Jacksonville has approximately 10 NASMM-certified senior move managers serving Florida's largest city by land area. The metro's sprawl — spanning more than 760 square miles — means SMMs here often log significant travel time between clients, and geography matters when choosing who to hire. Jacksonville's large military retiree community, centered around NAS Jacksonville and Naval Station Mayport, creates consistent demand. Most local SMMs also serve St. Augustine and Ponte Vedra Beach.
What Senior Move Managers Do in Jacksonville
Senior move managers in Jacksonville provide end-to-end relocation support: assessing what to keep, what to donate, and what to sell; coordinating estate sales; packing; managing the move; and setting up the new home. In a spread-out metro like Jacksonville, that often means managing a move from a large home in Mandarin or Fleming Island to a continuing care retirement community in Riverside, Southside, or further afield. SMMs also handle the emotional complexity of these transitions — they work with older adults directly, not just with adult children coordinating from a distance. For military retiree families accustomed to frequent moves, an SMM provides the professional structure that makes a downsizing relocation manageable even for people with prior moving experience.
What Senior Move Managers Charge in Jacksonville
Jacksonville SMMs charge $1,800 to $4,500 for full-service moves, making it one of the more affordable markets in Florida. Hourly rates run $55 to $90. Because the metro is so geographically large, some firms charge a travel fee for homes more than 20 or 30 miles from their base of operations — ask about this upfront. A move from a large Mandarin home to a senior community in Ponte Vedra Beach could easily involve 35 to 50 hours of total SMM time if significant sorting and an estate sale are part of the scope.
What Makes Jacksonville's Senior Move Market Distinctive
Jacksonville's defining characteristic as a senior move market is its size and its military retiree base. The city's footprint is enormous — it's one of the largest cities by area in the contiguous US — which means SMMs tend to specialize by geographic quadrant rather than serving the whole metro equally. When you're evaluating providers, confirm they cover your parent's neighborhood specifically. The military retiree community concentrated near the bases brings its own set of needs: VA benefits questions, familiarity with government housing, and sometimes out-of-state moves to be closer to adult children. Jacksonville is also Florida's fastest-growing city, and new senior housing developments in the Nocatee and St. Johns County corridor are generating increasing demand for SMM services.
How to Find and Vet a Senior Move Manager in Jacksonville
With approximately 10 certified SMMs in the market, Jacksonville's pool is smaller than Tampa or Miami. Start with NASMM.org and SeniorMoveGuide.com, and filter by zip code to find practitioners who actually cover your parent's neighborhood. Because the field is smaller here, references are especially valuable — ask for two or three from recent projects in the same part of the metro. Verify liability insurance and ask specifically about experience with the destination type: a move into a memory care unit at Cypress Village has different logistics than a move to a 55+ community in Ponte Vedra.
Ready to find a senior move manager in Jacksonville? Search the NASMM directory for certified professionals serving Jacksonville and surrounding areas.
Search NASMM Directory →Frequently Asked Questions
How many senior move managers serve Jacksonville?
Approximately 10 NASMM-certified senior move managers operate in the Jacksonville area. The smaller pool means scheduling further in advance is important, especially for complex moves involving estate sales.
Do Jacksonville SMMs cover St. Augustine?
Many do, but St. Augustine is 40 miles south of downtown Jacksonville, so confirm service area coverage and whether travel time is billed. Some SMMs based in the Southside or Mandarin corridor include St. Augustine and Ponte Vedra in their standard range.
Are there senior move managers who specialize in military retiree moves in Jacksonville?
Yes. Jacksonville's large military retiree community means some SMMs have specific familiarity with moves involving government housing, VA-affiliated senior communities, and the documentation common to military households. Ask about this experience when you call.