Living in Jacksonville, FL

As the seat of Duval County, Jacksonville is Florida’s most populous city with more than 949,600 residents. In fact, this makes it the 12th most populous city nationwide.

If you are planning a move to Jacksonville, FL, you probably are trying to visualize what it is like to live in “the River City.”

In this post, we will discuss the cost of living in Jacksonville, employment opportunities, education and more.



Cost of Living in Jacksonville

What is the Cost of Living in Jacksonville?

Sperling’s Best Places offers cost of living data comparing Jacksonville to the rest of Florida and the US.

The site uses a scale where the US average cost of living is 100. Values above 100 on the scale represent higher than average costs of living, while values below 100 on the scale represent lower than average costs of living.

On that scale, the state of Florida has a slightly higher than average cost of living with a rating of 102.8 overall. But Jacksonville has a lower than average cost of living with an overall rating of 93.5.

In fact, the costs for healthcare, groceries and housing are all below average for this city. Most of the savings are in fact for housing.

Housing Cost in Jacksonville

What is the Cost of Housing in Jacksonville?

On the scale above, where 100 represents the US average cost of housing, the cost of housing in Jacksonville only receives a rating of 78. That means that it costs significantly less to buy a home here than it does on average across the country.

We can also compare the median home costs directly. For the US on average, a home costs $291,700. In Florida, the median home cost rises statewide on average to $294,900. In Jacksonville, the median home cost is only $231,800.

This affordability is one of the reasons Jacksonville has become such a popular place to live.

Employment Opportunities in Jacksonville

Employment Opportunities in Jacksonville

Another draw to Jacksonville is employment. In fact, Jacksonville has grown up around its booming economy, helped along by its location where the St. Johns River connects with the Atlantic Ocean.

Imports and exports are a big part of Jacksonville’s industrial landscape; there is a lot of automotive distribution done out of this city.

Other major industries in Jacksonville include dairy, financial services, consumer goods, biomedical technology, manufacturing, tourism, information services, and insurance.

Major companies operating in Jacksonville include Fidelity National Financial, Fidelity National Information Services, CSX Corporation, Southeastern Grocers, Swisher International Group, Firehouse Subs, Florida Blue, and others.

According to the US Census Bureau, the median household income from 2016 through 2020 was $55,531.

Education in Jacksonville

Jacksonville Education

Most children in Jacksonville attend Duval County Public Schools. In total, there are hundreds of public and private schools in the city.

Newsweek magazine has recognized several of the city’s high schools as some of the best in the country: Stanton College Preparatory School, Darnell-Cookman School of the Medical Arts and Paxon School for Advanced Studies.

What about options for postsecondary education? Some colleges located in Jacksonville include the University of North Florida, Edward Waters College, Florida State College, Jacksonville University, Jones College, Trinity Baptist College and Florida Coastal School of Law.

So, there are a lot of great options for every stage of education. This makes Jacksonville a fantastic location for bringing up children or for going back to school yourself.

Getting Around in Jacksonville

Getting Around Jacksonville

You can get around Jacksonville by automobile. In some cases, you might also be able to make use of the Jacksonville Skyway, which features two lines and eight stops. There is also the JTAFLA bus system.

Sperling’s reports that 80.3% of the population drive their own cars to work, while 9.6% carpool, 4.5% work from home, and 2% use mass transportation.

The average time to commute one-way in Jacksonville is 24.6 minutes. That is significantly shorter than the US average of 26.4 minutes.

Good Weather in Jacksonville

How is the Weather in Jacksonville?

If you love sunny days, you will delight in the weather in Jacksonville. You can expect around 221 sunny days per year, which is more than the US average of 205 sunny days. There are around 50 inches of annual rain and no snow.

In summer, temperatures rise to as high as 91 degrees Fahrenheit. In winter, they can drop down to around 44 degrees Fahrenheit. So, winters in this part of the world are quite mild.

Sperling’s has a Comfort Index for rating how pleasant a climate is. On that scale, the US average is 7. The rating for Jacksonville is 7.2., which means that this location is nicer than average to live in weather-wise.

And actually, the rating specifically for winter is 8.5, which is quite good. While people elsewhere in the US are shivering, you will be enjoying pleasant coolness.

Leisure and Entertainment in Jacksonville

Leisure and Entertainment in Jacksonville

As one of the major cities of the South, it is hard to run out of things to see and do living in Jacksonville.

Some popular attractions include the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, the Jacksonville Arboretum & Gardens, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, the Southbank Riverwalk, Kingsley Plantation, and Timucuan Ecological and Historical Preserve.

Jacksonville also has many spectacular sandy beaches where you can enjoy the sun and surf.

Sports fans can enjoy following the Jacksonville Jaguars along with a few teams in the minor leagues.

