It’s been an eventful decade for Jacksonville.
The city experienced growth both in its population and in the form of dozens of major development projects. It moved closer to achieving the long-awaited revitalization of downtown and toward forming a city-wide identity.
The Coastal began publishing in December 2015, so we were around for just under half of the decade. But to honor the 2010s in Jax, we put together our collection of what we believe to be the biggest stories in Jacksonville from the past decade.
Check out our list below and be sure to let us know your thoughts on the decade’s most important events.
The 2010s were a decade of growth for the city’s population, as Jax added over 80,000 new residents within the past ten years and currently ranks as one of the country’s fastest-growing cities.
Much of the growth has been driven by the city’s relatively strong job market, with financial and technology jobs in particularly high supply. That combined with a low cost of living and the construction of thousands of new apartment units throughout the decade have made the city a new hotspot for millennials looking to start their careers.
Tourists seem to be coming to the city more often as well. Hotel occupancy is up, and Jacksonville International Airport experienced record-breaking traffic last year.
With many more housing developments under construction and the potential of several neighborhoods finally beginning to be realized, look for population growth to continue as a big trend throughout the ‘20s.