St. Johns County recorded 718 eviction filings in 2025, its highest annual total since at least 2019, according to data from the University of Florida’s Shimberg Center for Housing Studies.
The 2025 figure was the fifth consecutive annual increase in filings. The data tracks eviction filings, which are court cases initiated by landlords and do not necessarily indicate that every filing resulted in an eviction.
Filings have risen since 2020
St. Johns County had 499 eviction filings in 2019. The total dropped to 292 in 2020, when pandemic-era eviction protections and rental-assistance programs were in place, then rose to 341 in 2021.
Annual filings continued upward afterward: 502 in 2022, 584 in 2023, 657 in 2024 and 718 in 2025.
Anne Ray, manager of the Florida Housing Data Clearinghouse at UF’s Shimberg Center, said the trend reflects the gap between household incomes and housing costs. She said some workers may be unable to afford rents near their jobs and can face additional costs when they move farther away.
Regional affordability pressure
St. Johns County’s eviction rate remained below Florida’s statewide average and well below neighboring Duval County’s rate, according to the UF data. Still, the increase in filings points to continued affordability pressure for some county households.
Duval County recorded 15,026 eviction filings in 2025, up 9% from 2024, and had the state’s highest eviction rate, the data shows. Duval has a substantially larger renter population than St. Johns County.
Housing and transportation expenses can be connected when workers seek less-expensive homes farther from employment centers, Ray said, adding that communities need a range of housing options near jobs.