Clay County today
| Typical value | |
|---|---|
| Single family house | $339,000 |
| Condo or townhome | $188,000 |
What this means
Values in Clay County are about flat (−0.3% in a year), now 5.4% below the Sep 2022 peak.
A specific house can rent above or below these figures, so pull rental comps for the address. Sources and method: how these figures are built.
Quick facts
| Clay County | Compared with Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Population, 2025 estimate | 239,593 | 1.0% of Florida |
| Growth since 2020 | 9.8% | +0.9 pts |
| Median home value | $312,500 | 13% lower |
| Median gross rent | $1,551 | 7% lower |
| Median household income | $87,820 | 18% higher |
| Owner occupied homes | 75.9% | +8.3 pts |
| Residents 65 and older | 17.1% | -4.2 pts |
| Average commute | 31 min | 12% higher |
| Homes built 2010 or later | 16.1% | +1.9 pts |
| Housing units permitted in 2025 per 1,000 residents | 6.4 | 16% lower |
| Veterans, share of adults | 15.9% | +8.5 pts |
| Median property tax paid | $2,241 | 18% lower |
| Average homeowners insurance with wind | $2,540 |
Census figures are 2020 to 2024 averages; see sources and methods.
Living in Clay County
Compared with the rest of Florida, Clay County has a large veteran community (15.9% of adults); few seasonal and vacation homes (0.9% of housing); and fewer renters than most of Florida (24.1% of homes).
Largely suburban northeast Florida county on the west bank of the St. Johns River, with many lakes and a long military history. The county was formed in 1858 and is governed from Green Cove Springs.
The population centers are Lakeside, Oakleaf Plantation and Fleming Island. Lakeside alone has about 32,105 residents.
What anchors the area
- Military: Camp Blanding Joint Training Center
- Economy: military; tourism
- Known for: Gold Head Branch State Park; Jennings State Forest
Households are large, averaging 2.69 people.
Growth and where it is heading
From 218,249 residents in 2020 to 239,593 in 2025: that is 9.8%, compared with 8.9% statewide. Year over year: +0.98%.
| 2025 building permits | Units |
|---|---|
| Single family | 1,240 |
| 2 to 4 units | 18 |
| 5 or more units | 264 |
| Total | 1,522 |
| Per 1,000 residents | 6.4 (close to Florida, 7.6) |
What the regional research shows
Clay's Orange Park and Mandarin submarket had some of the lowest apartment vacancy around Jacksonville (5.2%) and rents up 3.0% in 2026 (Matthews, Q3 2026). Camp Blanding and the Jacksonville Navy bases support military renter demand.
Regional context lives in the Northeast and North Central investor guide.
Risks to price in
The state landfall record since 2000 does not include Clay County, but storms crossing Florida still bring wind and heavy rain.
Insurance runs about $212 a month here on average ($2,540 a year with wind, per state regulators).
Flood, storms and jobs
| Clay County | Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Homes in a FEMA high risk flood zone | 3,451 (4.4%) | 13.3% |
| Homes with federal flood insurance | 4,005 (5.1%) | 13.7% |
| Insured share inside high risk zones | 48.5% | |
| Flood insurance claims since 2000 | 1,456, $72,536,955 paid | |
| Costliest flood events for insured homes | Hurricane Irma ($59,818,866); Tropical Storm Debby ($4,391,050); Other or unnamed flooding ($3,398,301) | |
| Major federal disasters declared since 2000 | 17 (11 hurricane, 3 severe storm, 1 tropical storm) |
Federal flood policies in high risk zones get 20% off here, thanks to the county (unincorporated areas)'s CRS class 6 rating. Current map: 03/17/14.
Clay County counted 48,303 private jobs in 2023; the largest sectors were health care and social assistance (21%), retail (18%), hotels and restaurants (14%). Hotels and restaurants hold 14% of those jobs (close to Florida's 13%).
Buying a home in Clay 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
Homes cost 3.6 times the median household income here, versus 4.8 statewide. 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 | 3,176 | 52.2% | 72.2% | $226,263 |
| FHA | 1,294 | 21.3% | 17.8% | $297,975 |
| VA | 1,559 | 25.6% | 9.9% | $379,144 |
| USDA | 52 | 0.9% | 0.2% | $199,038 |
| Purpose | Share of 2025 loans |
|---|---|
| Home purchase | 57.9% |
| Cash out refinance | 17.2% |
| Rate and term refinance | 10.7% |
| Home improvement | 6.2% |
That is up 3.1% from 5,901 loans in 2024. VA loans are unusually common here. 52 USDA loans show that parts of the county qualify.
Loans that fit the local numbers
- Conventional: the default choice here (52.2% of 2025 loans).
- FHA: the $580,750 limit covers the typical $312,500 home.
- VA: veterans are 15.9% of adults (Florida 7.4%).
Down payment help and taxes
For assistance, start with the state programs at the Florida Housing Finance Corporation. Median property tax here: $2,241, or 0.72% of the median value. Homestead and tax caps
Investing in Clay County
DSCR loans often price above this rate. Method. DSCR loans
Run your own numbers
Long term rentals
| Clay County | vs Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Renter occupied homes | 24.1% | -8.3 pts |
| Rent as share of renter income | 30% | -5.2 pts |
| Rental vacancy | 2% | -5.6 pts |
Rental vacancy is tight.
Short term rentals
| Item | Here |
|---|---|
| County tourist tax | 5% |
| 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 | 74% |
| Buildings with 5+ units | 7.5% |
| Manufactured homes | 11.1% |
| 2025 loans on 2 to 4 unit properties | 0.3% |
Largest cities and towns in Clay County
Among places with at least 1,000 residents, Fleming Island has the highest median value ($422,400) and Bellair-Meadowbrook Terrace the lowest ($224,900); Asbury Lake shows the best rent to price ratio (7.91% gross).
| Place | Population | Median value | Median rent | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeside | 32,105 | $273,900 | $1,479 | $81,684 |
| Oakleaf Plantation | 32,070 | $351,200 | $2,058 | $108,543 |
| Fleming Island | 29,766 | $422,400 | $1,935 | $116,611 |
| Bellair-Meadowbrook Terrace | 14,755 | $224,900 | $1,457 | $59,388 |
| Asbury Lake | 14,458 | $329,600 | $2,172 | $100,949 |
| Middleburg | 11,644 | $254,600 | $1,093 | $74,634 |
| Green Cove Springs | 10,044 | $371,000 | $1,114 | $75,142 |
| Orange Park | 9,055 | $313,100 | $1,429 | $77,106 |
| Keystone Heights | 1,576 | $227,900 | $1,258 | $80,217 |
| Penney Farms | 642 | $230,800 | $1,946 | $52,500 |
Census places, including unincorporated communities. Linked places have their own guide.
Compare with neighboring counties
4 of its 5 neighbors are cheaper by median value.
| County | Median value | Median rent | Growth since 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County | $312,500 | $1,551 | 9.8% |
| Baker County | $256,700 | $1,302 | 5.2% |
| Bradford County | $212,500 | $863 | 0% |
| Duval County | $303,500 | $1,475 | 6.8% |
| Putnam County | $160,300 | $906 | 6% |
| St. Johns County | $489,200 | $1,922 | 26.7% |
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.