St Lucie County, Florida

It's a strong fit if you want Treasure Coast beaches, boating, and golf without South Florida prices. The county spans the barrier-island lifestyle of Hutchinson Island, the historic waterfront of Fort Pierce, and the family-friendly, still-growing suburbs of Port St. Lucie. With 6,263 homes sold in the past year, it's an active, established market with plenty of turnover.

It's relatively affordable for coastal Florida — the median list price is $414,900 and the median home sold for $380,000 over the last year. At about $275 per square foot, you get more house here than in the counties just south, and the browse by price options include listings well under $200,000.

Active listings run an enormous range, but the median list is $414,900 for a home around 1,763 square feet. Single-family homes dominate the market at 2,219 active listings, with 389 condos and 177 townhouses filling in the more affordable tiers, and a luxury segment of 145 homes priced above $1 million.

It favors patient buyers. With 3,119 active listings and a median 56 days on market, homes aren't flying off the shelf, and sellers are accepting about 97% of asking on average. That means room to negotiate, especially on the homes with a pool that make up more than half the inventory.

The median HOA is $279 per month, though that varies widely between gated and golf communities and off-association single-family homes. The median annual property tax runs about $5,181, and for comparison, the median rent in the county sits at $2,600 per month.