How about the rural areas around Jax? (Jacksonville, Gainesville: real estate, crime rate)

[Tex2Jax]

I am moving from rural Texas to Jacksonville to start a new job. I have two kids (ages 12 & 8) that have only lived in small rural areas. We are quite comfortable with this and even prefer it.
I saw a place called Baldwin and possibly McCamey. What can anyone tell me about these areas? Do you recommend anywhere else?
We would like a place with less than 3000 people, but within 30 miles of Jacksonville. Any ideas?

[wacahootaman]

Baldwin and Maclenny are two small towns west of Jax in the pine woods. Both are starting to grow pretty fast. Land around Baldwin will be a good investment, especially once the old Cecil Field nearby becomes the predicted mega project.

There is talk that an auto production plant may be built on the part of Cecil Field that fronts Interstate 10 near Baldwin. If that jells then Baldwin will become a boom town.

Maclenny is further west and is the county seat of Baker County but I think they are getting a spill over from Jax and starting to grow as they are located on the interstate.

The ambience of both towns is deep south piney woods with conservative values. Not sure about the schools or crime, but you can find out that on the net.

If your job is on Jaxs west side an I-10 commute wont be that bad.

Middleburg, SW of Jax is not as rural as these two but there are lots of doublewides and houses in the woods around the area. The commute to Jax down Blanding Blvd is bad though. Nassau County to the North has some rural areas but the commute is not that great unless it is close to I-95

[Erin1264]

To the North: Nassau County (Yulee and Fernandina Beach) or St. Mary's, GA. It's a cute little town, but full of military families.

I'd say staying in FL would be a better real estate investment.

[cindyj]

You might want to check out Callahan or Yulee. It is getting really hard to find anything rural around Jax as it is so crowded now.
Good luck.

[My SW Florida Lifestyle]

Hey, if you are interested in moving to SW Florida, take a look at my website. It has some great local info for the SW Florida area. If you need any help just hit the 'contact me' button and let me know what I can do for you. This is an amazing place to be! Best of luck!

[FSUMOM]

We have lived in Glen St. Mary which is just two miles west of McClenny (still in Baker County) since 1988. It is a great area to raise your kids and the schools are great. They love sports, politics and it is a friendly area. It is a growing area and just got the Walmart Super Center. Land and home prices are still affordable for now. We can get to West Jacksonville in 28 minutes. We really like the Glenwood and the Nursery Plantation areas of Baker County. Anyway Good Luck.

[miper70]

I have lived in Baldwin my whole life. Everything wacahootaman said is true. It's nice out here if you like the country. The schools are wonderful. My kids go to the high school which is said to be the best "free, private" school around. Although it's getting worse, the classrooms are not overcrowded yet so there is alot of one on one teaching. I want to move up into the mountains somewhere, but my daughter will not leave Baldwin....she loves it.

[Fleeing Florida]

Today, February 11, 2006, the Headline of the Florida Times Union was:
(maybe you should read it for yourself) WWW dot COJ dot com.....

and please check the crime rate via the zip code of the area you are choosing to live in and also you might want to visit the sexual predator site as well.

[daedalo]

White Springs on the Suwanee River is a gorgeous little place. Worthington Springs headed toward Gainesville is a sweet little town. Downtown Fernandina Beach is the best small town, totally perserved, in Florida, bar none. South of Gainesville, Micanopy and Mackintosh are museum quality little towns with drop-dead gorgeous victorian houses. These are a few of the places in North Central and NE Florida that are small, mostly rural (exc. F.B.) and beautiful. Much of NE Florida is just scrub oaks, black jack oaks, planted pines etc. You have to find the liveoaks in NE Florida. The liveoaks that grew originally in the middle of cleared pastures became monarchs. Look for those and you will find a very pretty, liveable, rural place.