Quality of life in Jacksonville

Jacksonville arguably occupies one of the most coveted spots on the Atlantic coast. The city is located in the Northeast Florida region, about 25 miles (40 km) south of the Georgia state line and about 340 miles (547 km) north of Miami. Set amongst abundant beaches and possessing an ideal subtropical climate, its crown jewel is the unique habitat and natural beauty of the St. Johns River. For this reason "The River City" is a popular nickname associated with Jacksonville. It is also the westernmost city on the Eastern Seaboard.

Jacksonville is the largest city proper in Florida and largest city, by area, in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968. Consolidation gave Jacksonville its great size and placed most of its metropolitan population within the city limits; with a population of 827,908, it is the most populous city in Florida, and the eleventh most populous in the United States. Jacksonville is the principal city in the Greater Jacksonville Metropolitan Area, with a population of 1,345,596 in 2010.

Simply put, Jacksonville is an authentic Florida city. It's economy is diversified and not wholly based in tourism. Harbor improvements since the late 19th century have made Jacksonville a major military and civilian deep-water port. Its river line location facilitates two U.S. Navy bases and the Port of Jacksonville, Florida's third largest seaport. Significant factors in the local economy include services such as banking, insurance, healthcare and logistics. As with much of Florida, tourism is also important to the Jacksonville area, particularly in regards to historical, cultural and environmental assets. Once holding the distinctions of Insurance Capital of the South and Winter Film Capital of the World, not to mention currently housing a formidable financial industry, this underrated cosmopolitan city is a composite of northern aesthetics and southern charm. In combination with rich architectural diversity, influential African-American ancestry, and substantial musical contributions, Jacksonville has garnered international appeal for its relatively small piece of the world. Jacksonville was listed as a "High sufficiency" world city in the World Cities Study Group's inventory. It ranks alongside cities such as Salt Lake City and Las Vegas.