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Jacksonville, St Augustine and Duval County Cost of Living

The cost of living index is based on the composite price of groceries, housing, utilities, transportation, health care, clothing and entertainment.

Cost of living indexes will generally be higher in areas that offer access to beaches, culture, arts and recreation. In addition areas, that offer a wider variety of services such as health and education will run higher due to higher wages, and increased quality of living.

Cost of living indexing explanation
A figure of 100 points is used as an average both for the USA and Florida. For example:
Boise Idaho is ranked at a 99
Boston Mass is rated at 240
San Francisco at 217
Statewide, Florida cities come in from a low of 90 and up.
One way to compare Florida areas to salary requirements
For example-If you were relocating from Portland Oregon (whose rate 1s 94.0) to Orlando, and you currently make $50,000 per year, the formula is as follows
Take the destination index, in this case Orlando-94.0 and divide by Portland’s index-120, then multiply by a salary of $50,000. This will give you a figure of $39,166 which would be required to make in Orlando to have the same quality of life.
See comparable Florida statewide
* Re cost of living–in some areas Real Estate has went up dramatically however costs that factor in such as food, transportation, rents etc have not increased at the same rate-so in some areas, even though housing is expensive, the overall rating may still be low

2007 stats per Sperlings best Places http://www.bestplaces.net/

Boca Raton-154.74
Bradenton-114
Cape Coral-Ft Myers-108.0
Ft Lauderdale-132.0
Fort Walton-Destin-120
Jacksonville metro-94.0
Big Pine Key fl-132.46
Key Largo-146.0
Key West-168.0
Marathon fl-162.06
Miami metro-138.0
Melbourne-92.72
Naples Fl-250.59
Orlando metro-94.0
Palm Bay-84.56
Palm Coast-Flagler-125.01
Panama City-86.35
Pensacola metro-82.0
Sarasota-108.75
Tampa 94.60
St Pete-Clearwater-91.58
Vero-Beach Indian River-122.87
West Palm Beach metro-112.05
(Population Weighted-State Average=100
See national comparisons
Cost of living (100 = nationwide average)

* New York, NY -164.50
* Long Beach, CA -135.71
* Palo Alto, CA -234.42
* Boston, MA -127.60
* Malibu, CA -492.80
* San Francisco, -187.23
* Greenwich, CT 215
* Chicago, IL -126.45
* Dallas Tx -92,94
* Atlanta Ga -112.21

For more information about cost of living go to either
Sperlings best Places http://www.bestplaces.net/
or Accra’s site at http://www.coli.org

Jacksonville has one of the lowest tax loads in the country. According to a national survey conducted by the District of Columbia’s Department of Finance and Revenue, the estimated state and local taxes paid by a family of four is 5%, the fourth lowest tax load of all the cities surveyed.

The cost of living index places Jacksonville at 94.0.as of the 4th quarter 2006

Consider that it is a major metropolitan area with all the needed services. In that context it comes in extremely favorably, in fact Jacksonville is the most affordable major city in Florida, according to a report released by the American Chambers of Commerce Research Association

• For more information about cost of living stats go to http://www.coli.org
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• Housing. Minimum two bedroom single family homes in Duval County.
• From June 2004 through June 2005, the median sold price is $211,000.
• The median price for properties sold from June 1/2005 through July 26/2005 is $237,000.

Utilities. For Utility charges water and sewer go to http://www.jacksonvilleil.com/utilities.htm

For electric and gas go to http://jacksonville.citysearch.com/yellowpages/directory/Jacksonville_FL/160/540/page1.html

In conclusion, Although Jacksonville is the 16^th largest metropolitan area in the US, the cost of living rates are really good in comparison to other same size areas.

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he Arts in Jacksonville
The arts are alive and doing well in Jacksonville. From fine arts, performing arts and other activities, the seven-county region is a model of diversity. If you’re an actor, musician, photographer, writer, painter or all around arts and culture enthusiast, Jacksonville has a place for you.

