St. Johns County gained $4.54 billion more in income from newcomers than it lost from departures between 2019 and 2023. The figure comes from a Miami Association of Realtors analysis of Internal Revenue Service tax-return data published in March.

The study tracked tax filers whose addresses changed and compared the adjusted gross income reported by households arriving in St. Johns County with that of households leaving. Residents who stayed put were not counted.

Net income growth peaked before declining

The net inflow grew before tapering. St. Johns County added $600 million in net income in 2019, $930 million in 2020, $1.06 billion in 2021 and $1.12 billion in 2022 before dropping to $830 million in 2023, according to the report.

That placed the county 13th among all U.S. counties for net income gained through domestic migration over the five-year period.

Florida led all states in migration income

Florida as a whole led every state, drawing $137 billion in net income from newcomers. The average adjusted gross income of tax filers who moved to Florida from another state in 2023 was $122,530, the highest of any state, the report found.

Population surge tracks with income gains

The money trail tracks with rapid population growth. St. Johns County reached an estimated 346,328 residents in 2025 after adding roughly 13,000 people, a 3.9% jump in a single year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The county's population has grown more than 50% since 2015, St. Johns Citizen reported.

That wave of higher-earning households creates greater demand for housing, restaurants, retail and professional services across St. Johns County, according to St. Johns Citizen.

Housing affordability lags for existing residents

But the same influx squeezes residents whose wages have not kept pace. In January 2026, the median single-family home price in St. Johns County was $546,500, and the county's Home Affordability Index stood at 62.5, the lowest in Northeast Florida, according to Northeast Florida Association of Realtors data reported by the Jacksonville Daily Record. An index below 100 means the typical household cannot comfortably afford the typical home. Across the Northeast Florida region, the index has been below that threshold since 2022.

County official points to housing efforts

Christine Valliere, St. Johns County's economic development director, addressed related pressures at the JAXUSA State of the Region event on Feb. 13. "Our focus remains solid … expanding business opportunity, developing local talent, fostering affordable and workforce housing opportunities, and investing in infrastructure that strengthens long-term competitiveness," Valliere said at the event.

No county hearing or policy action is scheduled in response to the Miami Association of Realtors report.