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Hey all, my family are considering a move to Jax or the surrounding area some time in the next 6-12 months. I lived down in WPB/Jupiter area for a short stint in the early 2000s. I am just wanting to know some basics like COL, job market, daily living. Lots of transients or more localized? Is it a fortune to register a vehicle? Firearm ownership? Beach life? Ya know, those sorts of things. We are wanting to get back close to the water and enjoy some semblance of coastal living. My home state is never returning to its former glory and is no longer a possibility for us, but Texas, where we currently reside, is just too landlocked. Great people and lots to do, but not much else and the coast is pretty yuck for the most part.
Any input, positive or negative, would be greatly appreciated.
I can give you some comparison between Jax and Texas since I have lived in both and currently reside in Fernandina Beach here. If you compare to the Houston market, like where I lived, Jax is much more affordable. Housing is cheaper and Home Insurance is cheaper because houses are actually designed for hurricanes. Property tax is MUCH, MUCH cheaper here(I paid 3.33% of my house value in TX compared to around 1.4% here which is more like 1.1 or 1.2% with how they calculate it). My water bill is a lot higher than it was in Texas, but electricity is less. Car insurance is more, but not ridiculously so. First time registration is expensive, plan on around $400 per car, but after that its almost nothing per year. No inspections either.
We found Texas to be more family focused for sure and miss that part of it a lot. Its not that bad in Jax if you pick the right area, but the whole state is more focused on tourists and older adults.
Traffic is MUCH better here than in any of the major cities in Texas. You will use your car a lot though, as the setup of the city is very much like a car focused city in Texas.
The job market is decent. On average the big cities in Texas pay more, but not always. I think it really depends on the industry. I work remote for a company in New England, so I do not have a lot of experience searching down here. I do get feelers from a lot of the tech companies from time to time down here and the pay they have offered isn't too far off from what I make(but I may be underpaid since I have been with the same company for a long time now).
You will find a lot of people from other places here, and there is a strong military presence as well in parts, again leading to a lot of people from other areas.
Living near the beach is expensive, but if you are willing to drive 15-30 minutes, you can find a lot of affordable properties. I live right next to the intercoastal where I am and the going rate on homes is reasonable, but if I went over that bridge would go up $100k or more almost instantly. We are a 10 minute drive from the beach which my family is fine with. Parking by the beach can be a challenge depending on where you live. Nassau county probably is the easiest in my experience, although some of the St Johns county ones you can normally find parking at also.
In general you will find a lot the same between Texas and Florida, just not on as grand a scale as Texas(Everything is bigger in Texas) and nothing like the Texan pride here.
I can give you some comparison between Jax and Texas since I have lived in both and currently reside in Fernandina Beach here. If you compare to the Houston market, like where I lived, Jax is much more affordable. Housing is cheaper and Home Insurance is cheaper because houses are actually designed for hurricanes. Property tax is MUCH, MUCH cheaper here(I paid 3.33% of my house value in TX compared to around 1.4% here which is more like 1.1 or 1.2% with how they calculate it). My water bill is a lot higher than it was in Texas, but electricity is less. Car insurance is more, but not ridiculously so. First time registration is expensive, plan on around $400 per car, but after that its almost nothing per year. No inspections either.
We found Texas to be more family focused for sure and miss that part of it a lot. Its not that bad in Jax if you pick the right area, but the whole state is more focused on tourists and older adults.
Traffic is MUCH better here than in any of the major cities in Texas. You will use your car a lot though, as the setup of the city is very much like a car focused city in Texas.
The job market is decent. On average the big cities in Texas pay more, but not always. I think it really depends on the industry. I work remote for a company in New England, so I do not have a lot of experience searching down here. I do get feelers from a lot of the tech companies from time to time down here and the pay they have offered isn't too far off from what I make(but I may be underpaid since I have been with the same company for a long time now).
You will find a lot of people from other places here, and there is a strong military presence as well in parts, again leading to a lot of people from other areas.
Living near the beach is expensive, but if you are willing to drive 15-30 minutes, you can find a lot of affordable properties. I live right next to the intercoastal where I am and the going rate on homes is reasonable, but if I went over that bridge would go up $100k or more almost instantly. We are a 10 minute drive from the beach which my family is fine with. Parking by the beach can be a challenge depending on where you live. Nassau county probably is the easiest in my experience, although some of the St Johns county ones you can normally find parking at also.
In general you will find a lot the same between Texas and Florida, just not on as grand a scale as Texas(Everything is bigger in Texas) and nothing like the Texan pride here.
Thank you for the input. that is sort of what I expected regarding most of what you said. I did read on the DMV website that if there is record of having had a registered vehicle in the state previously, the initial fee is waived. I am not sure how that would happen, but I'll find out.
