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Located southeast of Jacksonville, Florida, on the Atlantic coast, Ponte Vedra Beach offers miles of stunning oceanside vistas. Ponte Vedra Beach is a popular destination for golf enthusiasts, with world-renowned golf courses, one of which hosts a premier golf championship tournament. Many people ask whether Ponte Vedra Beach is a safe place to live and visit. Learn more about the Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, crime rate and what makes it one of the safer cities in the Sunshine State.

Ponte Vedra Beach Crime Statistics

According to a recent crime analytics report, Ponte Vedra Beach has a lower average crime rate than many other cities in Florida. Across the state, there are 2.59 violent crimes for every 1,000 people. This is lower than the national median of four per every 1,000 people. In Ponte Vedra Beach, the violent crime rate is just 0.35 per every 1,000 people. The crime data indicates that Ponte Vedra Beach has a very low violent crime rate.

In terms of property crimes, such as burglary, theft, or motor vehicle theft, Ponte Vedra Beach also has a lower score for reported crime compared to other places. Your chances of suffering a property crime in Ponte Vedra Beach is just one in 903, whereas your chances within the state of Florida on average is one in 64. On average, there are 1.11 incidents of property crime per every 1,000 people in Ponte Vedra Beach.

Additionally, there are only about two crimes per square mile in Ponte Vedra Beach, compared to 39 per square mile on average in Florida. When looking at crime rates in other cities in the United States, Ponte Vedra Beach is considered to be safer than 92% of cities across the country.

Ponte Vedra Beach Income and Employment Data

Ponte Vedra Beach has a population of more than 28,880 people. The majority of the city’s residents are 35 to 54 years old, making up 30.6% of the population, followed by people over 65 years old at 21.9% of the population. The median household income in Ponte Vedra Beach is $148,539, which is almost twice as much as the median household income across the United States at $75,149. Only 3.7% of residents in this area are below the poverty line.

The top industry for Ponte Vedra Beach employment is professional, scientific, and technical services, followed by finance and healthcare. 66.9% of residents in this area have a college degree. The data indicates that Ponte Vedra Beach residents are mostly older adults and senior citizens who have a higher level of wealth than most Americans.

Real Estate Costs in Ponte Vedra Beach

As a comparatively safe beach community, Ponte Vedra Beach is considered by many to be a desirable place to live. For this reason, the average cost of real estate in this area is relatively high. According to a recent real estate report, the median selling price for homes in 2024 was over $900,000. For a one-bedroom home, the median price was more than $245,000. For comparison, in the nearby city of Jacksonville East, the median selling price of homes was only about $350,000 in 2024.

Ponte Vedra Beach Safety Tips

While crime reports indicate that Ponte Vedra Beach is a safe place for tourists and residents, crime still happens. Avoid becoming a victim of crime by taking these steps to protect your personal safety and property.

• Always lock the doors to your home or vehicle.
• When staying at a hotel, store valuables in the hotel room’s safe.
• Do not walk while talking or looking at your phone.
• When walking at night, go as a group.
• Ensure that your phone is protected with a password or code.

FAQs

Q: Is Ponte Vedra a Safe Place to Live?

A: Yes, Ponte Vedra is a safe place to live, based on its crime reports. There are only 1.1 incidents of property crime per every 1,000 people in Ponte Vedra Beach, and your chances of being a victim of property crime are one in 903. Across Florida, you have a one-in-64 chance of being a victim of property crime. The violent crime rate is low as well, with a rate of 0.35 out of 1,000 people experiencing violent crimes.

Q: What Is the Number One Safest City in Florida?

A: The number one safest city in Florida is Marco Island, according to one report. Marco Island is a beachside community on the Gulf Coast of Florida, south of Naples. Ponte Vedra Beach is another safe city in Florida that has a low crime rate in terms of both violent crime and property crime. Despite both being safe cities, it is important to be aware of potential dangers, no matter where you visit or live in Florida.

Q: Which City Has the Lowest Crime Rate in FL?

A: The city with the lowest crime rate in Florida is Marco Island, which is known as the safest city in Florida. Sunny Isles Beach, Doral, Kissimmee, and Largo also make the list of the top five safest cities in Florida. On the other end of the spectrum, Jacksonville is one of the cities with the highest crime rates in Florida, according to FBI data. The FBI reports that there were over 30,000 incidents of property crime in Jacksonville.

Q: Is California or Florida Safer?

A: Whether California or Florida is safer depends on the type of crime being compared. In terms of murder rates, California is safer than Florida. The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control, or CDC, indicates that there were 7.4 homicides per 100,000 people in Florida in 2021, whereas California only had 6.4 per 100,000 people. Florida has ranked higher in murder rates than California since 2014.

Ponte Vedra Beach’s Trusted Criminal Defense Attorney

Kevin A. Raudt, P.A., is a criminal defense attorney serving clients in Ponte Vedra Beach and other areas in Florida. He provides legal defense for a wide range of cases, including DUI, domestic violence, and other misdemeanor or felony cases. Contact the law office of Kevin A. Raudt, P.A., today to request a consultation.