St. Lucie County Florida   Located in East Florida

St. Lucie County Cities

Land area (rank): 581 square miles (49)
Population 1993 (rank): 163,192 (22)
Population density 1993 (rank): 281 persons per square mile (17)
Growth 1980-1990 (rank): 72.3% (6)

Physical Characteristics

St. Lucie County is on the Atlantic coast and is bordered by Martin, Indian River, and Okeechobee counties. The county has 31 square miles of water. The average January temperature is 65.1 degrees F, and the average August temperature is 81.8 degrees F. The average annual rainfall is 49.79 inches.

History

St. Lucie County was established from a portion of Mosquito County in 1844 and named for St. Lucie of Syracuse. The name was changed to Brevard during the 1850s. In 1905 the original name of St. Lucie was restored.

Population

Most of St. Lucie County's population is in the east along the coast. Approximately 60% of St. Lucie County's population is in incorporated areas. Among incorporated places, Port St. Lucie had the greatest population in 1993 (65,722), followed by Ft. Pierce (36,909). The unincorporated area with the greatest population in 1990 was Lakewood Park, with a population of 7,211, followed by Ft. Pierce Northwest, with a population of 5,833. The U.S. Bureau of the Census has designated St. Lucie County (with Martin County) as the Ft. Pierce Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 1993, 82% of St. Lucie County's population was white and 18% was nonwhite. In 1990, 4.0% of the population was Hispanic. Of the population increase between 1980 and 1990, 90.2% was due to net migration. The 1992 birth rate was 14.3 live births per 1,000 persons, and the 1992 death rate was 10.1 deaths per 1,000 persons. In 1992 the infant mortality rate was 10.8 per 1,000. The leading causes of death in 1993 were heart disease, cancer, and stroke.

Education

Of all 1992 high school graduates, 36.6% planned to continue their education. The 1992 high school dropout rate was 8.6%. In 1990, 71.7% of persons in the county were high school graduates, and 13.1% had completed four or more years of college. Colleges and universities. Indian River Community College, Harbor Branch Institution, Ft. Pierce.

Economy

The per capita income in St. Lucie County for 1993 was $15,863 (35th highest in the state). The median household income in 1989 was $27,710. In 1989, 8.5% of families had incomes below the poverty level. In 1990, 21.8% of personal income in St. Lucie County was derived from transfer payments. In 1992 the greatest numbers of persons in the county were employed in the retail trade, services, and government sectors. In the retail trade sector, the employers of the greatest numbers of persons were eating and drinking establishments and food stores. The employers of the greatest numbers of persons in the services sector were medical and health services and business services. In 1987 there were 539 farms in St. Lucie County, totalling 300,622 acres (81% of land in the county). St. Lucie County is a major producer of oranges and grapefruit. In 1991, 2,081,902 pounds of fish and 56,203 pounds of shellfish were landed in St. Lucie County.

Median value of a single-family home 1990: $73,400
Median monthly rent 1990: $410
Mobile homes as a % of total housing: 15.6
Housing Starts 1992: 1,593
Housing starts 1993: 1,642

In 1992 the price level index for St. Lucie County was 97.10 (20th highest in the state).

Local Government

In 1993, the ad valorem millage rate was 7.6365, and the total taxable value of property was $6,975,159,041. Taxable sales totalled $1122.80 million in 1992 and $1193.10 million in 1993. Lottery sales totalled $26,662 thousand in 1992-93. In 1990-91 St. Lucie County's revenues totalled $141,972 thousand ($915.2 per capita) and its expenditures $150,265 thousand ($968.7 per capita). Of those 18 years of age and older, 73.4% were registered to vote in 1992. Of these, 45.9% were registered Democrat and 43.0% were registered Republican. In the 1992 presidential election 35.8% of the votes were cast for Bush, 35.0% for Clinton, and 29.0% for Perot.

Events and Places of Interest

Great American Raft Race, Port St. Lucie, September; Sportsfest, South Walton, November; Ft. Pierce Site, Ft. Pierce.