Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Macclenny gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $305K, 3.8 years of the Jacksonville metro’s $80K median household income. It grades C+ overall, ranked 242nd of 634 in Florida. The low prices come with trade-offs. Its public schools trail 78% of Florida towns on state tests and graduation. On the plus side, it is more walkable than 85% of U.S. towns. Only 23 of Florida’s 779 towns score higher on hazard risk. Macclenny’s January low is 41°F, where Florida’s towns sit at 51°F and U.S. towns at 22°F. Old Baker County Courthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Macclenny beats most towns.
6,374 counted in 2010 and 7,304 in 2020; an estimated 8,251 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 12.9% since 2020, after 14.6% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Macclenny is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 334 in 1890, 7,304 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1984 and 2 maps from 1917 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Macclenny, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 17, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Macclenny.
Macclenny trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of Florida (mostly inland flooding) and has a longer frost-free season than most of the country, though not than most of Florida.
Its public schools are run by the Baker school district. Three of its 8 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baker County Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,067 | B− |
| Faith Baptist Academy PrivateLargest high schoolGrades 4–12 | Grades 4–12 | 22 | – |
| Macclenny Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades 1–5 | Grades 1–5 | 550 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
The Glen St Mary 1 W weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 272 days: longer than most of the country, but shorter than 91% of Florida places with climate records. January nights average 41.3°: milder than most of the country, but colder than 90% of Florida places with climate records; July afternoons average 92.1°.
Macclenny has warm winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Macclenny is 92°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Homes are within reach (about $305K for the typical one, B for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 26 miles.
The typical Macclenny home is worth about $305,000, up 2.9% in a year, 19% below the Florida typical home. Macclenny’s median rent is $1,384 a month.
| Macclenny | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,384 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 77% | 72% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents leave Macclenny for work: only 18% work in town. The top destinations are Jacksonville (29%), Gainesville (2%) and Lake City (2%).
| Macclenny | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 18% | 5% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 96% of Florida towns; that rating is what its B for hazard risk is built on.
Since 1998, 6 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Macclenny.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Macclenny beats the Florida average on 5 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 40% of Macclenny adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Macclenny | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 79% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 16% |
| What stands out | Macclenny | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 5.9% | 7.5% |
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 11% | 13.5% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 15.8% | 12.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0.0 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Heritage Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Macclenny; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Macclenny residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Florida.
City in Florida, United States
Macclenny is a city and the county seat of Baker County, Florida. Located just west of Jacksonville, it is part of the Jacksonville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,304 at the 2020 census, up from 6,374 in 2010.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Macclenny grades C+ overall, better than 42% of U.S. towns and #242 of 634 in Florida. It grades B for health and C− for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a C−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
2 notable people were born here, including Mike Boone and Bear Woods.
