Martin County is a county located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 158,431. Its county seat is Stuart. Martin County is in the Port St. Lucie, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History Martin County was created in 1925 with the northern portion coming from St. Lucie County and southern portion coming from Palm Beach County. It was named for John W. Martin, Governor of Florida from 1925 to 1929.
When the county was created, the western contour followed the shore of Lake Okeechobee, as did the borders of Glades, Okeechobee, and Hendry counties. Palm Beach County had historically claimed all of the surface of the lake as part of its area, to its benefit for the distribution of state and federal highway funds. The state representative of Martin County, William Ralph Scott of Stuart, initiated a bill to divide the lake among its adjacent counties, creating a more equitable distribution of state funds for road creation and maintenance. All bordering counties confirmed the justice of this change and supported its ratification, with the exception of Palm Beach County. Representatives from Palm Beach County later presented Representative Scott with a jug of water, signifying "all the water Bill Scott left Palm Beach County." The jug is in the possession of Stuart Heritage.
Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (27.8%) is water. It is the 54th largest county in Florida by land area, and 53rd largest by total area.
Adjacent counties St. Lucie County – north Palm Beach County – south Hendry County – southwest Glades County – southwest Okeechobee County – northwest
National protected area Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge
Environment
Martin County Shore Protection Project According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Martin County Shore Protection Project includes nourishment of approximately 3.75 miles of beach extending from the St. Lucie County line south to the Stuart Public Beach Park in Martin County. Included in the project is restoration of the primary dune and a 35-foot-wide protective berm. The renourishment interval for this project is every 7 years.
The last renourishment of the Martin County Shore Protection Project was completed in May 2013 and included a Flood Control and Coastal Emergency component due impacts incurred with the passage of Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The next renourishment event is scheduled for 2019.
The estimated total cost of this project is $69.9 million, $32.5 million of which is to be paid for by the U.S. Federal Government. In Fiscal Year 2015, no funding was appropriated to the project by the U.S. Congress. In the Fiscal Year 2016 U.S. President's Budget Request to the U.S. Congress, no funding dollars was requested for the project.
Demographics
2020 census As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 158,431, a median age of 53.3 years, 16.5% of residents under the age of 18, and 31.4% of residents 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.8 males.
As of the 2020 census, there were 68,750 households, of which 20.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 49.0% were married-couple households, 17.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals, 18.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, and 40,328 families resided in the county.
As of the 2020 census, there were 81,371 housing units, of which 15.5% were vacant; among occupied units, 77.4% were owner-occupied and 22.6% were renter-occupied, with homeowner and rental vacancy rates of 2.1% and 9.8%, respectively.
As of the 2020 census, the racial makeup of the county was 78.6% White, 4.8% Black or African American, 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% Asian, less than 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 5.8% from some other race, and 8.6% from two or more races; Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 15.3% of the population.
As of the 2020 census, 92.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 7.3% lived in rural areas.
Racial and ethnic composition +Martin County, Florida – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)56,93589,596108,741117,532119,21688.94%88.80%85.80%80.33%75.25%Black or African American alone (NH)4,6685,8876,4827,4937,2777.29%5.83%5.11%5.12%4.59%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)621382072482180.10%0.14%0.16%0.17%0.14%Asian alone (NH)1955037451,5102,2460.30%0.50%0.59%1.03%1.42%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census365242xx0.03%0.04%0.03%Other race alone (NH)7048811395250.11%0.05%0.06%0.09%0.33%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census9331,4634,720xx0.74%1.00%2.98%Hispanic or Latino (any race)2,0844,7289,50617,88124,1873.26%4.69%7.50%12.22%15.27%Total64,014100,900126,731146,318158,431 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%
2000 census As of the census of 2000, there were 126,731 people, 55,288 households, and 36,213 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 65,471 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 89.88% White, 5.27% Black or African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 2.72% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. 7.50% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
In 2000 there were 55,288 households, out of which 21.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.00% were married couples living together, 7.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.50% were non-families. 29.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.71.
In the county, 18.60% of the population was under the age of 18, 5.30% was from 18 to 24, 22.90% from 25 to 44, 24.90% from 45 to 64, and 28.20% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $43,083, and the median income for a family was $53,244. Males had a median income of $36,133 versus $27,000 for females. The per capita income for the county was $29,584. About 5.60% of families and 8.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.80% of those under age 18 and 5.20% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
Airports Indiantown Airport Naked Lady Ranch Airport (private) Witham Field
Major highways
Buses Martin County Public Transit (MARTY) is the fixed-route public bus service operated by the county.
