Thinking of Moving to Jacksonville?

Discover what living in America's first coast is like.

If you're considering moving to Jacksonville and in the process of researching top Florida cities, you're in the right place. This page has been created to help you discover the greater Jacksonville area and what life is like as a full-time resident on Florida's first coast. We will overview the local employment and job market, popular beaches, attractions and things to do. We also encourage you to reach out to Jeff Riber, our Jacksonville relocation expert, as he is glad to answer to any specific questions you may have about Jacksonville including the current real estate market, home prices and annual living costs.

About Jacksonville, FL

Located in Duval County, the seaport city of Jacksonville is the largest city in Florida by overall population and land area. With 16 miles of scenic Atlantic coastline, Jacksonville is the principal city of the greater Jacksonville metropolitan area, which comprises just over 1.6 million people. Full-time residents of Jacksonville enjoy an average year-round temperature of 70' allowing for endless outdoor adventure and activities. This fast-growing Florida city is a top destination for Millennials with its strong growth in technology and healthcare jobs, attractive home prices and hip social scene. Jacksonville is also a popular destination for retirees with its attractive cost of living, access to excellent healthcare as well as its overall high quality of life.

Jacksonville Awards & Accolades

The Jacksonville area commonly receives top rankings as "Best Place" to live or retire in Florida, accolades for its top-rated healthcare as well as mentions of its strong housing market. View recent accolades below.

• 2024
  
  Jacksonville Named a TOP 10 "Best Place to Live" in Florida - U.S. News & World Report

  Jacksonville Named the #4 "Best Large City in the U.S." to Start a Business - WalletHub
• 2023
  
  Jacksonville Recognized as the 4th "Best Place to Live" in Florida - Bankrate

Top Reasons to Relocate to Jacksonville

1. Jacksonville is a Best Place to Live In Florida
   
   Jacksonville was recently ranked as the #4 "Best Place to Live" in Florida for 2023 - 2024 by U.S. News & World Report. This study evaluated Florida cities based upon multiple factors including housing affordability, resident happiness, access to quality healthcare, employment and overall city desirability.
   
   

   "TOP 5" BEST PLACES
   TO LIVE IN FLORIDA
    2023 - 2024 

   Best Places to Live in Florida (2023-2024)

   #	City, State	Average Home Price	Average Age
   1	Sarasota, FL	$447,8	48.9
   2	Naples, FL	$585,137	65.4
   3	Melbourne, FL	$368,720	41.4
   4	Jacksonville, FL	$294,224	35.9
   5	Tampa, FL	$375,010	35.9

     Average Home Prices as of Nov 1, 2024
2. Florida Has No State Income Tax
   
   As a Florida resident, you will definitely appreciate not having to pay a state income tax. This allows you to keep a higher percentage of the dollars you earn. In lieu of a state income tax, the state of Florida earns healthy revenues from the millions of tourists that visit the sunshine state every year through a 7% sales tax (state level) and a 5% tourist tax (county level) from revenues on rental properties and hotel visits that are for six months or less. Once you declare your Florida residency, you will surely appreciate the many tourists who pay your share of state taxes.
3. Jacksonville is a Fast-Growing City in Florida
   
   Jacksonville's population has been growing quickly in recent years and now ranks as the #17th fast-growing city in the entire country by U.S. News & World Report for 2023-24 (view rankings). Strong population growth in genreral is a good leading indicator of cities on an economic upswing.
4. Jacksonville's Real Estate Market Remains Healthy
   
   Jacksonville's real estate market has been appreciating steadily in recent years due to the influx of people relocating to the area. Jacksonville's Nocatee Community, located east of the St Johns River in Ponte Vedra, is one of the best-selling communities in all of Florida. At the start of November 2024, the average Jacksonville home price is $294,224 and represents a 0.2% year-over-year decrease. To find out exact housing and living costs, the most preferred and popular neighborhoods people are moving into, contact Jeff Riber, our Jacksonville relocation expert listed on this page.
5. Jacksonville Has Top-Rated Healthcare & Hospitals
   
   The greater Jacksonville area has several top rated hospitals including the Mayo Clinic, Wolfson Children's Hospital and Baptist Medical Center. US News & World Report currently ranks Jacksonville's Mayo Clinic as the #1 overall Best Hospital in the state of Florida (out of 247 hospitals evaluated). View Mayo Clinic ranking.
6. Jacksonville Has Strong Employment Market
   
   Jacksonville's job market has been very strong in recent years with an unemployment rate of only 3.6%, much less than the national average of 4.1% (Nov 2024). Top sectors in the Jacksonville economy include healthcare, manufacturing, professional services, education, and retail. The largest employers in the greater Jacksonville area include the Naval Air Station, Duval County Schools, Jacksonville City Government and Baptist Health.
7. Jacksonville Offers a Year-Round Playground
   
   With an average year-round temperature of 67.9' degrees and 221 sunny days each year, Jacksonville is a top Florida city for outdoor enthusiasts. If you enjoy watersport activities, try kayaking or paddle boarding on the St. Johns River or Trout River. If you prefer landside recreation, Jacksonville offers miles of biking, jogging and pet-friendly trails including the Riverwalk Trail and the Baldwin Rail Trail. If you like to observe the native sea life and wild birds, visit Castaway Island Preserve.
8. Jacksonville is a Top City for Millenials
   
   According to US Census Data, Jacksonville is a top city where Millennials are moving to. In late 2022, SmartAsset Magazine ranked Jacksonville as the #5 city destination is the U.S. (and #1 in Florida) of which Millenials are moving to. With the great year-round weather and lack of a state income tax, it's not hard to see why Jacksonville is a top pick. View the Where Millennials Are Moving To list.
9. Jacksonville Has Great Dining & Cuisine Options
   
   The greater Jacksonville area offers a wide variety of cuisines from casual, pet-friendly sidewalk cafes to fancy, five-star restaurants. There's also a popular scene of craft pubs and beer gardens to check out such as Bold City Brewery, Bottlenose Brewing, Engine 15 Brewing and Wicked Barley Brewing. Many of these trendy places offer a pet-friendly vibe, live entertainment and some even offer corn hole, darts and foosball while you enjoy a fresh, locally-crafted brew.
10. Jacksonville Offers Endless Events to Explore
    
    Jacksonville offers a full scene of year-round of outdoor events to choose from including food and craft beer festivals, musical performances, car shows and film festivals. Popular Jacksonville events include the Jacksonville Jazz Festival, the Great Atlantic Seafood & Music Festival, the Jacksonville Film Festival and the Mandarin Art Festival.

The Jacksonville Real Estate Market

Market outlook, trends and relocation advice by Jeff Riber.

Jacksonville Relocation Reviews:

Read what Jeff's past clients are saying.

• "We worked with Jeff during our relocation to the Jacksonville area. He made the process so smooth. We could not be happier with the area we chose to live, and the home is exactly what we wanted!"
  Jeremy M.
  Home Buyer

View more reviews
"Jeff is great to work with! He makes buying a home easy and he puts his clients' needs first. He is very knowledgeable and a great advocate for his clients. I would recommend him to anyone that has a real estate need!"
Danny S.
Home Buyer
"Jeff is a great agent who helped us find our dream home. He has so much knowledge of the JAX area and understands the housing market. We appreciated his honesty when looking at properties and his patience with us through a long search for the right one. You can’t go wrong with choosing Jeff as your agent!"
Alyssa P.
Home Buyer