The Most Affordable Communities in Duval County, FL

Where are the most affordable communities in Duval County, FL? Ranked below by MLS median sale price — an objective measure from recorded closings, not an opinion — the 20 lowest-priced communities we track in Duval County start at $83,000. Every ranking is a snapshot: medians move with what actually sold.

Duval County affordability at a glance

$83,000

Lowest community median

$156,000

20th-ranked median

$330,000

County-wide community median

436

Priced communities tracked

The 20 most affordable communities, ranked

#	Community	City	Median price	1-yr change	Days on mkt
1	Residences at City Place	Jacksonville	$83,000	+3.0%	50 d
2	Brentwood	Jacksonville	$90,000	+10.0%	110 d
3	College Gardens	Jacksonville	$110,000	–	80 d
4	Willow Ridge	Jacksonville	$110,000	-15.0%	104 d
5	Baymeadows	Jacksonville	$114,000	-13.0%	49 d
6	Magnolia Gardens	Jacksonville	$114,000	-6.0%	119 d
7	Village Green at Baymeadows	Jacksonville	$114,000	-30.0%	136 d
8	The Carlton at Oak Landing	Jacksonville	$115,000	-2.0%	114 d
9	Wilshire	Jacksonville	$121,000	–	182 d
10	Natures Hideaway	Jacksonville	$123,000	-5.0%	94 d
11	Sweetwater	Jacksonville	$128,000	-4.0%	170 d
12	Montreux at Deerwood Lake	Jacksonville	$138,000	-17.0%	90 d
13	Merrill Pines	Jacksonville	$144,000	-5.0%	74 d
14	Panama Park	Jacksonville	$146,000	-20.0%	55 d
15	Villas of Timberlin Parc	Jacksonville	$149,000	-20.0%	132 d
16	Belle Rive Villas	Jacksonville	$150,000	–	418 d
17	Murray Terrace	Jacksonville	$150,000	–	–
18	Summer Key	Jacksonville	$151,000	-10.0%	93 d
19	Sherwood Forest	Jacksonville	$155,000	-14.0%	68 d
20	Lake Forest	Jacksonville	$156,000	+13.0%	117 d

Ranked by MLS median sale price across recent closings in each community. A low median can reflect smaller homes, older stock, condo product, or land-lease/HOA structures — always compare what the price buys. Deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

What a low median actually means

A community median is set by what sold, so the cheapest entries on this list usually share a profile: smaller square footage, older construction, condo or manufactured product, or communities where land lease or age restrictions apply. Before you offer, check four things: the HOA or lot-rent obligation, the insurance quote (older roofs drive Florida premiums), whether financing is restricted (some condo buildings and land-lease parks limit loan types), and the property-tax reset — your bill is based on your purchase price, not the seller’s. Our buyer closing costs calculator and property tax calculator turn a list price into the real monthly number.

What it costs to own here

At Duval County’s typical combined millage of 17.86 mills, a purchase at $83,000 (the lowest community median on this list) generates roughly $1,483 a year in property tax before exemptions — about $124 a month. Florida resets the assessed value to roughly your purchase price, so the seller’s current bill is not a preview of yours; a homesteaded owner then gets the $25,000–$50,000 exemption and the 3% Save Our Homes cap going forward. Citizens Property Insurance policies in Duval County average about $1,315 a year ($110 a month) — private-market quotes vary with roof age and wind mitigation, so price coverage before your inspection window closes. All-in, our county model puts the typical monthly cost of ownership in Duval County near $1,795 (principal and interest on the typical home, tax, and insurance).

Run your exact numbers: the property tax after purchase calculator uses Duval County’s verified millage, and the buyer closing costs calculator builds the full cash-to-close.

Demand and supply in Duval County right now

In the most recent IRS migration data (2022-2023), Duval County gained a net 912 people to relocation, with the largest inbound flows from GA, CA, VA. Households moving IN reported average incomes of $67,296 versus $68,273 for those leaving — the income mix of demand, straight from tax filings. Population is up about 9.0% over the recent multi-year window. On the supply side, builders pulled 6,017 residential permits in Duval County in 2025 (3,732 single-family), down 7.4% year over year — against 11,485 at the 2022 peak. Permits are tomorrow’s inventory: a shrinking pipeline supports prices, a swelling one hands buyers leverage. Our valuation model reads the county as undervalued by about 11.6% versus its income-and-rent fundamentals.

