St. Johns County CDD fees: the map nobody gives you.
Most of this county’s big master-planned communities carry a Community Development District assessment — a separate line on your tax bill that the portals barely mention. Here’s which communities have one, which famously don’t, and how to get the real number for a specific home.
Why St. Johns County is CDD country
A CDD is a special-purpose government district that issues bonds to build a community’s infrastructure and amenities up front — then residents repay those bonds, plus ongoing upkeep, through an annual assessment on the county tax bill. It’s the financing model behind almost every big master plan built here in the last 25 years, and it’s why communities like Nocatee and Palencia opened with resort pools, trails, and amenity centers finished on day one. Two rules to keep straight: the assessment is never part of your HOA dues, and it has two components — bond debt (which amortizes and can be prepaid) and operations & maintenance (which continues as long as the amenities do).
The CDD communities
| Community | District |
|---|---|
| Nocatee | Tolomato CDDthe county’s largest — full breakdown below |
| Palencia | Marshall Creek + Sweetwater Creek CDDs≈$3,000–$4,930/yr per the FY 2025–26 adopted budgets |
| Julington Creek Plantation | Julington Creek Plantation CDD |
| Shearwater | Trout Creek CDD≈$2,300–$2,900/yr per the FY 2025–26 adopted budget |
| RiverTown | RiverTown CDD |
| Durbin Crossing | Durbin Crossing CDD |
| Aberdeen | Aberdeen CDD |
| TrailMark | Six Mile Creek CDD |
| Murabella | Murabella CDD |
| Beachwalk | Twin Creeks development district |
| Beacon Lake | Meadow View at Twin Creeks CDD |
| St. Johns Forest | St. Johns Forest CDD |
District names from official district records; assessment ranges cited only where a district’s adopted FY 2025–26 budget publishes them. Every district sets its own schedule by neighborhood and lot — the county tax record shows the exact figure for any specific home.
The famous exception: SilverLeaf
SilverLeaf was deliberately built without a CDD — “no CDD fees” is one of its core selling points, and for payment-sensitive buyers it can mean meaningful monthly savings versus a comparable CDD community. Julington Lakes is the Racetrack Road corridor’s no-CDD standout — Toll Brothers, gated, and district-free on a corridor where its neighbors all carry an assessment. The honest trade-off: communities that carried the bonds got their full amenity networks on opening day. Which side of that trade fits you is a real decision, not a default.
The per-home detail that changes the math
The bond portion of a CDD assessment can be prepaid — so two identical homes on the same street can carry different bills, and the listing usually won’t tell you. Only the county record shows it. I pull the exact CDD line, bond payoff status, and HOA dues for every home my buyers consider in a CDD community.
Community deep-dives
Common questions
Which St. Johns County communities have no CDD?
SilverLeaf is the headline answer — its developer deliberately built without a CDD, and “no CDD fees” is one of its core selling points. Beyond that, most established (pre-master-plan) neighborhoods and rural streets across the county carry no district assessment. The trade-off is real in both directions: CDD communities got their amenity networks built on day one; no-CDD communities either have fewer shared amenities or fund them through the HOA.
Are CDD fees worth it?
It depends on whether you use what they built. The assessment is why communities like Nocatee and Palencia opened with resort pools, trails, and amenity centers already finished instead of promised. If that network is your lifestyle, the math often works; if you would not use it, a no-CDD community may serve you better. There is no universal answer — which is exactly why the number belongs in your monthly math before you offer, not after.
How do I find the exact CDD amount for a specific home?
The county tax record shows the true assessment for each individual parcel — and it can differ from the neighbor’s identical floor plan, because the bond portion can be partially or fully prepaid by a previous owner. Listings rarely disclose this. I pull the county record — the CDD line, the bond payoff status, and the HOA dues — for every home my buyers consider in a CDD community.
Comparing a CDD community against a no-CDD one?
That comparison only works with real numbers on both sides. Give me the two homes — I’ll pull the CDD, HOA, and tax lines for each and put the true monthly costs side by side.