Alex is the founder of 9Kilo Moving, which he started to help people easily find and choose the right moving company to make their move as stress-free and seamless as possible. He has spent over 20 years working in the moving industry, so he knows every aspect of the business and uses his knowledge to write about the industry and give moving advice. More on about us page
Jacksonville shatters the belief that big cities equals big costs. It also changes the generic image of beach towns which is what makes it a close to perfect beach destination to call home. By this we mean that it’s not all about the beaches but the city itself has a progressive pace that attracts a crowd larger than retirees and tourists to it.
If you’ve chosen to move here, you probably have more than one reason to love the city so let’s not bore you with it. Instead, let’s look at some of the aspects that showcase what it is to move and live in Jacksonville.
CALCULATE MY MOVE
In a nutshell, you can expect Jacksonville weather to be muggy for roughly five months in a row and then the city then cools down for a very short winter (maximum 2 months). The rest of the year residents enjoy pleasant weather conditions. The weather is one of the biggest perks of living in Jacksonville. Sunny clear skies is a common sight and not all cities in the nation enjoy this privilege. It is after all situated in the Sunshine State of the US.
To give you a brief understanding of what the temperatures would like for each season, we’d done a short overview below starting with summers:
About Jacksonville Summers - The summers in Jacksonville are long, the season begins in May and only shows indication of retreating by the end of September. So if you’re someone whose love for summers is intense, you’d be glad to know that this is the dominant weather condition in the city. You can expect temperatures to fall in the range of 75°F to 90°F. Humidity is high and the conditions get classified as subtropical.
About Jacksonville Winters - The winters are mild and short. The temperatures start to change in December and things already take a turn for spring at the end of February. Winters are a great time to get a breather from the hot temperatures and enjoy comfortable conditions. Temperatures fall in the 46°F to 65°F zone.
About Jacksonville Spring - During spring you may have to watch the sky get darker and darker followed by a huge downpour. Thunderstorms are also a common sight but after a hard rain, the greenery in the city looks even more lush. We highly suggest visiting spring break hotspots or taking a walk to parks to enjoy the atmosphere. You can look forward to pleasant temperatures in the bracket of 51°F to 71°F.
Few things To Bear In Mind
Even though the weather is predominantly sunny, occasional downpours are something that all residents of the city are used to. You may have to always keep a raincoat handy for sudden showers.
It can get unbearably hot in August when summer temperatures cross the mark of 91.4°F (33°C), so give yourself time to get used to the heat.
The year round weather conditions of the city fall in the 46°F to 90°F zone.
You may have to switch to using your car to get around way more frequently in the city of Jacksonville because of how car-centric it is. Interstate 10 and 95 are the commuted roadways in the city. The roadways are well planned out and help residents explore cities on the coastline and beyond city limits.
With a car you’d be able to reach different points of interest way more conveniently since public transportation is to an extent non-existent in Jacksonville. There’s also a total of 7 bridges that give residents access to cross the St Johns River which practically cuts through the entire city. The bridges are namely -
Besides roadways, you can depend on a couple more public transit options if you specifically have easy access to them from your home.
This is a people mover with just 8 specific stations. It’s a convenient mode of public transport to take if you need to go to the Northbank business district and the Florida State College campus.
Amtrak serves most of the United States and also has a train station in Jacksonville in the north end of the city. It should take you roughly 30 minutes to get here from Downtown. The station name is Jacksonville Amtrak Station and has just 4 tracks because there are just two Amtrak train lines stop by at this station and they are namely:
Silver Meteor : This line travels between New York and Miami. So, if you want to stop by Philadelphia, Baltimore, DC, Savannah, Jacksonville, and Orlando you can take this train.
Silver Star : Most of the major stops of this train line are similar to the Silver Meteor except that you can also get off at Savannah and Tampa. This line also runs from New York to Miami.
Residents of the city have easy access to Jacksonville International Airport that is just 13 miles away from Downtown Jacksonville. So you can get to it in 15 minutes or so if you live in the downtown area.
Key Takeaway
For intra-city travel, your main mode of transportation is most likely going to be a car. The city is walkable and has a score of 88 on 100 by WalkScore, so you could reach your destination by foot. But cycling and walking works out just for a short distance or to run errands. To commute long distances, you can opt for local buses but that’s also viable if it takes the route you need to get to. This is why the most used mode is a private car in Jacksonville.
Jacksonville has time and again been recognized as a great place to start a business. The city is one of the top exporters of the nation and sits at a prime location right next to the Atlantic Ocean. The ports in the city are certainly busy and huge contributors to the strength of the city’s economy. This is what makes jobs linked to distribution, trade and manufacturing almost like the stakeholders of the job market.
