Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety17#765/924
Economy78#206/925
Housing18#756/925
Health67#303/925
Healthcare53#438/923
Environment21#723/917
Education80#184/925
Infrastructure77#218/925
Community57#394/925
Leisure & amenities69#287/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Jacksonville, FL metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Comfortable days · high34.7%
97/100Florida 32.4%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
New business applications · high21.1 /1k
94/100Florida 27.6 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Depression · low19.5%
93/100Florida 18.0%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Average weekly wage · high$1,378
90/100Florida $1,399United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Broadband subscriptions · high92.5%
89/100Florida 91.6%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
New homes permitted · high7.0 /1k
87/100Florida 7.0 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data

Weaknesses

Public libraries · low0.2 /10k
5/100Florida 0.2 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAggregated from counties
Median Air Quality Index · high52
9/100Florida 422025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Rent-burdened households · high55.8%
10/100Florida 60.1%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Drought exposure · high85%
11/100Florida 78%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAAggregated from counties
Rent as share of income · high32.6%
12/100Florida 35.2%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Hot days · high84 days
15/100Florida 102 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
1,613,022 (2020) → 1,785,500 (2025)
+11%5 yearsUS 331,578,104 → 341,784,857
Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 85% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+85 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Drug overdose deathsImproving
41.8 /100k (2021) → 19.2 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−54%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
New homes permittedWorsening
13.8 /1k (2021) → 7.0 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−49%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
26.6% (Dec 2021) → 34.1% (Aug 2026)
+7.5 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
85.4% (2015-2019) → 92.5% (2020-2024)
+7.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Jacksonville, FL metro area improved on 19 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 6. 1 moved within the margin of error and 6 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved19

Bachelor's++5 points31.4% → 36.5%
Weekly wage+29%$1,072 → $1,378
Commute−1.1 min27.0 min → 26.0 min
Uninsured−1.5 points12.7% → 11.2%
Overdose deaths−54%41.8 /100k → 19.2 /100k

Declined6

Libraries−13%0.3 /10k → 0.2 /10k
Price / income+1.0×3.3× → 4.3×
Rent / income+2.8 points29.8% → 32.6%
Rent burden+6.2 points49.6% → 55.9%
Transit use−0.6 points1.2% → 0.6%

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of Jacksonville, FL metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	4.4 /10k2020	4.7 /10k2025	+6.1%	Improved	43%
Average commute time	27.0 min2015-2019	26.0 min2020-2024	−1.1 min	Improved	88%
Average weekly wage	$1,0722020	$1,3782025	+29%	Improved	87%
Bachelor's degree or higher	31.4%2015-2019	36.5%2020-2024	+5 points	Improved	92%
Broadband subscriptions	85.4%2015-2019	92.5%2020-2024	+7.1 points	Improved	25%
Child poverty rate	17.7%2015-2019	15.8%2020-2024	−1.8 points	Improved	44%
Distance to an airport	22 mi2020	22 mi2025	+0 mi	Little change	4%
Drug overdose deaths	41.8 /100k2020	19.2 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−54%	Improved	86%
Effective property tax rate	0.94%2015-2019	0.75%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	70%
Firearm deaths	20.2 /100k2020	17.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−11%	Improved	68%
Grocery stores	1.4 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	+6.3%	Improved	71%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.4 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	+3.8%	Little change	51%
High school diploma or higher	90.9%2015-2019	92.3%2020-2024	+1.4 points	Improved	41%
Home price to income ratio	3.3×2015-2019	4.3×2020-2024	+1.0×	Declined	11%
Homicide rate	12.4 /100k2020	7.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−37%	Improved	64%
Income adjusted for local prices	$53,7222019	$69,3912024	+29%	Improved	30%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4672015-2019	0.4662020-2024	−0.001	Within the margin of error	56%
Median household income	$61,7232015-2019	$79,6432020-2024	+29%	Improved	61%
New business applications	19.4 /1k2020	21.1 /1k2025	+8.9%	Improved	8%
Pharmacies	1.9 /10k2020	1.7 /10k2025	−12%	Declined	41%
Poverty rate	12.6%2015-2019	11.8%2020-2024	−0.8 points	Improved	45%
Property crime rate	2,167 /100k2020	1,548 /100k2025	−29%	Improved	38%
Public libraries	0.3 /10k2019	0.2 /10k2024	−13%	Declined	7%
Public transit commuters	1.2%2015-2019	0.6%2020-2024	−0.6 points	Declined	30%
Rent as share of income	29.8%2015-2019	32.6%2020-2024	+2.8 points	Declined	13%
Rent-burdened households	49.6%2015-2019	55.9%2020-2024	+6.2 points	Declined	12%
Restaurants and bars	8.5 /10k2020	8.5 /10k2025	−0.1%	Little change	45%
Suicide rate	16.1 /100k2020	16.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+4.8%	Little change	49%
Traffic deaths	15.6 /100k2015-2019	15.0 /100k2020-2024	−3.6%	Little change	69%
Unemployment rate	6.5%2020	4.1%2025	−2.4 points	Improved	33%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	12.7%2015-2019	11.2%2020-2024	−1.5 points	Improved	79%
Violent crime rate	503 /100k2020	364 /100k2025	−28%	Improved	71%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Jacksonville, FL metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Jacksonville, FL metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Jacksonville, FL metro area itself moved −0.4 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,683,960 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