See What Our Clients Are Saying About Us!

Maddy Jonas
Maddy Jonas
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This was my third house purchase, and by far, it was the first time that I felt like a mortgage company was on my side. Being an out of state buyer and doing everything over video, email and phone, we were depending on reliable, honest information. Sean was an indispensable factor, in helping us narrow down our options. We did not know that Michigan’s property tax environment would be one of the key factors in our purchase. With Sean’s advice, we were able to see the clear choice. This type of insight is what every buyer needs. Everyone at Ascend Mortgage (Sean, Maria and Ben) helped make this virtual buying experience a reality. Choose this company if you want genuine service from people who have your back. Thank you Ascend Mortgage!
Nicole Standard
Nicole Standard
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Trevor Cox
Trevor Cox
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If you are looking for a rockstar team to help with your lending needs, then reach to Sean and his team at Ascend Mortgage! Through every step of the process they were always there for us if we had questions and were very knowledgeable about market conditions. Their team was on top of everything in which helped us close fast! I have worked with this team twice in the past 5 years and would recommend anyone to them!
Zachary Wagner
Zachary Wagner
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My wife and I just purchased our first home and worked directly with Sean, Ben, and Maria. We had many questions and each of them on separate occasions reached out quickly and were a major help to us. We highly recommend using Ascend Mortgage as they are very smart and more than capable of going the extra mile for there customers!
Britney Glowe
Britney Glowe
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The team at Ascend Mortgage was so great to work with. They communicated quickly and efficiently, and helped make the entire process smooth and easy to navigate.
Brooke Busse
Brooke Busse
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This company is amazing! They did everything possible to make sure I was in the best position to have an amazing offer on a house. The lender would call the listing agent and send him videos on my behalf. On top of that, they were able to close on my house in 20 days. I would recommend this company to anyone looking to buy a house.
Maya LaFlamme
Maya LaFlamme
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Our realtor recommended Sean at Ascend Mortgage along with a couple of other local lenders. We ultimately chose Sean because the platform and website was extremely user friendly. Honestly, we couldn’t have picked a better lender as first time home buyers. Sean answered all of our questions before we even asked. He is so knowledgeable, warm and treated this process with so much care. At no point did we feel ignorant, abandoned or judged. Even when we had to talk about our finances (my credit score was very, very low) I didn’t feel shame or embarrassment. Sean came up with a plan that helped my credit and put us in a position for a potentially better interest rate in the future. Ben and Maria put in so much administrative work and answered all of our questions quickly and kindly. I loved how easy the portal was to upload our documents and see when they’re been reviewed and accepted. Every step of the way Ben, Maria and Sean kept us in the loop and was clear about the pace in which we should do things without making us feel rushed and stressed. Every step of the way Ben, Maria and Sean kept us in the loop and was clear about the pace in which we should do things without making us feel rushed and stressed. Maria and Ben especially showed up strong during the underwriting process. We had a grant and they were incredible juggling the needs and priorities of our funder and the lender.All in all, this experience was amazing and easeful. I would use Ascend again, again and again.
Sean Chamberlain and his team did a great job assisting us with a home loan! Sean in particular did an excellent job explaining and assisting with every step in the process. We found his use of video messages very helpful.
Denise Roe
Denise Roe
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This is our 7th home purchase and I can say, without a doubt, Ascend mortgage was by far the best mortgage company we have ever worked with. Sean was phenomenal to work with and extremely knowledgeable on financial planning and strategy. Thank you to the Ascend team!
Jeff Roe
Jeff Roe
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Sean and his team did a fantastic job handling our mortgage for our vacation home in Michigan. He was extremely easy to work with and explained everything along the way, making this a very painless process for us. I can't recommend Sean and his team at Ascend Mortgage enough!
Thomas Parkhill
Thomas Parkhill
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I have had the pleasure of working with Ascend Mortgage and Sean Chamberlain previously. This year I had the privilege of working with Sean's assistant, Maria Janiszewska-Chamberlain and Operations Manager, Ben Daiek, who helped me get everything electrically signed, and ready to go to the Transnation Title Company in Clarkston. Ben was extremely helpful and very patient with an old guy who is not very sharp with new technology on my computer and cell phone. Ben also delivered my documents to my residence.I don't know about other mortgage companies, but I would highly recommend Ascend Mortgage LLC with Sean Chamberlain and his team with Maria and Ben for a wonderful experience my wife, Cindi and myself received.Thomas H. Parkhill
We absolutely loved working with the team at Ascend! We wouldn’t have gotten our home in this competitive market without the speed with which they could promise to process our mortgage. They were also incredibly friendly, professional, and easy to work with. We had an amazing experience. 10/10!
Drake Jarmon
Drake Jarmon