The city also has its share of Fortune 500 companies that speak volumes about how business friendly the environment really is. To give you a gist of some of top companies that call Jacksonville home, refer to the list below:
This list should give you an overview of the industries that are flourishing and performing well in the city. Also note that a large number of banks, media houses, and manufacturing companies have a huge presence in the city.
All in all, Jacksonville is the number one choice in Florida for those looking for career nurturing opportunities. It’s safe to say that the job market can be termed as healthy and super diverse in nature.
A major reason why many people are drawn to the city of Jacksonville is because of the affordable cost of living. If you’re thinking about moving here, it’s only natural that you be curious about how much you’d most probably earn and how much you’d be spending in the city. So that’s what we’re going to tackle in this section, starting with housing costs.
According to Zillow, the median value of homes are sold at $218,194. On the other hand, the average value for homes in Florida stands at $273,094. This proves that homes in Jacksonville are relatively more affordable in comparison to the state average. Keep in mind that this is certainly a rough estimate and doesn’t apply to the larger riverfront homes.
On an average, expect rent costs to fall in the $1,065 to $1,173 zone. 44% of the city’s population choose to rent in Jacksonville as per the platform Niche. Some of the neighborhoods where you’d find that rent prices are beyond this average range are in Greenland, Del Rio, and Mixon Town.
If you’re on a tight budget and would like to rent out a place in a more affordable neighborhood, we suggest checking out Edgewood Manor, College Gardens and Magnolia Gardens.
It’s absolutely necessary to understand this aspect as it would help you determine which income class group you’d fall in when you move here. So on an average, most households in Jacksonville earn $54,701 annually. Now if you and your partner or family member you’re moving with are going to bring in less than this amount annually, it would be considered less than middle class. If you earn more you’re practically going to be able to live more than comfortably.
An adult living alone in the city of Jacksonville will most likely spend somewhere between $1,500 to $1,677 a month for groceries, gas, internet, utility bills like water and electricity. So for a single adult to live an average lifestyle, it is ideal to earn roughly 35K annually. This makes salaries in the bracket of 55Kto 65K a pretty decent amount to live big and larger than average.
See also: 15 Cheap Cities to Move to
If you’re on the hunt for a place that’s up to speed with the trendy world and also has beautiful scenic riverfront views, then San Marco is a charming neighborhood that you should check out. The area is filled with breweries, pubs, and eateries with breathtaking views. It’s also just minutes away from Downtown and so gets plus points for being in the heart of the city.
Median Value Of Homes - $248,844Median Rent - $1,148
Riverside is a pretty little intimate region to live in the city. The atmosphere is quirky and artsy so you’d easily spot places for live music, food trucks, and art events taking place here. The place is also super diverse and it’s very much possible to meet young energetic people. By living here, you'd be just 8 to 10 minutes away from Downtown so the area is connected to parts where the pace is up and happening.
Median Value Of Homes - $300,800Median Rent - $1,084
The neighborhood of Mandarin sits in Duval County and this is where all the high quality schools are. It’s a great place to raise kids because of how friendly and safe the place is. Even though it is situated a bit away from the downtown area, it has all the amenities and entertainment options you’d need. Overall, this place is oriented towards families.
Median Value Of Homes - $323,000Median Rent - $1,345
Is work the reason behind your move? Then Southside is the place you should consider. It’s recognized for the number of solid companies established and the job opportunities it creates for old and new residents. It’s home to some of the best universities in Jacksonville and so a larger number of residents here are young creating an enthusiastic environment for the place.
Median Value Of Homes - $268,124Median Rent - $1,092
Now we know that one of the top reasons people move to Florida is to be close to the beach! So if you’re among those who want to have a house near a beach, then this seaside community is something you should explore. This neighborhood is also surrounded by several parks and playgrounds that make it family-friendly.
Median Value Of Homes - $401,000Median Rent - $1,372
For a single adult, 50K is a good salary to earn annually but the average income of a single person in the city is roughly around 35K. For a family of 4, 100K or more is a good salary per year.
Jacksonville is a beautiful beach city to call home. Some of the perks of living here is that real estate is reasonable so the chances of ocean front property here could be more achievable than somewhere on the west coast. Other than the beach you also get to take advantage of the amenities in a lively and vibrant city.
Jacksonville has much more than beaches and sunshine to please you. First of all, you can be assured that you’ll never get bored here because there are plenty of outdoor activities to keep you entertained like hiking, biking, and watersports at St. John River along with fishing and boating, etc. Apart from that, you have various neighborhoods to choose from with cheap transportation and good educational opportunities. So it’s definitely worth moving to Jacksonville especially if you’re looking for a beach destination.
You will need a salary of around $62k to be able to afford all your living expenses like housing costs, transportation, and utility bills in the city. To give you an hourly estimate, it comes up to $17.22.
