# Nocatee, Florida

Nocatee /ˈnɒkətiː/ is an unincorporated planned community and census-designated place (CDP) located primarily in northern St. Johns County, Florida. The population was 22,503 at the 2020 census, up from 4,524 at the 2010 census, an increase of nearly 400%. It is part of the Jacksonville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2020, the community consists of twenty-two neighborhoods, some of which are specialized for certain age groups. The community blends a variety of neighborhoods with schools, parks, recreation, offices, shopping, and restaurants. Part of the development lies within Jacksonville city limits in Duval County, although the CDP lies entirely within St. Johns County. It is near Ponte Vedra Beach in Florida's First Coast region and sits on 13,323 acres (5,392 ha) of land. It was approved in 2001 as a Development of Regional Impact (DRI) under Section 380.06 of the Florida Statutes.
In addition, Nocatee is near beaches, golf courses, business parks and major airports in downtown Jacksonville and St. Augustine.

## History

In 2005, Nocatee's creator The PARC Group, broke ground on the construction of the township. The PARC Groups's Chairman and CEO, Roger O'Steen, founded the group in 1989 and was directly involved with the development of Nocatee and many other communities. Donna Lundgren, the manager for the Nocatee Welcome Center, states that Nocatee is "approximately 25 square miles, 14,000 acres with over 60% of remaining preserve for conservation and preservation." She also claims that the actual word "Nocatee" has roots in Timucuan Indian and translates to "peaceful river." However, no such Timucua word is known; "river" is instead ibi while "peaceful" is afatimo. An older town called Nocatee located in DeSoto County along the Peace River dates to the decades after the Third Seminole War, and its name is likely derived from Seminole Creek nakate "What is it?"

## Amenities

Nocatee contains two large water parks, the Splash Park and Spray Park. Each has pools, slides, and kid-specific areas. The pool areas host events throughout the year, such as Food Truck Friday, farmers' markets, holiday celebration, concerts, Easter egg hunts, and more community events. The community contains other amenities like parks, neighborhood pools, fitness centers, dog parks, a kayak launch, a nature preserve and a series of nature trails.

## Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 22,503 people, 7,641 households, and 6,532 families residing in the city. 3,629 households had children under the age of 18. 10.2% of the population were under 5 years old, 28.7% under 18 years old, and 20.4% were 65 years and over. The median age for Nocatee was 39.9 years old. 49.9% of the population were female.
The racial makeup of the city is 91.1% White, 1.7% African American, 1.1% Native American, 7.8% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 5.2% from other races, and 7.0% from two or more races. 8.2% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
The median household income was $131,738. 3.5% of the population lived below the poverty threshold, including 0.8% of those under 18 and 2.4% of those over 65. 97.4% of the population 25 years and older had a high school degree or equivalent or higher and 65.9% of that same population had a bachelor's degree or higher. 8.4% of the population were veterans.

## Events

Nocatee hosts a variety of events consisting of trivia, on-tap beer tastings, food truck Fridays, monthly farmer’s markets, as well as holiday-themed events such as Easter egg hunts & live music.

## Education

St. Johns County School District is the school district of the St. Johns County portion, which includes the entire census-designated place. The following elementary schools serve portions of the CDP: Palm Valley Academy, Pine Island Academy, and Valley Ridge Academy. Three middle schools serve portions of the CDP: Palm Valley, Pine Island, and Valley Ridge. Allen D. Nease High School serves the Nocatee CDP.
The official subdivisions of the Nocatee development in St. Johns County are zoned to the Palm Valley, Pine Island, Valley Ridge K-8 schools, and Nease. The portion in Duval County (not in the CDP) is zoned to Bartram Springs Elementary School, Twin Lakes Middle School, and Atlantic Coast High School.