663,101 households (±2,498)

Jacksonville, FL metro area
United States share

Under $25k14%91,583
$25k–50k17%112,217
$50k–75k17%109,632

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

663,101 households (±2,498)

Jacksonville, FL metro area
United States share

Own66%440,778
Rent34%222,323

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+2.0 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

813,456 workers (±4,766)

Jacksonville, FL metro area
United States share

Drive alone70%570,334
Carpool8.2%66,976
Public transit0.6%5,020

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Jacksonville, FL employ 171,740 people. 3 pay a median above the US median and 7 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Jacksonville, FL by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Retail Salespersons22,390 jobs	22,390	$34,360US $35,410	−3%	1.17×
Fast Food and Counter Workers21,480 jobs	21,480	$28,470US $31,200	−9%	1.13×
Registered Nurses18,940 jobs	18,940	$83,520US $97,550	−14%	1.14×
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand17,350 jobs	17,350	$41,040US $40,240	+2%	1.19×
Customer Service Representatives17,030 jobs	17,030	$42,840US $44,770	−4%	1.33×
General and Operations Managers16,870 jobs	16,870	$100,870US $105,770	−5%	0.98×
Cashiers15,710 jobs	15,710	$30,320US $32,880	−8%	1.03×
Stockers and Order Fillers15,400 jobs	15,400	$38,110US $37,330	+2%	1.1×
Office Clerks, General13,430 jobs	13,430	$44,880US $45,010	0%	1.11×
Waiters and Waitresses13,140 jobs	13,140	$36,630US $35,230	+4%	1.18×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Jacksonville, FL.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Jacksonville, FL has 44,152 employer establishments, 256 for every 10,000 residents (1.03× the US rate of 248), with 664,343 paid employees at an average annual pay of $60,792. The Census Bureau also counts 179,550 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 44,152; 179,550 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 256; US 248
Paid employees: 664,343
Average annual pay: $60,792; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Jacksonville, FL by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	4,033	23.4	1.12×About typical	42,513	$80,916	8,762
Specialty trade contractors	3,389	19.6	1.27×More than typical	30,257	$60,285	10,055
Restaurants and other eating places	3,018	17.5	0.95×About typical	62,890	$24,029	771
Lessors of real estate	2,691	15.6	1.27×More than typical	9,272	$70,950	16,454
Offices of physicians	1,661	9.6	1.49×More than typical	19,843	$110,142	1,634
Services to buildings and dwellings	1,608	9.3	1.38×More than typical	13,094	$37,797	13,893
Management, scientific and technical consulting	1,557	9	1.34×More than typical	6,694	$75,559	6,766
Construction of buildings	1,464	8.5	1.12×About typical	11,141	$100,213	5,582
Real estate agents and brokers	1,401	8.1	1.67×More than typical	2,774	$69,615	6,011
Limited-service restaurants	1,373	8	0.99×About typical	26,797	$20,658	271
Full-service restaurants	1,267	7.3	0.96×About typical	31,385	$27,799	285
Building finishing contractors	1,156	6.7	1.76×More than typical	4,524	$48,002	4,335

