Fruit Cove is your place to be! Indigenous people lived in the area of Fruit Cove for thousands of years before Spanish and English settlers arrived in the 1700s. Fruit Cove FL remained largely undeveloped until the late 1800s, when Theophilus Wilson Moore bought the area and started planting orange trees on it. He named the area “Fruit Cove” after his orange crops.
The community then became known for its farmland and fruit production. Fruit Cove Florida is best known today for its landscapes and status as a quiet suburb of Jacksonville. The community is a census-designated place and a nice place to live, especially for families and retirees.
Many people are thinking about moving to Fruit Cove, and you should join them. But before you hit the road, you should read a little more about living in Fruit Cove. Here’s what you should know about this wonderful census-designated community.
Fruit Cove FL is in St. Johns County, as well as the Jacksonville metro area. It is a suburb of Jacksonville, and the community borders safe Jacksonville neighborhoods as well as St. Johns. Fruit Cove borders the St. Johns River to the east, and the community contains a few small lakes. It also borders the Julington Durbin Creek Nature Preserve and contains numerous parks and small green areas. Most of Fruit Cove is developed with compact culdesacs and paved roads, but the river and green areas give the community a rural aesthetic.
It is 24 miles from Jacksonville FL to Fruit Cove FL. Fruit Cove Florida does not have access to Jacksonville’s public transportation system, so most residents are car-dependent. State Road 13 runs through the community from north to south, so you can commute to work in Jacksonville using it. Race Track Road is the other major road in Fruit Cove FL and runs from west to east, intersecting with Road 13 at Julington Creek Plantation.
The population of Fruit Cove FL in 2020 was 32,143 people; this is up by 9.5% since 2010. The population in Fruit Cove doubled between 2000 and 2020. Fruit Cove Florida is one of the most popular communities in St. Johns County for families. 26.6% of residents are people under the age of 18, and the average household has 3.1 people in it. The community has a population density of 1,993.7 people per square mile.
Notable residents of Fruit Cove FL and the surrounding area include Tim Tebow, Mario Butler, and Micanopy. Fruit Cove demographics include:
Fruit Cove Florida is also popular amongst veterans. Three thousand two hundred forty-nine veterans live in the community, comprising roughly 13% of the population, which is 1.5 times higher than the state average. Fruit Cove is one of the most well-educated communities in the Jacksonville area; the rate of residents with bachelor’s degrees is 1.5 times higher than the state rate.
Fruit Cove is one of the safest communities in the Jacksonville area. Here are its latest crime rates:
The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office provides law enforcement services to Fruit Cove residents. The sheriff’s office employs 520 police officers and maintains an office in Fruit Cove.
You can use statistics for the cost of living in Jacksonville FL to determine the cost of living in Fruit Cove. Jacksonville has a cost of living index of 94.2, meaning that items on average cost 5.8% less than the national average. According to the Economic Policy Institute, a family of four would need to earn $79,124 a year to cover the cost of living in the Jacksonville area, including Fruit Cove Florida. Fruit Cove FL is an affordable place to live, especially if you have a full-time job and are living with a partner who is employed.
Fruit Cove FL real estate is also fairly affordable. According to Redfin, homes for sale Fruit Cove FL has a median sale price of $530,000 with a median cost per square foot of $230. According to RentCafe, the median cost of apartments in Fruit Cove Florida is $1,891 a month. You can find single-family homes, townhouses, and condos in Fruit Cove, giving you many options for places to live.
Source: Numbeo
*Expenses actually for Jacksonville
Fruit Cove Florida does not have formal neighborhoods; due to its small size and proximity to St Johns Florida, some people consider it to be a neighborhood of St. Johns. Despite its small size, the Fruit Cove Florida real estate market is sizable and diverse. 31 properties were sold in September 2023 alone, and you can find Fruit Cove FL homes for sale all over the city. Waterfront properties or homes close to St. Johns River tend to be more expensive than homes further away from the water. Four and five bedroom homes for sale in Fruit Cove FL, covering 3,000 square feet with water views can cost over $600,000. You can also buy a plot of land to build your own waterfront house on, but a lot of less than one acre can cost roughly $1 million.
Two and three bedroom townhouses covering 1,500 to 2,000 square feet cost around $300,000. Many townhouses were built within the last 20 years, and they have updated flooring, new carpets, and other modern features. Fruit Cove FL does not have many apartments, so townhouses are your best option for long-term affordable housing.
Fruit Cove FL has a subtropical climate with hot and humid summers and short but mild winters. July and August are the hottest months of the year, with an average high of 90 degrees and an average temperature of 82 degrees. January is the coldest month of the year, with an average temperature of 55 degrees and an average low of 47.
Though the summers are very warm, they are cloudier than other subtropical areas. 62% of days in July are overcast or mostly cloudy. April is the clearest month of the year, with 63% clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy days. The community receives 41.9 inches of rain a year, with August and September each receiving 5.1 inches.
