Baker County today
What this means
Values in Baker County are still rising: +3.4% in the past year.
Sources and method: how these figures are built.
Quick facts
| Baker County | Compared with Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Population, 2025 estimate | 29,737 | 0.1% of Florida |
| Growth since 2020 | 5.2% | -3.7 pts |
| Median home value | $256,700 | 28% lower |
| Median gross rent | $1,302 | 22% lower |
| Median household income | $79,836 | 7% higher |
| Owner occupied homes | 85.1% | +17.5 pts |
| Residents 65 and older | 15.2% | -6.1 pts |
| Average commute | 30 min | 7% higher |
| Homes built 2010 or later | 16.4% | +2.2 pts |
| Housing units permitted in 2025 per 1,000 residents | 4.1 | 46% lower |
| Veterans, share of adults | 6.7% | -0.7 pts |
| Median property tax paid | $1,631 | 40% lower |
| Average homeowners insurance with wind | $2,346 |
Census figures are 2020 to 2024 averages; see sources and methods.
Living in Baker County
Compared with the rest of Florida, Baker County has a high share of manufactured homes (30.5%); fewer renters than most of Florida (14.9% of homes); and few seasonal and vacation homes (0.9% of housing).
Largely rural northeast Florida county of pine flatwoods and cypress swamps, with parts of Osceola National Forest and the Okefenokee Swamp, and the St. Marys River along the Georgia line. The county was formed in 1861 and is governed from Macclenny.
The population centers are Macclenny and Glen St. Mary. Macclenny alone has about 7,748 residents.
What anchors the area
- Economy: Walmart distribution center; small manufacturers; state and federal prisons; historically lumber and turpentine
- Known for: Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park; Osceola National Forest; John M. Bethea State Forest
A younger county by Florida standards: 15.2% are 65 or older. Larger households (2.82 people on average) mean more demand for 3 and 4 bedroom homes.
Growth and where it is heading
The Census counts 29,737 residents as of July 2025, versus 28,259 in 2020, a 5.2% change. The 2024 to 2025 change was +0.77%.
| 2025 building permits | Units |
|---|---|
| Single family | 99 |
| 2 to 4 units | 22 |
| 5 or more units | 0 |
| Total | 121 |
| Per 1,000 residents | 4.1 (well below Florida, 7.6) |
See the Northeast and North Central investor guide for regional corridors.
Risks to price in
No direct landfalls here since 2000; inland wind and flood damage from passing storms is the main exposure.
State data puts the typical homeowners policy with wind at $2,346 a year in Baker County.
Manufactured homes are 30.5% of housing; foundation and title rules decide financing. Manufactured home loans
Flood, storms and jobs
| Baker County | Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Homes in a FEMA high risk flood zone | 459 (4.6%) | 13.3% |
| Homes with federal flood insurance | 146 (1.5%) | 13.7% |
| Insured share inside high risk zones | 20.9% | |
| Flood insurance claims since 2000 | 70, $2,476,104 paid | |
| Costliest flood events for insured homes | Tropical Storm Debby ($907,761); Hurricane Irma ($864,319); Other or unnamed flooding ($277,396) | |
| Major federal disasters declared since 2000 | 17 (10 hurricane, 4 severe storm, 1 tropical storm) |
The county (unincorporated areas) holds CRS class 10, which gives no discount on federal flood policies. Current map: 06/17/08.
Baker County counted 6,203 private jobs in 2023; the largest sectors were health care and social assistance (27%), transportation and warehousing (18%), retail (17%). Tourism signal: 13% work in hotels and restaurants, close to the state's 13%.
Buying a home in Baker County
| 2026 loan limit, one unit | Amount |
|---|---|
| FHA | $580,750 |
| Conforming (above this is jumbo) | $832,750 |
The median priced home fits under the FHA limit with room to spare. FHA limits
The median home equals 3.2 years of median household income (4.8 for the state). That makes ownership easier to reach than in most of the state.
