Martin County · Treasure Coast

Hobe Sound, Florida

A Census-designated place in Martin County, next to the separate Town of Jupiter Island

Hobe Sound is a Census-designated place in Martin County, Florida, with 13,163 residents at the 2020 Census. Census describes such places as unincorporated, and Martin County’s Growth Management Department handles planning and development services for unincorporated areas. The Town of Jupiter Island, a separate incorporated municipality, sits next to it and sets its own rules.

In short: Hobe Sound is a Census-designated place in Martin County, Florida; unincorporated parcels follow county rules, while the neighboring Town of Jupiter Island is a separate municipality with its own.

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Overview

Hobe Sound at a glance

Hobe Sound, Florida. Updated October 2026.
Fact	Value	Source
Location	Martin County, Florida, on the Treasure Coast, according to Wikipedia	Note 3
Legal status	A Census-designated place (CDP). Census defines CDPs as unincorporated communities without a legally defined boundary or an active, functioning government, and says a single location cannot be part of both an incorporated place and a CDP. Wikipedia also calls Hobe Sound an unincorporated area	Notes 1, 2, 3
Population	13,163 (2020 Census, per Census QuickFacts; Wikipedia gives the same figure)	Notes 1, 3
Land area	7.11 square miles of land (Census QuickFacts; Wikipedia gives the same land figure). This page gives no total-area figure because it did not confirm one from Census	Notes 1, 3
Planning and development	Martin County’s Growth Management Department says it is responsible for planning and development services for unincorporated Martin County	Note 4
Building permits	The Martin County Building Department page describes permits and inspections under the Florida Building Code and names the county’s online permit system, Accela Citizen Access. The county pages opened do not state which areas the department serves	Note 6
Floodplain review	The county says almost all permitted development within unincorporated Martin County requires floodplain review; the Floodplain Coordinator is at (772) 288-5466	Note 7
Property tax	The Martin County Property Appraiser determines value; it does not set the tax amount. The 2025 tax roll lists five municipalities, none of them Hobe Sound, and separate unincorporated districts	Notes 12, 13, 14
Nearby separate municipality	The Town of Jupiter Island, which Wikipedia says is next to the unincorporated community of Hobe Sound. The Town’s own Town Hall address reads Hobe Sound, FL 33455	Notes 16, 19
Federal refuge	Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge: 1,091 acres in two tracts, with the Indian River Lagoon between them, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service	Note 20
ZIP codes	Wikipedia, a secondary source, lists 33455 and 33475. This page did not find an official source for them or one that ties ZIP codes to a legal boundary	Notes 3, 16

No Martin County page opened for this guide says in so many words that Hobe Sound is unincorporated. The statement rests on the Census definition (Note 2), the county’s description of its planning role (Note 4) and the 2025 tax roll (Notes 13 and 14). For a different Atlantic-coast jurisdiction in the same county, see Jupiter Island.

Setting

How is Hobe Sound laid out?

The sources describe a Census-designated place, a neighboring incorporated town, a federal refuge and lagoon water. They do not give a legal boundary for Hobe Sound itself (Notes 1, 2).

Census treats Hobe Sound as a statistical place, not a municipality. Census says CDPs do not have a legally defined boundary, so the Census figures describe a Census area rather than a taxing or zoning boundary (Notes 1, 2).
Wikipedia says the Town of Jupiter Island is bordered on the west by Hobe Sound and South Jupiter Narrows and on the east by the Atlantic Ocean (Note 19). The Town’s own Town Hall address reads Hobe Sound, FL 33455 (Note 16), so a Hobe Sound mailing address does not by itself show which jurisdiction a property is in. No official source opened for this guide explains how mailing names map to jurisdiction.
The Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge consists of 1,091 acres. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the Indian River Lagoon bisects it into a Jupiter Island tract and a mainland tract, and describes nearly 10 miles of mangrove communities along the lagoon and 3.5 miles of Atlantic Ocean beach (Note 20). Wikipedia gives the refuge boundary as the Town of Jupiter Island’s northern limit (Note 19).
Oceanfront frontage is a claim to check parcel by parcel. The Town of Jupiter Island reports nine miles of ocean frontage (Note 16), and the refuge reports 3.5 miles of Atlantic beach (Note 20). No source opened for this guide states ocean frontage for the Hobe Sound Census-designated place itself.
Wikipedia lists Hobe Sound Public Beach as within the Town of Jupiter Island, a separate municipality (Note 3).

