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Compare towns

Stuart vs Rio

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

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Stuart, FLHomes around $374KFlorida · 18,520 people
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Rio, FLA small town of 1,232Florida · 1,232 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.

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 →
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 →
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.

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

Stuart and Rio share a border

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

StuartRioStuartRio
Stuart ↔ Rio1.6 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
BStuartBetter than 58% of districts in the state –RioNot graded
Health
B−StuartHealthier than 50% of U.S. towns B−RioHealthier than 54% 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
StuartRio
Snow a year0″0″
January low56°F56°F
July high91°F91°F
Growing season (days)365d365d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)89th90th
Outdoors & history
StuartRio
Trails4 mi0 mi
Conserved land2.9%0.4%
National Register places4—
Archive photos12—
Famous people born here24—
Community
StuartRio
Library hours a week55 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.

StuartRio
People
Population 18,520Highest 1,232Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +11.7%Highest FL: +14.6% +1.6%Lowest FL: +14.6%
Median age 48.6±5Lowest 14% above FL 58.1±7Highest 36% 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 17.4%±2.9Highest FL: 19.5% 14.2%±7.8Lowest 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+ 29.1%±3.1Lowest FL: 21.3% 37.4%±21.1Highest 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+ 35.1%Highest FL: 34.1% 29.5%Lowest FL: 34.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.2%±1.5Highest FL: 6.1% 0%±1.7Lowest FL: 6.1%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $60,225±$8kLowest 19% below FL $91,953±$16kHighest 23% above FL
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $329,400±$33kHighest 8% below FL $303,800±$115kLowest 15% 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 $2,063Lowest 24% below FL $2,753Highest about the FL average
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 69.3%±10.1Lowest FL: 60.1% 100%±100Highest 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 17.3%Highest FL: 12.6% 13.6%Lowest FL: 12.6%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 58.9%Lowest FL: 67.6% 96.3%Highest FL: 67.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1982Highest 6 yrs older than FL 1977Lowest 11 yrs older than FL
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 25 minHighest 12% below FL 15 minLowest 46% below FL
Work from home 12.4%±3.4Highest FL: 15.7% 0%±3.4Lowest FL: 15.7%
Work in townworking residents 23.8%Highest 0.3%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 16.8 miHighest 16.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 4.18Highest 0.50Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Port St. Lucie (5%)Stuart (20%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Rio20% work in Stuart
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2.9%Highest 0.4%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 3.9 miHighest 0.1 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 miHighest 0.1 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 24Highest 1Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 84.1Highest 50.2Lowest
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.

Stuart neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Stuart’s Town Square.

Rio neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Rio’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Stuart and Rio

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

Bordering Stuart

N
+ Compare
North River Shores3,633 people · $310K homes
+ Compare
Jensen Beach12,531 people · $412K homes
+ Compare
Palm City26,371 people · $563K homes

Towns like Stuart

+ Compare
Mount Dora17,278 people · $382K homes
+ Compare
Panama City Beach18,971 people · $441K homes
+ Compare
Vero Beach17,042 people · $392K homes
+ Compare
Cocoa19,554 people · $246K 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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