Conservatives have been making the same argument for decades about what makes cities thrive.
Democrats dismissed it as trickle-down economics that only helps the wealthy.
And Jacksonville just proved left-wing economic critics dead wrong with numbers that have Democrats scrambling for excuses.
Jacksonville leads nation in corporate relocations after embracing conservative economic model
For years, Jacksonville residents watched city leaders unveil ambitious development plans that never materialized.¹
Those days are finished.
Jacksonville now leads every major U.S. city with a staggering 67% net growth in corporate relocations from 2022 to 2023, according to data compiled by Hire A Helper and JAXUSA.²
More than 150 corporate, regional, and divisional headquarters currently operate in the region – and they’re not slowing down.³
City Council President Nick Howland and Council Rules Chair Chris Miller appeared on Florida’s Voice Radio to explain what changed.
The answer comes down to policy choices that Democrats have fought against for years.
"Job markets in the whole nation — it’s remarkable how much businesses are moving here, how much growth we’re having," Howland said.⁴ "It’s the same thing we’re seeing across Florida because the state is so business friendly, but Jacksonville stands out as a business-friendly city."⁵
The transformation didn’t happen by accident. Jacksonville went a different direction than Orlando or Tampa.
While those cities chased tourism dollars, Jacksonville built its economy around manufacturing and logistics.
Manufacturing and logistics focus creates middle-class jobs liberals claimed couldn’t exist
The strategic choice is paying off exactly as conservatives predicted.
That strategic choice is paying off with exactly the kind of middle-class jobs Democrats insist don’t exist anymore without union protection and government intervention.
"We’re a manufacturing and logistics town, and that separates us from so many other parts of Florida," Howland explained.⁶
The jobs aren’t minimum wage service positions – they’re paying between $50,000 and $100,000 annually for workers who show up and work hard.⁷
Jacksonville’s port ranks among the busiest on the East Coast, giving companies same-day access to more than 98 million consumers.⁸
The infrastructure supports distribution and supply chain management that makes the region indispensable for manufacturers.
Companies from around the world figured out what Jacksonville offered.
Intercontinental Exchange announced a $173 million headquarters expansion for its Mortgage Technology division in December 2024.⁹
Paysafe established its North American headquarters in the city.¹⁰
Dun & Bradstreet relocated from New Jersey.¹¹ American Roll-On Roll-off Carrier left for Jacksonville.¹²
Shore Manufacturing made the same move.¹³
Each relocation brought the same story – escaping high-tax states for Florida’s pro-business environment.
Housing developments are racing to keep pace.
"We have lots of housing sprouting up to support the jobs that are growing, companies that are expanding here, and companies that are relocating here," Howland noted.¹⁴
Fiscal discipline strategy enabled growth investments Democrats claimed were impossible
The secret to Jacksonville’s transformation didn’t start with ribbon cuttings and press conferences.
It started with something Democrats hate talking about – cutting government debt.
Under previous Mayor Lenny Curry’s leadership, Jacksonville slashed its pension debt by $1 billion and negotiated another $400 million reduction in long-term debt.¹⁵
That fiscal discipline freed up resources for infrastructure improvements and downtown revitalization that had been promised for decades.
"For many years, Jacksonville seemed like it was taking one step forward, one step back," Council Rules Chair Miller admitted.¹⁶ "There are a lot of longtime residents who got tired of seeing all the plans on paper but nothing coming out of the ground."¹⁷
The debt reduction strategy worked because it created budget capacity for growth investments without raising taxes.
City reserves increased each year, positioning Jacksonville to weather economic downturns while investing in the future.¹⁸
Now those paper plans are becoming reality.
"You can go anywhere throughout the city now and see all of these projects coming out of the ground," Miller said.¹⁹
Downtown Jacksonville saw more than a dozen major construction projects completed or underway in 2024 and early 2025.²⁰
The One Riverside apartments rose where The Florida Times-Union once stood.²¹
St. Johns River Park took shape adjacent to Friendship Fountain.²² The Rise Doro apartments rebuilt after a devastating fire.²³
Conservative fiscal policy delivers exactly what Democrats said couldn’t be done
Democrats spent years claiming business-friendly policies only pad executive bank accounts while working families get crushed.
Jacksonville’s unemployment rate of 3.5% tells a different story – far below the national average of 4.3% as of September 2025.²⁴
The Wall Street Journal and Moody’s Analytics looked at the data and ranked Jacksonville as having the second strongest job market in the nation behind only Salt Lake City.²⁵
Democrats also insisted cities need high taxes and extensive social programs to succeed. Jacksonville cut debt, kept taxes competitive, and attracted more corporate headquarters than any other major U.S. city.²⁶
Voters rewarded fiscal discipline by supporting additional tax cuts in 2025.²⁷
Third, the assertion that manufacturing jobs disappeared and can’t come back.
Jacksonville’s manufacturing sector employs workers at wages Democrats claim require union negotiation and government mandates to achieve.²⁸
The city did it through competitive advantage and infrastructure investment instead.
