people who own or manage rentals in ZIP 34945 (Fort Pierce, FL). Anonymous, moderated, never written by AI.

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Investability
Good
Cap Rate
3.0%
Low
5yr Growth
+5.4%
Moderate

📉 Market Crash Risk Index

Based on Port St. Lucie, FL metro

4/10
Moderate Risk
Price YoY
0/3
N/A
Rent YoY
0/2
N/A
Below List
2/3
74%
Days Pending
2/2
95 days

View all metro crash risk rankings →

📊 Market Snapshot

Home Value $411,502
Monthly Rent $1,557
Price-to-Rent 22.0:1
1% Rule ✗ Fails

💰 Return Metrics

Gross Yield 4.5%
Cap Rate 3.0%
5-Year IRR 8.4%

📈 Home Appreciation

1-Year +0.1% ▲
3-Year CAGR +0.8% ▲
5-Year CAGR +5.4% ▲
10-Year CAGR +8.3% ▲

🏠 Rent Trends

1-Year N/A
3-Year CAGR N/A
5-Year CAGR N/A
Negative Leverage — IRR / Tax Play Cap Rate: 3.0%  |  30yr Rate: 6.8%
Leverage reduces cash returns at current rates.

The current 30-yr mortgage rate (6.8%) exceeds the estimated cap rate (3.0%). Financing reduces your cash-on-cash return below the cap rate. Markets like this may still make sense as IRR plays — factoring in appreciation, depreciation, and a future refinance when rates drop.

Run an IRR Analysis →

⚠️ Risk Signals

Composite view of factors that can impact a ZIP's stability and your downside risk.

Vacancy
12.3%
Moderate risk
Landlord Climate
5.0/5
Friendly
Value Trend (5yr)
+5.4%
Stable
Eviction process: Fast Rent control: Favorable

Demographics in 34945

Population: 6,214

💰 Median Household Income
$66,917
This area
$66,917
State
$70,737
USA
$74,580
🏠 Renter Occupied
6.5%
This area
6.5%
State
29.9%
USA
34.0%
💼 Unemployment Rate
0.6%
This area
0.6%
State
-18.0%
USA
3.7%
🎓 College Educated
22.3%
This area
22.3%
State
4.7%
USA
33.7%
👤 Median Age
43.1 years
This area
43.1 years
State
16.0 years
USA
38.9 years
🏚️ Vacancy Rate
12.3%
This area
12.3%
State
17.2%
USA
10.5%
👥 Population by Ethnicity
White 70.9%
Other/Mixed 14.6%
Black/African American 14.4%
Hispanic/Latino 10.6%
Asian 0.2%
👶 Under 18
19.9%
This area
19.9%
USA
22.0%
👴 65 and Over
22.3%
This area
22.3%
USA
17.3%
📊 Poverty Rate
9.7%
This area
9.7%
USA
11.5%

Crime & Safety

🚧

Crime & Safety Data Coming Soon

We're integrating comprehensive crime statistics including violent crime rates, property crime, and safety scores to help you make informed investment decisions.

Expected: Q1 2025

🎓 Nearby Colleges & Universities

3 Nearby 3,821 Off-Campus Students
C
Aviator College of Aeronautical Science and Technology
314 students · 11.6 mi
C+
Indian River State College
15,104 students · 12.0 mi
C+
Fort Pierce Beauty Academy
30 students · 14.2 mi

Investor Insight: With 3,821 students living off-campus nearby, this area has strong rental demand from the college population.

Frequently Asked Questions

How tight is the rental market in Fort Pierce, FL?

Fort Pierce, FL sees elevated vacancy, which is reasonable relative to the broader FL rental market.

Which investment style suits Fort Pierce, FL?

In Fort Pierce, FL the resilient play is typically careful cash-flow rentals with hands-on management. The combination of $412K prices and $1,557/mo rents suits that approach.

Is Fort Pierce, FL a friendly market for rental owners?

Rental owners in Fort Pierce, FL deal with a landlord-friendly legal framework. Most standard eviction processes run on reasonable timelines.

Does house hacking make sense in Fort Pierce, FL?

For house hackers, Fort Pierce, FL is a challenging. The $1,557/mo rent on a unit helps defray the mortgage on a $412K property.

How strong is Fort Pierce, FL for real estate investors?

Our data puts Fort Pierce, FL at 3.0/5 for investability. Home prices of $412K and rents around $1,557/mo create a solid backdrop for investor activity.

You know 34945 now. You don’t know where it ranks.

This page stays free — all of it. What one page can’t tell you is how 34945 compares to every other market. Investor ($19/mo) screens every U.S. ZIP by cap rate, the 1% rule, vacancy and landlord climate, and exports your shortlist.

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How 34945 ranks in Port St. Lucie, FL

Every ZIP in this metro, ranked. Free.

Cash Flow → Appreciation → Affordable →
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