Moving to the Treasure Coast for a Healthcare Job: A Guide for Nurses, Doctors & Hospital Staff
Where the hospitals are, which neighborhoods make the commute easy, how licensing works when you move to Florida, and the home loan options built for medical professionals, from Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie to Stuart, Jupiter and Palm Beach Gardens.
Why so many healthcare jobs are opening up here
The Treasure Coast and northern Palm Beach County are growing fast, and the hospitals are growing with them.
The City of Port St. Lucie says more than 65,000 people have moved there since 2020, and the local health systems have been adding beds, towers, services and staff to keep up. Cleveland Clinic Martin Health reports its physician count grew from 96 to 266 between 2019 and 2025. Florida Coast Medical Center opened in Port St. Lucie in September 2025. HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce has a 32-bed tower addition planned for early 2027, and Jupiter Medical Center opened a 92-bed patient care tower this year and broke ground on a second hospital in western Palm Beach Gardens, expected in early 2028.
If you’ve accepted an offer here, or you’re weighing one, the biggest decision after the job is where to live. Your commute, your shift schedule and hurricane season all matter more for hospital staff than for most people. This guide is meant to help with that.
Where it works well
- Several hospital systems within one region, so you have options if you change jobs
- No state income tax on your wages
- A wide range of home styles and prices, from condos to single-family homes and acreage
- Beaches, rivers, golf and parks for your days off
Trade-offs to know
- Traffic on I-95, U.S. 1 and the main east-west roads has grown with the population
- Homeowners insurance and flood insurance are a real part of the monthly budget
- Many newer communities have HOA dues, and some also have CDD fees
- Hospital staff are often needed during hurricanes, so your home’s storm readiness matters
The major hospitals, south to north, and where people live nearby
Here are the main acute-care hospitals in my area, with the neighborhoods closest to each. Drive times depend heavily on time of day and your shift, so I always suggest test-driving the commute at your actual shift change before you choose a home.
Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center
A full-service hospital on Burns Road in Palm Beach Gardens.
Jupiter Medical Center
Jupiter’s independent hospital, which opened a new 92-bed patient care tower in 2026 and is building a second campus in the Avenir area of western Palm Beach Gardens, expected in early 2028.
Cleveland Clinic Martin North Hospital
A 244-bed hospital at 200 SE Hospital Ave. in Stuart and home to the Robert and Carol Weissman Cancer Center.
Cleveland Clinic Martin South Hospital
A 100-bed hospital at 2100 SE Salerno Road in southern Stuart.
Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital
A hospital with 177 private rooms in Tradition, on the west side of I-95.
Florida Coast Medical Center
Port St. Lucie’s newest hospital, opened in September 2025 at 310 SE Veranda Falls Way, with emergency, heart, stroke and orthopedic care.
HCA Florida St. Lucie Hospital
A 207-bed hospital near U.S. 1 with more than 900 employees, in the middle of an expansion that has added beds, a NICU and a new parking garage.
HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital
A 392-bed hospital at 1700 S. 23rd St. in Fort Pierce, with a 32-bed tower addition planned for early 2027.
Bed counts and projects are from the hospitals, the St. Lucie County economic development council, local chambers and local news as of 2026, and can change.
If you work nights or rotating shifts, look at which way traffic flows at your shift change, not at rush hour. A home that’s 15 minutes farther on the map can be the easier drive if you’re heading against traffic. And if you might switch hospitals later, living near I-95 or the Turnpike keeps more options within reach.
Moving your license to Florida
Nurses (RN and LPN)
Florida is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact. If your primary state of residence is another compact state, your multistate license lets you practice here. Once you make Florida your primary state of residence, you apply for a Florida multistate license. Nurses from non-compact states apply for licensure by endorsement, which generally includes license verification and fingerprinting. Start with the Florida Board of Nursing.
Physicians
Florida is a member of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. Eligible physicians complete one compact application and then receive a separate license from each member state. Florida law requires initial applications to be reviewed within 30 days. Details are on the Florida Board of Medicine site.
Licensing rules change. Always confirm current requirements with the Florida Board of Nursing, the Board of Medicine or your profession’s board.
Home loan options for medical professionals
As a licensed loan originator as well as a REALTOR®, I can walk you through financing and the home search together. Here are the programs that come up most often with healthcare clients.