Because the Census place and the incorporated town are different jurisdictions, confirm with the Martin County Property Appraiser and the relevant building department which one an address falls in before you rely on any rule on this page.

Local rules

Who sets the rules in Hobe Sound?

For unincorporated parcels, Martin County sets planning, zoning, permitting and floodplain rules. Inside the Town of Jupiter Island, the Town does.

Planning and development. Martin County Growth Management says it is responsible for planning and development services for unincorporated Martin County. Its office is at 2401 SE Monterey Road, Stuart, FL 34996; the department’s phone is (772) 288-5495 (Notes 4, 5).
Zoning and land use. The county says the future land use designation sets the type, density and intensity of allowed use, while zoning is more specific and controls items such as setbacks and height. If the two conflict, the future land use designation controls. Setbacks are listed in the Land Development Regulations, Article 3, Zoning Districts (Note 5).
Municipalities. The county tells owners in a municipality to contact the local municipality for the rules that apply there. The county also says it does not enforce private deed restrictions or HOA bylaws (Note 5).
Building permits. The Martin County Building Department is at 900 SE Ruhnke Street, Stuart, and its permit system is Accela Citizen Access. The department’s phone, as listed on that page, is (772) 288-5916 (Note 6). The county also publishes a post-storm repair permit guide (Note 8).
Floodplain. Additional permit requirements may apply in a Special Flood Hazard Area, and the county’s flood page describes a 50% substantial improvement rule (Note 7).
Environmental and shoreline rules. The county’s Environmental Division FAQ describes shoreline protection zones on waterfront lots on estuarine waters and canals. It cautions that a property inside a municipality may be subject to other rules (Note 10).
Town of Jupiter Island. It has its own Building Department performing zoning, permitting, plan review, inspections, contractor licensing and code enforcement (Note 18). See Jupiter Island.

Martin County’s main number is (772) 288-5400. Rules, fees and maps change; confirm with the county or the town.

Due diligence

What should you check before buying in Hobe Sound?

Checks for a Census-designated place in Martin County next to an incorporated town, a federal refuge and lagoon water. Sourced where noted.
Check	Why it matters here	Source
Which jurisdiction the address is in	Hobe Sound is a Census place, and the Town of Jupiter Island uses a Hobe Sound address. Confirm whether the parcel is in unincorporated Martin County or the Town, because the permitting body, zoning rules and tax line differ. The 2025 tax roll lists the Town as its own taxing area	Notes 2, 13, 14, 16
Flood zone and elevation certificate	The county says to check the FEMA Flood Zones Map, that new construction and substantial improvements in a Special Flood Hazard Area need a finished construction Elevation Certificate, and that the county has most elevation certificates on record for homes built after 1991. Ask for the certificate and look up the parcel on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center	Notes 7, 25
Evacuation zone	The county says its evacuation zones are AB, CD and E, that Zone AB includes the barrier islands and most low-lying areas along the coast, that some areas are in no zone, and that flood zones and evacuation zones are very different. Look up the address on the county’s Evacuation Zones Map	Note 9
Substantial improvement (50% rule)	The county’s flood page says improvements over a five-year period are counted, and that a non-compliant structure in a Special Flood Hazard Area reaching 50% of the structure’s value must be brought into compliance, including elevating the building and its electrical and mechanical equipment to at least 1 foot above the base flood elevation. The county’s permit pages describe the rule without the 50% figure, so confirm the definition and ask for any determination letter on file, available through the online permit system or Public Works	Notes 7, 6, 8
Open and past permits	Pull the permit history for the address with the Martin County Building Department or, inside the Town, the Town’s Building Department. Ask whether any work was done without a permit	Notes 6, 18
Zoning and land use designation	Ask the Growth Management Department, (772) 288-5495, what the zoning and future land use designations allow for the parcel, and read the Land Development Regulations. The two may not match, and the county says the land use designation controls if they conflict	Note 5
Coastal construction control line	Florida law has the state establish control lines on a county basis along sand beaches, and the Florida Administrative Code includes a rule titled “Description of the Martin County Coastal Construction Control Line.” Whether a particular parcel is seaward of the line is a parcel-level question for DEP’s Map Direct tool	Notes 21, 22, 23
Docks, seawalls and shoreline work	The county’s shoreline permit page says new riprap needs a Shoreline Stabilization Permit and a new seawall needs that permit plus a separate construction permit from the Building Department. The Environmental FAQ describes a 75-foot native vegetation buffer along property abutting estuarine or navigable waterways. State and federal approvals were not covered by the pages opened, so confirm those and the permits for structures already built	Notes 10, 11
Water and sewer provider	The Town of Jupiter Island’s departments page lists Utilities and names South Martin Regional Utility, which says it is “proud to serve the communities of Hobe Sound and the Town of Jupiter Island, FL.” The page does not say which addresses, so ask which provider serves the parcel	Note 17
Condominium milestone inspection	For a condominium or cooperative building of three or more habitable stories, the 2026 statute calls for a first inspection by December 31 of the year the building reaches 30 years of age, then every 10 years, and lets a local enforcement agency require one at 25 years where local conditions such as proximity to salt water warrant it. No Martin County milestone program page was found, so ask the association for inspection status and any Phase Two report, and ask which building official administers the building	Note 24
Property tax and parcel records	The Martin County Property Appraiser values property; the taxing authority’s governing board sets the millage; the Tax Collector sends bills in early November and collects. Confirm the parcel’s taxing district, any special district lines and the parcel ID	Notes 12, 13, 15

