Moving from Illinois to St. Johns County — What to Expect
By Josh Rogers
Quick Answer: Illinois — particularly the Chicago metro area — sends a significant number of buyers to St. Johns County every year. The financial motivation is real: no Florida income tax, dramatically lower property taxes than Cook County, and escaping brutal Midwest winters. The adjustment involves adapting to Florida’s heat, more car-dependent living, and leaving behind one of the country’s great cities.
The Illinois to Florida Move: What’s Behind It
Illinois has been losing residents to warmer states for years. The combination of state income taxes, some of the highest property taxes in the country (particularly in Cook County and its suburbs), a pension funding crisis that creates ongoing fiscal uncertainty, and winters that go from November through April — all of this pushes buyers to consider relocation.
Florida has become one of the top destinations, and St. Johns County specifically has attracted buyers from the Chicago suburbs who want good schools, safe communities, newer construction, and a quality of life that doesn’t require wearing a coat six months out of the year.
The Financial Case
Income Tax
Illinois has a flat state income tax rate. Florida has none. For a household earning $150,000, moving from Illinois to Florida eliminates a real annual tax bill. That money stays in your pocket every year.
Property Taxes
Cook County property taxes are genuinely punishing. Homeowners in suburbs like Naperville, Schaumburg, and Downers Grove routinely pay $10,000–$20,000 or more per year in property taxes on homes in the $400,000–$700,000 range.
In St. Johns County, effective property tax rates run approximately 1.0%–1.4% of assessed value. On a $500,000 home, that’s roughly $5,000–$7,000 per year — and Florida’s Homestead Exemption can reduce it further once you establish primary residence.
The difference is meaningful. Many Illinois buyers find their annual property tax bill drops by $5,000–$10,000 or more, which often covers several months of mortgage payment.
Important note: communities with CDD fees in St. Johns County have an additional annual charge on the tax bill. Always verify the exact CDD fee for any specific home with the St. Johns County Tax Collector before making an offer.
Cost of Living
Generally, day-to-day costs in St. Johns County are comparable to or lower than Chicago’s suburbs. Dining, entertainment, and services are comparable. Utilities may run slightly higher in summer due to air conditioning load. Gas is typically lower.
Home prices — particularly for the size and newness of what you can buy — are dramatically more competitive than many Chicago suburbs when you factor in quality of construction and amenity level.
The Climate Change: Trading Winter for Summer
This is the trade-off that defines the Illinois-to-Florida move.
What You Gain
You gain escape from real winters. Chicago-area winters are no joke — extended cold, ice, heavy snow, gray skies from November through March or April. The psychological toll of that — and the physical cost of heating bills, car maintenance, and shoveling — is something most Illinois transplants say they dramatically underestimated when they lived there.
In St. Johns County, November through April is genuinely beautiful. Warm days, low humidity, evenings that require a light jacket at most. This is the payoff, and for most Illinois transplants, it delivers.
What You Adjust To
Florida summers are a genuine challenge for people coming from the Midwest. The heat itself is manageable — it’s the humidity that hits differently. July and August in St. Johns County are hot and humid. Afternoon outdoor activity essentially stops. Morning routines shift to accommodate weather.
Most Illinois transplants describe a full adjustment period of one to two summers before they feel truly comfortable. The vast majority say they would never go back. A small percentage miss the seasons enough that they consider the move a partial trade-off.
Lifestyle Differences
More Suburban, More Driving
Chicago is one of the few American cities with genuinely functional public transit. The L, Metra, and Pace system moves people around in ways most Florida communities cannot match. In St. Johns County, everything requires a car.
Buyers from Chicago’s urban core find this adjustment more pronounced than buyers who were already living in the far western suburbs of Naperville or Aurora, where car dependence was already the norm.
Community Character
St. Johns County’s master-planned communities have a strong community culture. Block parties, neighborhood events, casual neighborly relationships — this is a real feature of life in these communities.
For many Illinois buyers, this feels warmer and more connected than what they experienced in their Chicago-area neighborhood. For buyers who are more private by nature, it requires adjustment.
Outdoor Recreation
Florida’s outdoor lifestyle is genuinely different from Chicago’s. Kayaking, paddleboarding, fishing, trail running — these activities are built into daily life in a way that’s weather-limited in Illinois. For outdoors-oriented buyers, this is one of the strongest draws.
Schools
St. Johns County School District is one of the top-ranked in Florida and competes favorably with well-regarded Illinois suburban districts. For buyers coming from the Naperville or Hinsdale school systems, the comparison is competitive. For buyers from lower-performing Chicago-area districts, the contrast is significant.
School zones in St. Johns County are subject to change due to rapid growth. Always verify your specific address with the St. Johns County School District at stjohns.k12.fl.us/zoning/ before purchasing.
Communities That Work for Illinois Buyers
Nocatee — Well-established, strong amenity infrastructure, walkable within the community (though not in a city sense). Appeals to buyers who want things close to home.
RiverTown — Sits on the St. Johns River with genuine water access. For buyers who grew up around Lake Michigan and value water proximity, this resonates strongly.
Shearwater — Active outdoor community with a kayak launch, lazy river, and strong trail system. Appeals to Illinois buyers who were outdoors-active in the summer months.
Silverleaf — No CDD fees and strong school zoning. A good fit for buyers who want quality without the CDD overhead.
What Illinois Buyers Get Wrong
They underestimate how much they’ll miss Chicago’s food scene. Jacksonville’s restaurant scene has improved significantly and is genuinely good. But Chicago is a world-class food city. The honest answer is that St. Johns County’s dining options are solid — not Chicago-level. This is a real trade-off.
They expect the same seasonal rhythm. No football season in the cold, no summer festival energy that Chicago’s lakefront provides, no real “spring is here” feeling. The weather calendar is different, and social life organizes around it differently.
They assume mosquitoes and bugs are manageable. Florida’s insect population — particularly in the summer — is a legitimate lifestyle factor. Mosquitoes, palmetto bugs (large cockroaches that are common outdoors), and other bugs that are largely absent in Illinois are regular features of Florida life. Most people adjust. Few are prepared for it initially.
The Bottom Line
Illinois to St. Johns County is a financially motivated move that usually delivers what it promises: real tax savings, a warmer climate, good schools, and more house for the money. The lifestyle transition is genuine — Chicago’s urban culture, food scene, and transit infrastructure don’t have a local equivalent — but most transplants describe the move as one of the best decisions they’ve made.
If you want to think through whether the fit is right for your situation, reach out at StJohnsWithJosh.com/contact.
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