Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to Jacksonville

You think about moving to Jacksonville but want to get additional information about the city to avoid common mistakes in this regard?

Stick with me since I will show you all the pros and cons of living in Jacksonville in the following chapters!

Living in Jacksonville – Overview

Advantages of Living in Jacksonville

1. Low property prices make Jacksonville interesting
2. Rents are pretty low as well
3. Housing shortage is not a big problem in Jacksonville yet
4. You don’t have to search for a long time until you find a good place to live
5. Competition in the housing market of Jacksonville is rather limited
6. Pretty low unemployment rate in Jacksonville
7. People in Jacksonville can make decent money
8. Average person can still afford a decent lifestyle
9. Living costs in Jacksonville are lower compared to other major cities
10. Many leisure activities to choose from in Jacksonville
11. Jacksonville is directly located at the coast
12. You can go surfing or swimming during lunch break
13. Good weather in Jacksonville
14. Mild winters are attractive to many people
15. You can spend lots of time outdoors
16. People in Jacksonville often live a pretty healthy lifestyle
17. Jacksonville is not as crowded as other major cities yet
18. You will have enough space for yourself
19. Enough recreational spaces to relax
20. Traffic jams are not a big problem
21. Relatively easy to find a parking lot in Jacksonville
22. Decent air quality in Jacksonville
23. Jacksonville is a culturally diverse place
24. You can try many different foods
25. You can hang out in many interesting bars in Jacksonville
26. Jacksonville is still a secret spot to move to
27. Population in Jacksonville is growing
28. Decent future outlook for Jacksonville
29. Jacksonville is an important economic region
30. Jacksonville is known all over the US
31. You can enjoy the comfort of a big city
32. You will find most things for daily life within walking distance
33. Jacksonville is a decent place to live for every age group
34. It is relatively easy to get from one end of Jacksonville to the other
35. Jacksonville has an international airport
36. Many different neighborhoods to choose from in Jacksonville

Low property prices make Jacksonville interesting

One advantage of moving to Jacksonville is that property prices are pretty low compared to other major cities in the US.

In turn, you don’t have to spend that much money on your home and will not have to pay huge mortgage rates which enables you to spend more money on other nice things.

Rents are pretty low as well

Not only property prices are pretty low, but also rents are still affordable in Jacksonville and if you don’t want to buy a home, it can still make sense to move to Jacksonville since you will be able to save and invest a high fraction of your disposable income since you don’t have to spend as much on housing as people living in San Francisco or other expensive places often have to do.

Housing shortage is not a big problem in Jacksonville yet

Another reason to move to Jacksonville is that housing shortage is not a big problem yet and you will therefore find many decent housing options for affordable prices and don’t have to worry in this regard as you would have to when moving to a more popular city.

You don’t have to search for a long time until you find a good place to live

Since the Jacksonville property market is rather relaxed, you also don’t have to search for a long time until you find a suitable place to stay.

Thus, while people moving to San José or other major cities often have to search for many months until they find a nice and affordable home, you will not run into the same issues by moving to Jacksonville.

Competition in the housing market of Jacksonville is rather limited

In general, competition for housing is pretty low in Jacksonville and this means that you will have more than enough housing options and don’t have to spend lots of time and money searching for a suitable place to live.

Pretty low unemployment rate in Jacksonville

Another upside to moving to Jacksonville is that unemployment rate is pretty low and there are many good jobs to choose from.

Also many big companies are located in Jacksonville and if you hold a fancy degree and also provide enough value to the corporate world, chances are that you will not have to worry about getting laid-off that much.

People in Jacksonville can make decent money

Not only are unemployment rates pretty low in Jacksonville, but you can also make pretty good money in this region as long as you provide enough value and are also willing to work hard to climb the corporate ladder.

Average person can still afford a decent lifestyle

Thanks to relatively low property prices and rents, the average person can still make a decent living in Jacksonville and doesn’t have to spend a high fraction of his or her disposable income on housing.

In turn, you may be able to afford many nice things in Jacksonville, especially if you have a decent degree and work in a leading position.

Living costs in Jacksonville are lower compared to other major cities

You should also know that living costs in Jacksonville are far lower compared to other major cities in the US.

