Bronson-Mulholland House · National Register of Historic Places
Palatka’s story
205 years in pictures
11 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1821Palatka is settled
PalatkaFL
A town of 10,650, settled in 1821. A typical home worth about $211K.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Excel23 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
10,650
−1.1% since 2010
Typical home
$211K
+1.1% in a year
Household income
$32K
median
Median age
35.3
years
Jobs based here
8,111
A job hub
What makes Palatka stand out
The 3 things Palatka does most differently from other towns.
$211Ktypical home
Housing
$211K typical home
44% below the FL typical home
Up 1.1% in a year.
8,111jobs here
Work
8,111 jobs
based in Palatka, a regional job hub
22% of working residents work in town.
100 U.S. towns● Palatka
Health
95% of U.S. towns are healthier
on CDC estimates
Better than FL on 2 measures, worse on 17.
College town
Saint Johns River State College calls Palatka home
College Scorecard · IPEDS
Palatka’s report card
Housing$211K44% below the FL typical homeCommute29 miHalf of commuters travel lessHealthD−Healthier than 5% of U.S. townsSchoolsDBeats 14% of FL districtsOutdoors7 mi#154 for trails in FLSafetyDLess crime than 10% of U.S. townsClimate92°/45°Summer high · winter lowHazards60/100High risk of storm & flood damage
Now in Palatka
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Palatka is #632 of 635 in FL for “Highest income”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Palatka’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →68°
Clear
H 0° · L 62°
Local news
All →- Putnam Legal Notices 091926Palatka Daily News · Sep 19
- Mom’s and Pop’s Soul Food and Seafood Coming to PalatkaWhatNow · Aug 13
- Churches, other nonprofits no longer exempt from full fire feePalatka Daily News · Jul 27
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Palatka. Another town gets a different order.
Housing
A typical Palatka home is worth about $211K
The typical Palatka home is worth about $211,000, up 1.1% in a year, 44% below the Florida typical home.
$211KZillow home value
Typical home value
Palatka$211K
Florida$376K
Market temperature
64
days on market
97.7%
sale-to-list price
+1.1%
value change, 1 year
10
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Work & commute
About one in five working residents works right in Palatka
About one in 5 of Palatka’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Jacksonville (9%), Daytona Beach (3%) and St. Augustine (2%). Half commute less than 29 miles.
22%work in town
Where working residents work
In Palatka22%
Jacksonville9%
Daytona Beach3%
St. Augustine2%
Gainesville2%
29 mi
median commute distance
8,111
jobs based in Palatka
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Health
Healthier than 5% of U.S. towns
Palatka beats the Florida average on 2 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 17.
D−Health Grade
26 measures vs. Florida
2 better7 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | Palatka | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.5% | 14.6% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 8.2% | 9.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 29.4% | 12.7% |
Hca Florida Putnam Hospital
1.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
4th
percentile among FL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Schools
Palatka’s public schools outperform 14% of Florida districts
The public schools Palatka’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 86% of Florida’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
DSchool Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kelley Smith Elementary School | K–6 | 776 | B+ |
| William D. Moseley Elementary School | K–6 | 558 | D |
| School of the Heights Private | PK–6 | 157 | |
| Putnam Academy of Arts and Sciences | 6–8 | 192 | B− |
| Palatka Jr. - Sr. High School | 7–12 | 1,568 | D |
| Mellon Learning Center | PK–12 | 297 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduationAll 11 schools →
Outdoors
3.4% of Palatka is conserved land
7.1 miles of trails across 8 parks and preserves.
#154for trails in FL
3.4%
conserved · 216 of 6,403 acres
7.1 mi
of trails · 0.7 per sq mi
#266
most conserved land in FL
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ravine Gardens State Park | 2.3 mi | 59 |
| 2. Bryan Park | 0.3 mi | 3 |
| 3. Moseley Ball Park | — | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 10% of U.S. towns
Palatka reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 90% report less.
DSafety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Palatka4.3
Florida2.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Palatka27.8
Florida10.8
U.S.15.5
10th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
8th
percentile among FL towns
47
violent crimes reported in 2025
305
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Climate
Mild winters, hot summers
Palatka has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 45°, and snow is almost unheard of.
92°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter47–70°
Spring58–82°
Summer72–91°
Fall63–82°
Dec 30
typical first frost
Feb 14
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
92°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Natural hazards
High risk, with hurricanes at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 60% of U.S. communities.
60risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesInland floodingTornadoes
7
paid flood claims since 2001
15
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
A job hub
Every workday, about 7,140 people come to Palatka for work
Where Palatka’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
8,111jobs based in Palatka
22%of working residents work in town
29 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Landmarks
11 places in Palatka on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Palatka
City in the United States
Palatka ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Putnam County, Florida, United States. Palatka is the principal city of the Palatka Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is home to 72,893 residents. The Palatka micropolitan area is included in the Jacksonville–Kingsland–Palatka, FL-GA Combined Statistical Area. The city is the location of the St. Johns River State College, St. Johns River Water Management District Headquarters, and Ravine Gardens State Park. Local festivals include the Florida Azalea Festival and the Blue Crab Festival. The population was 10,446 at the 2020 census, down from 10,558 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1821
- Population
- 10,446
- Area
- 9.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 16 ft
- ZIP code
- 32177–32178, 32177, 32178
- Area code
- 386
Palatka’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Palatka.
East PalatkaPalatka
More about Palatka
Still missing for Palatka:archive photosupcoming events