Thinking of Moving to Jacksonville?

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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.

2023

Jacksonville Named a TOP 5 "Best Place to Live" in Florida - US News & World Report
2022

Jacksonville is named Zillow's #2 Hottest Real Estate Market for 2022 - Zillow
Jacksonville's Nocatee Ranked 5th Top-Selling, Master-Planned Community in Florida in 2021 - RCL & CO
Jacksonville Ranks as the #1 Florida City Millenials are Moving to - SmartAsset
2021

Jacksonville, FL Ranks as the #2 "Best Place to Live in Florida" - Bankrate
Jacksonville's Nocatee Ranked 8th Best-Selling, Master-Planned Community in Florida in 2020 - RCL & CO

Top Reasons to Relocate to Jacksonville

Jacksonville is a Best Place to Live In Florida

Jacksonville was recently ranked #2 as the "Best Place to Live in Florida" in 2022 by Bankrate. This study analyzed the 25 of the largest cities in Florida (with populations of greater than 100,000) and was based upon multiple factors including housing affordability, safety, educational attainment and overall culture. View City Rankings List

view from condo balcony overlooking atlantic coastline

"TOP 5" BEST PLACES
TO LIVE IN FLORIDA
IN 2022

Best Places to Live in Florida (2022)

#	City, State	Average Home Price	Average Age
1	Tampa, FL	$371,253	35.9
2	Jacksonville, FL	$291,597	35.9
3	Gainesville, FL	$279,105	26.4
4	Orlando, FL	$361,125	33.9
5	Cape Coral, FL	$373,202	47.8

Average Home Prices as of Mar 2023.

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.
Jacksonville is a Fast-Growing City in Florida

Jacksonville's population has been growing quickly in recent years and now ranks as the #14th fast-growing city in the entire country by U.S. News & World Report for 2022-23 (view rankings). Strong population growth in genreral is a good leading indicator of cities on an economic upswing.
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 end of February 2023, the average Jacksonville home price is $291,597 which represents a 11.5% year-over-year increase. 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.
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.
Jacksonville Has Strong Employment Market

Jacksonville's job market has been very strong in recent years with an unemployment rate of only 2.7%. 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.
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.
Jacksonville is a Top City for Millenials

According to US Census Data, Jacksonville is a top city where Millennials are moving to. In 2022, SmartAsset Magazine ranked Jacksonville as the #1 city destination in all of Florida (and #5 city nationwide) 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 in 2022 list.
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.
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.

Jeff Riber

Your Jacksonville Relocation Expert

(904) 405-1995

Please mention Moving to Florida Guide when calling so I can track my marketing efforts. Thanks!

License # BK3235951

Jeff Riber - Jacksonville Relocation Expert

The Jacksonville Real Estate Market

Market outlook, trends and relocation advice by Jeff Riber.

The Jacksonville housing market has experienced steady appreciation of 15 - 20% over the past few years as many are relocating to Florida, but now we are clearly seeing that market conditions are normalizing back to a more healthy, balanced market as rates have risen many times in 2022 and once already in 2023.

In the Jacksonville market currently, housing inventory still slightly favors sellers at a 4 month supply, and this supply continues to increase each month going forward. New listings are now spending approximately 45 days on market vs 12 days as was during the market peak. While we are still experiencing some multiple offer situations for in-demand areas and price ranges, it's no where near nor extreme as it was in the first half of 2022. New home builders have now also backed away from their auction system when releasing their available lots, as was during the market top.

View my market outlook.

Jacksonville Housing Market Outlook

My outlook for the Jacksonville real estate market in 2023 is that buyer demand will continue to be very healthy, and that this trend is likely to remain. Should the Fed raise rates again, this will only help to increase our inventory levels, and is an overall healthy sign to see. I also expect home price appreciation to be much less and think we’ll see appreciation more in the 5% range in the year ahead vs some of the more lofty forecasts that have been predicted by Zillow and others.

Market Trends I'm Observing

As Jacksonville grows into being a major US city, the demand for its real estate has come along for the ride. Many businesses are also relocating a portion of their operations (or even their full headquarters) which is bringing new jobs and more people seeking housing. With access to Atlantic coast beaches, the St Johns River, diverse shopping and restaurant options, and a lifestyle pace that is far more enticing than most major metropolitan areas, Northeast Florida is no-longer a hidden gem but a discovered reality. Several hundred new homes are being built in St Johns County alone every month. Many out-of-town buyers are also drawn to the amenity-rich master-planned community of Nocatee in the Ponte Vedra area (SE Jacksonville) as it's a top-selling community in the entire Southeast.