For instance, if you go out for a drink, you will pay far less in Jacksonville compared to people living in New York City on average and this is not only true for drinks but also for many other things of daily life.

Many leisure activities to choose from in Jacksonville

Another benefit of moving to Jacksonville is that you will have many leisure activities to choose from.

Not only can you go fishing, swimming or surfing, but you can also do many things other big cities have to offer and chances are that you will find enough things to do in your leisure.

Jacksonville is directly located at the coast

Living in Jacksonville can also be great since the city is directly located at the coast.

This will give you a pretty special feeling and you can also hang out at the beach quite often and many of your friends who live in other cities that are not close to the beach will often envy you in this regard.

You can go surfing or swimming during lunch break

Since Jacksonville is located at the coast, you can get to the beach within a few minutes from your home and this gives you the opportunity to go surfing or swimming even during lunch break.

This can be great since you can relax from your stressful workday, reload your batteries and will often feel like a completely different person and full of energy when you get back to work.

Good weather in Jacksonville

Another advantage of living in Jacksonville is that you can enjoy plenty of sun and the weather is pretty good in general. In turn, Jacksonville can be a great place for sun lovers and other people who want to avoid cold weather at all costs.

Mild winters are attractive to many people

Not only summers are great in Jacksonville, but also warm winters are pretty attractive to many people.

Thus, you also don’t have to wear a heavy jacket but can rather go for a walk with just a thin shirt and this gives you a feeling of summer all year long.

You can spend lots of time outdoors

Thanks to the good weather, you can also spend lots of time outdoors.

Not only will this increase the chances of staying fit, but you will most likely also be in a better mood compared to people who just sit at home all day long and get depressed sooner or later.

People in Jacksonville often live a pretty healthy lifestyle

People in Jacksonville often also live a pretty healthy lifestyle and if you move to this place and surround yourself with these people, chances are that you will live a pretty healthy life yourself and this may translate into higher life expectancy and higher overall quality of life in general in the long run.

Jacksonville is not as crowded as other major cities yet

Another upside to living in Jacksonville is that the city is not as crowded as other major cities in the US and this means that you will run into people less frequently and will also find quiet spaces where you can relax and focus on yourself without being distracted by others on a regular basis.

You will have enough space for yourself

Since Jacksonville is not the most crowded city, you will find many spots where you can enjoy your time on your own in case you have to think about topics that require your full attention and you just need some time for yourself.

Enough recreational spaces to relax

Jacksonville also offers many parks and other recreational spaces where you can relax and enjoy your leisure to reload your batteries and to unplug from your stressful daily life for a while.

Traffic jams are not a big problem

Since Jacksonville is not as crowded as other big cities, traffic is still not a big problem yet and traffic jams are rather rare.

Hence, while many people living in Los Angeles often get stuck in traffic jams, you will not have to worry about this issue that much if you decide on moving to Jacksonville.

Relatively easy to find a parking lot in Jacksonville

Since traffic is not a big problem yet, it is also relatively easy to find a parking lot in Jacksonville and you don’t have to spend lots of time and money in this regard as would be the case in many other big cities.

Decent air quality in Jacksonville

Another benefit of living in Jacksonville is that air quality is pretty good compared to other major cities in the US.

In turn, you can really enjoy your time outdoors and will also be less likely to suffer from serious health problems in the long run.

Jacksonville is a culturally diverse place

Jacksonville is also a place where you can meet people with many different cultural backgrounds.

This means that you can have many interesting conversations and can also learn a lot about the world in general since you can see things from a different perspective and can really grow in character in the long run.

You can try many different foods

Since Jacksonville is a culturally diverse place, you can also try many different foods from various parts of the world and this can not only greatly increase your overall quality of life, but it also gives you the opportunity to learn a lot and to get additional ideas regarding what you want to cook at home.

You can hang out in many interesting bars in Jacksonville

While Jacksonville doesn’t have the same great nightlife as other big cities, it has still some interesting bars and clubs to hang out and you can therefore really enjoy your time after work and can even party until the early morning if you want to.

Jacksonville is still a secret spot to move to

While Jacksonville has a lot to offer, it is still a relatively secret spot and many people in the US and also all over the world don’t realize that you can enjoy decent quality of life while you still don’t have to spend lots of money on housing yet.