Jacksonville has affordable housing costs wherein the median house price is $218,194 which is less than the average price of homes in Florida of around $273,094. Your monthly rent in the city will be between $1,065 to $1,173. The best thing about living in Jacksonville is that you don’t have to pay any sales tax. So it’s not very expensive to live in Jacksonville, Florida.
Midtown is one place that you should not consider living in if you’re moving to Jacksonville. As per the analysis of RoadSnacks, Midtown has a median income of only $30,875 which is lower than the median home value of $34,400. According to RoadSnacks, it has a crime rate of 6,653 per 100k people and an unemployment rate of almost 14.3% which makes it a less appealing place to live in.
In order to meet your living expenses in Jacksonville, a good salary would be around $62k for a single resident or two people at the most. But if you’re a family of four or more, you’ll need more than that to cover all your living expenses.
Apart from being famous for beaches and affordable neighborhoods, Jacksonville is home to several famous celebrities. Let’s take a look at some of the famous celebrities that call this city their home:
On a scale of 100, Miami has a violent crime rate of 48.30 whereas in Jacksonville the violent crime rate is 33.9. The property crime rate in Miami is 62.7 and in Jacksonville, it’s 52.9 according to the research conducted by BestPlaces. As you see, both violent and property crimes are higher in Miami than in Jacksonville, making it more dangerous.
If you’re a foodie and enjoy traveling and taking a tour of major attractions, then Orlando is the right place for you where you get to see the famous Walt Disney World Resort along with plenty of famous restaurants. But if you’re a fan of coastal beaches, watersports, and other outdoor activities like hiking and golfing, then Jacksonville is the place for you where you greet the warm sunshine. Both cities have great weather and amenities, so you can choose what best suits your interests and needs.
One of the main reasons why the rent is so high in Jacksonville is because it has a plethora of people moving there. The city has a population of 929,647 people and so it’s one of the most populated cities in the US. Because of this, there is a great demand for rental apartments and houses. Your average rent in the city will fall in the price range of 1,065 to $1,173.
As per the data shared by PayScale, a gallon of milk in Jacksonville will cost you around $1.95.
If you want the city vibe, you should consider living in Downtown Jacksonville where you’ll be surrounded by skyscrapers, bustling people, and plenty of employment opportunities. One plus point of moving there is that the beach is just a few minutes away. But if you want to live in a more quiet place away from the chaos of the city, then you can consider moving to Mandarin, Riverside, or Brentwood. These neighborhoods have great schools, low crime rates, well-established homes, and a cozy lifestyle.
As per the research conducted by NeighborhoodScout, the crime rate in Jacksonville for violent and property crimes is 6.49 and 33.35 respectively, which is higher than the national median of 4 and 21 respectively. So in terms of crime rate, Jacksonville is a dangerous place in Florida. But there are some places with low crime rates like Greenfield, Mandarin, etc where you can consider living in.
No, there is no snowfall in Jacksonville. The weather here is mostly sunny with a maximum temperature of 91.4°F in August. You’ll experience short mild winters in the months from December to February with the average temperature falling between 46 to 65°F.
The average cost for building a house in Jacksonville can be around $115 per square foot if yours is a basic construction. Do keep in mind that this price can increase depending on the features of your house, finishes, and the type of materials you use to construct your house.
Jacksonville has a reputation for high crime rates compared to the other cities in Florida and that’s why people call it the ‘Murder Capital of Florida’. Some of the places that are identified as ghetto areas in Jacksonville are the 32209 area towards the northwest of the city, the neighborhoods of Grand Park, Magnolia Gardens, and the Royal Terrace neighborhoods.
Jacksonville has some bad areas with high crime rates that you need to avoid if you’re moving to the city. Some of the bad areas in Jacksonville as determined by Areavibes are 29th and Chase, East Jacksonville, Mid-Westside, Springfield, and Moncrief Park.
If you want a small-town feel, then Tampa will give you the relaxed lifestyle you want where you can get to see the popular Clearwater Beach and great educational institutions. Apart from that, it’s an amazing place for retirees as it has a large number of retirement communities. Jacksonville, on the other hand, is good for people that want to live in a warm place with sunshine throughout the year and plenty of outdoor activities and beaches. Based on the research conducted by BestPlaces, the COL (Cost of Living Index) in Jacksonville is 93.5 which is lower than that of Tampa which has a COL of 100.1 Overall, Jacksonville is better in terms of different amenities and a lower cost of living.
Our Take On Jacksonville, FL
There’s no denying that living in Jacksonville is a beach lover’s paradise. Now that you’ve everything you need to know about moving to Jacksonville in one guide, you’ve already saved a ton of your time on research. If you also need help with finding good moving companies in the region you can refer to our article Best Moving Companies In Jacksonville, Florida.
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