Loans made here in 2025
| Loan type | Loans | Share | Florida share | Average loan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional | 273 | 53.1% | 72.2% | $206,685 |
| FHA | 150 | 29.2% | 17.8% | $262,467 |
| VA | 84 | 16.3% | 9.9% | $376,190 |
| USDA | 7 | 1.4% | 0.2% | $229,286 |
| Purpose | Share of 2025 loans |
|---|---|
| Home purchase | 57.6% |
| Cash out refinance | 17.7% |
| Rate and term refinance | 11.9% |
| Home improvement | 6.6% |
Total loans rose 17.9% from 2024 (436 to 514). FHA share runs well above the state. VA loans are unusually common here.
Loans that fit the local numbers
- Conventional: used for 53.1% of loans; mortgage insurance comes off later.
- FHA: the $580,750 limit covers the typical $256,700 home.
- USDA: zero down for eligible rural addresses; check each one on the USDA map.
Down payment help and taxes
For assistance, start with the state programs at the Florida Housing Finance Corporation. Median property tax here: $1,631, or 0.64% of the median value. Homestead and tax caps
Investing in Baker County
DSCR loans often price above this rate. Method. DSCR loans
Run your own numbers
Long term rentals
| Baker County | vs Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Renter occupied homes | 14.9% | -17.5 pts |
| Rent as share of renter income | 24.8% | -10.4 pts |
| Rental vacancy | 0.9% | -6.7 pts |
Few rentals sit empty.
Short term rentals
| Item | Here |
|---|---|
| County tourist tax | 3% |
| Plus state sales tax | 6% (plus any county surtax) |
| Homes held for seasonal use | 0.9% (-6.9 pts vs Florida) |
A home only works as a vacation rental if zoning and the HOA both allow it. State rules
Property types
| Housing stock | Share |
|---|---|
| Single family detached | 63.2% |
| Buildings with 5+ units | 3% |
| Manufactured homes | 30.5% |
| 2025 loans on 2 to 4 unit properties | 0.78% |
Largest cities and towns in Baker County
| Place | Population | Median value | Median rent | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macclenny | 7,748 | $261,800 | $1,384 | $73,942 |
| Glen St. Mary | 612 | $301,900 | $1,000 | $59,167 |
Census places, including unincorporated communities. Linked places have their own guide.
Compare with neighboring counties
3 of its 6 neighbors are cheaper by median value.
| County | Median value | Median rent | Growth since 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baker County | $256,700 | $1,302 | 5.2% |
| Bradford County | $212,500 | $863 | 0% |
| Clay County | $312,500 | $1,551 | 9.8% |
| Columbia County | $194,900 | $976 | 6.3% |
| Duval County | $303,500 | $1,475 | 6.8% |
| Nassau County | $382,800 | $1,526 | 18.3% |
| Union County | $169,500 | $894 | 0.7% |
Other Florida markets
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5 year estimates. 2020 to 2024.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates, Vintage 2025. July 1, 2025.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025 annual. 2025.
- FFIEC HMDA Data Browser, originated loans. 2025 and 2024.
- LendingTree: 2026 FHA loan limits in Florida by county (HUD figures). 2026.
- Florida Realtors: FHFA sets 2026 conforming loan limits. 2026.
- Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research: 2026 local option tourist tax rates. 2026.
- Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, July 2026 Insurance Stability Unit report (average homeowners premium with wind, as of March 31, 2026). March 31, 2026.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey. week of October 22, 2026.
- Wikipedia: List of counties in Florida. checked October 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file. 2024.
- Wikipedia county article and statewide lists (colleges, teams, airports); Florida Defense Support Task Force installation map. checked October 2026.
- Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), all homes, middle tier, smoothed and seasonally adjusted. September 2026.
- Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (county annual, metro and state quarterly, all transactions). through Q2 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, January to September 2026 and 2025. September 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Residential Penetration Rates. as of August 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims (2000 to 2026). as of September 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book (Community Rating System class). August 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries (2000 to 2026). October 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023. 2023.
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020 to 2024, median gross rent by bedrooms (B25031). 2020 to 2024.
- Hurricane landfalls: Wikipedia, List of Florida hurricanes (2000 to present). checked October 2026.
Estimates from public data; they change over time. General information, not investment, tax or legal advice, and not a loan offer. Methods and assumptions.