Jacksonville has

• Its own Ballet Company,
• A Symphony orchestra
• 5 Theatre companies
• 5 museums
• 6 Theatre venues
• 12 entertainment venues (arenas-concert halls)

A few really stand out:

• Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art http://www.jmoma.org/
• The Jacksonville Museum of Science & History http://www.themosh.org/

• The Florida Theatre http://www.floridatheatre.com/
• The Jacksonville Symphony orchestra http://www.jaxsymphony.org/index.asp
• For upcoming Jacksonville events and concerts go to http://www.jaxevents.com/

• In addition there are
• 65 plus Art galleries
• 50 plus Antique shops throughout the area.
  So, if you’re a creative type and are considering a lifestyle change, Jacksonville could be just the ticket.
  For more information and specifics about art venues, museums etc, see this Web site 
  http://www.downtownjacksonville.org/content/?page_id=14
• A palm tree just could be in your future.

Downtown Jacksonville
With over 17 art galleries, museums, theatres and performing arts venues, it’s no wonder over 10 million people a year visit our city’s urban core.

Arts & Culture
Jacksonville’s arts and entertainment scene combines the best of world-class events with the local cultural community. This vibrancy can be found throughout the city. Boasting an eclectic array of nightlife and dining, Jacksonville’s unique entertainment and cultural options create a real sense of character.

World-renowned actors take the stage regularly at the area’s many theatre venues and often team up with the philharmonic orchestra for masterful performanecs. Opera, ballet and Broadway musicals complete an impressive lineup of performing arts happenings in Jacksonville.

Jacksonville offers an exciting mix of fine restaurants, cafes and eateries combined with the latest exhibit at a museum or corner gallery in one of the city’s monthly art crawls.

Have fun and enjoy Jacksonville’s unique entertainment scene!

MUSIC

Jacksonville has its own professional symphony, a variety of museums, ballet and opera companies, dozens of theatres prepared to amaze with old favorites or ground-breaking new drama, dance companies, vocal ensembles and orchestras producing events year-round.

Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra: Founded in 1949, this is one of Florida’s most longstanding orchestras and one of the few with a dedicated rehearsal and concert hall. For more information and a calendar of events, visit their website by clicking here.

There are many music organizations in Jacksonville. To view the complete list, please click here for Downtown Vision, Inc.

DINING

The local scene sizzles with a variety of culinary options, including innovative contemporary seafood, classic southern favorites, global cuisine and many multi-cultural restaurants that can take your taste buds on a whirlwind tour.

With a great taste for food, Jacksonville is home to wineries, breweries and numerous great places to unwind and have a relaxing drink, whether it be with a view of the St. Johns River at the Jacksonville Landing or at many of the local restaurants unique to the city.

To access the list of downtown restaurants, please click here for Downtown Vision, Inc.

PERFORMING CENTERS

Theater in the area ranges from Broadway shows to thriving community ensembles. Performing since 1978, the Florida Ballet is one of Jacksonville’s senior dance companies that stages several major productions each year, from classical to contemporary.

Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts: With its beautiful location along the St. Johns River, the Times-Union Center is a wonderful site to watch performances. Under the leadership of Fabio Mechetti, the symphony performs everything from classical masterpieces to pop music to bluegrass. More information can be found by clicking here to access their website.

The Ritz Theater & LaVilla Museum: Featuring an eye-catching mix of African and African-American cultural exhibits, the museum offers historical exhibits of LaVilla and the northeast while the Ritz Theatre provides a unique setting for many entertainment peformances. More information can be found by clicking here.

Florida Theatre: From ballet and opera to contemporary pop, rock, jazz, country and blues, the Florida Theatre offers over 200 cultural and entertainment events annually for every taste and age. More information can be found by clicking here.

Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena: This is a great addition to Jacksonville’s entertainment industry and is one of the top arenas of its kind. Opened in 2004, the arena has a seating capacity of 15,000 and is designed to have top-of-the-line acoustics for concerts as well as serving as a multi-functional entertainment venue. More information can be found by clicking here.

Metropolitan Park: Just minutes from Interstate 95 and easily accessible from any part of Jacksonville, Metropolitan Park is home of the Jacksonville Jazz Festival and the Starry Night Series, as well as many other concert events. It is the downtown venue of choice for an evening outdoors. Guests enjoy the public docking space, playground, picnic areas, landscaped gardens and riverfront walk that this park offers. More information can be found by clicking here.

