Charleston, or Jacksonville and the Beaches? Two southern coasts, side by side.
Charleston and Mount Pleasant on one side, Jacksonville, the beach towns and Ponte Vedra on the other: two growing metros about four hours apart on I-95 that draw many of the same buyers. Each wins some lines clearly. Here they are, from each state’s and agency’s own numbers.
By Krista Fracke — Broker Associate, Christie's International Real Estate First Coast · 20+ years in Northeast Florida · 500+ closings · client reviews
The market right now: 577 single-family homes are currently for sale in Ponte Vedra Beach, Nocatee and the Jacksonville beaches, with a median asking price of $800,000. See Ponte Vedra Beach homes for sale →
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Taxes: each state wins a different line
Florida has no state income tax and no annual property tax on cars. South Carolina taxes income (1.99 percent under $30,000 and 5.21 percent above, from 2026) and bills an annual county tax on vehicles. South Carolina, though, is much lighter on the house you live in: a legal residence is assessed at 4 percent of market value instead of 6, and it is exempt from school operating millage.
As an illustration from each county’s published millage, not a quote: a $590,000 primary home in Mount Pleasant works out to roughly $2,000 a year in property tax, about 0.34 percent of value, while a $548,000 homesteaded home in unincorporated St. Johns County works out to roughly $6,800 in its first year, about 1.25 percent, before any district charges. A second home in South Carolina is assessed at 6 percent and pays the school millage, and both states reset the assessment when a home sells.
| Charleston / Mount Pleasant, SC | Jacksonville / Beaches / Ponte Vedra, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| State income tax (2026) | 1.99% under $30,000; 5.21% above (minus $966) | None |
| Tax on your home | Legal residence assessed at 4%; no school operating millage | Homestead exemption up to $50,000; school millage applies |
| Cap on assessment growth | 15% over 5 years | 3% a year or inflation (Save Our Homes) |
| Your car | Annual county vehicle property tax | No property tax on vehicles |
| Median home value (2024) | Charleston County $590,200; Berkeley $356,000; Dorchester $359,300 | St. Johns $547,600; Duval $333,700; Nassau $418,700 |
| Median household income (2024) | Charleston County $93,911 | St. Johns $116,421; Duval $73,708 |
| January low / July high | 38.9° / 91.3° | 42.9° / 91.9° |
| People moving in from other states, 2024–25 | Charleston metro +9,911 | Jacksonville metro +17,360 (St. Johns County +12,549) |
Sources: SC Department of Revenue (H.4216), Charleston County Auditor and FAQ, SC Code 12-37-220 and 12-37-3140, Florida Constitution Art. VII, Fla. Stat. 193.155 and 196.031, FL DOR PT-113, St. Johns County Property Appraiser, Census ACS 2024 1-year (B25077, B19013) and Vintage 2025 estimates, NOAA 1991–2020 normals (Charleston Intl, Jacksonville Intl). Not tax advice.
Beaches, airports and hospitals
Charleston’s beaches sit close to town: Sullivan’s Island is about 15 minutes from Mount Pleasant and Isle of Palms about 20. In Jacksonville the beach towns and Ponte Vedra are their own places on the ocean, about half an hour from downtown, so the choice is less about the drive and more about which side of the Intracoastal you live on.
Jacksonville International handles more than seven million passengers a year and has a daily Air Canada nonstop to Toronto; Charleston International lists 57 nonstop destinations, with Cancún its one international route. For care, Charleston has MUSC Health, the Medical University of South Carolina’s system with a Level I trauma center and an NCI-designated cancer center; Jacksonville has Mayo Clinic Florida, UF Health’s Level I adult and pediatric trauma center, and the Baptist Health system. Airports near Ponte Vedra Beach →
Tides and storms
Charleston floods at high tide more often. NOAA’s counts of days above the minor flood threshold ran 13 to 17 a year at the Charleston gauge from 2019 to 2023, against 4 to 8 at Mayport, though Charleston’s 2025–26 count was its lowest since 2018. Both coasts took the same recent storms: Matthew in 2016 made landfall in South Carolina and set a record water level at Mayport, and Irma in 2017 flooded along both the Charleston harbor and the St. Johns River.
South Carolina covers coastal wind through its Wind and Hail Underwriting Association for owners who can’t find private coverage; Florida’s counterpart is Citizens Property Insurance. Get a flood zone and a quote for each home before you compare prices. Ponte Vedra Beach hurricane history →
The part nobody tells you
South Carolina’s low property tax belongs to the primary home, and you have to apply for it. A Charleston-area second home is taxed at 6 percent with school millage, and the annual car tax and the income tax run every year. For a household that lives here full time with a large income, Florida usually comes out ahead; for a retiree with a modest income and an expensive house, South Carolina can. Run your own numbers before deciding.
This is the work I do every week. Weighing Charleston against Jacksonville? Send me your shortlist there and how you’ll use the home. I’ll set the First Coast homes beside it: tax bill, insurance, drive to the beach and the airport.
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Broker Associate · Christie's International Real Estate First Coast · 20+ years · 500+ closings
Common questions
Is Charleston or Jacksonville cheaper to live in?
It depends on the line. Florida has no income tax and no car tax; South Carolina taxes a primary home far more lightly. On published millage, a $590,000 Mount Pleasant primary home pays roughly $2,000 a year in property tax, while a $548,000 homesteaded home in St. Johns County pays roughly $6,800. Median home values are higher in Charleston County ($590,200) than in Duval ($333,700) and close to St. Johns ($547,600).
Does Charleston flood more than Jacksonville?
At high tide, yes. NOAA counted 13 to 17 high-tide flood days a year at the Charleston gauge from 2019 to 2023, against 4 to 8 at Mayport.
Which is warmer in winter, Charleston or Jacksonville?
Jacksonville. NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals put the January low at 42.9° at Jacksonville International and 38.9° at Charleston International.
Does South Carolina tax cars every year?
Yes. South Carolina counties bill an annual property tax on vehicles, paid before the plates renew. Florida charges no property tax on vehicles.
Florida tax math for a new resident →
Homestead and Save Our Homes in the first year.
The three Jacksonville beach towns →
Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach compared.
St. Johns vs Duval property taxes →
The county line, on the tax bill.
Bluffton and Hilton Head vs Nocatee →
The Lowcountry against the First Coast.
Want both cities compared on your numbers?
Your income, your shortlist and how you’ll use the home. I’ll run the Florida side line by line.