Duval County, Florida Eviction Risk: Low

Duval County scores 3.4/10 (Low) on average across its 5 tracked cities, placing it at rank 31 of 67 Florida eviction laws counties, meaning 30 counties carry more eviction risk and 36 are more landlord-friendly. For investors, that middle-of-the-pack position in Florida translates to an operating environment that is neither highly contentious nor unusually forgiving. Renter share sits at 41.8% of households, and average rent runs $1,484 per month, with renters devoting an average of 32.7% of income to housing, a burden level that signals moderate payment stress in some segments of the portfolio but nothing extreme.

The county's internal range, 3.4 to 3.8, tells a more nuanced story. Jacksonville, by far the dominant market with a population of 977,670, anchors the low end at 3.4/10. The smaller beach communities push meaningfully higher. Landlords evaluating Duval County should weigh that spread carefully: the county average flatters some submarkets and understates conditions in others.

The cities inside Duval County

Atlantic Beach carries the highest risk reading in the county at 3.8/10, with a population of 13,363. Baldwin follows closely at 3.7/10 (population 1,298), and Jacksonville Beach comes in at 3.7/10 (population 23,654). These three communities sit noticeably above the county average, a reminder that eviction risk in Duval County is hyper-local. A landlord operating in Atlantic Beach faces a materially different risk profile than one operating a few miles inland.

Neptune Beach scores 3.5/10 (population 7,168), and Jacksonville itself is the most landlord-favorable market in the county at 3.4/10. Given Jacksonville's scale, investors focused on volume tend to find the most predictable conditions there. Smaller beach markets involve tighter tenant pools and, as the scores reflect, moderately higher structural risk.

State-level laws that apply here

All residential tenancies in Duval County operate under Fla. Stat. § 83 Part II (Residential Tenancies). Florida eviction laws's notice structure is landlord-favorable compared to many states: non-payment of rent requires just a 3-day notice under Fla. Stat. § 83.56(3), curable lease violations carry a 7-day cure notice, and month-to-month terminations require 15 days. Squatter situations involving no rental agreement are governed by Fla. Stat. § 82.036 (HB-621, 2024), which allows removal without any notice period. Understanding the full Florida eviction laws eviction process is essential before serving any notice, as procedural errors restart the clock. Florida eviction laws does not require just cause for non-renewal, and state law preempts any local rent control ordinance outside a declared housing emergency under FL Stat § 125.0103.

Cost is where landlords in Duval County should plan carefully. Court filing fees run $185 to $400, sheriff lockout fees add $90 to $175, and attorney fees for a contested matter typically range from $750 to $3,500. Uncontested cases resolve in 20 to 30 days; contested matters stretch to 45 to 110 days. Reviewing Florida eviction costs before a tenancy begins helps landlords build realistic reserve assumptions. On security deposits, Florida eviction laws source-of-income protection is not required, and the state does not impose rent caps. Full details on Florida security deposit limits are governed at the state level with no local override.

With a poverty rate of 14.6% and renters making up 41.8% of Duval County households, economic vulnerability is real in certain submarkets, making city-level scores in the grid above a better guide to actual operating conditions than the county average alone.