MUSEUMS, GALLERIES AND GARDENS

Art museums, galleries galore and beautiful gardens replete with sculputures are abundant throughout Jacksonville.

Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens: The largest in Northeast Florida, the Cummer Museum has a permanent collection of more than 4,000 objects and is noted for its Old Master and American paintings, as well as Meissen porcelain. More information on the Cummer Museum can be found by clicking here.

The Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art: Opened in May 2003 with a new building of 14,000 square feet of gallery space, the JMOMA is one of Jacksonville’s most important cultural institutions and provides unique and wonderful exhibits throughout the year. More information on JMOMA can be found by clicking here.

The Museum of Science & History: This museum strives to increase the knowledge and understanding of the natural environment and history of Jacksonville as well as Northeast Florida. Focusing on awareness and appreciation of science and history through quality programs, MOSH offers exhibits and events that stimulate and inspire learning in all visitors. More information on MOSH can be found by clicking here.

Jacksonville Historical Center: This center hosts a permanent exhibit that features documents, pictures and artifacts from Jacksonville’s history. Located at the base of the Main Street Bridge, the Historical Center also provides an unbeatable view of the St. John’s River.

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Saint Augustine
St, Augustine is a wonderful, quiet residential town located on the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean forty miles south of Jacksonville in an otherwise fairly undeveloped part of St Johns County. It has a population of 14,000 and occupies 8.4 square miles.  The San Sebastian and Matanzas Rivers thread through it; three bridges lead to the barrier island beaches.  To the west is farm country and the St. Johns river and lake system.
Nearest cities:
St. Augustine’s location may be delightfully small town, but other cities are not far away.  For example, Downtown Jacksonville is only about 45 minutes North, Daytona Beach about an hour South, Gainesville about an hour West.
Some smaller towns or sites are nearby:

• Butler Beach, FL (3.3 miles)
• St. Augustine Beach, FL (3.4 miles)
• Crescent Beach, FL (5.0 miles)
• Villano Beach, FL (8.6 miles),
• Marineland, FL (11.9 miles)
• Hastings, FL (15.2 miles)

For driving distances throughout Florida go to http://www.discount-tickets.us/florida-driving-distances.htm
Jacksonville’s international airport and rail connections are also nearby.

About the city of St Augustine:
St Augustine has a rich history. It is the oldest permanent European settlement in the United States. It was founded and settled forty-two years before Jamestown and 55 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock.  For more or less 250 years Spain ruled its Florida colony from this spot, until ceding it to the United States in 1821.

Today St. Augustine is an elegant small town/city whose Spanish roots are still very visible.  St Augustine definitely has a relaxed atmosphere as compared to the hustle of the nearby theme parks or much of urban coastal Florida.   Yet it’s also a college town (Flagler College) and has a lively cultural and night life associated with both the college and the historic district.
The 144-block downtown historic district is like none other in the United States.  Spanish-colonial architecture, museums, and historic buildings combine with authentic period costumes worn by many workers, and a relaxed pedestrian environment for all, to create an Old World European ambience.  The narrow cobblestone streets are full of cafes, bars, art galleries and antique stores.

Not too surprising, all this picturesqueness has made St Augustine’s historic district one of the more popular spots for weddings and honeymoons in the country. 
If you live here, you’re fortunate!  Despite the throngs of daytiime visitors, tourism simply feels like it has a lighter footprint here than some other places.  Or so it seems to me.  Residents tell me they delight in the historic district, both for itself  and for  its complement to all the fine restaurants, theater, live music, bookstores and cafes which help make this such a livable small city.

The environment and outdoor recreation
One could almost say that St. Augustine has two coasts.  Here’s what I mean.
St Augustine has 43 miles of beautiful natural beaches on the Atlantic Ocean, out past the dramatic coastal marshes along the Tolomato and Matanzas Rivers.  The most popular beach areas are:

• Guana River at the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve
• South Ponte Vedra Beach
• Vilano Beach
• Anastasia State Park
• St. Augustine Beach
• Butler Beach
• Crescent Beach
• Fort Matanzas National Monument Park