It seems like weather would be more seasonal than SoFlo as well. I am a waterman and surfer at heart, so I keep an eye on it all the time. And yes, the big attraction for me was how the governor has responded to the "pandemic" as well as the gun laws. That tells me a lot about the state and the political/social atmosphere (not to get that discussion going). I know people are diverse everywhere. I just want to make sure it's not like my home state wherein I would be a felon the minute I crossed state lines just based on my ownership, and very legal ownership. That being said,I liek th storng military presence. tha twoudl be a lot like my home (Oceanside, CA).
We are planning on a vacay/visit in February after things calm down just to get a feel for it. Thanks again!
Thank you for the input. that is sort of what I expected regarding most of what you said. I did read on the DMV website that if there is record of having had a registered vehicle in the state previously, the initial fee is waived. I am not sure how that would happen, but I'll find out.
It seems like weather would be more seasonal than SoFlo as well. I am a waterman and surfer at heart, so I keep an eye on it all the time. And yes, the big attraction for me was how the governor has responded to the "pandemic" as well as the gun laws. That tells me a lot about the state and the political/social atmosphere (not to get that discussion going). I know people are diverse everywhere. I just want to make sure it's not like my home state wherein I would be a felon the minute I crossed state lines just based on my ownership, and very legal ownership. That being said,I liek th storng military presence. tha twoudl be a lot like my home (Oceanside, CA).
We are planning on a vacay/visit in February after things calm down just to get a feel for it. Thanks again!
The traditional surfing spot is Cocoa Beach/Melbourne area on the East Coast. Its a pretty nice area too with all the aerospace industry there and still being within an hour of Orlando for bigger city stuff. I would check that out when you visit as well.
You definitely get a taste of fall in Jax, a huge plus for my family. Its nice to have a chilly evening where we can enjoy the fire pit in the back yard.
There are some good surfing spots in Jax with easy access. Jax has a bigger swell window than WPB/SoFLO, with it not being blocked by the Bahamas so there's potential to be able to surf year round. The catch is that the water gets cold in Jax from January to March, but should not be a big deal for anyone who is used to California-Pacific chilly water. As for the conditions, you have to be on it, and become familiar with how wind and tide affects certain spots, there are about 2-3 buoys that you can monitor for live data. Not complicated, but will take some time before it comes to you. PM me if you want more information on that.
Like Scott said, you can live west of the Intercoastal, you'll have more choices of homes that are affordable, and be at the beach in less than 15 minutes.
Thank you for the input. that is sort of what I expected regarding most of what you said. I did read on the DMV website that if there is record of having had a registered vehicle in the state previously, the initial fee is waived. I am not sure how that would happen, but I'll find out.
I've done this before. They can pull those records up when you are at the DMV. They'll just use that old FL plate's registration and waive the initial fee.
To renew the registration on our SUV is about $60 each year.
The traditional surfing spot is Cocoa Beach/Melbourne area on the East Coast. Its a pretty nice area too with all the aerospace industry there and still being within an hour of Orlando for bigger city stuff. I would check that out when you visit as well.
You definitely get a taste of fall in Jax, a huge plus for my family. Its nice to have a chilly evening where we can enjoy the fire pit in the back yard.
I agree. Cocoa and the Satellite Beach areas are more my speed....more like home. They are a consideration for sure. A lot of it is going to depend on employment and what I can obtain. In these times right now, as much as I want to leave tomorrow, we are staying put until Spring. Fire pits after surf sessions are the best. Cold beer,fire, and warming up before supper. There is really nothign better in my own book.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gatorlyn
There are some good surfing spots in Jax with easy access. Jax has a bigger swell window than WPB/SoFLO, with it not being blocked by the Bahamas so there's potential to be able to surf year round. The catch is that the water gets cold in Jax from January to March, but should not be a big deal for anyone who is used to California-Pacific chilly water. As for the conditions, you have to be on it, and become familiar with how wind and tide affects certain spots, there are about 2-3 buoys that you can monitor for live data. Not complicated, but will take some time before it comes to you. PM me if you want more information on that.
Like Scott said, you can live west of the Intercoastal, you'll have more choices of homes that are affordable, and be at the beach in less than 15 minutes.
Thanks man. It is much appreciated. Yeah, the chilly water is actually welcome for me. I like warm water, but there is something about the colder water and winter surfing that I love more than anything. I am also good in the wetsuit area being from California LOL...They are all in storage right now, safe and tucked away for future use. The only bummer, and I will get over it, is the wind thing. Hopefully, there will be enough days during a month that getting in the water will alleviate any disappointment in surf conditions. When I lived in Jupiter, I would pull my hair out because I would get a call that surf was good, run down to the beach, and literally in 15 minutes it would be blown out. There was no real consistency that you could follow, and getting there before it went to crap was anxiety driven LOL. So yes, you are definitely correct. You gotta be on it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gatorlyn
I've done this before. They can pull those records up when you are at the DMV. They'll just use that old FL plate's registration and waive the initial fee.
To renew the registration on our SUV is about $60 each year.
This is good to know. Thanks again!
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