Indian River Colony Club
Melbourne, Florida
Stuart, Florida
What It Is Like to Retire in Stuart
Stuart, Florida is an extremely charming and complex retirement community for many active adults 55+. It has a lovely downtown that is fun to walk around in, with interesting shops and restaurants in a small town feel. There is a very ample coastline thanks to the bays and ocean that surround the town. The road out to Sewall Point Road and Hutchinson Island are beautiful with many lovely and expensive homes. There is much to do in this growing community of 17 145, (2020 Census),which is very attractive to active adults (median age is 52 -Florida's median age is 42). Local attractions include Hobe Sound, several large state parks on the coast like Seabranch Preserve, and the Port Salerno Waterfront District. Some say that Stuart is the most northerly place on the Florida Coast that is positively affected by the Gulf Stream. As a result it is considerably warmer in winter than other communities to the north. Boaters enjoy the Intracoastal which runs between the barrier island and Sewall Point. According to the wikipedia entry on Stuart, in the 1700s, several Spanish galleons shipwrecked in the Martin County area of Florida's Treasure Coast. The multiple wrecks were reportedly the result of a hurricane, and the ships were carrying unknown quantities of gold and silver. Some of this treasure has since been recovered. Photo of Downtown Stuart courtesy of Wikipedia and Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to Retire in Stuart and Home Prices
Living by the water is possible for those who have the resources to do so. Some of it nicest neighborhoods, like those on Sewall Point or Sailfish Point, are difficult to find without a guide or good real estate agent. There are a lot of active adult and gated communities, some of them extremely luxurious. Real estate prices on homes in the area vary tremendously depending on neighborhood and proximity to the water. According to Zillow, the median home value was $385,446 in mid-2023. In the nicest developments homes sell for millions of dollars. We think the reported median prices do not reflect the kind of home that the average retiree is looking for.
What Is Special about Stuart
• Stuart is the Sailfish capital of the world • Walkable, charming downtown • Great shopping and restaurants • Many great neighborhoods and developments • Long shoreline and barrier island beaches • Warm winters • Great golf courses • Intracoastal • Many state parks and Hobe Sound • Nearby and funky Jensens Beach is interesting
What Is Not Special about Stuart
• There is lot traffic in season • Overdevelopment • History of hurricanes
Who Will Like Retirement in Stuart
Stuart is a growing, vital community with all types and ages of people living there.
Local Economy Is Driven by
Education, banking and finance, tourism, real estate
Climate and Physical Environment
Stuart is in the middle of the Atlantic coast of Florida, about where the Gulf Stream starts to move east. There are many rivers, bays, and barrier islands that make this a complex network of land and water. Winters are warm and summers have almost daily rains.
Restaurants & Cultural Scene
The Martin County Library is well funded and features a collection of over 250,000 books. The Lyric Theatre is an historic theatre on the National Register of Historic Places. The Stuart Heritage Museum. There are a lot of interesting shops and galleries in this affluent community.
Crime
Crime in Stuart is slightly lower than the national average.
Medical facilities
Saint Lucie Medical Center (Port Saint Lucie, FL, 8 miles);Savannas Hospital (Port Saint Lucie, FL, 8 miles); Lawnwood Regional Medical Center (Fort Pierce, FL, 19 Miles). Martin Memorial has two locations - the main hospital downtown and a smaller facility in the south end of town (thanks to hhmomdad for including these).
Transportation
Vero Beach Muni Airport (34 Miles) • Palm Beach International (38 Miles).
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