For more general info about the area’s parks and beaches go to http://www.visitoldcity.com/do/parks/
But St. Augustine also has a fresh-water side to it.  Because the orientation here (naturally) is salt-water coastal, it’s easy to forget that just 15-20 miles west, along some of Florida’s prettiest mainland “backcountry” lies the St. John’s River, very wide and dramatic at this point, and a watersports home to all kinds of fresh-water river and lake fun.  If you live here, or think about moving here, this is important.
This part of the St. Johns is the stretch of river that defined Florida’s 19^th century Steamboat Era, and was the watery jumping-off point for the exploration of Florida’s interior before the railroads came through. Small, interesting towns like Green Cove Springs, Picolata, Welaka, and Palatka were part of that history, and make for great automobile exploring outings.
If beaching, boating, fishing, hiking, kayaking, and exploring don’t claim some of your spare time outdoors after you move here, golf might – there’s lots of it here, and some folks retire here with golf in mind.

And I’d like to mention one of my favorite outdoor destinations in all of Florida, The St. Augustine Alligator Farm & Zoological Park. Of course the alligators and other creatures – not to mention the total ease of getting to the Park – make for repetitive fun visits with kids.  But the story for me is the birds:  Zillions of egrets, wood storks and herons have long nested above the alligator swamp in this pristine place, coming back again and again every spring. The habitat is preserved “forever wild.”
Here’s the neat part:  Boardwalks wind through the rookery, providing amazing up-close, eye-level, sometimes above-the-trees looks at adult birds, chicks, and nests. Ever thought about nature photography? You will, after this experience.  Warning: it can be addictive.  www.dhphotoart.com

Employment and business opportunities
St. Augustine has enough scale for people moving here to work either locally or in Jacksonville, a short commute away. 
Employment by Industry:

• Educational, health and social services
• Retail trade
• Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food services

The Chamber’s Perspective:

• St. Johns County has attracted an energetic workforce that is stable and satisfied.
• Plus, they are highly skilled – two-thirds of our high school graduates have advanced training and education.
• And within an easy commuting distance is an affordable, skilled labor pool of 400,000 people.

The above message from http://www.staugustinechamber.com/index.php?submenu=Workforce&src=gendocs&link=Workforce

In conclusion
St Augustine is a unique city and would be a great place to live. You’d have a small town feel, yet great restaurants, arts and culture and the big city life of Jacksonville less than an hour away.

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Jacksonville St Augustine Home Page

Located in Northeast Florida in Duval County, Jacksonville sits at the crossroads of two interstate highways, Jacksonville is the largest city in the contiguous United States in land area, a major port, the insurance and financial center of the state, site of U.S. Navy bases and the home of the National Football League’s Jacksonville Jaguars. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 777,704 [1]. It is the principal city on the First Coast region of Florida

As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 777,704 [1]. It is the principal city on the First Coast region of Florida

Some statistics

• The Jacksonville metropolitan area is ranked as the 14th^th largest city in the United States with more than 1.3 million  residents. Jacksonville encompasses 841 square miles.
• The median age is 36, making it one of the youngest cities in Florida.
• The cost of living per the 2nd quarter(stats by Accra) is 91.5, making this one of the lowest CGI’s in Florida.
• Jacksonville is surrounded by water. The eastern edge borders the Ocean.  Several big Atlantic beaches and beautiful barrier islands lie just east and north of the city.
• The St. Johns River winds through the downtown then turns north heading to the Ocean.
• Jacksonville lies just a few hours drive from Atlanta, Charleston, and Savannah, if your taste runs to exploring surrounding cities, and, aside from its Beaches and the Ocean itself, at the center of watery paradises like the St. Johns estuary, the Okefenokee Swamp, and the Georgia Sea Islands.
• As of June 2005, the median home price was $211,000 –  probably the lowest in coastal Florida.  In fact, in some ways, Jax is the still-undiscovered bargain of coastal Florida.
• Jacksonville has schools that rank in top ten% nationally, a vibrant arts community and abundant medical/heath facilities (20 major hospitals) and first class transportation facilities.
• The Jacksonville metropolitan area, which includes three beach cities and Clay, Baker, Nassau and St. Johns counties just may be the most diverse metro area in all Florida. And though sprawled as it is across the whole corner of northeast Florida, it has a great infrastructure and feels “user-friendly

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