Moving to Hobe Sound, FL

Where Hobe Sound is and what surrounds it

Hobe Sound is an unincorporated community in southern Martin County, between Stuart to the north and Jupiter to the south. US-1 and Dixie Highway run through it, with I-95 and Florida's Turnpike to the west. Across the Indian River Lagoon is Jupiter Island, a separate town, where the public Hobe Sound Beach and part of the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge are located. Jonathan Dickinson State Park borders the community on the south and west.

Large protected areas on several sides limit how much the town can grow outward, and that shapes daily life: no high-rises, a small commercial strip, and quiet streets. For big shopping, hospitals and most services, residents drive north to Stuart or south toward Jupiter and Palm Beach County. Palm Beach International is the nearest major airport. Healthcare, specialists and larger grocery and hardware stores are mostly a drive away, which older buyers in particular should time before choosing an address.

Two markets under one average

Census data shows 46.5% of Hobe Sound's housing is single-family detached and 28.4% is mobile or manufactured homes. Only 1.8% is in buildings with 10 or more units, and the median home dates to 1983. So the town has almost no tower condos, and a large share of its housing is park homes.

Prices reflect that split. A two-bedroom home is valued around $312,873, and a three-bedroom around $580,096, a jump of about $267,223 or 85%. Four-bedroom homes are around $882,551 and five-bedroom homes around $1,532,764. The lower third of the market tops out near $311,434, while the upper third starts near $954,639. Condos sit at $230,470, down 3.3% for the year, against $534,912 for single-family homes, up 1.1%.

In practice, a buyer around $300,000 is mostly looking at villas, condos and manufactured homes, while a buyer at $600,000 is in the single-family market. Few homes sit in between.

How Hobe Sound compares with the rest of Martin County

• Stuart ($374,216) is about $130,048 cheaper on Zillow's index, with far more condos and a larger downtown.
• Indiantown ($297,526) is inland and lower priced, with longer drives to the coast.
• Palm City ($622,346) is about $118,082 higher, with mostly newer single-family homes.
• Sewalls Point ($1,420,965) and Jupiter Island ($10,102,254) are in a separate tier of waterfront and estate property.

Hobe Sound's five-year gain of 23.0% is in line with Martin County's other mainland towns. Its value sits between Stuart and Palm City, while next door on Jupiter Island prices run roughly twenty times higher.

Manufactured homes: what to check

With 28.4% of housing in manufactured homes, many first offers in Hobe Sound are on park homes. Ask whether the land is leased or owned. In a land-lease community you pay a monthly lot fee that can rise; in a resident-owned or deeded-lot community you own your share of the ground. Check the HUD data plate and the year built, since homes built after HUD's 1994 wind standards are easier to insure, and ask about roof-overs, additions and permits. Financing is narrower than for site-built homes, so speak to a lender before you make an offer.

Flood, wind and insurance

Homes near the Indian River Lagoon and low areas around it can fall in FEMA flood zones, where lenders require flood insurance in A and V zones. Check the zone for each address, ask about past water intrusion and claims, and request an elevation certificate if one exists. Flood insurance is a separate policy.

For wind, a newer roof and a good wind mitigation report lower premiums, and homes from the 1980s usually need a 4-point inspection. Get insurance quotes during the inspection period. When private insurers pass on a Hobe Sound home, Citizens Property Insurance, run by the state, is the carrier of last resort. Your hurricane deductible will be a percentage of the dwelling limit, not a flat dollar figure, and Florida applies it once per calendar year. Salt air also wears on air conditioners, metal fixtures and screen enclosures near the water, so ask the age of those items too.

Taxes, the age mix and who Hobe Sound suits

Florida has no state income tax. Full-time residents who file for homestead save up to $51,411 of assessed value in 2026, and Save Our Homes then keeps yearly assessment growth at 3% or CPI, whichever is lower. A second home in Hobe Sound gets no homestead exemption; its assessment increases are capped at 10% a year on non-school levies only. The assessment resets after you buy. Amendment 3, on the ballot Nov 3, 2026, may revise parts of these rules if it passes.

Hobe Sound's median age is 57.0, and 34.2% of residents are 65 or older. Seasonal homes are 12.9% of housing, so the town is quieter in summer, though most residents stay year-round. It suits buyers who want nature, beaches and a small-town pace, and those happy to drive for shopping and healthcare. It suits less well if you want walkable urban amenities, condo-tower living or a short commute to a big job center. Share your budget and which of the two tiers you are shopping in, and I can prepare a shortlist that compares Hobe Sound with Stuart at the same price.