Best Places to Live in North Florida

Ranked by the numbers, the top 10 are Yulee ($454,305 median), St. Augustine ($433,500 median), Orange Park ($325,000 median), Alachua ($332,500 median), Fernandina Beach ($470,000 median), Jacksonville ($313,650 median), Middleburg ($315,000 median), Newberry ($320,890 median), Hilliard ($367,250 median), Palm Coast ($390,000 median). 27 places qualified with at least 60 homes for sale; the score blends what it costs to own the median home against local income, five-year appreciation, county population growth, market balance, inventory depth and the own-versus-rent gap, all printed in the table.

27 cities in North Florida, ranked

Place	Score	Median price	Cost to own / mo	Share of income	5-yr appreciation / yr	County pop. growth	Months supply	Homes for sale
1. Yulee Nassau	56.5	$454,305	$2,950	40%	+7.9%	+17.5%	6.5	199
2. St. Augustine St. Johns	54.8	$433,500	$2,857	28%	+3.4%	—	5.7	1,273
3. Orange Park Clay	54.6	$325,000	$2,165	28%	+4.4%	+7.8%	4.6	342
4. Alachua Alachua	54.2	$332,500	$2,236	34%	+5.7%	+7.1%	4.1	154
5. Fernandina Beach Nassau	54.1	$470,000	$3,050	37%	+2.6%	+17.5%	5.5	259
6. Jacksonville Duval	53.9	$313,650	$2,163	38%	+5.4%	+9.0%	9.8	4,406
7. Middleburg Clay	53.7	$315,000	$2,100	31%	+5.3%	+7.8%	7.4	377
8. Newberry Alachua	53.6	$320,890	$2,158	25%	+3.8%	+7.1%	3.4	157
9. Hilliard Nassau · list-based	52.9	$367,250	$2,392	40%	+4.2%	+17.5%	12% pending	60
10. Palm Coast Flagler · list-based	52.4	$390,000	$2,616	40%	+1.6%	+13.6%	13% pending	1,213
11. Gainesville Alachua	52.4	$340,500	$2,289	46%	+4.8%	+7.1%	4.0	814
12. Ponte Vedra Beach St. Johns	51.8	$849,000	$5,457	53%	+9.7%	—	6.3	275
13. Jacksonville Beach Duval	51.6	$611,000	$4,180	45%	+5.3%	+9.0%	4.4	183
14. Keystone Heights Clay · list-based	51.0	$275,000	$1,838	30%	+3.5%	+7.8%	10% pending	99
15. Green Cove Springs Clay	50.9	$356,990	$2,375	35%	+4.2%	+7.8%	9.8	404
16. Fleming Island Clay	50.6	$460,000	$3,049	31%	+4.0%	+7.8%	9.3	137
17. Williston Levy · list-based	50.5	$269,838	$1,872	39%	+4.4%	+10.8%	5% pending	105
18. Bunnell Flagler · list-based	50.3	$289,900	$1,964	42%	+1.6%	+13.6%	15% pending	75
19. St. Johns St. Johns	50.1	$510,000	$3,336	28%	+4.4%	—	17.8	398
20. Ponte Vedra St. Johns	49.6	$667,543	$4,321	40%	+6.5%	—	10.4	239
21. High Springs Alachua · list-based	49.1	$340,000	$2,286	39%	+3.3%	+7.1%	7% pending	71
22. Interlachen Putnam · list-based	48.7	$189,000	$1,309	35%	+2.8%	+2.0%	11% pending	85
23. Macclenny Baker · list-based	48.4	$325,000	$2,144	39%	+3.9%	+1.4%	9% pending	71
24. Lake City Columbia · list-based	48.4	$393,150	$2,606	50%	+5.1%	+2.4%	11% pending	65
25. Atlantic Beach Duval	48.0	$610,000	$4,174	61%	+4.8%	+9.0%	3.5	70

How to read it: median price is the recorded MLS sale median for the past 12 months where our feeds carry sold records (at least 120 sales), otherwise the median asking price of current listings (rows marked list-based; appreciation and price change then come from the county Zillow index); cost to own is principal and interest on 80% of that median at the county’s current rate, plus non-homestead property tax at the county’s verified millage (less the $50,000 homestead exemption) and the county’s average Citizens premium; share of income is that annual cost against the Census median household income pooled over the ZIPs where the city’s homes are listed; 5-yr appreciation is the compound annual change in recorded medians; county pop. growth is the county’s five-year Census change.

Score = 50 + 10 × (0.35 affordability + 0.15 appreciation + 0.15 population growth + 0.10 market balance + 0.10 inventory depth + 0.15 own-versus-rent), each as a capped z-score across the ranked set. Inputs are prices, costs, incomes, growth and supply only; nothing about the people who live there. Data as of 2026-10-15; deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Counties covered: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, Nassau, Putnam, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, Union.

