Region preview · 2027 Edition

Moving to Northeast Florida: what to know

Florida's northeast corner: Jacksonville, the state's biggest city, with Navy bases, a busy port and the Atlantic beaches; St.¹ Augustine, the oldest city in the continental U.S.; Amelia Island; and fast-growing suburbs from St.^3,4 Johns County down to Palm Coast.^5,6 Southern in pace, with real winters by Florida standards.

Counties: Duval, St. Johns, Nassau, Clay, Flagler, Baker. Includes Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Fernandina Beach, Palm Coast.

66° / 42°¹January high / low, Jacksonville

92° / 73°¹July high / low

53 in¹rain a year, wettest June and September

$303,500²median home value, Duval County

17.3%²aged 65 and over, Duval County

$71,277²median household income

Weather

Four seasons, mildly. Summers are hot and humid with afternoon storms; winters bring cool nights and occasional frost.¹

Storms and hazards

Hurricanes and river flooding. In September 2017 Hurricane Irma caused record floods in Jacksonville, the worst since 1846, mostly from the St. Johns River rather than a direct hit.^1,5
Coastal storm surge and beach erosion along the barrier islands from Amelia Island to Flagler Beach. Look up both your evacuation zone and your flood zone.^4,6,7,8
Winter freezes: protect pipes, pets and plants.⁹

See every hurricane near Northeast Florida since 1851, mapped

Who it suits

Our judgment, from the facts in the full profile.

Families who want highly rated suburbs, especially in St. Johns and Clay counties
Navy and military families: NAS Jacksonville and Naval Station Mayport are here
History lovers: St. Augustine and Amelia Island
People who want a big-city job market without South Florida prices

A few things to see

St. Augustine's historic district and the Castillo de San Marcos³
Fort Mose Historic State Park¹⁰
Flagler College, the former Hotel Ponce de Leon^7,11

Only in Florida

Lynyrd Skynyrd took its name partly from Leonard Skinner, a Jacksonville gym teacher known for enforcing the school's rules on boys' hair length.^1,12

Visitor information

The official, non-commercial places to ask about things to do, events and local services.^13,14 Many tourism offices also offer a free visitor guide.

County tourism offices

Duval County: Visit Jacksonville
Nassau County: Amelia Island (Nassau County)
St. Johns County: Florida's Historic Coast (St. Johns County)
Flagler County: Palm Coast and the Flagler Beaches

State-certified visitor information centers

Visit Jacksonville Main Office Visitor Information Center, 100 N. Laura Street, Suite 120, Jacksonville
Florida Welcome Center (I-95), 7 miles north of Yulee on I-95 South, Yulee
St. Augustine / St. Johns County Visitor Information Center, 10 S. Castillo Drive, St. Augustine
The Ponte Vedra Beach Visitors Center, 200 Solana Road, Suite B, Ponte Vedra Beach
Visit Jacksonville Beaches Museum Visitor Information Center, 381 Beach Boulevard, Jacksonville Beach
Visit Jacksonville International Airport Visitor Information Center, 2400 Yankee Clipper Dr, Baggage Claim Area, Jacksonville

The full Northeast Florida profile is in Choosing Your Place

Every county's people, income, home value and rent
Costs, insurance, hospitals, getting around, jobs, culture and history
35 town cards for this region, each with home value, rent, median age and the nearest 24-hour ER and airport
Side-by-side compare with any other region, and the monthly-cost calculator

Get Choosing Your Place · $9.99 What's inside

Moving here for sure? Living Here & Staying Ready has Northeast Florida's county emergency and special-needs numbers, and a household plan. Get the Complete Edition for $19.99.

Written by Charles Squires, North Port, Florida. 40 years living in Florida, in eight places.

I called on schools in Jacksonville and St. Johns County.

More about the author and how this manual is made

Towns in Northeast Florida

Free basics for each of the 35 places with 1,000 or more people: home value, rent and the nearest ER.

Asbury Lake · Atlantic Beach · Baldwin · Bellair-Meadowbrook Terrace · Bunnell · Butler Beach · Callahan · Fernandina Beach · Flagler Beach · Flagler Estates · Fleming Island · Fruit Cove · Green Cove Springs · Hilliard · Jacksonville · Jacksonville Beach · Keystone Heights · Lakeside · Macclenny · Middleburg · Nassau Village-Ratliff · Neptune Beach · Nocatee · Oakleaf Plantation · Orange Park · Palm Coast · Palm Valley · Sawgrass · St. Augustine · St. Augustine Beach · St. Augustine Shores · St. Augustine South · Vilano Beach · World Golf Village · Yulee

Other regions: Southwest Florida · Tampa Bay · Central Florida · Heartland · North Central Florida · Space Coast and Daytona · Southeast Florida · Florida Keys · Big Bend and Nature Coast · Panhandle