Putnam County, Florida
Sell your land in Crescent City for cash
Parcel Buyers buys vacant lots in Crescent City for cash, including inland lots and lots near Crescent Lake that may have no city water or sewer. You get a written, no-obligation cash offer within 24 hours, and closings run through an independent title company, typically in about 10 days, with no fees or commissions.
By Parcel Buyers · · Lot figures from the 2026 Florida property tax roll · How we made this page
Quick answers
- Who buys land for cash in Crescent City?
- Parcel Buyers is a direct land buyer that makes written, no-obligation cash offers on vacant lots and acreage in Crescent City, Putnam County, usually within 24 hours. Sales close through an independent title company, typically in about 10 days, with no fees or commissions to the seller.
- What did vacant lots in Crescent City sell for in 2025?
- In 2025, vacant lots in Crescent City sold for a median of $20,000 across 41 arm's-length sales; the middle half sold for $12,000 to $75,000.
- How many vacant lots are in Crescent City?
- The 2026 Florida property tax roll lists 1,306 vacant residential lots in Crescent City; 34% are quarter-acre lots, and the median lot is 0.30 acre.
- How is a cash offer for land in Crescent City set?
- We start from recent sales of similar lots nearby, like the 2025 prices on this page, then adjust for water and sewer, road access, flood zone, lot size and any title issues, and for the time and cost of reselling. You get one written number, not a range.
- How do I know a land buyer in Crescent City is legitimate?
- A real buyer closes through an independent, licensed title company and never asks you to pay anything up front. We never charge sellers a fee, deposit or closing-cost advance, and the title company pays you by check or wire at closing.
- Who is buying lots in Crescent City?
- In 2025, companies bought 7% of the vacant lots that sold in Crescent City. Individuals bought the rest.
- How much are estimated annual ad valorem taxes on a typical vacant lot in Crescent City?
- A typical vacant lot in Crescent City has estimated 2025 ad valorem taxes about $128 a year; most lots here also pay non-ad valorem charges (listed below).
- Are vacant lots in Crescent City in a FEMA high-risk flood zone?
- About 14.6% of vacant lots in Crescent City have their center point in a FEMA high-risk flood zone (effective maps dated February 2, 2012 to June 6, 2018). This is map screening, not a determination; check FEMA's Map Service Center for your parcel.
- How many vacant lots in Crescent City got a home on the tax roll in 2025?
- 14 vacant lots in Crescent City changed from vacant-residential use to a home with new-construction evidence on the 2026 preliminary tax roll.
Local data
Crescent City land at a glance
Tax-roll figures cover parcels whose property address city is Crescent City in Putnam County. Local rules and services are sourced below.
| Vacant residential lots | 1,306 parcels classified vacant residential on the 2026 tax roll [1] |
|---|---|
| Most common lot size | Quarter-acre lot (9,000–13,000 sq ft): 34% of vacant lots; next, third-acre lot at 9%. Median lot: 0.30 acre (13,070 sq ft). [1] |
| Typical assessed value | $8,600 median just (market) value for a vacant lot; the middle half fall between $7,400 and $18,000 [1] |
| Recent lot sale prices | $20,000 median across 41 arm's-length sales of vacant lots in Crescent City (Jan 2025–Dec 2025); the middle half sold for $12,000–$75,000 [1] |
| Who bought lots in 2025 | Companies made 7% of those purchases; individuals made the rest [1] |
| Owners who live elsewhere | 26% of vacant lots have an owner mailing address outside Florida (most often GA, NY, NC) [1] |
