Eviction and foreclosure activity in St. Johns County rose noticeably in 2025, reflecting both the county’s rapid growth and the ongoing normalization of the housing market following pandemic-era protections.
Data show 718 eviction filings last year, the highest total in at least seven years, according to the Florida Housing Data Clearinghouse.
That’s up from 657 in 2024 and 584 in 2023, and marks a significant rise from the pre-pandemic total of 499 in 2019.
The rate of evictions relative to renter households also climbed, from 27.7 per 1,000 renters in 2019 to 39.9 per 1,000 in 2025, suggesting that the increase doesn’t solely stem from population growth.
Monthly filings were consistently elevated, with January 2025 recording 76 cases, the highest in the dataset.
Eviction activity fell sharply during the early pandemic years, dropping to 292 filings in 2020 due to federal and state moratoriums and emergency rental assistance programs.
Activity remained moderate in 2021 with 341 filings before gradually rising as protections expired.
Eviction filings mark the beginning of a legal process and do not always result in tenants being removed, as many cases are resolved through repayment agreements or settlements.
Homeowners also experienced increased housing pressure in 2025. Foreclosure filings rose to 431 last year, up from 293 in 2024 and 240 in 2023.
More notably, the foreclosure rate per 1,000 owner households increased from 2.82 in 2024 to 4.15 in 2025, approaching pre-pandemic levels of 4.28 in 2019.
Foreclosures mark the start of a legal process for homeowners who fall behind on mortgage payments, and many cases are resolved before properties are lost.
Part of the increase in both evictions and foreclosures reflects St. Johns County’s rapid growth, as more households naturally lead to more filings.
But rising rates per household indicate that both renters and homeowners are facing some financial pressure in the current market.