In turn, you may be able to make a real bargain on the Jacksonville property market right now until the region becomes more popular and property prices may increase significantly.

Population in Jacksonville is growing

You should also note that population in Jacksonville is growing and with growing population, chances are that the city will become increasingly interesting since more and more people with various backgrounds will populate this region sooner or later and you can therefore have many interesting conversations.

Decent future outlook for Jacksonville

Due to population growth and since Jacksonville is a pretty big and important city, Jacksonville will stay an important region for many decades to come and has a decent overall future outlook.

Jacksonville is an important economic region

Since Jacksonville is by far the biggest city in Florida, it is also an important economic region and the state will therefore invest lots of money to make Jacksonville an attractive place to live and work for many years to come.

Jacksonville is known all over the US

Since Jacksonville is the biggest city in Florida, it is also well-known by many people in the US and if someone asks you where you come from, you can just tell him or her that you are from Jacksonville (FL) and you don’t have to explain even further since people will know what city you mean.

You can enjoy the comfort of a big city

Jacksonville also offers most amenities you are used to from other big cities while living and housing costs are still far lower compared to NYC or other major metropolitan regions.

You will find most things for daily life within walking distance

Since Jacksonville provides decent public infrastructure, you will also find most things for daily life at every corner and you just have to walk down the streets for a few minutes and will find what you are looking for.

Jacksonville is a decent place to live for every age group

Jacksonville has a lot to offer and is therefore popular by every age group.

Hence, if you move to Jacksonville at a rather young age, you may stay in this region for many years or even until the end of your life since your incentive of moving to a different city will be rather low.

It is relatively easy to get from one end of Jacksonville to the other

Since Jacksonville is much smaller compared to NYC or other major regions, it is also relatively easy to get from one end of Jacksonville to the other and you will also be able to do so rather quickly since you will not get stuck in traffic jams as much as in other cities.

Jacksonville has an international airport

Moving to Jacksonville can also make sense if you want to live in a big city where you have access to an international airport.

This can be great if you are a globetrotter who wants to travel the world on a regular basis and wants to get from A to B without having to accept complicated and exhausting layovers.

Many different neighborhoods to choose from in Jacksonville

Since Jacksonville is a big city, you will also have many different neighborhoods to choose from and you can just choose a neighborhood where you find the most like-minded people so that you can have a great time in the long run.

As you can see, there are many reasons to move to Jacksonville.

However, it is still not all upside and we also have to talk about the problems that come along with living in Jacksonville so that you get a more realistic picture of reality and can better decide whether you still want to move to Jacksonville or rather want to live in a different city instead.

Disadvantages of Living in Jacksonville

1. People in Jacksonville are not as tolerant as in other big cities
2. Jacksonville is still a pretty conservative place
3. People in Jacksonville are not that outgoing
4. Harder to socialize in Jacksonville
5. You may become socially isolated
6. People may not be willing to help you out
7. Jacksonville is a hot and humid place
8. Lack of real seasons may become annoying
9. Jacksonville doesn’t provide the charm of other big cities
10. Not that many entertainment options in Jacksonville
11. You may get bored living in Jacksonville sooner or later
12. Landscape around Jacksonville is not that exciting
13. Low-qualified people often have a hard time finding a good job
14. Jacksonville is not the most popular city
15. You will miss the glamor of other big cities
16. Significant number of people live below the poverty line in Jacksonville
17. Increasing level of inequality in Jacksonville
18. Social tensions may increase
19. Housing shortage may become a serious problem in the future
20. People may have to leave the region if property prices and rents increase further
21. Homelessness may become a serious problem in Jacksonville
22. Public transport in Jacksonville is rather poor
23. Many schools offer pretty poor education quality
24. Not as many good colleges in Jacksonville as in other major cities
25. Jacksonville may suffer from climate change
26. Natural disasters may destroy your home
27. Your friends may not understand your decision of moving to Jacksonville
28. Jacksonville doesn’t have exciting architecture
29. You may miss a decent art scene
30. Number of museums is rather limited
31. Not that many great sports events to watch in Jacksonville
32. Lack of tourists may prevent you from making friends with people from other countries
33. Not that many great shopping opportunities in Jacksonville
34. Jacksonville is not a bike-friendly city
35. You may need a car to get around
36. Hard to build a strong business network in Jacksonville

People in Jacksonville are not as tolerant as in other big cities

One downside to living in Jacksonville is that it is not the most tolerant city.

