Half of Indian River Estates’ homes were built after 1986
More historic than 11% of U.S. towns · #337 of 638 in Florida. What drives it
Most of Indian River Estates was built recently: 1% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1986. Below: maps from 1948 on and the census since 1990.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Indian River Estates is more historic than 11% of U.S. towns, #337 of 638 in Florida. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
D
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Indian River Estates’ overall grade.
Few Florida towns list much on the Register (a typical Florida town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Indian River Estates’ 0.0 sits below most of its state (33% of Florida towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±1.3 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Indian River Estates’ past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
Ankona
1886–1953
Eldred
1902–1942
18801950today
Hamlets and corners on the map
AnkonaCollins Park EstatesEldredTropical Isles Mobile Home Park
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The story so far
Indian River Estates, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Indian River Estates yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Indian River Estates is a census-designated place (CDP) in St. Lucie County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, Indian River Estates had a population of 6,584. It is part of the Port St. Lucie Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 6,220 to 6,584 (+6%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Timeline
Indian River Estates, 1886 to 1953
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Indian River Estates. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1948Ankona sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Indian River Estates.
People over time
Indian River Estates, census by census
Between 4,858 and 6,584 people in every census since 1990.
4 censuses, 1990–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Indian River Estates’ Wikipedia page.
Famous people
Famous people close to Indian River Estates
Nobody well known was born in Indian River Estates itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Indian River Estates is more historic than 11% of U.S. towns, #337 of 638 in Florida. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Indian River Estates?
1% of Indian River Estates’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.3 points), against a typical 0.6% for a Florida town; the median home was built in 1986.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
