How Much Does Commercial Space Cost in Jacksonville, FL? A 2026 Guide

If you're searching for commercial space in Jacksonville, one of the first questions you'll have is simple: what does it actually cost? The honest answer is that commercial rent in Jacksonville depends heavily on three things — property type, submarket, and lease structure. This guide breaks down real, current pricing across Jacksonville's major submarkets so you can budget with confidence.

Retail Space: $11–$25/SF NNN

Retail is the most location-sensitive commercial product type. Jacksonville's retail rates break down roughly as follows:

• Southside / Mandarin / St. Johns Town Center: $18–$25/SF NNN — the highest retail rents in the metro, driven by strong demographics and traffic counts.
• Beaches (Jax Beach, Neptune, Atlantic Beach): $20–$25/SF NNN — limited supply and high foot traffic keep beachside retail premium.
• Westside / Northside: $11–$15/SF NNN — value-oriented retail, often second-generation space.
• Orange Park / Clay County: $14–$20/SF NNN — strong neighborhood retail demand.
• Downtown / Riverside: $16–$22/SF NNN — mixed; varies by building condition and foot traffic.

Office Space: $10–$32/SF Full Service

Office pricing in Jacksonville runs the widest range of any product type:

• Class A suburban (Southside, Town Center): $24–$32/SF full service — premium buildings with parking decks and amenities.
• Class B suburban: $16–$22/SF full service — the bulk of the Jacksonville office market.
• Downtown Class A: $20–$28/SF full service — often with concession packages on longer leases.
• Downtown Class B / older stock: $12–$18/SF full service.
• Medical office (near hospitals): $18–$28/SF full service, depending on buildout.

Industrial & Warehouse: $6–$14/SF NNN

Industrial is Jacksonville's most affordable product type and its fastest-growing:

• Westside / Northside (near I-10, Imeson Park): $6–$10/SF NNN — the lowest per-square-foot costs in the region.
• Southside / Bayard (near I-95): $9–$14/SF NNN — newer distribution product.
• Cecil Commerce Center / Nassau County: $8–$12/SF NNN — logistics-friendly with port and highway access.
• Flex / light industrial: $8–$12/SF NNN — combination warehouse-office.

Jacksonville's port, rail, and interstate access have driven consistent industrial absorption, and new construction continues to deliver inventory.

Restaurant Space: $15–$25/SF NNN

Restaurant space pricing depends heavily on whether the space is "second-generation" (existing hood, plumbing, grease trap) or a vanilla box:

• Second-generation restaurant space: $15–$25/SF NNN — you're paying for the existing infrastructure, but saving $50,000–$150,000 on buildout.
• Vanilla box / first-generation: $12–$18/SF NNN — lower rent, but you'll invest heavily in kitchen infrastructure.
• QSR / drive-thru pads: $20–$30/SF NNN on pad sites, often on ground lease or NNN ground lease structures.

NNN vs Gross: What You're Actually Paying

This is the single most important concept for a commercial tenant to understand:

• NNN (triple net) lease: You pay base rent plus your share of property taxes, insurance, and common area maintenance (CAM). These additional costs typically add $4–$8/SF to the base rent.
• Gross lease (or full-service): You pay one flat amount; the landlord covers taxes, insurance, and CAM.

So a space advertised at "$18/SF NNN" with $6/SF in expenses actually costs you $24/SF. Always ask for the estimated NNN charges — never budget on base rent alone.

Land for Commercial Development

Vacant commercial land in Jacksonville is typically priced per square foot or per acre:

• Retail pad sites (signalized corners): $25–$60/SF depending on traffic counts and frontage.
• Office/retail zoned land (Southside, St. Johns): $5–$15/SF.
• Industrial land (Westside, Cecil): $1.50–$4/SF — among the cheapest in Florida.
• Acreage for development: $50,000–$250,000/acre depending on location, zoning, and utilities.

Land buyers should confirm zoning, entitlements, utility availability, and wetlands before committing.

What This Means for You: Total Occupancy Cost

The number that matters is your total occupancy cost — not the advertised base rent. To estimate it:

1. Take the base rent per SF.
2. Add estimated NNN/CAM charges ($4–$8/SF for most retail and industrial; office may already be full-service).
3. Add your estimated utilities, janitorial, and insurance.
4. Multiply by your square footage and divide by 12 for monthly cost.

Example: 2,000 SF retail space at $18/SF NNN with $6/SF in expenses = $24/SF total × 2,000 SF = $48,000/year = $4,000/month before your own utilities and buildout.

This is the figure you should use when deciding whether a space fits your business — and the figure a good broker will calculate for you before you sign.

Work With a Jacksonville Commercial Broker

Whether you're leasing your first retail space, expanding a warehouse, or buying a building to build equity, understanding the market is only the first step. A commercial broker who lives in these numbers every day can run a total occupancy cost analysis, compare options across submarkets, and negotiate terms that protect your bottom line.

Call Clearpath Commercial at 904-903-8755 or email melesia@clearpathcommercialbroker.com to talk through your space requirements and get real, current numbers for your specific needs.