Camping, kayaking, surfing, runs along the river, all-terrain bicycling and fishing are just some of the outdoor activities that folks in Jacksonville enjoy.
The city’s wealth of outdoor offerings has landed it in a new list of the best places for outdoor enthusiasts to live and work.
Jacksonville was ranked No. 24 in the nation, just one spot below Honolulu, in a new report by SmartAsset, which is a financial technology company.
The company scored each city on a variety of factors:
- Percentage of the city that is parkland: 14.49% in Jacksonville
- Nature parks and campgrounds per 100,000 residents: 0.52 in Jacksonville
- Percent of commuters who walk or bike to work: 1.6% in Jacksonville
- July 2020 unemployment rate: 9.6% in Jacksonville
- Housing costs as a percent of income: 23.9% in Jacksonville
- Index (total score) for Jacksonville: 64.12%
Jacksonville has the nation’s largest park system, with more than 80,000 acres, according to Visit Jacksonville, including more than 400 parks in addition to three national parks and seven state parks.
Related: Jacksonville Parks, A 3-Day Explorer Guide (PDF brochure)
Duval County also has more shoreline than any other in the nation, with 22 miles of beaches and 1,100 miles of navigable water, according to Visit Jacksonville.
Seattle was ranked as the nation’s top city for outdoor enthusiasts to live and work.
Bill Bortzfield can be reached at bbortzfield@wjct.org or on Twitter at @BortzInJax.