While many people are friendly and open to new cultures, others are just quite traditional and don’t want to get in touch with strangers and you may just not feel welcome from time to time if you are new in this region.

Jacksonville is still a pretty conservative place

You should also know that Jacksonville is a pretty conservative place compared to other major cities and you may therefore have to comply with certain rules you may not understand or may also not be used to from your former life.

People in Jacksonville are not that outgoing

Due to their conservative nature and their traditional values, many people in Jacksonville are also not that outgoing and you may have a hard time starting conversations with strangers and may also feel lost from time to time in this regard.

Harder to socialize in Jacksonville

Since people in Jacksonville are not as outgoing and open as in other places, you may also have a harder time socializing compared to moving to Oakland or other cities where you would not experience any problems in this regard.

You may become socially isolated

Another reason not to move to Jacksonville is that you may become socially isolated, especially if you don’t have the same values as locals and may therefore have a hard time connecting to other people and making really good friends in the long run.

People may not be willing to help you out

Since people in Jacksonville are not as friendly and outgoing as in other places in the US, they may also not be willing or may just not take the time to help you out in case you lose direction or get into some other minor trouble and you may just be on your own in this regard.

Jacksonville is a hot and humid place

Another problem with living in Jacksonville is that it is a pretty hot and humid place and if you don’t like the heat and rather want to live in cooler regions, you may be better off living in Chicago or other cooler regions.

Lack of real seasons may become annoying

Since you will be able to experience warm weather all year long, you may also miss real seasons in Jacksonville and this may become really annoying and boring in the long run.

Jacksonville doesn’t provide the charm of other big cities

While other big cities like NYC or L.A. have a certain unique charm, you will often miss this kind of feeling in Jacksonville since it is just not the most interesting city and you may therefore want to move to a different city sooner or later.

Not that many entertainment options in Jacksonville

Another disadvantage of living in Jacksonville is that you will also not have that many entertainment options since not many fancy events are taking place in this city.

You may get bored living in Jacksonville sooner or later

Since Jacksonville is just not the most exciting city and you will not be able to participate in many interesting events, you may also get bored with your life in Jacksonville sooner or later and may wish to live in a different and more exciting region instead.

Landscape around Jacksonville is not that exciting

While people living in San Diego enjoy beautiful landscape, you will not have the same panorama and the same opportunities in Jacksonville and if you love nature, you may be better off moving to other regions instead.

Low-qualified people often have a hard time finding a good job

While highly-qualified people often make a decent living in Jacksonville, low-qualified people often have a hard time finding and keeping a decent job and many of them also get laid off sooner or later or may have to work a second job to pay their bills.

Jacksonville is not the most popular city

You should also know that Jacksonville is not the most popular city and there will just not be as much to do as in many other bigger cities.

Moreover, Jacksonville also has pretty poor reputation compared to other big metropolitan areas in the US.

You will miss the glamor of other big cities

Jacksonville is also not a great place to move to for you if you want to live in a city with a lot of glamor and also want to meet many celebrities.

In such a case, you should rather consider moving to NYC instead or other more popular places instead of Jacksonville instead.

Significant number of people live below the poverty line in Jacksonville

Another downside to moving to Jacksonville is that many people in this region live below the poverty line and this is not only a pretty sad picture but may also lead to increasing crime rates in the long run.

Increasing level of inequality in Jacksonville

Since many people in Jacksonville live below the poverty line, the city also experiences an increasing level of inequality and this may lower social cohesions and may also hurt overall quality of life in the long run.

Social tensions may increase

Due to the increasing gap between the rich and the poor, also social tensions may increase in the long run and with increasing social tensions, people will be less friendly and more self-centered than they are already.

Housing shortage may become a serious problem in the future

Another problem with moving to Jacksonville is that even though housing shortage is not a big problem right now, it may become a serious issue just a few years from now since population in Jacksonville is growing and this also leads to growing demand for properties.

