St. Lucie County, Florida
A shallow water table limits basements on 89% of St. Lucie County's mapped land, a higher share than 95% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 377 flood losses here since 2016, 4% of them in buildings with basements. 20% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1996.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under St. Lucie County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 89.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 90.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.8% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.4% |
| Mapped soil | 386,878 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Pineda | 12% | n/a |
| Riviera | 10% | n/a |
| Winder | 10% | n/a |
| Wabasso | 9% | n/a |
| Oldsmar | 5% | n/a |
| Waveland | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas FL111 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
On 89% of St. Lucie County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 55.35 in, 0.85 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 54.50 in.
USDA rates 90% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 41 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 23 weeks, most recently on the June 2, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 6.5% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
377 flood losses since 2016, $12.4 million paid. The worst year was 2017, with 234. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 4% basements, 80% slabs, 5% crawl spaces, 12% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 10 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 47 |
| 2017 | 234 |
| 2018 | 6 |
| 2019 | 9 |
| 2020 | 26 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 30 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 16 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 2 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 54.50 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 55.35 in (+0.85) |
| 2025 | 43.57 in (-10.93) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1947: 73.74 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2006: 35.07 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at FT PIERCE (7 mi away) | 16.7 |
Homes
| Housing units | 160,146 |
| Median year built | 1996 |
| Built before 1980 | 20% |
| Built 2000 or later | 44% |
| Owner-occupied | 79% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $347,300 |
| Single-family detached | 72% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martin County, FL | 21 mi | under 1% | 75% |
| Indian River County, FL | 22 mi | 1% | 90% |
| Okeechobee County, FL | 27 mi | 0% | 85% |
| Palm Beach County, FL | 51 mi | 0% | 84% |
| Glades County, FL | 54 mi | 0% | 75% |
| Highlands County, FL | 55 mi | 0% | 80% |
| Osceola County, FL | 63 mi | 1% | 88% |
| Brevard County, FL | 65 mi | 3% | 78% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 29, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status