| Incorporated city | Crescent City is an incorporated city. The charter page says so, and Wikipedia dates municipal incorporation to 1883 and formal city status to 1885. City rules apply inside its limits; county rules apply outside them. [2],[3] |
| Crescent Lake and Lake Stella | Crescent Lake lies east of the city and Lake Stella lies west. Inside the city limits, the waterways article lets the city regulate those waters, and lowering Lake Stella takes city commission approval. [3],[4] |
| Lake flood elevations | Crescent Lake's 1% annual-chance stillwater is 6.4 feet NAVD88, and Lake Stella's is 39.9 feet, in the flood study dated February 2, 2012. City community 120408 participates, and that is its current map date. [5],[6] |
| City water and sewer tie-in | The September 24, 2026 fee packet lists a 3/4-inch water tie-in at $500 and a sewer tie-in at $800. Those published connection fees do not establish that a water or sewer main reaches a particular lot. [11] |
| Permits follow the city limits | Inside the limits, city zoning applies. The city says it contracts with Putnam County for building services, but the county lists the city as having no such agreement and sends in-city questions to 3 Summit St. Outside, county rules apply. [13],[14] |
| Well and septic off the mains | Where no city main serves the lot, a new house may need a well and septic. The county health fee list effective October 1, 2026 shows a new residential septic total of $525 and a private well permit at $150, both marked as flat fees. [16],[15] |
| City millage inside the limits | The September 24, 2026 budget packet keeps the city millage at 8.7164 per $1,000 of taxable value, the same prior-year rate, and 6.64% over the rolled-back rate of 8.1734. Only taxable property inside the city limits pays it. [11] |
| Incorporated solid-waste total | For FY 2026-2027 the county fee list sets a $121 solid-waste total for this incorporated city, all of it the landfill share. The property appraiser says that charge is billed to residential units, not automatically to a bare lot. [16],[17] |
| Crescent Lake | Putnam County lists Crescent City along its 17.7-mile Crescent Lake paddling trail. Two public landings are inside the city, while cypress swamps border most of the shore, separating water-access lots from ordinary inland lots. [19] |
| Vacant lots that got a home on the tax roll in 2025 | 14 recorded with new-construction evidence. [1] |
| Owner-type shares | Individuals 81.8%; companies 10.9%; trusts 4.0%; estates/heirs 3.1%; government/associations 0.2%. [1] |
| Typical annual ad valorem taxes | A typical vacant lot in Crescent City has estimated 2025 ad valorem taxes about $128 a year; most lots here also pay non-ad valorem charges (listed below). |
| 2026 so far (Jan-Jun) | 12 recorded vacant-lot sales; median $14,500. [1] |
| FEMA high-risk flood-zone screen | About 14.6% of vacant lots in Crescent City have their center point in a FEMA high-risk flood zone (effective maps dated February 2, 2012 to June 6, 2018). This is map screening, not a determination; check FEMA's Map Service Center for your parcel. |
| Springs BMAP small-lot screen | About 0% of located vacant lots in Crescent City are 1 acre or less and have their center point in an adopted Florida springs BMAP. |
Pricing
What is a lot in Crescent City worth?
In 2025, vacant lots in Crescent City sold for a median of $20,000 across 41 arm's-length sales; the middle half sold for $12,000 to $75,000. [1]
These are open-market sale prices. A direct cash offer is usually lower, because a cash buyer closes in days and takes on the time and cost of reselling the lot.