People may have to leave the region if property prices and rents increase further

With growing demand for housing, also rents and property prices may increase significantly in the long run and many people in Jacksonville may no longer be able to afford to live in this region.

Homelessness may become a serious problem in Jacksonville

Due to increasing property prices and rents, many people may get evicted from their homes in the future and homelessness may become a serious problem just a few years from now.

Public transport in Jacksonville is rather poor

You should also not expect great public transport when you move to Jacksonville.

Instead, public transport is pretty poor, especially outside of the city center and you may therefore have a hard time getting around by bus or train in an efficient manner.

Many schools offer pretty poor education quality

While some schools are decent, many schools in Jacksonville provide pretty poor education compared to other major cities and your kids may therefore not get the best education possible and may struggle later on in their lives.

Not as many good colleges in Jacksonville as in other major cities

You may not only miss great schools, but you will also not find as many reputable colleges in Jacksonville as in many other big cities and your kids may therefore have to leave the region once they turn into grownups to find a better place to study.

Jacksonville may suffer from climate change

Jacksonville may also be vulnerable to climate change and the unpleasant things that come along with it.

For instance, since the region is pretty hot, Jacksonville may run out of drinking water sooner or later and this would greatly adversely affect overall quality of life.

Natural disasters may destroy your home

Hurricanes and other natural disasters are also quite common in Florida and in the Jacksonville region and in case you are unlucky, you may not only lose your home but even your life to those natural disasters.

Your friends may not understand your decision of moving to Jacksonville

Since Jacksonville is not the most popular city, your friends may also not understand why you want to move to this place and you may have many annoying and exhausting discussions in this regard.

Jacksonville doesn’t have exciting architecture

While many other cities have pretty exciting architecture, you may be disappointed in this regard when you move to Jacksonville since you will just not find that many interesting buildings or ancient history.

You may miss a decent art scene

Another disadvantage of moving to Jacksonville is that it is also not famous for its art scene and if you want to meet many artists from all over the world, there would be many other better places and you may rather want to move to Sacramento instead of Jacksonville.

Number of museums is rather limited

You should also not expect to find many nice museums in Jacksonville and if you want to go to interesting exhibitions on a regular basis, you may be better off moving to other bigger cities instead.

Not that many great sports events to watch in Jacksonville

Another problem with living in Jacksonville is that you can also not watch many famous sports teams.

Instead, you will often have to watch minor teams and don’t get the same level of entertainment as in other big cities.

Lack of tourists may prevent you from making friends with people from other countries

Since Jacksonville is not the most popular city, you will also not meet many tourists and may therefore not be able to make friends with people from all over the world.

Not that many great shopping opportunities in Jacksonville

Compared to NYC or other major cities, Jacksonville also doesn’t provide as many shopping opportunities or fancy boutiques and if you are a fashion victim, Jacksonville may just not be a great place to live for you.

Jacksonville is not a bike-friendly city

Jacksonville is also not a great place to live for you if you want to get around by bike on a regular basis since biking infrastructure is pretty limited and there are not enough bike lanes to get from A to B by bike in a safe manner.

You may need a car to get around

Since bicycling is not a great option and public transport is rather poor as well, you may need a car to get around in Jacksonville in an efficient manner and this may hurt our environment and speed up global warming in the long run.

Hard to build a strong business network in Jacksonville

Since Jacksonville is not the most popular city and many skilled people move to different cities, you may also have a hard time building a strong business network in Jacksonville and if your career is really important to you, you may be better off living in a bigger and more popular city instead.

Top 10 Moving To Jacksonville Pros & Cons – Summary List

Should You Move To Jacksonville?

As you can see, there are many reasons for moving to Jacksonville.

Not only are property prices in Jacksonville reasonably low, but you can also enjoy the comfort of a big city and will have many amenities at the same time.

However, you should also know that crime rates in Jacksonville are relatively high and Jacksonville is also not the most exciting city.

In the end, you have to evaluate all the advantages and disadvantages of moving to Jacksonville yourself so that you can make the best possible decision in this regard.

Alternative Cities To Live In

If you don’t want to move to Jacksonville anymore, you should also have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Austin

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Houston

Advantages and disadvantages of living in San Antonio

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacksonville,_Florida

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/jacksonvillecityflorida

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.