On a business trip or on a trip to Florida, you wonder for Jacksonville where the dangerous neighborhoods are and the best areas to stay.
The article that I present to you below and a guide to the neighborhoods of Jacksonville drawn up based on economic data, press articles, forums and web rankings and statistics. This is a synthesis of information which does not involve any judgment or discrimination since it is factual data.
I am also attaching in this article a Google Map which makes it easier to locate the dangerous neighborhoods and the best places to stay in Jacksonville.
Jacksonville dangerous city in 2024?
NO in 2024 Jacksonville is not a dangerous city. But it's not a safe city either (unlike cities like Lisbon, Prague, Madrid ou Dubai).
Indeed, in 2024 Jacksonville is not at the top of the table of the most dangerous cities in the United States. In the latest rankings of worldpopulationreview and Statistics, Jacksonville is not among the 10 most dangerous cities in the USA.
But it is still one of the 100 most dangerous American cities. According to the news4jax.com article, overall crime rate drops, but Jacksonville remains Florida's murder capital.
This is also confirmed by the ranking of the most criminal cities in North America where Jacksonville is the 26th most criminal city out of the 96 ranked cities.
According to Numbeo, Jacksonville has a crime index of 56.24 which is a high average. In comparison, in 2023 Jacksonville would be more criminal than Miami, Orlando, Honolulu ou Los Angeles.
Is Jacksonville safe for tourists?
YES provided you remain careful and avoid some dangerous neighborhoods as in all large American or European cities.
Indeed, in the tourist areas of Jacksonville, tourists are not at risk of being victims of a violent crime as in Los Cabos or to Rio de Janeiro. In fact, violent crimes are not directed against tourists because they are mostly related to drug trafficking and gang phenomena. However, as in all tourist areas, visitors to Jacksonville can be victims of theft, pickpocketing or scams.
Map of Jacksonville neighborhoods
Jacksonville has over 500 neighborhoods (list on Wikipedia) because Jacksonville also includes Duval County.
To put it simply, we will say that the main areas of Jacksonville are:
- Downtown which is downtown jacksonville
- north side north of downtown
- Arlington east of downtown
- Southside south across the river
- Westside west of downtown
- The beaches along the Atlantic coast
Here is a map that you can enlarge to locate the main neighborhoods of Jacksonville: https://maps.app.goo.gl/xrtYWZYRdPovh16S6
Most dangerous neighborhoods in Jacksonville
According to the latest statistics included in rankings such as Areavibes, Updradeshome, Neighborhoodscout, here are the most dangerous neighborhoods in Jacksonville:
- 29th and Chase
- East Jacksonville
- Mid Westside
- Springfield
- Moncrief Park
- Mixon Town
- Lacwanna
- newtown
- Midtown
- Allendale
You can locate these dangerous areas of Jacksonville on Google Maps by clicking on the links.
Is Downtown Jacksonville safe?
Downtown Jacksonville includes the districts of Brooklyn, LaVilla, Southbank, and Northbank. Less dangerous than the neighborhoods listed above, Downtown Jacksonville is still a neighborhood to avoid, especially at night. Indeed, as it is a business district, as soon as night falls, the area becomes deserted and less safe.
Jacksonville Beach dangerous?
No, according to the website crimegrade.org which gave it a C+ rating, which means that Jacksonville Beach's crime rate is the same as that of average American cities. And Yes, according to neighborhoodscout.com which explains:
« With a crime rate of 36 per thousand residents, Jacksonville Beach has one of the highest crime rates in America compared to any community of any size, from the smallest towns to the largest cities."
Faced with so many contradictions, we will see below which are the best areas of Jacksonville Beach to have a nice stay in a safe place. Recall that Jacksonville Beach includes Mayport, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach and Ponte Vedra Beach.
Best neighborhoods in Jacksonville
It's hard to say which are the best neighborhoods in Jacksonville because it depends on your tastes, your desires and the type of stay you are planning.
However, according to websites and real estate agencies, the best neighborhoods in Jacksonville would be:
- Saint Mark
- Southside
- Riverside
- Five points
- Deerwood
- Orange Park
- Jacksonville Beach
Where to stay in the city of Jacksonville?
Saint Mark is a nice little neighborhood that is located a few minutes from the city center. By staying in San Marco, you will have access to art galleries, pretty shops, bars and good restaurants. However, the hotel offer is not very wide in this area of San Marco.
So, if you are looking for a hotel in this area of Saint Mark, I recommend it DoubleTree by Hilton Jacksonville Riverfront.
Best Tourist Areas in Jacksonville
Away from the center of Jacksonville, on the ocean coast, several seaside resorts grouped under the name of JAX Beaches are the first tourist destinations of the city. Indeed, Jacksonville has 22 miles which represents 35 kilometers of white sand beaches that attract vacationers and surfers.
Among the JAX beaches, there are:
- Ponte Vedra Beach which is a very chic seaside resort with beautiful, fairly uncrowded beaches;
- Jacksonville Beach which is much more popular;
- Neptune Beach et Atlantic Beach which are quieter and more family seaside resorts.
Where to stay in JAX Beaches?
For a luxury stay in a quiet, sublime setting, surrounded by nature and far from the dangerous areas of Jacksonville, I recommend that you stay at Ponte Vedra Beach.
Here is a hotel located in Ponte Vedra Beach which has the advantage of being very close to the beach, the zoo and the shops: Hilton Garden Inn Jacksonville/Ponte Vedra
For a more lively stay, on the seafront to enjoy the beach and water sports, I recommend that you stay at Jacksonville Beach.
The hotel Courtyard by Marriott Jacksonville Beach Oceanfront is ideally located and has quality services:
