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Moving to
Fruit Cove.
Fruit Cove is an unincorporated community in St. Johns County, FL. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.
What it's like to live in Fruit Cove
Fruit Cove is an unincorporated community in Florida with household incomes running above the national average, a highly educated workforce, a population that has grown fast since 2020, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Fruit Cove deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Highly educated workforce
- Fast-growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- High rent burden for renters
- Hot summers
How Fruit Cove compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Fruit Cove
Based on Fruit Cove's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,672
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $93,440 a year
- 52% of Fruit Cove renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$96,800
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $48,400
- Homes cost 3.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 65% above US
$2,336/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,336 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $484,000. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $484,000 · 52% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.0% county unemployment
Unemployment in St. Johns County is 4.0%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
St. Johns County (county-wide)
Safety
76 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Fruit Cove doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 430/100k · Policed by St. Johns County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 15% above US
30 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 29.8 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 29% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 91°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 49°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 49% above US
54% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Castillo de San Marcos National Monument (23 miles away). There are 5 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Fruit Cove's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and a highly educated workforce; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,336/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (29% of workers here already work from home) and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near Fruit Cove
All Florida guides →Moving to Fleming Island →
6 mi away · pop. 29,766
Rent $1,935/mo · Income $116,611
Compare with Fruit Cove →Moving to Bellair-Meadowbrook Terrace →
9 mi away · pop. 14,755
Rent $1,457/mo · Income $59,388
Compare with Fruit Cove →Moving to Lakeside →
10 mi away · pop. 32,105
Rent $1,479/mo · Income $81,684
Compare with Fruit Cove →Moving to World Golf Village →
12 mi away · pop. 26,077
Rent $2,299/mo · Income $117,212
Compare with Fruit Cove →Not sure Fruit Cove is the one?
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