Martin County FL: A New-Home Guide to Pepperwood

Pepperwood is a new Lennar neighborhood of single-family homes with a Stuart mailing address, and it sits in unincorporated Martin County, FL. That one fact shapes a lot of what you should check before you buy. This guide explains how Martin County is set up, where Pepperwood fits, and what to look up yourself.

Martin County FL at a Glance

Martin County sits on Florida's Atlantic coast. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the county had 165,666 people on July 1, 2024. Its 2020 starting count was 158,430, so the county has grown a little since then.

The county has five towns and cities that run their own local government. Here they are, with the Census Bureau's 2024 estimate for each:

Place in Martin County	2024 population estimate
City of Stuart	19,566
Village of Indiantown	6,810
Town of Sewall's Point	2,072
Town of Jupiter Island	837
Town of Ocean Breeze	402
Everywhere else (unincorporated)	135,979

Look at the last row. Most people in Martin County do not live inside any city or town limits. They live in unincorporated areas, where the county government handles local services.

Single-family Lennar home on a street at Pepperwood in Stuart, Florida.png

Where Pepperwood Fits in Martin County

Lennar lists Pepperwood at 1233 SE Cove Road, Stuart, FL 34997. The National House Search database lists the same address. So far, so simple.

But a mailing address and a city line are not the same thing. We checked the community's map point with the Census Bureau's address tool. It placed Pepperwood in Martin County, in ZIP area 34997, and inside no incorporated city or town. A test point in downtown Stuart came back as ""Stuart"" on the same tool. Pepperwood did not.

What that means for you, in plain words:

Your mail will say Stuart.
Your local government is Martin County, not the City of Stuart.
The Census places the spot in the ""Port Salerno-Hobe Sound"" county area.

Martin County's main government office is at 2401 SE Monterey Road in Stuart. You can find county services on the Martin County website.

If you want a feel for the city itself, our guide to what Stuart, Florida is like as a place to live covers the downtown and the waterfront.

What You Get at Pepperwood

Pepperwood has four single-family floor plans. All four come with a 3-car garage, per Lennar's plan pages. Here is the quick view:

Plan	Beds	Baths	Size	Stories
Beachstone	3	2	1,843 sq ft	1
Driftwood	3	2	2,034 sq ft	1
Coral Bay	4	3	2,165 sq ft	1
Marshlight	4	3 + powder room	2,836 sq ft	2

Three plans are one story. The Marshlight is the only two-story home. For room sizes and how the plans really differ, see all four Pepperwood plans side by side.

Prices start in the $600,000s. The Marshlight starts in the $700,000s. Prices change often, so call 561-704-0091 for today's numbers.

Lennar describes the setting as ""a natural wetland preserve setting."" That is the builder's wording. Ask which homesites back up to the preserve when you visit.

Martin County towns and unincorporated population from Census 2024 estimates.png

Living in Unincorporated Martin County FL

Living outside city limits is common here, as the table shows. Still, it changes where you go for some things. Here are a few checks worth doing before you sign.

Property taxes. Your tax bill depends on your taxing districts. A home inside a city and a home outside one can have different districts. Our guide to Martin County property tax on a new home explains why the second bill on a new home is often higher than the first.

Permits and code questions. For an unincorporated address, these go to Martin County. Check the county website before you plan a project.

Schools. The Census tool places Pepperwood in the Martin County School District. Do not rely on a builder or a website for school names. Use the district's own Find Your School page with the exact home address. We also wrote about how to check Martin County schools for an address.

Mail and deliveries. Your address will read Stuart, FL 34997. That is normal for many unincorporated homes in this part of the county.

Getting Out and About

Pepperwood is close to some of the county's big outdoor spaces. The largest park in Martin County, by the county's own count, is Halpatiokee Regional Park, south of the community on SW Lost River Road. Read our Halpatiokee park guide for its trails, fields and river access.

Lennar's community page points to downtown Stuart, the Stuart Riverwalk and the House of Refuge on Hutchinson Island as nearby places to explore. It also says I-95 and Florida's Turnpike are close by. For the named roads around the community, see how SE Cove Road connects to the bigger roads.

Family looking at a county map while planning a move to Martin County, Florida.png

Three Words That Confuse Buyers

New buyers often mix up these three terms. Here is what each one means.

Mailing city. This is the city name the Postal Service puts on your mail. For Pepperwood, it is Stuart. A mailing city does not tell you who runs your local government.

Incorporated. A city, town or village that has its own local government is incorporated. Martin County has five: Stuart, Indiantown, Sewall's Point, Jupiter Island and Ocean Breeze.

Unincorporated. Land that is not inside any of those five places is unincorporated. The county government serves it directly. Pepperwood's map point falls here.

Knowing these words helps when you read a tax bill, call about a permit, or compare two homes that both say ""Stuart.""

Other New-Home Choices Nearby

Pepperwood is not the only new-home community with a Stuart address on our site. Highpointe by Pulte, Preserves at Park Trace by D.R. Horton and Sailfish Cay by D.R. Horton also show Stuart addresses. Each one has its own builder, home types and included features. If you are comparing, tour more than one. We are happy to set up visits to any of them, and we will tell you plainly if another community fits your needs better.

Who Pepperwood Fits

Pepperwood fits buyers who:

Want a single-family home with a 3-car garage on every plan.
Want a one-story home (three of the four plans).
Want a Stuart address but are fine with county, not city, government.
Want a new home with Lennar's included feature list instead of picking every upgrade.

It may not fit you if you want to live inside the City of Stuart limits. In that case, ask us to show you homes inside the city.

How to Check the Facts Yourself

Here is a short list to do before you buy in Martin County FL:

Look up the exact homesite address on the Martin County School District's Find Your School page.
Ask for the estimated tax bill based on the full home value, not the lot only.
Confirm with the county which services cover your address.
Walk the homesite and ask what sits behind it.
Get today's price and included features in writing.

Common Questions

Is Pepperwood in the City of Stuart?

Pepperwood has a Stuart mailing address. The Census Bureau's address tool places its map point in unincorporated Martin County, outside the City of Stuart limits.

How many people live in Martin County FL?

The Census Bureau estimates 165,666 people lived in Martin County on July 1, 2024.

What school district serves Pepperwood?

The Census tool places it in the Martin County School District. Use the district's Find Your School page with the exact address to see which schools serve a home.

How much do homes at Pepperwood cost?

Prices start in the $600,000s, and the two-story Marshlight starts in the $700,000s. Call 561-704-0091 for today's prices.

Who builds Pepperwood?

Lennar builds Pepperwood. It has four single-family plans, from 1,843 to 2,836 square feet.

Does every Pepperwood home have a 3-car garage?

Yes. Lennar's plan pages list a 3-car garage on the Beachstone, Driftwood, Coral Bay and Marshlight.

See Pepperwood for Yourself

The best way to judge a neighborhood is to stand in it. Call 561-704-0091 or book a Pepperwood tour time online. You can also browse the Pepperwood community page for the plan list.