Source: Wikipedia.
Jacksonville draws a lot of people because of its growing industry across several sectors and the wonderful year-round weather. Jacksonville has a cost of living lower than the national average and a crime rate lower than many of the other metropolitan areas in Florida.
Employment in Jacksonville
There are a wide variety of employment options and six key industries are driving the job growth in the Jacksonville region. These include aviation/aerospace, supply chain logistics, finance/insurance, IT, life sciences, and advanced manufacturing. Additionally, many corporations have their company headquarters or regional headquarters in Jacksonville.
The largest public sector employees in the Jacksonville area include Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Duval County Public Schools, Naval Station Mayport, and the City of Jacksonville. The largest private sector employers include Baptist Health, Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, Florida Blue, Mayo Clinic and City.
The unemployment rate is in Jacksonville is slightly below the national average. In February 2013, Jacksonville had an unemployment rate of 7.3 percent, which was just slightly below the national average of 7.5 percent.
Cost of Living
Jacksonville’s cost of living is lower than the national average. Jacksonville’s cost of living is 88 compared to a national average of 100. When compared to other metropolitan areas, Jacksonville has a very reasonable cost of living.
Education and Schools
Jacksonville is rich with educational resources for all age groups. For public K-12 schools there are a variety of formats available including magnet schools. Duval County Public Schools is the 22nd largest district in the United States with 183 schools and a student enrollment of over 125,000.
Higher education opportunities abound in the Jacksonville area and include undergraduate, graduate and professional programs. Key university institutions include the University of North Florida and Jacksonville University.
Crime in Jacksonville
Jacksonville has a violent crime rate of 621 per 100,000. This is lower than the other metropolitan areas in Florida, including Tampa and Miami. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office maintains a strong community education and outreach program to deter crime.
Park and Recreation in Jacksonville
With over 80,000 acres of park space over 337 locations, Jacksonville is a paradise for those that like parks and open space. When temperatures heat up and you want some shade, four great parks to keep in mind are Landon Park, Sunshine Playground, Clark House Park and South Beach Park. The city also does an annual Movie in the Park series in which popular and family-friendly movies are projected on a screen along the river. People bring their own chairs and picnic supplies for a fun evening out.
