For families eyeing Jacksonville as an affordable Florida city, the latest cost of living estimates may come as a surprise.
To live here comfortably today, the estimated household income needed is about $118,000, according to a recent analysis by GOBankingRates.
That figure represents the cost of achieving what many consider the “American Dream,” which includes owning a home, paying for essentials like groceries, utilities, transportation and healthcare and setting aside savings.
The study used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Zillow and the Federal Reserve to calculate what it takes to maintain a balanced budget in the 50 largest U.S. cities and ranked Jacksonville at No. 33 for the highest salaries needed.
No. 1 was San Jose, California, but only one other Florida city made this list with Miami ranking at No. 11.
So why does it take over six figures to feel financially secure in a city often touted as affordable? Housing is a big part of the equation.
Jacksonville’s median home price now hovers around $300,000, according to Redfin, with mortgage averages at about $1,753 a month. The average rent ranges from $1,324 to $1,600 per month.
Groceries in Duval run about 4% higher than the national average at around $9,000 a year, according to the report, and transportation is another major expense for the car-dependent city even though gas averages are lower than the national at about $2.83 a gallon so far in 2025.
Factoring these costs together means essentials alone can easily take at least $30,000 a year before child care, health care, savings or many other costs even enter the picture.
What was once considered upper-middle-class is now closer to the baseline for financial security in Jacksonville.
Still, the city is cheaper than its Sunshine State counterparts.
In Tampa, it would take a renter about $123,000 to live comfortably, while one in Orlando needs about $126,000, and Miami requires well over $140,000. And homeowners need even more money in these cities, making Jacksonville the most affordable option for a Florida city.
However, there is a pretty big gap between Jacksonville’s median household income and the $118,000 baseline.
Median income in Jacksonville is $67,000, according to the U.S. Census, over $50,000 shy of that “comfortable” benchmark.
Jacksonville may still offer more breathing room than Miami or Orlando, but the numbers show affordability in Florida is shifting fast. And in Jacksonville, that new equation starts at $118,000 a year.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Cost of Living in Jacksonville: Find out what you need to live here comfortably in 2025
Reporting by Alexandria Mansfield, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
