Moving to St. Augustine: three different places share the name.
St. Augustine is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city in the United States, and the postcard is accurate. What the postcard leaves out is that the name covers three different ways to live: the historic city and its old neighborhoods, Anastasia Island and the beaches across the bridge, and the newer communities strung inland along I-95 and US-1 that share the mailing address and nothing else. I’m Krista Fracke, and this page is how I sort buyers among the three.
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: 2,050 homes are currently for sale in St. Augustine, with a median asking price of $450,000. St. Augustine homes for sale →
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The three St. Augustines
The historic city is the walkable core: the district, Lincolnville, the neighborhoods around Flagler College and the bayfront. Homes are old, lots are small, character is the product, and so are the roof, the electrical and the flood questions that come with a century of storms.
Across the Bridge of Lions, Anastasia Island and St. Augustine Beach are their own places, with the beach as the daily fact and a separate municipality at St. Augustine Beach. Inland, World Golf Village, Palencia and the newer master-planned communities carry a St. Augustine address on the map and a commuter’s life in practice: newer homes, amenity centers, district assessments and a drive to everything.
See all photosWhat daily life runs on
Tourism. The historic core runs on it, and residents plan around it: the peak-season traffic on the bayfront and A1A, the weekend parking, the events that fill the district. People who love living downtown treat the visitors as part of the texture. People who do not usually end up on the island or inland.
The inland communities run on the same master-planned logic as the rest of St. Johns County: amenity engines, HOA standards and, in most cases, a CDD line on the tax bill. The county CDD page linked below lists which carry one.
See all photosOld houses, water and insurance
Downtown and the island have flooded in named storms within recent memory, and insurers price the historic core and the coast accordingly. Roof age, elevation and flood zone drive the quote more than the purchase price does. On any older home here I want the roof date, the elevation certificate and the flood history before an offer. The Reality Check on every listing on this site shows the flood and evacuation zones up front.
The commute
A large share of St. Augustine households work in Jacksonville, and I-95 is the daily road. From the inland communities it is a normal commute; from the island or downtown it is a longer one that people choose for the way they live the rest of the day. Drive it at your hour before you decide, and remember that the bridge and the bayfront add time in season.
Schools
St. Augustine sits in the St. Johns County school district, one county-wide system that assigns homes by attendance zone and revises zones as it builds. Verify the zoning for the specific address rather than assuming by neighborhood; my school pages show the homes currently zoned to each school.
The honest cons
Every place worth living in has them. These are the ones I make sure my own buyers weigh before they commit — not after.
Season changes the city
Peak-season traffic, parking and crowds in the historic core are real for residents, not just visitors. If that would wear on you, the island and the inland communities are the answer.
Old means old
The historic neighborhoods carry older roofs, wiring, plumbing and foundations, and the inspections and insurance quotes that come with them.
Flood history is part of the address
Parts of downtown and the island have flooded in named storms. Elevation and flood zone decide more about a home’s cost and resale here than in most of the county.
The address can mislead
A "St. Augustine" mailing address reaches far inland. Some homes with the name are a long drive from the district and the beach; check the map before you pay for the postcard.
The part nobody tells you
The historic core and the island are a small market with more buyers than houses, and the good ones sell to people who already know the streets. Most of the "St. Augustine" inventory a relocating buyer sees online is inland, in communities that are fine on their own terms and nothing like the city they were picturing. Decide which of the three St. Augustines you mean before you search, and I will tell you what each actually costs to own.
This is the work I do every week. Moving to St. Augustine? Tell me which of the three you are picturing and what your week looks like, and I will show you what is really available there and what it costs to own, flood zone and roof age included. No sign-up to search.
Work with Krista (904) 333-8595 Text
Broker Associate · Christie's International Real Estate First Coast · 20+ years · 500+ closings
Common questions
Is St. Augustine a good place to live?
For people who want history, walkability and the coast, the core and the island are unlike anywhere else in Florida. The trade-offs are tourist season, old-house maintenance and flood-driven insurance. The inland communities offer a newer, quieter version with a commute.
What is the difference between St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach?
St. Augustine is the historic city on the mainland. St. Augustine Beach is a separate municipality on Anastasia Island across the Bridge of Lions, with the beach as its daily fact. Different governments, different flood pictures, different prices.
Does St. Augustine flood?
Parts of downtown and the island have flooded in named storms in recent years. Flood zone, elevation and a home’s specific history decide its insurance and resale, which is why I check them before an offer on any older home here.
Can I commute from St. Augustine to Jacksonville?
Many people do, on I-95. From the inland communities it is an everyday commute; from the island or downtown it is longer, and season adds time on the bridge and bayfront. Drive it at your hour before deciding.
St. Johns County CDD fees →
Which of the inland communities carry a district assessment.
St. Augustine hurricane history →
The named storms and what they did to the city.
World Golf Village guide →
The largest of the inland communities.
Moving to Florida: the tax math →
What replaces state income tax once you own here.
St. Augustine flood zones by neighborhood →
Which streets carry the risk, from the live data.
Anastasia Island, the guide →
Davis Shores to Summer Haven.
ZIP 32084: the city →
Every home in the historic city’s ZIP, live.
ZIP 32080: the island and the beach →
Davis Shores to Crescent Beach, live.
Want the version of this page for YOUR situation?
Tell me your budget and what your week looks like — I’ll tell you honestly whether St. Augustine fits, and where in it to look first.
The Southern St. Johns County hub
South of the city: St. Augustine Shores, St. Augustine South, the Old Moultrie fabric, and the SR-207 corridor to Elkton and Hastings, where the county’s value market and its land market meet.
Neighborhoods
SR-207 and the land
What your budget buys