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Compare towns

Rio vs Stuart

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: trails (39× in Stuart) and jobs per worker (8.4× in Stuart).

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Rio, FLA small town of 1,232Florida · 1,232 people
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Stuart, FLHomes around $374KFlorida · 18,520 people
Swap order
Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

RioA small town of 1,232
Quiet strengthsRio doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Rio →
StuartHomes around $374K
Housing$374K typical home0% above the FL typical home Work29,251 jobsbased in Stuart, a regional job hub Schools#188 for schools in FLof 488 towns All about Stuart →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Trails39×
Stuart has more miles of trail
Stuart 3.9 miRio 0.1 mi
Jobs per worker8.4×
Stuart is more of a job hub
Stuart 4.18Rio 0.50
Size15×
Stuart is the bigger place
Stuart 18,520Rio 1,232
Homeowners+37.4 pts renters
Stuart has more renters
Rio 96.3%Stuart 58.9%
Household income+53%
Households in Rio earn more
Rio $91,953Stuart $60,225
Work from home+12.4 pts
More people work from home in Stuart
Stuart 12.4%Rio 0%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $330 more a month in Stuart

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Rio$1,820/mo
Typical home $304K (Census) · tax rate 0.91% · Housing →
Stuart$2,160/mo
Typical home $374K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.63% · or rent about $1,586/mo · Housing →

The difference: $330 a month, about $4,000 a year, between Stuart and Rio.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Where they are

Rio and Stuart share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

RioStuartRioStuart
Rio ↔ Stuart1.6 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
77 Rio residents work in Stuart (19.6% of its workers)
Work & commute in Rio →
Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Florida ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Schools
–RioNot graded BStuartBetter than 58% of districts in the state
Health
B−RioHealthier than 54% of U.S. towns B−StuartHealthier than 50% of U.S. towns
Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
RioStuart
Snow a year0″0″
January low56°F56°F
July high91°F91°F
Growing season (days)365d365d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)90th89th
Outdoors & history
RioStuart
Trails0 mi4 mi
Conserved land0.4%2.9%
National Register places—4
Archive photos—12
Famous people born here—24
Community
RioStuart
Library hours a week—55 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

RioStuart
People
Population 1,232Lowest 18,520Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +1.6%Lowest FL: +14.6% +11.7%Highest FL: +14.6%
Median age 58.1±7Highest 36% above FL 48.6±5Lowest 14% above FL
Rio and Stuart are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 14.2%±7.8Lowest FL: 19.5% 17.4%±2.9Highest FL: 19.5%
Stuart and Rio are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 37.4%±21.1Highest FL: 21.3% 29.1%±3.1Lowest FL: 21.3%
Rio and Stuart are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 29.5%Lowest FL: 34.1% 35.1%Highest FL: 34.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±1.7Lowest FL: 6.1% 5.2%±1.5Highest FL: 6.1%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $91,953±$16kHighest 23% above FL $60,225±$8kLowest 19% below FL
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $303,800±$115kLowest 15% below FL $329,400±$33kHighest 8% below FL
Stuart and Rio are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly — $1,586±$99 5% below FL
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,753Highest about the FL average $2,063Lowest 24% below FL
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 100%±100Highest FL: 60.1% 69.3%±10.1Lowest FL: 60.1%
Rio and Stuart are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 13.6%Lowest FL: 12.6% 17.3%Highest FL: 12.6%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 96.3%Highest FL: 67.6% 58.9%Lowest FL: 67.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1977Lowest 11 yrs older than FL 1982Highest 6 yrs older than FL
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 15 minLowest 46% below FL 25 minHighest 12% below FL
Work from home 0%±3.4Lowest FL: 15.7% 12.4%±3.4Highest FL: 15.7%
Work in townworking residents 0.3%Lowest 23.8%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 16.3 miLowest 16.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.50Lowest 4.18Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Stuart (20%)Port St. Lucie (5%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 20% work in StuartFew work in Rio
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0.4%Lowest 2.9%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.1 miLowest 3.9 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.4 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 24Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 50.2Lowest 84.1Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#188 of 488 in FL
School district —MARTIN
High school in town —Martin County High School
Students per teacherat that high school — 22.1
Florida average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Rio neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Rio’s Town Square.

Stuart neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Stuart’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Rio and Stuart

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Rio

+ Compare
Jensen Beach12,531 people · $412K homes

Towns like Rio

+ Compare
Oak Hill1,694 people · $314K homes
S
+ Compare
St. Lucie Village714 people · $444K homes
+ Compare
Yankeetown675 people · $335K homes
M
+ Compare
Malabar3,066 people · $451K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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