This is a checklist, not advice. No official Martin County short-term rental rule was found for this guide, so check the condominium declaration or HOA documents, the county or town, and your attorney before you plan a rental. Confirm each item with the county, the town and your attorney.

Comparison

How does Hobe Sound compare with nearby places?

How jurisdiction and permitting differ from nearby places. Sourced where noted.
Community	Setting	How it differs
Town of Jupiter Island	Incorporated town in Martin County, next to Hobe Sound (Wikipedia)	Incorporated in 1953 per Wikipedia, with 804 residents at the 2020 Census against 13,163 in the Hobe Sound CDP. It has its own Building Department, and the 2025 tax roll lists it as a municipal taxing area with a separate Beach Protection line (Notes 1, 15, 18, 19)
Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge	Federal refuge managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service	A 1,091-acre refuge in two tracts split by the Indian River Lagoon. It is federal land, not a municipality or a Census place (Note 20)
Manalapan	Atlantic-coast town in Palm Beach County; comparison only	A different county and an incorporated town: Manalapan’s website lists a Building Official and its own code compliance, and its history page says it was incorporated in 1931 by a charter granted to the Town of Manalapan (Notes 26, 27)
Palm Beach	Atlantic-coast town in Palm Beach County; comparison only	A different county and an incorporated town. The Town routes landmarked buildings to a Landmarks Preservation Commission and non-landmarked design review to an Architectural Commission (ARCOM) (Note 28)

Working with ABODE

How does ABODE help in Hobe Sound?

ABODE’s Florida office is on West Bay Drive in Largo. For a property near Hobe Sound, we start by confirming which jurisdiction the address falls in, then review flood, control-line, permit and condominium documents with you. Our oceanfront due diligence guide explains the state coastal rules in more detail. We keep conversations private and represent both buyers and sellers.

Talk about buying Talk about selling

Keep reading

Jupiter Island

A barrier-island town in Martin County with about nine miles of Atlantic frontage

Palm Beach

A barrier-island town in Palm Beach County with its own design review, landmark and permitting process

Manalapan

A small oceanfront town in two separate areas, one on Hypoluxo Island

Florida oceanfront due diligence

The state, federal and local lines that cross an oceanfront lot, and the order to test them

Florida condominium document review checklist

The documents a Florida condo buyer can request, what the 2026 statutes say, and branded-building extras.

Florida luxury condos and branded residences

What branded residences are, with sourced premium and demand figures

Questions

Hobe Sound real estate: frequently asked questions

Is Hobe Sound a town or a city?

Hobe Sound is a Census-designated place in Martin County, Florida, not a municipality. Census says CDPs are unincorporated communities without a legally defined boundary or an active, functioning government (Notes 1, 2). The 2025 Martin County tax roll lists five municipalities and Hobe Sound is not one of them (Notes 13, 14).

Who sets zoning and building rules in Hobe Sound?

For unincorporated parcels, Martin County Growth Management is responsible for planning and development services, and the Martin County Building Department issues building permits (Notes 4, 6). If the address is inside the Town of Jupiter Island, the Town has its own Building Department instead (Note 18). Confirm which applies to the address.

Is Hobe Sound the same as the Town of Jupiter Island?

No. The Town of Jupiter Island is an incorporated municipality that Wikipedia says is next to the unincorporated community of Hobe Sound (Note 19). Census says a single location cannot be part of both an incorporated place and a CDP (Note 2). The Town’s Town Hall address reads Hobe Sound, FL 33455, so check the jurisdiction rather than relying on the mailing name (Note 16).

