Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Palatka earns a D−, ranked 622nd of 634 in Florida, mostly because of incomes and health. The median household income is $32K, and 37% of residents live below the poverty line. Residents are less healthy than 96% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. One bright spot: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 83% of U.S. towns. 37% of residents live below the poverty line in Palatka, above both Florida’s towns (11%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). On safety, just 13 of Florida’s 134 towns do worse. Palatka is home to Saint Johns River State College.
Where Palatka beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Bronson-Mulholland House| Widest gap | Palatka | FL |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 29.4% | 12.7% |
Its founding year, 1821, comes before those of 97% of the Florida towns we grade with a known year.
Census counts: 613 in 1860, 10,446 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1864 and 3 maps from 1915 on.
11 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Palatka is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Palatka, 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 Palatka.
Palatka draws workers from Jacksonville and beyond, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has a longer frost-free season than most of the country, though not than most of Florida.
Against the 796 U.S. towns with household incomes like Palatka’s, it is less healthy than 55%, so its D− isn’t only a matter of income.
34% of Palatka adults say their health is fair or poor. Among 636 Florida towns, just 10 have a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Palatka. 22% of Palatka adults report frequent mental distress.
| Palatka | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 20% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Palatka | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.5% | 14.6% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 8.2% | 9.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 29.4% | 12.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Putnam school district. Two of its 11 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Palatka Jr. - Sr. High School, with 1,568 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kelley Smith Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 776 | B+ |
| Palatka Jr. - Sr. High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 1,568 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
8.8 miles of trail in 8 parks and preserves. Palatka’s trail density is 0.9 miles per square mile. The biggest place to walk is Ravine Gardens State Park, 59 acres with 2.3 miles of trail.
| Palatka | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.4% | 3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ravine Gardens State Park | 2.3 mi | 59 |
| 2. Bryan Park | 0.3 mi | 3 |
| 3. Moseley Ball Park | — | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
8,111 jobs are based in Palatka, 1.8 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
Only 3 of the 638 Florida towns we compare have a lower median household income than Palatka. 22% of working residents work locally in Palatka. Jobs based in Palatka fell to 8,111 in 2023, 467 fewer than in 2013.
| Palatka | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 5% | 8% |
| Median household income | $32,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Property crime runs at 27.8 per 1,000 residents, about twice the Florida rate, most of it theft. Reported crimes fell from 415 to 352 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The property crime rate in Palatka is 27.8 per 1,000 residents.
| Palatka | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 27.8 per 1,000 residents | 12.6 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.3 per 1,000 residents | 2.1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The typical Palatka home is worth about $209,000, up 1.2% in a year, 44% below the Florida typical home.
| Palatka | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 51% | 72% | 73% |
| Median rent | $901 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The Hastings 4ne weather station, 15 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 308 days: longer than most of the country, but shorter than 76% of Florida places with climate records. The Hastings 4ne weather station, 15 miles away, records that about 76 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 75% of Florida places with climate records.
Palatka has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 92°, January nights drop to 45° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 60% of U.S. communities. Since 2001, 7 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Palatka.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Palatka
About 4 of every 100 Palatka residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
11 places in Palatka on the National Register of Historic Places.
10 notable people were born in Palatka.
City in the United States
Palatka ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Putnam County, Florida, United States. Palatka is the principal city of the Palatka Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is home to 72,893 residents. The Palatka micropolitan area is included in the Jacksonville–Kingsland–Palatka, FL-GA Combined Statistical Area. The city is the location of the St. Johns River State College, St. Johns River Water Management District Headquarters, and Ravine Gardens State Park. Local festivals include the Florida Azalea Festival and the Blue Crab Festival. The population was 10,446 at the 2020 census, down from 10,558 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Palatka.
| Town | FL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palatka | #622 | D− | C− | D | C | D− |
| East Palatka | — | — | C | — | C | B− |
East Palatka has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. East Palatka reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Palatka with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Palatka grades D− overall, in the bottom 2% of U.S. towns and #622 of 634 in Florida. It grades D− for health, D for safety and C for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. That is 4.4 years of the area's median household income ($47,934 across the Palatka, FL area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
10 notable people were born here, including John L. Williams and Clayton Beauford.