The growth numbers back up everything conservatives have argued.
The U.S. Census Bureau ranked Jacksonville #10 nationally for population growth in 2024.²⁹
Oxford Economics tracked 31,700 people moving to the area in 2024, with another 20,500 expected by the end of 2025.³⁰ Through 2029, net in-migration should exceed 97,000.³¹
These companies aren’t chasing tax incentive packages to relocate somewhere that doesn’t make business sense.
They’re coming because the city built genuine competitive advantages through smart policy choices.
The aerospace industry expansion at Cecil Commerce Center demonstrates the strategic thinking. Four runways serve the facility including Florida’s third longest at 12,500 feet.³²
Florida State College’s Aviation Center of Excellence trains workers with FAA certifications.³³ Companies need this infrastructure – Jacksonville didn’t have to bribe anyone with taxpayer dollars to pretend the location works.
Small-town character faces test as explosive growth continues
Miller knows what Jacksonville is up against – keeping its community identity while managing growth nobody expected.
"The challenge with all that growth is making sure we still retain that small-town feel — even though, geographically, we’re the largest city in the United States," Miller explained.³⁴
Jacksonville covers more land area than any other U.S. city, but it achieved that size through consolidation rather than dense urban development.
The sprawling geography let residents enjoy suburban lifestyles with urban amenities close by.
Population growth this fast puts all that at risk.
The city must deliver infrastructure improvements without creating the traffic congestion, crime, and dysfunction that plague other major metros.
Republican council members understand the stakes.
They pushed through property tax cuts in 2025 despite Democrat opposition, arguing that fiscal restraint prevents the spending addiction that destroys other growing cities.³⁵
"Tonight, we’re debating whether to take dollars out of their wallets," Council Vice President Howland said during budget debates.³⁶ "The threat to public safety funding is not our modest proposed $13 million tax reduction. It’s the administration’s growing excess spend on new and recurring programs that often fall far outside the scope of government."³⁷
The America First economic model is working in Jacksonville exactly as conservatives predicted it would.
Businesses are fleeing high-tax blue states for Florida’s competitive environment.
Manufacturing jobs are returning to America and paying middle-class wages without union mandates.
Fiscal discipline is creating budget capacity for infrastructure rather than social programs.
Democrats insisted none of this could work. Jacksonville proved them wrong with numbers they can’t dispute.
¹ Christina Schuler, "From stagnation to surge: Jacksonville sees record growth, leaders say," Florida’s Voice, October 16, 2025.
² Jacksonville Regional Economic Partnership, "Florida, Jacksonville See Most Corporate Relocation Growth," JAXUSA, June 27, 2023.
³ Ibid.
⁴ Schuler, "From stagnation to surge."
⁵ Ibid.
⁶ Ibid.
⁷ Ibid.
⁸ Jacksonville Regional Economic Partnership, "Jacksonville Region Overview," JAXUSA, September 12, 2025.
⁹ Karen Brune Mathis, "ICE confirmed as company planning $173 million expansion in Jacksonville," Jax Daily Record, December 17, 2024.
¹⁰ JAXUSA, "Florida, Jacksonville See Most Corporate Relocation Growth."
¹¹ Ibid.
¹² Ibid.
¹³ Ibid.
¹⁴ Schuler, "From stagnation to surge."
¹⁵ Staff Report, "Downtown Revitalization: The Vision for Jacksonville’s Future," Jax Daily Record, May 22, 2023.
¹⁶ Schuler, "From stagnation to surge."
¹⁷ Ibid.
¹⁸ Jax Daily Record, "Downtown Revitalization."
¹⁹ Schuler, "From stagnation to surge."
²⁰ Staff Report, "Downtown Development Update Part II: Cranes up, work in sight," Jax Daily Record, March 17, 2025.
²¹ Ibid.
²² Ibid.
²³ Ibid.
²⁴ Jeff Riber, "Thinking of Moving to Jacksonville, FL?" Moving to Florida Guide, accessed October 17, 2025.
²⁵ Hillis Properties, "Jacksonville Florida Population Increase," June 18, 2025.
²⁶ JAXUSA, "Florida, Jacksonville See Most Corporate Relocation Growth."
²⁷ Joe Lister, "Jacksonville City Council approves one-eighth millage reduction with 10-9 vote," Jax Daily Record, September 23, 2025.
²⁸ City of Jacksonville Office of Economic Development, "Targeted Industries," accessed October 17, 2025.
²⁹ Moving to Florida Guide, "Thinking of Moving to Jacksonville."
³⁰ Hillis Properties, "Jacksonville Florida Population Increase."
³¹ Ibid.
³² City of Jacksonville, "Targeted Industries."
³³ Ibid.
³⁴ Schuler, "From stagnation to surge."
³⁵ Jax Daily Record, "Jacksonville City Council approves one-eighth millage reduction."
³⁶ Ibid.
³⁷ Ibid.