The Duval County market, in context

Duval County is Jacksonville — a consolidated city-county of just over a million people that anchors Northeast Florida. It is the value-and-jobs play of the First Coast: home prices sit well below the South Florida and Gulf Coast metros, a deep military, healthcare, logistics, and finance economy keeps demand steady, and 20 miles of Atlantic beaches plus the St. Johns River give it a lifestyle that punches above its price. After three years of rapid appreciation, the market has cooled into the most balanced conditions buyers have seen since 2019.

The economy behind the market: {'drivers': 'military, healthcare, logistics and the port, financial services, and insurance', 'summary': "Duval has one of the most diversified economies in Florida, which is the single biggest reason its housing demand holds up through national cycles. The U.S. Navy is the region's largest single presence through Naval Air Station Jacksonville and Naval Station Mayport, together supporting tens of thousands of active-duty, civilian, and contractor jobs. Healthcare is the civilian anchor, led by Baptist Health, Mayo Clinic's Florida campus, and UF Health Jacksonville. Finance and insurance run deep — Florida Blue (GuideWell), Bank of America, Citi, FIS, and Fidelity all operate major Jacksonville hubs — and CSX is headquartered downtown. The port (JAXPORT) and a cluster of logistics and distribution operations, including a large Amazon footprint, round out a base that spreads risk across sectors that rarely contract at the same time.", 'employers': ['Naval Air Station Jacksonville / Naval Station Mayport (U.S. Navy)', 'Baptist Health', 'Mayo Clinic Florida', 'Duval County Public Schools', 'City of Jacksonville', 'Florida Blue / GuideWell', 'Bank of America', 'UF Health Jacksonville', 'CSX Corporation', 'Citi', 'FIS', 'Amazon', 'JEA', 'Southeastern Grocers'], 'jobNote': 'Metro Jacksonville hosts four Fortune 500 headquarters, including GuideWell (parent of Florida Blue) and CSX.'}

What could change it: Duval's risks are coastal and budgetary rather than catastrophic. Storm surge and riverine flooding are real along the beaches, the Intracoastal, and the St. Johns and its creeks — Hurricanes Matthew (2016) and Irma (2017) both pushed water into low-lying neighborhoods — so flood zone and elevation matter enormously here, and a property's flood-zone status can swing the true cost of ownership by thousands a year. The county sits in a hurricane-exposed state, though it has historically been hit less directly than Southwest and the Panhandle. Property-insurance costs have climbed statewide, even if Duval's averages remain among the more reasonable in Florida. Inland, the main watch-items are overbuilding risk in the fastest-growing Southside corridors and the usual condo-association and special-assessment questions on older coastal buildings.

Near-term outlook: Expect Duval to stay roughly flat-to-slightly-up over the next 12 months. The cooling is demand-driven, not distress-driven: jobs and migration are still positive, but higher mortgage rates and three years of price gains have stretched affordability, so inventory has rebuilt and price cuts have become normal. Most local and national forecasters put Jacksonville-area appreciation in the low single digits for 2026, with more selection for buyers and longer days on market. The wildcards are mortgage rates (a meaningful drop would quickly absorb today's inventory) and the volume of new construction on the Southside, which is keeping a lid on resale pricing in the outer-ring communities.

Run the numbers in Duval County

Looking at the other end of the market? See the luxury communities in Duval County.

Common questions

What is the most affordable community in Duval County, FL?

By MLS median sale price, Residences at City Place currently has the lowest community median we track in Duval County, at about $83,000. Rankings shift as new sales close.

Why are these communities less expensive?

Usually product mix: smaller or older homes, condos, or communities with land-lease or age-restriction structures. The median reflects what sold, not a judgment about the community.

Is the median price the same as what I would pay?

No - it is the midpoint of recent recorded sales. Individual homes sell above and below it, and your total cost also depends on HOA fees, insurance, and the property-tax reset at purchase.

How much is home insurance in Duval County?

Citizens Property Insurance policies in Duval County average about $1,315 a year, per Citizens filings. Private quotes vary widely with roof age, construction and wind mitigation - a wind-mitigation inspection often unlocks meaningful credits.

What are property taxes like in Duval County?

Typical combined millage in Duval County is about 17.86 mills - roughly 1.79% of assessed value a year before exemptions. Florida resets assessed value to about your purchase price when you buy, then homestead exemptions and the 3% Save Our Homes cap apply.

Rankings are objective MLS median-sale-price aggregates as of 2026-06-16, change over time, and are deemed reliable but not guaranteed. They describe home prices only, not any characteristic of residents. Equal Housing Opportunity.