Investing in Nassau County, FL Real Estate: The Actual Numbers

Considering rental property in Nassau County, FL? The typical home ($486,173, Zillow) against typical rent ($2,238/mo, Zillow Observed Rent Index) works out to a 5.5% gross cap rate. Gross is where analysis starts, not ends — below is the investor cost stack that turns it into a real number, and the demand-and-supply data that decides whether the rent holds.

Nassau County yield at a glance

5.5%

Gross cap rate

$486,173

Typical value (Zillow)

$2,238/mo

Typical rent (ZORI)

18.1

Price-to-annual-rent

3.96%

After tax + insurance (approx.)

The investor cost stack, worked

Start with $26,859 of gross annual rent. Property tax: investors get NO homestead exemption and no 3% cap — at Nassau County’s typical 13.28 mills on a $486,173 assessment, roughly $6,454 a year (non-homestead assessments can still rise up to 10% annually). Insurance: Citizens averages about $1,159/yr here, and landlord (DP-3) policies typically price above owner-occupied. That already takes the yield to about 3.96% before vacancy, maintenance, management and any HOA — the line items that separate real operators from spreadsheet optimists.

Will the rent hold? Demand and supply

Rent growth here is running +4.7% (Zillow index). On demand, IRS migration data shows a net 2,988 people per year into the county; on supply, builders pulled 1,060 residential permits in 2025. Rising rents plus positive migration plus a restrained pipeline is the configuration that protects yields; the reverse erodes them. Our valuation model currently reads the county as overvalued by 11.1% versus income-and-rent fundamentals.

Where investors actually buy here

Community-level medians, days on market and price trends for every tracked Nassau County community are on the county’s community and lifestyle pages — start with the affordability ranking and the county rent page (full rent-versus-own math).

The Nassau County market, in context

Nassau is Northeast Florida's high-end beach county — anchored by Amelia Island's Ritz-Carlton-and-Omni resort luxury and historic Fernandina Beach, with explosive value growth in Yulee and the Wildlight master plan as Jacksonville expands north. It pairs a top-rated school district with an easy commute to Duval.

The economy behind the market: {'drivers': 'tourism and resorts, paper and advanced-materials manufacturing, healthcare, the port, and a large Jacksonville commuter base', 'summary': "Nassau's economy runs on two engines. Tourism is the largest job creator, led by the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island and the Omni Amelia Island Resort, which draw visitors to the island year-round. Industry is anchored by Rayonier Advanced Materials and WestRock, whose mills near the Port of Fernandina are among the county's largest employers. Healthcare (Baptist and a new UF Health presence at Wildlight) is growing fast, and a large share of residents commute to Jacksonville's job market.", 'employers': ['Rayonier Advanced Materials (Fernandina mill)', 'WestRock (Fernandina mill)', 'Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island', 'Omni Amelia Island Resort', 'Nassau County School District', 'Baptist Medical Center Nassau', 'UF Health (Wildlight)'], 'jobNote': "Tourism (the Ritz-Carlton and Omni resorts) is Nassau's largest job creator; the Rayonier and WestRock mills anchor industry near the Port of Fernandina."}

What could change it: Coastal flood and storm-surge exposure on Amelia Island is the primary risk — the barrier island felt Hurricanes Matthew and Irma — along with rising insurance on the coast and the growing pains of rapid Yulee/Wildlight development straining roads and schools. Industrial-mill proximity is a localized factor in parts of Fernandina.

Near-term outlook: Expect firm demand over the next 12 months: Amelia Island luxury holds its premium on limited supply, while Yulee and Wildlight capture value-seeking growth from Jacksonville's northward expansion. Nassau remains one of the pricier Northeast Florida markets, with the island and the mainland moving at different speeds.

Run the numbers in Nassau County

Common questions

What is the cap rate in Nassau County, FL?

About 5.5% gross - typical Zillow value against typical ZORI rent. After typical property tax (no homestead benefits for investors) and average insurance, roughly 3.96% before vacancy, maintenance and management.

Do investors pay more property tax in Florida?

Effectively yes: non-homestead property gets no $25-50K exemption and no 3%% Save Our Homes cap - assessments can rise up to 10%% per year, and the assessment resets to roughly your purchase price when you buy.

Is Nassau County a good place to buy rental property?

That depends on your basis, financing and operations - this page gives the inputs: 5.5% gross yield, the tax-and-insurance stack, +4.7% rent growth, and migration and permit data. Not investment advice; run your own underwriting.

Figures from Zillow research series, Zillow Observed Rent Index, verified county millage, Citizens Property Insurance, IRS SOI migration and Census permits, as of 2026-06-16; deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Informational only - not investment, tax or legal advice. Equal Housing Opportunity.