See what similar lots sold for
What moves the price in Crescent City
Lake frontage and an inland lot are not the same
A shoreline lot and an inland lot are not the same piece of ground. FEMA's February 2, 2012 study sets the 1% stillwater elevation at 6.4 feet NAVD88 on Crescent Lake and 39.9 feet on Lake Stella. Dunns Creek is mapped from the St. Johns River to Crescent Lake, so the big lake is tied to the river, but that does not put a dock on every parcel. The National Weather Service gauge on Crescent Lake, also in NAVD88, marks action stage at 1.2 feet, minor flooding at 1.8, moderate at 2.5, and major at 3.5. Those gauge marks are not the 100-year elevation. Inside the city, the flood code requires new work in the 100-year zone to put the lowest floor "at least one foot above the base flood elevation." The draft 2025-2026 tree plan in the city's October 2, 2025 agenda packet says almost all of the Crescent Lake shoreline is in private ownership. [5],[8],[9],[10]
City mains, tie-in fees, or a well and septic
A builder's cost jumps if the city main stops short of the lot. The September 24, 2026 fee packet lists a 3/4-inch water tie-in at $500 and a sewer tie-in at $800. For the first 3,000 gallons, it prints inside-city water at $28.38 beside $29.80, and outside-city water at $35.48 beside $37.25, under a 5% increase label. The residential sewer minimum is printed at $49.95 beside $52.45. That packet's capital plan lists $7,400,500 for water-fund work and $10,960,400 for sewer-fund work, including septic-to-sewer design. Where there is no main, the county health fee list effective October 1, 2026 shows a new residential septic total of $525, a $400 state fee plus a $125 county fee, and a private well permit at $150. The exhibit marks those health fees as flat, not sliding-scale. We buy vacant lots with no water, sewer, or road work, and we check utilities before offering. [11],[16],[15]
City millage and U.S. 17 stop at the limits
The city tax rate and the highway rules stop at the city limits. The September 24, 2026 budget packet keeps the city millage at 8.7164 per $1,000 of taxable value. It calls that the prior-year rate, and it is 6.64% above the rolled-back rate of 8.1734. The levy is only on taxable property inside the city limits. The posted traffic code names U.S. 17, within the north and south city limits, as the road that must hold its level of service. Property developed next to U.S. 17 is reviewed for extra right-of-way. That review is a city rule. Beyond the limits, the public-works schedule effective October 1, 2026 bills $120 to connect a house driveway and another $120 per lot when a new house is proposed inside a mapped flood-hazard area. County public works inspects those driveway and site permits. [11],[12],[16],[18]
Recent sales and the common lot size
Recent vacant sales set a range, not a single cash offer. In 2025 the roll shows 41 arm's-length sales of one vacant parcel each, and those parcels were still vacant when the next roll opened. The median was $20,000, and the middle half ran from $12,000–$75,000. Tax figures sit lower. The median just value is $8,600, and the middle half of those values is $7,400–$18,000. Just value is an assessment, not a check a buyer wrote. The most common measured vacant lot is a quarter-acre lot, 34% of them, with a median size of 0.30 acres (13,070 square feet), out of 1,306 vacant residential parcels. 72% of owners use a Florida mailing address, 26% use another state, and 0% use a foreign address. [1]
Common situations
Selling land in Crescent City in these situations
You own an inland lot and never plan to build
An inland lot can change hands even when nobody intends to build on it. The most common vacant residential lot with this address is a quarter-acre lot, and a lot with no lake view can still be sold. The facts that change an offer are whether the lot is inside the city limits, whether a city water or sewer main is in the street, and whether the ground is near the 6.4-foot Crescent Lake flood elevation or the 39.9-foot Lake Stella elevation. We buy vacant land that has no water, sewer, or road work. The only contingency is our land inspection, and a failed inspection costs the seller nothing. We look at utilities, access, and title before we offer. [1],[5]
The lot is outside the city limits
Then Putnam County zoning and permits apply. Inside the limits, city zoning applies. The city's planning page says it contracts with Putnam County for building-department services, but the county building page lists Crescent City among cities with no inter-local agreement and sends in-city building questions to the city office at 3 Summit St. The county checklist requires a site plan for construction in the city. City millage of 8.7164 applies only to taxable property inside the city. The flood community number changes too: 120408 inside the city and 120272 in unincorporated Putnam, which is Community Rating System class 8. [13],[14],[15],[6],[7]
You live outside Florida and have not seen the lot
Yes. You can sell without living here and without visiting the lot. 26% of vacant-lot owners already use a mailing address in another state, 72% use a Florida address, and 0% use a foreign address. Signing can be done electronically. An independent, licensed title company can finish a mail-away closing and pay by check or by wire. The usual timing is about 10 days after the purchase agreement, and title work can change that. You do not have to clear the lot or open a utility account first. We cover the closing costs. [1]
Taxes or a recorded lien are unpaid
Yes. You can still sell if taxes or a recorded lien are unpaid. Inside the city limits, the millage of 8.7164 per $1,000 is a city property tax on taxable value, separate from the county solid-waste line. For FY 2026-2027 that incorporated-city solid-waste total is $121 for the landfill, with no recycling charge, and the property appraiser says it is charged to residential units. A bare lot may not be on that line at all. Liens or back taxes can be paid from the sale proceeds at closing, with the seller's consent. There is no commission. [11],[16],[17]
Step by step
How do I sell my land in Crescent City?