My Relocation Advice

If you're new to the Jacksonville area and not exactly sure where you’d like to live yet, feel free to reach out to me and we can discuss what activities you enjoy and what you’d like to be close to. Also, just wanted to mention that as Jacksonville is the 2nd largest U.S. city (behind Anchorage, AK) at 874 square-miles in size, your experiences in one part of town could be different that one’s in a different part. As a long-time resident of the Jacksonville area, I am glad to provide my unique perspective on the different areas of Jacksonville and even glad to connect you with others who reside in these areas who can relay their experiences.

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

Meet Jeff

Your Jacksonville Relocation Specialist

Click image above to view video

Your Guide to Jacksonville Real Estate, Beaches, Area Attractions & Employment

Jacksonville Real Estate

Below are the best neighborhoods and top communities in the Jacksonville area that people are moving to.

Downtown Jacksonville Neighborhoods

Northbank

LaVilla

Brooklyn

Southbanks

Nocatee - Jacksonville's Top Master-Planned Community

Nocatee, located in Southeast Jacksonville (Ponte Vedra), has been recognized as the 5th fastest-growing, master planned community in Florida in 2021. View community rankings list. Below are popular Nocatee neighborhoods.

Artisan Lakes

Pioneer Village at Crosswater

Tidewater

Timberland Ridge

Freedom Landing

Del Webb Ponte Vedra

Coastal Oaks

The Hammock at Twenty Mile

Top Communities in North Jacksonville

Hampton West

Riverview

Heron's Walk

Cascade Point

Tidewater

Osprey Landing

Top Communities in West Jacksonville

Avondale

Lake Shore

Murray Hill

Riverside

Durkeeville

Top Communities in Southwest Jacksonville

Oakleaf Plantation

Lennar at Longleaf

Arbor Mill

Water Mill

Chimney Lakes

Top Communities in St Johns

TrailMark

RiverTown

Shearwater

Palencia

Bannon Lakes

Top Golf Communities in Jacksonville

Jacksonville Golf & Country Club

Atlantic Beach County Club

Sawgrass

Glen Kernan

Jacksonville Area Beaches

Jacksonville has four main beaches which are just a short communte from Downtown. Nearby public parking and restrooms are available for all beachgoers.

Atlantic Beach

Neptune Beach

Jacksonville Beach

Ponte Vedra Beach

Jacksonville Area Shopping Centers

The Jacksonville area has popular shopping malls as well as open-air town centers with all your favorite brands.

The Avenues Mall

Gateway Town Center

Regency Square Mall

St. Johns Town Center

Jacksonville Relocation Reviews

"We went though the home buying process from out of state. The technology Jeff used was so important in our transaction from afar. We felt we could trust Jeff in that he was looking out for our best interests and needs. He was a pleasure to work with and we highly recommend his services."

"Jeff provided a professional and helpful service in our home search. His knowledge of the Jacksonville, FL area is extensive and he kept our best interests in mind. Jeff was an excellent negotiator and provided prompt communication. I would definitely recommend Jeff to anyone looking to buy a home."

"My wife and I were moving to the Jacksonville, FL area and found Jeff Riber great to work with even before moving from Oklahoma. He provided us direction with information that enabled us to find the home we desired and could afford!"

Jacksonville Employers

Jacksonville is home to many of the top and best employers in Duval County, and many are headquartered here locally. Listed below are the top and largest employers in the Jacksonville area.

Top Medical & Healthcare Companies in Jacksonville

Florida Blue

Baptist Health

Ascention St Vincent's

Mayo Clinic

UF Health

Top Technology Companies in Jacksonville

AT&T

Fanatics

C2C Solutions

Web.com

CSX Technology

Top Financial Services Companies in Jacksonville

Citizens Property Insurance

Capstone Financial

Wells Fargo

Fidenlity Investments

TIAA Bank

Top Manufacturing Companies in Jacksonville

Southeastern Aluminum Products

Safariland / BAE Systems

Novolex

Malnove

American Coolair

Crown Products Company

Swisher International

Sunoptic Technologies

Certified Slings

North Florida Shipyards

Largest Employers in Duval County

Naval Air Station

Duval County Public Schools

Jacksonville City Government