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Working with Sean and his team was extremely easy! Very professional and quick to respond. Always available, day or night, to answer any questions that we had. Up to date technology!! Highly recommend for the purchase or refinancing of your home.
Stefan Anderson
Stefan Anderson
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Great experience overall. They took a personal approach to educate us on our home buying journey to ensure we knew what to expect to aid us in our decision process.
Tony Yancey
Tony Yancey
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Wes Evans
Wes Evans
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I met Sean chamberlain and his excellent team during at service call at his office.After talking about the results of his AC diagnosis we began talking about life and finances Sean is very easy to talk too and has great advice for first time and longtime homeowners.When it comes to making financial decisions I HiGHLY recommend Sean and his team at ascend mortgage to anyone looking to refinance there home.Anytime I had a question either him or his team were right there to make sure I had an answer quickly
Ashlynn Graff
Ashlynn Graff
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We have used Sean and his team at Ascend Mortgage for a new purchase and two refinances. I am a former real estate agent and have worked with many different mortgage companies. Ascend Mortgage is by far the best! The rate is always the lowest I can find. They are extremely responsive and transparent. I get weekly updates from them that shows me my current house value and neighborhood trends. They contact me when I can save money on my mortgage and get a better rate without pestering me. They are just all around great people. Thank you Sean, Ben and Maria!
Dan Lupo
Dan Lupo
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I primarily worked with Ben Daiek and Sean Chamberlain at Ascend Mortgage and they made this process quick, easy and understandable. It was painless and way less intimidating than I thought it would be. They got me a great rate and there’s nothing more that I could ask for or that I would change about my experience.
CoMi ProVa
CoMi ProVa
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Ascend mortgage has been amazing, thanks to them we were able to get an amazing rate, the communication was consistent and extremely pleasant and we were able to buy our dream house in a crazy market. Thank you Ascend team, you are awesome!
Greg Tony
Greg Tony
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We had a great experience working with both Sean and Ben! The team is very responsive and they were able to answer all of our questions.
Caitlin Wysocki
Caitlin Wysocki
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Ascend Mortgage made the process of buying my first home so easy! Sean, Maria, and Ben were extremely helpful and I’m so glad we chose their team. Sean sends personalized videos in all his emails which makes it so easy to communicate. They were all very invested in our home-buying process and it truly felt that they cared about us. They were always available any time I had questions and I would recommend them to anyone I know buying a house.
Kelli Joubran
Kelli Joubran
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Sean, Ben, and Maria made the financing process of buying my new home so easy! Their professionalism, knowledge, responsiveness...5 stars! I'd recommend Ascend mortgage without hesitation.
Denise Mckibben
Denise Mckibben
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Sean and his team are fast responding and very professional!! This is the 3rd time we have used Sean Chamberlain. And we will continue to!
Aleaha Begum
Aleaha Begum
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Deciding to work with Ascend Mortgage was the best choice we could have made as a first time home buyer. Right from the start, Sean was fully committed to providing everything we needed to be a well informed client. Sean spent hours meeting with us through Zoom answering all the questions we had. He explained everything in easy to understand terms and was very patient, making sure that we were satisfied with the details of everything involved all along the way. Sean helped guide us in many crucial decisions, laying out the pros and cons of each. Ascend mortgage went above and beyond to get our offer accepted on our home by calling listing agent or sending recorded videos about how strong our loan was and close in record time. Sean and his team went above and beyond in more ways then I have space to write about. We look forward to continuing working with Ascend Mortgage in the future. Thank you Sean, Ben and Maria for your wonderful service. We appreciate you all so much.
Kyle Chavez
Kyle Chavez
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Sean and the team were very responsive throughout the whole house-buying process. They got me a great rate and were able to close on my house extremely quickly. 5/5 would mortgage again.
Jihad Allan
Jihad Allan
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I got to know Sean in 2013 when I purchased my house. After checking with other companies I always went back to Sean knowing he will give me an honest answer. Sean and his team are wonderful people. Excellent customer service. Sean is a friend. I feel very comfortable working with him and his team. I definitely recommend Ascend Mortgage. Check them out and you will be happy.
Sung Ahn
Sung Ahn
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Ascend Mortgage has great people to work with. My experience with them was really good. I was able to close my home on the date I've originally planned.
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Move Into Your Jacksonville Dream Home

Now you know what to expect when you move to Jacksonville. This Florida city boasts a booming economy, beautiful weather, a low cost of living and countless attractions.

Ascend Mortgage can connect you with a suitable home loan quickly and conveniently so you can close on your dream home. We can work with you in Jacksonville or anywhere in the state of Florida. We also help homebuyers and homeowners find affordable rates and flexible loan terms in Michigan. Please give us a call today at (248) 775-1275 to schedule your consultation.