Every day in July and August feels humid, muggy, oppressive, or miserable. Humidity levels rise rapidly in May and do not fall off substantially until early November.
October is the best month for visiting and moving to Fruit Cove Florida. The average temperature is 73 degrees, so you don’t need to bring a coat or scarf with you. 62% of days in October are clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy, so you can enjoy fall attractions without an umbrella or rainwear.
Fruit Cove FL is full of unique things to do, including family-friendly outdoor destinations and affordable yet quaint stores. Plantation Plaza is the main shopping mall in Fruit Cove. Its anchor is Publix Fruit Cove, and you can also find a Great Clips and various locally run stores. You can also go shopping at Julington Village, which also has a Publix Super Market.
San Juan Del Rio is a church that offers Sunday services and additional resources, including ministries for people with mental health issues. You and your family can enjoy Mass and other religious services in a casual and kid-friendly space.
1718 FL-13, Jacksonville, FL, 32259, 904-287-0519
Alpine Groves covers over 50 acres of land and contains unique butterfly gardens, historic homes and citrus sheds, and freshwater creeks. The park is dog-friendly and open for boating, fishing, and picnicking, and you can visit it year-round.
2060 FL-13, Switzerland, FL, 32259, 904-209-0333
Julington Creek Golf is an 18-hole golf course that has recently been renovated, so it contains new bunkers, reconstructed greens, and level tee boxes. The course also has an on-site beer lounge that serves top draught beers, including Stella Artois.
1111 Durbin Creek Boulevard, St. Johns, FL, 32259, 904-287-4653
The St Johns County Parks and Recreation Department maintains Fruit Cove parks and plans fun events, including parties, fun runs, and festivals. You can use the Parks and Recreation event calendar to see when the next events will be.
Fruit Cove FL may be small, but it has a diverse restaurant scene with eateries offering a wide range of experiences. You can enjoy numerous family-friendly and casual restaurants in Fruit Cove Florida, as well as more formal places for dates and meetings with clients.
Bella Vista Italian Restaurant is a classy and warm Italian restaurant that serves classic dishes like gnocchi, chicken parmesan, and pizza. The restaurant also provides a unique family-style dinner menu where you order appetizers, pasta, and entrees for the entire table to share, making it a great place to bring groups of guests.
540 FL-13, Fruit Cove, FL, 32259, 904-287-8317
Maple Street Biscuit Company is well known for its biscuit sandwiches and biscuits with gravy for breakfast. You can also order other breakfast staples like waffles, grits, and fried eggs in an upbeat and friendly setting.
1627 Race Track Road, Jacksonville, FL, 32259, 904-460-2483
Moon Dog serves pizza, stromboli, pasta, and salads in a cool and hip space. The restaurant offers various deals on food throughout the week, including 30% off on all strombolis and calzones on Mondays.
116 Bartram Oaks Walk, Fruit Cove, FL, 32259, 904-287-3633
Roughly 16,400 people have jobs in Fruit Cove Florida. The Fruit Cove economy is developing rapidly; the community added over 1,000 jobs between 2020 and 2021 alone. Finance and insurance is the largest job sector, followed by health care and professional services. All three job sectors have median earnings of over $140,000 a year.
Men in Fruit Cove earn a median salary of $81,476 a year, while women earn $42,707. Major employers in Fruit Cove and St. Johns County include St Johns County Schools, Flagler Health, and St. Johns County. You can apply for jobs in Fruit Cove using Indeed, and you can apply for St Johns County jobs using the county government’s website.
St. Johns County School District is the main school district in Fruit Cove. Fruit Cove contains three elementary schools and one middle school but no high schools. Your children can go to Julington Creek Elementary (JCE), Cunningham Creek Elementary, and Hickory Creek Elementary School. US News ranks Hickory Creek in the top 100 elementary schools in Florida.
Fruit Cove’s middle school is Switzerland Point Middle School. 87% of Switzerland Point students test at or above the proficiency level in mathematics, 30 percentage points above the state average. Bartram Trail High School is just outside the community and is well-known for its athletic programs and special academies, like the Information Technology Academy. 99% of students graduate on time in four years.
San Juan Del Rio Catholic School is the main private school in Fruit Cove. It offers pre-K and K-8 classes for students, and it has a long tradition of athletics, including cheerleading and cross country teams.
There are no major colleges and universities near Fruit Cove Florida. The Bartram Trail Branch of the St Johns County Library system is located in Fruit Cove FL. The library offers special events throughout the year, including movie screenings and book clubs.
You can also explore more Fruit Cove things to do, Fruit Cove restaurants, and homes for sale using this map of Fruit Cove.
Living in Fruit Cove is like living in luxury! You can enjoy safe streets, family-friendly attractions, and affordable yet luxurious homes for sale once you figure out moving to Fruit Cove.
The best way to move to this special community is to hire a team of professional movers in Fruit Cove. Skinner Moving has a team of 15 fully background checked employees who perform 2,000 relocations a year. Call 904-730-1545 for a free moving estimate today.
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