Possibly the most exclusive area in Northeast Florida, Ponte Vedra Beach (PVB) is an unincorporated seaside community located in St. Johns County (the wealthiest county in the entire state). Just eighteen miles southeast of Jacksonville, this is one of the most influential communities in the area. PVB bleeds luxury, high-end lifestyles and has been known as a world-famous upper-income tourist destination for decades.
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
A Little History
While much of Northeast Florida received several visits from European countries in the 16th century, there’s not much evidence that anyone ever made landfall in Ponte Vedra Beach. In fact, the area remained lightly populated until 1914, when minerals were discovered, sprouting a small community known as Mineral City. The minerals collected here were titanium, zircon, and rutile. After World War I, demand for these materials decreased, so they turned the keys of the city over to the National Lead Company, which discontinued mining practices. In 1929, they started to turn the area into a resort to rival The Cloister at Sea Island in Georgia, changed the name from Mineral City to Ponte Vedra, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Golf and Ponte Vedra Beach
The great legacy of this luxurious community doesn’t stop there. The National Lead Company built the first golf course in Ponte Vedra in the early 1920s. The 9-hole course was designed by Herbert Bertram Strong, one of the original founders of the PGA. After the company vacated the area, this prime piece of Ponte Vedra real estate became known as the Ponte Vedra Club.
In 1972, yet more PVB real estate was snatched up, and developers soon broke ground on the Sawgrass development, a 1,100-acre golf club & resort. A few years later, the Commissioner of the PGA golf tour, Deane Beman, was searching for a home for the Tournament Players Championship. In what some consider a wild move, Paul Fletcher offered 400 acres of land to Beman for $1, in the hopes of giving the area some positive attention. Beman obviously took the deal, and The Sawgrass Stadium Course became the headquarters of the PGA Tour and the home of The Players Championship.
The area is home to the Pontre Veda Inn and Club, the Lodge & Club, and the Tournament Players Club at Sawgrass.
Demographics and Home Values
As one of the wealthiest areas in Northeast Florida, the median family income for residents of Ponte Vedra Beach is $109,181, with a median age of 49 years old. This is a lightly populated resort area (estimated at around 27,750 people) with a high average income, so you can expect property values to match. According to Neighborhood Scout, the median home value in Ponte Vedra Beach is $614,539. That’s almost double the national average, but it’s the price you pay to live in the same neighborhood as professional athletes, celebrities, and politicians.
If you’d like to explore homes for sale in Ponte Vedra Beach, reach out to the Welch Team today.
