The Real Cost of Owning a Home in Duval vs. St. Johns County

A lower purchase price in Duval County doesn't always mean a lower monthly payment once you add taxes, insurance, and (in many St. Johns County communities) CDD fees on top of HOA dues. St. Johns County actually carries the lower effective property tax rate in the region, roughly 0.93% versus Duval's 1.18% to 1.58% depending on the area, but St. Johns homes in master-planned communities like Nocatee often add $1,315 to $3,538 a year in CDD assessments plus $1,650 to $3,200 in HOA dues, costs most Duval neighborhoods simply don't have. The full carrying-cost picture matters more than the sticker price.

I'm CC Underwood, working with buyers and sellers across Jacksonville and St. Johns County, FL, and this is the conversation I have with almost every buyer comparing the two counties.

How do property taxes actually compare between Duval and St. Johns County?

St. Johns County has the lowest effective property tax rate in Northeast Florida, around 0.93% for homesteaded properties, compared to roughly 1.18% in Duval County and higher in some Duval submarkets. Duval County's total millage rate for 2025-2026 runs about 17.86 mills. That sounds like it favors St. Johns County across the board, but remember St. Johns County's home prices run significantly higher, so the lower rate is applied to a bigger number. As one local comparison put it: a $1 million home in Ponte Vedra carries roughly $8,800 a year in property tax, versus about $11,800 on a comparable home in Duval County, so the rate advantage does translate to real savings, just not a dollar-for-dollar wipeout of the price difference.

Is there a property tax change coming that I should know about?

Yes, and it's worth watching. A proposed constitutional amendment (CS/HJR 1F) that would raise Florida's homestead exemption to $250,000 and phase out the non-school portion of homestead property taxes passed the Florida Legislature on June 2, 2026, and heads to voters in November 2026. It needs 60% approval to pass. If it passes, a homesteaded $350,000 Duval County home would see its non-school tax portion drop by roughly $2,304 a year, though school taxes, currently around 6.34 mills in Duval, would still apply, so the bill wouldn't hit zero. This would affect Duval and St. Johns County homeowners similarly in structure, though the dollar savings scale with your home's value.

How much does homeowners insurance actually cost in Duval and St. Johns County?

For a typical Northeast Florida home between 1,800 and 2,500 square feet with $350,000 to $500,000 in dwelling coverage, most homeowners are paying roughly $2,800 to $4,000 a year in 2026, based on an analysis of over 2,000 active policies by a local Jacksonville insurance agency. That's meaningfully better than Florida's statewide average, which various industry sources put between $4,200 and $8,458 depending on methodology, since Northeast Florida carries less hurricane and litigation risk than South Florida. St. Johns County trends slightly lower than Duval within that range, largely due to newer construction and stricter building codes in more recently built communities.

Is home insurance actually getting better in Florida?

Somewhat, for the first time in years. Citizens Property Insurance, the state's insurer of last resort, cut rates by an average of 8.7% at Spring 2026 renewals, and homeowners insurance rates decreased in 51 of Florida's 67 counties in 2026, according to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. Duval County's average Citizens premium is around $1,315, though that reflects only the roughly 2,000 remaining Citizens policyholders in the county, most homeowners have moved to private carriers, so treat it as a floor rather than a typical bill. A wind mitigation inspection, typically $75 to $150, can discount your premium by 20% to 40% or more if your roof and construction score well, and it's one of the fastest ways to lower a quote before or after closing.

What are CDD fees, and why don't I see them in Duval County as often?

A Community Development District is a special local government created under Florida law to finance and build infrastructure, roads, drainage, parks, amenity centers, for a large master-planned community upfront, then charge residents an annual assessment to repay the bonds and cover ongoing operations. CDDs are common across St. Johns County's newer master-planned communities. In Nocatee specifically, CDD assessments run $1,315 to $3,538 a year depending on the village, lot size, and bond series, and that's separate from HOA dues, which typically run $1,650 to $3,200 a year, or roughly $100 to $250 a month. Duval County has plenty of HOA-governed neighborhoods, but most established areas were built before the CDD financing model became common, so this specific cost mostly shows up when you're buying new construction in St. Johns County.

So which county actually costs less to own in?

It depends entirely on the specific home and community, which is the honest answer even though it's not a satisfying one. A Duval County home has a higher effective tax rate but a lower price and usually no CDD. A St. Johns County home in an established, non-CDD neighborhood benefits from the lower tax rate without the extra assessment. A St. Johns County home in a newer master-planned community like Nocatee gets the lower tax rate but adds CDD and HOA costs that can run $3,000 to $6,000 a year combined. Before you compare two homes on price alone, ask for the full carrying cost, taxes, insurance, HOA, and CDD if applicable, converted to a monthly number. That's the number that actually determines what you can afford.

FAQ

Which has lower property taxes, Duval County or St. Johns County? St. Johns County has the lower effective tax rate, around 0.93% for homesteaded properties versus roughly 1.18% to 1.58% in Duval County. However, St. Johns County's higher home prices mean the dollar savings don't always offset the price difference.

How much is homeowners insurance in Northeast Florida in 2026? Typically $2,800 to $4,000 a year for a standard 1,800 to 2,500-square-foot home with $350,000 to $500,000 in dwelling coverage, based on local insurance agency data. This is notably lower than Florida's statewide average.

What is a CDD fee? A Community Development District assessment, a special governmental charge in master-planned communities that funds infrastructure and amenities built upfront through bonds. It's separate from HOA dues and appears as a non-ad valorem line on your property tax bill.

Do Duval County homes have CDD fees? Rarely. Most established Duval County neighborhoods predate the CDD financing model. CDDs are far more common in newer St. Johns County master-planned communities like Nocatee.

How much are CDD and HOA fees in Nocatee? CDD assessments range from about $1,315 to $3,538 a year depending on the village and lot, and HOA dues typically run $1,650 to $3,200 a year, or roughly $100 to $250 a month, on top of that.

Is Florida homeowners insurance getting cheaper? Rates decreased in 51 of Florida's 67 counties in 2026, and Citizens Property Insurance cut rates by an average of 8.7% at Spring 2026 renewals, the first broad relief in years, though premiums remain well above the national average.

Is a property tax change coming to Florida? A proposed constitutional amendment that would raise the homestead exemption to $250,000 and phase out non-school homestead property taxes passed the Legislature in June 2026 and goes to voters in November 2026, needing 60% approval.

CC Underwood, Selling with CC | Real Broker, LLC | Jacksonville & St. Johns County, FL | 904-304-7005 | CC@sellingwithcc.com