From your first message to money in hand, with nothing left out. Requesting an offer costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
See every detail of the process-
Tell us about your land
Fill out the short form (about 60 seconds) or email us. A land specialist reaches out to confirm the details, usually the same business day.
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Get your cash offer within 24 hours
We review the property and send a written, no-obligation cash offer within 24 hours. It is a real number, not a range. Take it or leave it, with no pressure either way.
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Sign electronically
If you accept, everyone signs the purchase agreement electronically. There is nothing to print or mail at this stage.
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We inspect, the title company verifies
Our team inspects the land and an independent title company runs a title search for liens or taxes owed. If the land does not pass inspection, you are never charged anything.
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Close and get paid
The title company prepares the closing documents for notarization and issues your funds by standard check, overnight check, or wire transfer. A typical sale closes in 10 days.
Questions
Selling land in Crescent City: common questions
Can I sell my lot if it has no city water or sewer?
Yes. A lot can be sold with no city water and no city sewer. The city's fee packet lists a $500 tie-in for a 3/4-inch water meter and an $800 sewer tie-in. That is a cost for whoever connects later, not a bill you must pay in order to sell. If the lot is off the mains, a later house may need a septic permit from the county health department and a private well permit listed at $150. We still buy the vacant lot as it sits.
Does this address mean the city handles the building permit?
Not always. The permit process depends on whether the parcel is inside the city limits. Inside the limits, city zoning applies, and the city says it contracts with Putnam County for building-department services. The county building page instead lists Crescent City among cities with no inter-local agreement and sends in-city building questions to the city office. The county checklist requires a site plan for construction there and lists the city as the contact. If the parcel is outside the limits, county zoning and permitting apply.
What flood elevation matters for a lot near the lake?
The 1% stillwater elevation is 6.4 feet NAVD88 on Crescent Lake and 39.9 feet on Lake Stella, from the February 2, 2012 flood study. The lake gauge's minor-flood stage is 1.8 feet, which is a different number. The lot's zone still depends on its ground and on the map panel for its community, 120408 in the city or 120272 outside it. Inside the city, the flood code requires the lowest floor of new work in the 100-year zone to sit at least one foot above the base flood elevation.
Do I pay city property tax on an empty lot?
Yes, if the lot is inside the city limits and it has taxable value. The September 24, 2026 budget packet keeps that city rate at 8.7164 mills per $1,000, the same as the prior year, which is 6.64% over the rolled-back rate of 8.1734. A lot outside the limits does not pay that city levy. The FY 2026-2027 county solid-waste total of $121 is a separate line, and the property appraiser ties it to residential units rather than to every empty parcel.
Do I have to put in a septic tank before I sell?
No. You do not have to install a septic tank or a well before you sell. Those permits come up when someone builds. The county residential checklist requires a State Department of Health septic permit before a building permit, and the October 1, 2026 county fee list shows $525 for a new residential system. That figure is a listed total, and the exhibit marks environmental health fees as flat fees. Selling the vacant lot does not require that permit to be pulled first.
Owner resources
Guides for your situation
- How Cash Land Buyers Price Offers
A cash-land offer may start with verified sales of land with similar use, then adjust those sales for meaningful differences.[1] Buyers may also account for access, utilities, legal use, size, shape, flood and soil questions, title issues, demand, and costs and risk they will carry. No universal assessed-value percentage applies. Compare each written offer by expected net proceeds, contingencies, seller work, and timing—not one asking price or headline number.
- How to Sell Land During a Divorce
Florida land can be sold during a divorce when the people with authority to convey title sign and the sale follows every applicable agreement and court order. Divorce law may treat land as marital even when only one spouse appears on the deed.[1][2] If ownership, signing authority, or the division of proceeds is unsettled, have a Florida attorney and the closing title company resolve those issues before closing.