The top 10, in detail

1. Yulee, Nassau County

Recorded median sale $454,305 (+3.9% year over year), 362 sales in 12 months, 6.5 months of supply (balanced market), median 56 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,950 a month, 40% of the local median household income of $89,270; typical rent is $2,049. Prices compounded +7.9% a year over five years; the county grew +17.5% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Nassau County property tax

2. St. Augustine, St. Johns County

Recorded median sale $433,500 (-1.7% year over year), 2,229 sales in 12 months, 5.7 months of supply (balanced market), median 47 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,857 a month, 28% of the local median household income of $122,655; typical rent is $2,169. Prices compounded +3.4% a year over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · St. Johns County property tax

3. Orange Park, Clay County

Recorded median sale $325,000 (-3.4% year over year), 597 sales in 12 months, 4.6 months of supply (balanced market), median 39 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,165 a month, 28% of the local median household income of $92,842; typical rent is $1,861. Prices compounded +4.4% a year over five years; the county grew +7.8% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Clay County property tax

4. Alachua, Alachua County

Recorded median sale $332,500 (-2.7% year over year), 203 sales in 12 months, 4.1 months of supply (balanced market), median 66 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,236 a month, 34% of the local median household income of $79,983; typical rent is $2,292. Prices compounded +5.7% a year over five years; the county grew +7.1% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Alachua County property tax

5. Fernandina Beach, Nassau County

Recorded median sale $470,000 (-1.7% year over year), 261 sales in 12 months, 5.5 months of supply (buyer's market), median 47 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $3,050 a month, 37% of the local median household income of $97,756; typical rent is $2,351. Prices compounded +2.6% a year over five years; the county grew +17.5% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Nassau County property tax

6. Jacksonville, Duval County

Recorded median sale $313,650 (-1.3% year over year), 6,420 sales in 12 months, 9.8 months of supply (buyer's market), median 43 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,163 a month, 38% of the local median household income of $68,363; typical rent is $1,601. Prices compounded +5.4% a year over five years; the county grew +9.0% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Duval County property tax

7. Middleburg, Clay County

Recorded median sale $315,000 (+2.6% year over year), 583 sales in 12 months, 7.4 months of supply (balanced market), median 46 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,100 a month, 31% of the local median household income of $82,410; typical rent is $1,997. Prices compounded +5.3% a year over five years; the county grew +7.8% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Clay County property tax

8. Newberry, Alachua County

Recorded median sale $320,890 (-3.4% year over year), 213 sales in 12 months, 3.4 months of supply (balanced market), median 93 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,158 a month, 25% of the local median household income of $102,335; typical rent is $2,250. Prices compounded +3.8% a year over five years; the county grew +7.1% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Alachua County property tax

9. Hilliard, Nassau County

Median asking price $367,250 across 60 current listings, 12% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 61 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved +0.2% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $2,392 a month, 40% of the local median household income of $71,750. Prices compounded +4.2% a year over five years; the county grew +17.5% in population over five years. moving guide · market data · Nassau County property tax

10. Palm Coast, Flagler County

Median asking price $390,000 across 1,213 current listings, 13% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 54 days on market; the county's Zillow index moved -1.0% over the past year. Owning the median costs about $2,616 a month, 40% of the local median household income of $78,731; typical rent is $1,956. Prices compounded +1.6% a year over five years; the county grew +13.6% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Flagler County property tax

Questions people ask

What is the best place to live in North Florida by the numbers?

Yulee ranks first on our composite: $454,305 median, about $2,950 a month to own (40% of local median income), +7.9% a year appreciation over five years. The ranking is housing economics only; the right place for you also depends on commute, lifestyle and budget, which is what an agent narrows.

What is the cheapest place to live in North Florida?

Interlachen has the lowest estimated cost to own on this list at about $1,309 a month on a $189,000 median, including the county's property tax and average insurance.

Where are home prices rising fastest in North Florida?

Ponte Vedra Beach, at +9.7% a year compounded over five years; over the past twelve months it moved +3.1%.

How is this ranking calculated?

Score = 50 + 10 times a weighted sum of capped z-scores: affordability (annual cost to own the median home divided by median household income, 35%), five-year compound appreciation (15%), county population growth (15%), market balance (distance of months of supply from 5, 10%), sales volume (10%), and the gap between owning and renting (15%). Every input is printed in the table; the inputs are prices, costs, incomes, growth and supply only.

Every ranking in this series

Homes for sale in Florida by city and county · Florida city and relocation guides

Rankings are computed from the published data sources and the formula stated on this page, with no editorial scoring; the inputs are prices, costs, incomes, growth and supply, and the rankings describe housing economics, not the character of any community. Figures are as of 2026-10-15 and change as new sales record. EAB RE Investments LLC dba Momentum Realty is a licensed Florida real estate brokerage. Listing data deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Equal Housing Opportunity.