JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The News4JAX I-TEAM continues to hear from people about rising rents throughout the Jacksonville metro area. So, we wanted to take a look at the ZIP codes with the highest rent increase over the past year, and the one ZIP code where the rent has actually decreased.
The median rent jumped by 61% in one part of Arlington, according to data released from Renthub.com, comparing rent in December 2021 to one year earlier. If you’ve been following our reporting on this issue you know there is a housing shortage throughout our state, and more and more people are moving to Florida.
According to real estate professionals, out-of-state investors are mostly to blame.
Luann Brown is a real estate closer.
“I have people that come in and the rents are going up $300-$400 per month,” Brown said.
The News4JAX I-TEAM caught up with Brown in the 32211 ZIP code in Arlington. It’s where the median rent has increased 61% in the just a year. The median rent right now in 32211 is $1,500, according to the latest data from Renthub.com.
“And one of the big problems is, is that we have a lot of investors that live up north that are buying our homes, our apartment buildings, our duplexes and quadruplexes down here,” Brown said. “And they’re raising the rents so high that landlords feel that they can get on board. Oh, they’re going to get $1,200 and $1,300, then why can’t I?”
The ZIP code 32208, which encompasses a large portion of North Jacksonville, experienced the second highest rent increase of nearly 39%. People are paying on average $1,320, for their monthly rent.
In the ZIP code 32224, just east of the St. Johns Town Center, rent has increased nearly 38% with a median rent of $1,975 dollars
And in the ZIP code 32250 in Jacksonville beach, it’s seeing a 34% price hike, and a median rent of $2,550 dollars.
RELATED: Jacksonville tenants left feeling powerless as rental costs skyrocket | Don’t be the next victim of a rental rip-off | Florida renters scramble for shelter as affordable housing erodes | Florida bill would let renters pay monthly fees instead of security deposits
Jacksonville resident Rita Skinner asked, ″How are they going to make that payment? I mean that’s outrageous you can’t make that.”
Renters in ZIP code 32210 saw the fifth-highest rent increase by percentage in the Jacksonville metro area, at nearly 33%, and a median monthly payment of $1,625.
One ZIP code, 32207, actually saw a decrease in the median rent over the past year, dropping a little more than 5%. The median rent there now is $1,515 a month.