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 1,726,282 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $2.2B on contracts performed in Jacksonville, FL metro area: $1,208 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $2.2B; −12% vs FY2025
Per resident: $1,208; US $1,994
Sole-source: 26%; US 30%
Single offer: 5.6%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Navy$702.6M33%
Maritime Administration$317.2M15%
Department of the Army$285.9M13%
Defense Logistics Agency$193M8.9%
USTRANSCOM$161.8M7.5%
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services$116.9M5.4%
U.S. Customs and Border Protection$55.8M2.6%
U.S. Coast Guard$50.9M2.4%

Top recipients

CROWLEY GOVERNMENT SERVICES, INC.$573.8M27%
CLOGIC LLC$186.9M8.7%
TOTE SERVICES, LLC$99M4.6%
AMERICAN ROLL-ON ROLL-OFF CARRIER, LLC$75.2M3.5%
FIRST COAST SERVICE OPTIONS, INC.$66.2M3.1%

Spending by fiscal year

1.6BFY2017
2.1BFY2018
2.1BFY2019
2.9BFY2020
2.7BFY2021
2.4BFY2022
2.3BFY2023
2.5B

Top industries (NAICS)

Deep sea, coastal, and Great Lakes water transportation · 4831$575.2M27%
Other transportation equipment manufacturing · 3369$187.3M8.7%
Ship and boat building · 3366$144M6.7%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$128.8M6.0%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$121.7M5.6%
Freight transportation arrangement · 4885$118.3M

Part of this section could not be loaded in time.

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $41.5B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Jacksonville, FL metro area: $23,232 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $41.5B; −2.8% vs FY2025
Per resident: $23,232; US $12,955
Loan face value: $1.4B; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.0%; counted, never named

Top programs

93.774 · Medicare Supplementary Medical Insurance$17.6B42%
93.773 · Medicare Hospital Insurance$11.4B28%
96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$6.8B16%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$2.4B5.7%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$780.4M1.9%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$554.2M1.3%
93.770 · Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage$381.7M0.9%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$279M0.7%

Top recipients (organizations)

STATE OF FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$319.1M0.8%
TALLAHASSEE, FL
CITY OF JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA$123.8M0.3%
JACKSONVILLE, FL
EPISCOPAL CHILDRENS SERVICES INC$63.4M0.2%
JACKSONVILLE, FL
MAYO CLINIC JACKSONVILLE (A NONPROFIT CORPORATION)$61.7M0.1%
JACKSONVILLE, FL
FLORIDA STATE COLLEGE AT JACKSONVILLE

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services$29.4B71%
Department of Health and Human Services
Social Security Administration$8.4B20%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$2.7B6.4%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$331.3M0.8%
Department of Transportation
Railroad Retirement Board

Assistance by fiscal year

31.4BFY2021
31.3BFY2022
36.2BFY2023
39BFY2024
42.7BFY2025
41.5BFY2026

County aggregates

98%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Jacksonville, FL

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

JacksonvillePrincipal city977,670

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Florida

Areas based in Florida, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M27260

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved19

Declined6

Metro and micro areas like Jacksonville, FL metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Jacksonville, FL

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Florida

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved19

Declined6

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

What was bought