Intercity rail Brightline officially announced that an infill station on the Treasure Coast would be built in Stuart and begin service by 2028.
Trails The Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, a segment of the Florida National Scenic Trail, passes through Martin County.
Government Martin County is a non-chartered county and its form of government is prescribed by the Florida Constitution and Florida Statutes, as follows:
Board of County Commissioners
The Board of County Commissioners is the legislative body of the county and has charge of all county executive and administrative functions, except those assigned by the Constitution to independent county officers or to the independent school district. The board also has some quasi-judicial functions. Some of functions exercised by the board are county-wide, while others are applicable only in the unincorporated areas of the county, where the board has many of the functions of a municipality. The county commissioners are elected by county-wide vote, but each one represents a specific district. The board appoints the county administrator who is responsible to it for the day-to-day operations of the county government.
Constitutional officers The elected Constitutional officers are: Clerk (Clerk of Courts, County Clerk, etc.) Property Appraiser Sheriff Supervisor of Elections Tax Collector
School district The independent Martin County School District has a board appointed superintendent of schools and an elected school board, with members listed on the Board Web site. The school board is the legislative body of the district and also exercises quasi-judicial powers. School Board members are elected county-wide but each one represents a specific district.
Electoral politics Martin County is a long-standing Republican stronghold; it has not supported a Democratic candidate for the presidency since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944.
Voter registration According to the Secretary of State's office, Republicans make up a majority of registered voters in Martin County, followed by unaffiliated voters and Democrats. Martin County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of August 31, 2024 Political Party Total Voters Percentage Republican 61,186 53.11% No party affiliation 25,107 21.79% Democratic 24,974 21.68% Minor parties 3,936 3.42% Total 115,203 100.00%
Libraries The Martin County Library System has 6 branches. Blake Library (Stuart) Elisabeth Lahti Library (Indiantown) Hobe Sound Public Library (Hobe Sound) Hoke Library (Jensen Beach) Peter & Julie Cummings Library (Palm City) Robert Morgade Library (a location adjoining Indian River State College)
Attractions
Audubon of Martin County: Possum Long Nature Center, Palm Beach Road, StuartAudubon of Martin County: Possum Long Nature Center Elliott Museum on Hutchinson Island Jonathan Dickinson State Park in South Martin County Martin County Fair held every February. Martin County Public Beaches: Hobe Sound Public Beach on Jupiter Island Jensen Sea Turtle Beach, Stuart Beach and many beach strips on Hutchinson Island. Savannas Preserve State Park (extends into St. Lucie County) St. Lucie Inlet Preserve State Park on Long Island east of Port Salerno and north of Jupiter Island
Historic areas On the National Register of Historic Places: Hobe Sound Olympia School, 1925 Trapper Nelson Zoo Historic District, located south of Hobe Sound is inside Jonathan Dickinson State Park in southern Martin County, 1933 Hutchinson Island House of Refuge at Gilbert's Bar, 1876 Georges Valentine Shipwreck Site, 1904 Indiantown Seminole Inn, 1926 Jensen Beach Mount Elizabeth Archeological Site, prehistoric Stuart Welcome Arch, 1926 Tuckahoe, 1938 Jupiter Island Gate House, 1927 Stuart Burn Brae Plantation-Krueger House, 1894 Lyric Theatre, 1927 Old Martin County Courthouse, 1937 Other historic areas listed in 1989 by the Florida Chapter of the American Institute of Architects:A Guide to Florida's Historic Architecture, 1989, Gainesville: University of Florida Press, p. 137, All Saints Episcopal Church, Waveland, 2377 N.E. Patrician Street, 1898, Bay Tree Lodge (Kiplinger House), 143 S. River Road (originally 104 S. Sewall's Point Road), Sewall's Point, 1909 Dudley-Bessey House, 110 S.W. Atlanta Avenue, Stuart, 1909 Dyer Homestead, 1006 S.W. St. Lucie Crescent, Stuart, 1904 Feroe Building, 73 S.W. Flagler Avenue, corner of St. Lucie, Stuart, 1913 France Apartments, 524 St. Lucie Crescent, Stuart, 1927 Golden Gate Building, 3225 S.E. Dixie Highway in Golden Gate south of Stuart, 1925 Kitching House, 210 S.W. Atlanta Avenue, Stuart, 1894 Stuart Feed Store, 101 S.W. Flagler Avenue, Stuart, 1905 Sunrise Inn, S.E. Old St. Lucie Boulevard, Port Sewall. ca. 1925 (demolished)