Starke
Start with Starke to understand the established center, nearby services and everyday rhythm within Bradford County.
Complete Florida county guide
Bradford
County
A small inland county between Gainesville and Jacksonville with lakes, rural communities and highway connections.
Rivers, springs and old FloridaNorth Florida & First Coast
REGIONNorth Florida & First Coast
COMMUNITIES TO START WITHStarke · Lawtey · Hampton
LIFESTYLE SIGNALSCentral location · Rural · Small-town life
Start with daily life
What Bradford County feels like before you choose a neighborhood.
A small inland county between Gainesville and Jacksonville with lakes, rural communities and highway connections.
Use this guide as a first-pass planning tool. On a scouting trip, compare actual commute routes, insurance requirements, medical access, school or training options and the places you would use in an ordinary week—not only the best-known attraction.
The numbers that matter if you are moving
- Population
- 27,885Census estimate
- At the last full count
- 28,3032020 Census
- Median age
- 40.2
- Aged 65 and over
- 18.2%
- Under 18
- 20.5%
- Median household income
- $63,050
- Median home value
- $212,500what owners estimate
- Homeownership
- 73.3%
- People per household
- 2.60
- Average commute
- 32.4 minutes
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, published January 2026, read September 19, 2026. Survey figures are estimates; median home value is what owners estimate their home is worth, not a sale price.
COUNTY LIFESTYLE THEMES
Central locationRuralSmall-town life
Relocation decision desk
Six checks before you choose a county.
Property cost, flood and wind, schools, healthcare, daily travel and storm readiness.
How to research a Florida county →Communities to compare
Begin with the county’s major places.
These are starting points, not a ranking. Add nearby towns and neighborhoods as you learn your daily route and housing priorities.
Lawtey
Use Lawtey to compare housing patterns, main-road access and the shopping or medical stops used during a normal week.
Hampton
Walk or drive through Hampton at different times of day to judge traffic, neighborhood character and access to outdoor space.
Hospitals in Bradford County
One hospital with an emergency room.
From the state's own hospital list. Each card opens the state's record for that hospital: its address, phone, services and inspection reports.
How do I compare hospitals in Florida? →How do I find a doctor who takes Medicare? →Search the state's hospital list ↗
Source: Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, FloridaHealthFinder, Locate a Facility (hospitals), read September 25, 2026.
Evergreen county experiences
5 places that reveal the county.
Use enduring natural, historic and cultural places to understand the area beyond a real-estate showing.
Kingsley Lake
Kingsley Lake sits on high ground about six miles east of Starke, on the Bradford and Clay county line, roughly halfway between Jacksonville and Gainesville. It covers about 2,000 acres and is very nearly round, two miles across, which is why pilots flying over it called it the Silver Dollar Lake.
Santa Fe Swamp Conservation Area
Santa Fe Swamp covers 7,046 acres, and the conservation area inside it accounts for 5,356 of them. Together with Lake Santa Fe and Little Lake Santa Fe the swamp forms the headwaters of the Santa Fe River, which runs on into the Suwannee and from there to the Gulf of Mexico.
Historic Downtown Starke
Downtown Starke holds 23 historic buildings along the Call Street district. The Florida Twin Theater stands at the circular brick intersection of East Call and Walnut Streets, art deco with neon, family owned and operated since 1941, and it still shows films.
Lake Sampson
Lake Sampson sits outside Starke and is fished rather than swum. The state's own survey found good numbers of bluegill and redear sunfish on the south and southwest sides, with largemouth bass, pickerel and black crappie in the lake as well, and forage fish abundant through the northern end.
The FIRM
The FIRM is the Florida International Rally and Motorsport Park, more than 400 acres of varied ground outside Starke. It runs a European-style rally school and a road course, and it is used for advanced driver education as well as by a special forces and security training academy.
Official planning desk
Check current public information before making the move.
Florida disaster preparedness mapsOfficial evacuation-zone, route and storm-surge planning maps.
Open official source ↗
Florida school accountability reportsCurrent state school and district accountability information.
Open official source ↗
Florida community health dataCounty-level public health indicators and community reports.
Open official source ↗
Florida housing resourcesState resources for homebuyers, renters and local assistance programs.
Open official source ↗Compare nearby counties
See the alternatives before you narrow the map.
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Live Oak · Branford · WellbornSuwannee CountySpringsAgricultureConnectivity
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Mayo · DayLafayette CountyLow densityRiver lifeRural
Open comparison guide →