Is a Hobe Sound property in a flood zone?

It depends on the parcel. Martin County tells owners to check the FEMA Flood Zones Map and says new construction and substantial improvements in a Special Flood Hazard Area need a finished construction Elevation Certificate (Note 7). The county also says flood zones and evacuation zones are very different (Notes 7, 9). Look up the address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and request any elevation certificate (Note 25).

What is the 50% rule in Martin County?

The county’s flood page says that when cumulative improvements over a five-year period meet or exceed 50% of the value of a structure in a Special Flood Hazard Area that is not compliant with current rules, the structure must be brought into compliance, including elevating the building and its electrical and mechanical equipment to at least 1 foot above base flood elevation (Note 7). The county’s permit pages describe the rule without the 50% figure (Notes 6, 8), so confirm the definition with the county.

Does Hobe Sound have a coastal construction control line?

Florida law has the state establish coastal construction control lines on a county basis along sand beaches (Note 21), and the Florida Administrative Code includes a rule titled “Description of the Martin County Coastal Construction Control Line” (Note 23). Whether a specific parcel is seaward of the line depends on the parcel, so check with DEP’s Map Direct tool (Note 22).

Can I tell whether a Hobe Sound property is oceanfront from public sources?

Not from the sources used for this guide. The Town of Jupiter Island reports nine miles of ocean frontage (Note 16) and the federal refuge reports 3.5 miles of Atlantic beach (Note 20), but no source opened states ocean frontage for the Hobe Sound Census-designated place. Use the survey, the plat and the county or town parcel records for the specific address.

Does ABODE International Realty work in Hobe Sound?

Yes. ABODE International Realty is a Florida-licensed brokerage with its office at 801 West Bay Drive, Suite 324, in Largo. ABODE represents buyers and sellers, and begins any Hobe Sound conversation by confirming the jurisdiction and the flood, permit and document facts for the specific address.