- Can You Sell Land With a Lien?
Yes. Land with a lien can often be sold, but signing a deed does not by itself erase a valid claim. The lien may need to be paid, released, discharged, or otherwise resolved under the law that applies. With the seller's consent, an approved payoff can come from sale proceeds at closing. If the balance or lien is wrong, dispute it before closing and require proof of the cure.
More places in Putnam County
Your written offer
Get your cash offer
Four short steps, about 60 seconds. We review your property and send a written, no-obligation cash offer within 24 hours. You can take it or leave it.
What happens after you send this
- A land specialist reaches out, usually the same business day, to confirm the details.
- You get a written cash offer within 24 hours: a real number, not a range.
- You decide. Requesting an offer costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
You will never be asked to pay us anything. No deposit, no processing fee, no closing-cost advance.
Nearby areas we buy
- Putnam County
51,545 vacant lots countywide
- Pomona Park
878 vacant lots · 2025 median lot sale $20,000
- Palatka
2,780 vacant lots · 2025 median lot sale $13,800
- Welaka
181 vacant lots · 2025 median lot sale $30,000
- East Palatka
482 vacant lots · 2025 median lot sale $20,000
How we made this page
Parcel Buyers is a land-buying company based in Florida. We buy vacant land directly from owners and publish these local pages so owners can see what land in their area is doing before they sell, to us or anyone else. We count the tax-roll figures ourselves from state data, take local rules and fees from the official sources listed below, and use AI tools to help research and draft the text. Every number links to its source, and we update the page when the data changes.
Method and sources
Tax-roll figures cover parcels whose property address city is Crescent City. Source [1] is our own count of the Florida Department of Revenue's 2026 preliminary property tax roll: "vacant residential" means land-use code 000; lot sizes use the land square footage on the roll; values are the county property appraiser's just (market) value as of January 1, 2026; sale prices count only arm's-length sales of a single lot that was vacant when it sold and was still vacant on January 1, 2026 (bulk and multi-parcel deeds removed). Page updated October 3, 2026. Holding-cost estimates use 2025 taxable values and 2025 millage for FDOR vacant-residential code 000 parcels. They cover ad valorem taxes only, not a parcel-specific bill or non-ad valorem assessments. The reviewed 2026 recorded-sale window runs from January through June 2026; unreviewed recent sales are excluded. Flood and springs-BMAP figures screen tax-roll parcel center points, not parcel boundaries. They are aggregate map screens, not flood-zone, insurance, buildability, elevation, septic, or permitting determinations.
- [1] Florida Department of Revenue (data); Parcel Buyers (analysis), Parcel Buyers analysis of the 2026 preliminary Name-Address-Legal (NAL) property tax roll (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [2] City of Crescent City, City Charter (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [3] Wikipedia, Crescent City, Florida (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [4] City of Crescent City, Land development code Article 9, Waterways (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [5] Federal Emergency Management Agency, Flood Insurance Study, Putnam County and incorporated areas (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [6] Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP community status for the City of Crescent City (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [7] Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP community status for unincorporated Putnam County (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [8] National Weather Service, Crescent Lake at Crescent City gauge (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [9] City of Crescent City, Chapter 8, Flood Hazard Protection (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [10] Crescent City Trees and Gardens Board, Trees and gardens plan in the October 2, 2025 agenda (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [11] City of Crescent City, Final budget hearing packet, fiscal year 2026-2027 (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [12] City of Crescent City, Chapter 18, Traffic and Vehicles (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [13] Putnam County, Building Department (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [14] City of Crescent City, Planning and Zoning (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [15] Putnam County Planning and Development Services, Residential permit checklist (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [16] Putnam County Board of County Commissioners, Resolution 2026-071, fiscal year 2026-2027 fee schedule (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [17] Putnam County Property Appraiser, Non-ad valorem assessments (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [18] Putnam County, Public Works (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [19] Putnam County Parks & Recreation, Crescent Lake Paddling Trail (accessed 2026-10-03)