Side-by-side comparison of St. Petersburg, FL and Jacksonville, FL — cap rates, rent, prices, and investment metrics.
Cash flow: St. Petersburg has the edge with an estimated cap rate of 3.86% compared to Jacksonville's 3.76%. Neither city passes the 1% rule outright, so deal sourcing and value-add strategies become more important. Median home prices are $355,000 in St. Petersburg vs $310,000 in Jacksonville, while rents come in at $1,700/mo and $1,480/mo respectively.
Growth & appreciation: Jacksonville is growing faster at 1.7% annually vs St. Petersburg's 1.4%. St. Petersburg leads on home value appreciation at 4.1% per year. Strong population growth typically translates to sustained rental demand and long-term price support.
Costs & risk: Property taxes are 0.82% in St. Petersburg vs 0.86% in Jacksonville. Vacancy rates of 4.7% and 5.4% are both healthy, suggesting strong tenant demand in both markets.
Bottom line: St. Petersburg edges out Jacksonville on most key metrics. While cap rates are moderate at 3.86%, St. Petersburg's overall profile is stronger. Use our free calculators to model specific deals in St. Petersburg or Jacksonville.