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Sources and notes

U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Hobe Sound CDP, Florida. Source for the 2020 Census population (13,163) and land area (7.11 square miles). The page labels the geography “Hobe Sound CDP” and has no footnote defining the place type. Checked October 9, 2026.
U.S. Census Bureau: Census Designated Places. Source for Census’s definition of CDPs as statistical equivalents of incorporated places that are unincorporated communities without a legally defined boundary or an active, functioning government. Checked October 9, 2026.
Hobe Sound, Florida (Wikipedia). Secondary source for the Martin County and Treasure Coast placement, the unincorporated and CDP description, ZIP codes 33455 and 33475, and Hobe Sound Public Beach. Only its population and land area were matched to Census; its total-area figure was not confirmed and is not used. Checked October 9, 2026.
Martin County: Growth Management Department. Source for “planning and development services for unincorporated Martin County,” the office address and the department phone, (772) 288-5495. Checked October 9, 2026.
Martin County: Growth Management Department FAQs. Source for the future land use versus zoning explanation, the setback reference to Land Development Regulations Article 3, the instruction to contact a municipality for property inside one, and the statement that the county does not enforce private deed restrictions. Read through a page summary. Checked October 9, 2026.
Martin County: Building Department. Source for permits and inspections under the Florida Building Code, the Accela Citizen Access permit system, the 900 SE Ruhnke Street lobby address, the Building Department phone and the special flood hazard permit language. The page does not state a service area or a licensing division number. Checked October 9, 2026.
Martin County: flood zones and floodplain information. Source for the 50% substantial improvement description (five-year cumulative), elevation certificates, the Floodplain Coordinator number and the statement that almost all permitted development within unincorporated Martin County requires floodplain review. Read through a page summary. Checked October 9, 2026.
Martin County: post-storm repairs, permit requirements. Source for substantial damage and substantial improvement language and Substantial Improvement/Damage Letters. The page does not state a 50% figure and does not say whether it applies in municipalities. Checked October 9, 2026.
Martin County: Know Your Zone (storm surge evacuation zones). Source for evacuation zones AB, CD and E, the statement that evacuation zones and flood zones are very different, and who issues evacuation orders. Checked October 9, 2026.
Martin County: Environmental Division FAQs. Source for shoreline protection zones on navigable estuarine waters and the 75-foot native vegetation buffer. The page does not address seawalls, docks or dredging. Checked October 9, 2026.
Martin County: Shoreline Stabilization Permit help document. Source for the permit types for riprap, seawalls and shoreline retaining walls. The page names no water body and no state or federal permits. Checked October 9, 2026.
Martin County Property Appraiser: Taxpayer Bill of Rights handout (2026). Source for the Property Appraiser’s role (determines value, does not determine the tax), the governing board setting the millage, and the Tax Collector sending bills in early November and collecting. The handout lists both pa.martin.fl.us and pamartinfl.gov as addresses; verify the current site. Checked October 9, 2026.
Martin County Property Appraiser: 2025 final recapitulation of the assessment roll (Form DR-403). Source for the 2025 roll’s area breakdown: five unincorporated districts and five municipal entries (Ocean Breeze, Sewall’s Point, Stuart, Jupiter Island and Indiantown). Hobe Sound is not listed as a municipality. Read through a document summary. Checked October 9, 2026.
Florida Department of Revenue: 2025 Martin County taxing authority code descriptions. Source for the 2025 taxing authority codes: Ocean Breeze, Sewall’s Point, Stuart, Jupiter Island (with an erosion line), Indiantown and the unincorporated districts. Hobe Sound is not listed. Checked October 9, 2026.
Martin County Property Appraiser: comparison of taxes levied, 2025-26 (DOR Table 1). Source for the separate Town of Jupiter Island and Jupiter Island Beach Protection lines. Read through a document summary. Checked October 9, 2026.
Town of Jupiter Island: community page. Source for “nine miles of ocean frontage,” about 1,643 acres of land and the Town Hall address, 2 Bridge Road, Hobe Sound, FL 33455. Checked October 9, 2026.
Town of Jupiter Island: departments. Source for the Utilities entry, which names South Martin Regional Utility (SMRU) as proud to serve “the communities of Hobe Sound and the Town of Jupiter Island, FL.” The entry does not say SMRU is a Town department. The page does not describe incorporation or a Beach Protection District date. Checked October 9, 2026.
Town of Jupiter Island: Building Department. Source for the Building Department’s six functions: zoning, permitting, plan review, inspections, contractors licensing and code enforcement. Checked October 9, 2026.
Jupiter Island, Florida (Wikipedia). Secondary source for the Town’s 1953 incorporation, 804 residents at the 2020 Census, its position next to Hobe Sound and its northern limit at the refuge boundary. Checked October 9, 2026.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge, about us. Source for the refuge’s official name, 1,091 acres, two tracts bisected by the Indian River Lagoon, nearly 10 miles of lagoon mangroves and 3.5 miles of Atlantic beach. The page does not name Martin County. Checked October 9, 2026.
Florida Statutes, section 161.053 (Coastal construction control lines), and Florida DEP CCCL program. Section 161.053(1)(a) states the Legislature’s intent that the department establish coastal construction control lines on a county basis along the sand beaches of the state; subsection (2)(a) bars building seaward of a filed line, excavating or altering ground elevations except as the section provides. The statute does not name Martin County. Confirm whether a specific parcel is seaward of the line with DEP. Checked October 9, 2026.
Florida DEP: locate the coastal construction control line. DEP’s Map Direct tool for checking whether a site is seaward of the line. DEP says lines are established in 25 of Florida’s coastal counties with sandy beaches; the page does not mention Martin County. Checked October 9, 2026.
Florida Administrative Register: Rule 62B-26.015, Description of the Martin County Coastal Construction Control Line. Source for the existence of the rule, listed as effective 7/9/1985 with a “Reviewed 7-30-26” history entry. The page does not describe the line’s location or any re-establishment. Checked October 9, 2026.
Florida Statutes, section 553.899 (milestone inspections). Milestone inspection requirements for certain condominium and cooperative buildings. The law has been amended recently; confirm the current text with the association, the building official and your attorney. Checked October 9, 2026.
FEMA Flood Map Service Center. Look up the flood zone for any address. Flood zone is parcel specific
Town of Manalapan (official site: history and code compliance). Source for Manalapan’s 1931 incorporation by charter. Checked October 9, 2026.
Town of Manalapan: code compliance. Source for the listed Building Official contact and Town Hall address. Checked October 9, 2026.
Town of Palm Beach: planning, zoning and development review. Source for the Town’s routing of landmarked buildings to the Landmarks Preservation Commission and other design review to ARCOM. Checked October 9, 2026.
ABODE local knowledge. Comparisons and plain-language descriptions reflect ABODE’s experience and are not statistics