Physician loans
Some lenders offer loans designed for doctors and certain other medical professionals. Common features can include lower down payment options without private mortgage insurance, flexible treatment of student loan payments, and qualifying with a signed employment contract before your start date. That last one helps a lot when you’re moving for a new job.
Florida Hometown Heroes
A state down payment and closing cost program for full-time employees of eligible Florida-based employers, which include Florida healthcare facilities. It provides 5% of the first mortgage amount, from $10,000 up to $35,000, as a 0% deferred second mortgage. You generally must be a first-time buyer (no ownership in the past three years), meet county income limits and have at least a 640 credit score. Funding is released in rounds and reserved first come, first served.
Conventional, FHA, VA and USDA loans are also options, depending on your situation. Compare them in my free FHA vs. Conventional guide, and check my home loan document checklist. If you’re starting a new job, bring your signed offer letter or contract.
What hospital staff should look for in a home here
- Storm readiness. Many hospitals ask staff to work during hurricanes. A newer roof, impact windows or shutters, and a generator can give you peace of mind while you’re on shift, and features like these can also affect your insurance cost. Ask for the wind mitigation and four-point reports.
- Flood zone. Check the property’s flood zone and elevation before you make an offer, and get insurance quotes early.
- Sleep-friendly layout. If you work nights, look at which way the main bedroom faces, how close the home is to busy roads or school pickup lines, and whether the community has quiet hours.
- Garage and parking. Covered parking keeps your car cooler for a long shift in the Florida sun.
- HOA and CDD costs. Many newer communities have both. Add them to your monthly budget along with taxes and insurance.
- Homestead exemption. Once you own and live in the home as your permanent residence, apply for Florida’s homestead exemption with your county property appraiser by March 1. It reduces your taxable value and caps how much your assessed value can rise each year.
If you’re here on a contract and not sure you’ll stay, renting first is often the right move. Use the time to learn the commute and the neighborhoods. When you’re ready to buy, I’ll be here, and if you already know you’ll stay, buying sooner may make sense. We can talk through both.
Frequently asked questions
Is Florida a Nurse Licensure Compact state?
Yes. Florida is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact. If your primary state of residence is another compact state, your multistate license lets you practice in Florida. Once Florida becomes your primary state of residence, you apply for a Florida multistate license through the Florida Board of Nursing. Nurses from non-compact states apply for licensure by endorsement.
Is Florida part of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact?
Yes. The Florida Board of Medicine says Florida became the 40th state to join the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, which lets eligible physicians use one compact application and then receive a separate license from each member state.
Can nurses and hospital staff use Florida Hometown Heroes?
Possibly. Hometown Heroes eligibility is based on working full time for an eligible Florida-based employer, which includes Florida healthcare facilities, along with first-time buyer rules, income limits by county and a minimum credit score. Funding is released in rounds and reserved first come, first served, so availability changes.
What is a physician mortgage loan?
It is a type of loan some lenders offer to doctors and certain other medical professionals. Common features can include lower down payment options without private mortgage insurance, flexible treatment of student loans, and the ability to qualify using a signed employment contract before your start date. Terms vary by lender and borrower.
Which neighborhoods are close to the hospitals in Port St. Lucie?
Tradition, Southern Grove, St. Lucie West and Torino sit closest to Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital on the west side of I-95. Southeast Port St. Lucie neighborhoods are closer to the hospitals along and near U.S. 1, including HCA Florida St. Lucie Hospital and Florida Coast Medical Center.
Moving here for a hospital job? Let’s make it easy.
Tell me where you’ll be working and your shift, and I’ll suggest the neighborhoods that make sense, help you line up financing and set up a home search.
I’m a REALTOR® and Broker Associate with RE/MAX Gold and a licensed loan originator, so I can help with the home and the loan. Book a Call, call (772) 297-1400 or text (772) 297-1400.
Your hospital, shift, timeline and budget.
A short list of neighborhoods and commutes to test-drive.
Pre-approval using the loan option that fits you.
Find the home and close on your schedule, even from out of state.
Get new listings near your hospital
Tell me where to send them and I’ll set up a custom search near where you’ll be working. No spam, and you can stop anytime.