Putnam County, Florida
Sell your land in East Palatka for cash
Parcel Buyers buys vacant lots in East Palatka for cash, including tracts on the east bank of the St. Johns River where Putnam County is extending water mains along East River Road. 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 East Palatka?
- Parcel Buyers is a direct land buyer that makes written, no-obligation cash offers on vacant lots and acreage in East Palatka, 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 East Palatka sell for in 2025?
- In 2025, vacant lots in East Palatka sold for a median of $20,000 across 17 arm's-length sales; the middle half sold for $8,500 to $40,000.
- How many vacant lots are in East Palatka?
- The 2026 Florida property tax roll lists 482 vacant residential lots in East Palatka; 15% are quarter-acre lots, and the median lot is 0.35 acre.
- How is a cash offer for land in East Palatka 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 East Palatka 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 East Palatka?
- In 2025, companies bought 35% of the vacant lots that sold in East Palatka, including 29% bought by homebuilders. Individuals bought the rest.
- How much are estimated annual ad valorem taxes on a typical vacant lot in East Palatka?
- A typical vacant lot in East Palatka has estimated 2025 ad valorem taxes about $150 a year; most lots here also pay non-ad valorem charges (listed below).
- Are vacant lots in East Palatka in a FEMA high-risk flood zone?
- About 11.2% of vacant lots in East Palatka have their center point in a FEMA high-risk flood zone (effective maps dated February 2, 2012 to December 7, 2018). This is map screening, not a determination; check FEMA's Map Service Center for your parcel.
- How many vacant lots in East Palatka got a home on the tax roll in 2025?
- 13 vacant lots in East Palatka changed from vacant-residential use to a home with new-construction evidence on the 2026 preliminary tax roll.
Local data
East Palatka land at a glance
Tax-roll figures cover parcels whose property address city is East Palatka in Putnam County. Local rules and services are sourced below.
| Vacant residential lots | 482 parcels classified vacant residential on the 2026 tax roll [1] |
|---|---|
| Most common lot size | Quarter-acre lot (9,000–13,000 sq ft): 15% of vacant lots; next, standard city lot at 12%. Median lot: 0.35 acre (15,250 sq ft). [1] |
| Typical assessed value | $12,900 median just (market) value for a vacant lot; the middle half fall between $4,500 and $26,300 [1] |
| Recent lot sale prices | $20,000 median across 17 arm's-length sales of vacant lots in East Palatka (Jan 2025–Dec 2025); the middle half sold for $8,500–$40,000 [1] |
| Who bought lots in 2025 | Companies made 35% of those purchases, including 29% by homebuilders; individuals made the rest [1] |
| Owners who live elsewhere | 14% of vacant lots have an owner mailing address outside Florida (most often NY, NJ, NC) [1] |
| Census place, not a city | East Palatka is a census-designated place in unincorporated Putnam County, east of the City of Palatka. It has no city officers. County staff, not city hall, handle zoning and building permits. [2],[4],[11] |
| St. Johns River bridge | Memorial Bridge, opened in 1976, carries U.S. 17 over the St. Johns from the city onto this bank. The span is 4,020 feet long with 65 feet of clearance. Veterans Memorial Park is at the east end. [12] |
| East River Road water mains | A six-phase county project runs about $5 million per phase and aims to upgrade 19 miles of mains. Phase one follows East River Road from Putnam County Boulevard to Dog Branch Road. [6] |
| East Putnam water supply | Plant PWSID 2544444 draws on two Floridan wells. On July 10, 2025, county public works applied to take 0.625 million gallons a day for the East Putnam County Water System. A vacant lot may still have no meter. [13],[8] |
| 2012 river flood figures | Unincorporated Putnam is flood community 120272; the city is 120273. At U.S. 17 the 1% stillwater is 5.3 feet. The river there is about a mile wide, with a 2-foot tidal range when flow is low. [10],[9] |
| Flood-zone building rule | The zoning letter shows floodplain or wetlands. Wetlands require contact with the state environmental office. If a house is approved in the flood zone, it must sit one foot above base flood elevation. [5] |
| Fire millage, not a flat fee | Career Station 06 is at 58 W. Louis Broer Road. For fiscal year 2026-27 the county fire taxing unit is 1.4 mills, up from 1.1. That is a county fire rate, not a flat charge on empty lots here. [14],[7] |
| Memorial Bridge | Putnam County's trail plan identifies a completed Memorial Bridge segment to East Palatka. It is the county's only traffic bridge over the St. Johns River, making U.S. 17 the direct cross-river road for East Palatka land. [15],[16] |
| Vacant lots that got a home on the tax roll in 2025 | 13 recorded with new-construction evidence. [1] |
| Typical annual ad valorem taxes | A typical vacant lot in East Palatka has estimated 2025 ad valorem taxes about $150 a year; most lots here also pay non-ad valorem charges (listed below). |
| 2026 so far (Jan-Jun) | County-level for Putnam County: 336 recorded vacant-lot sales; median $8,500. [1] |
| FEMA high-risk flood-zone screen | About 11.2% of vacant lots in East Palatka have their center point in a FEMA high-risk flood zone (effective maps dated February 2, 2012 to December 7, 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 East Palatka are 1 acre or less and have their center point in an adopted Florida springs BMAP. |
Pricing
What is a lot in East Palatka worth?
In 2025, vacant lots in East Palatka sold for a median of $20,000 across 17 arm's-length sales; the middle half sold for $8,500 to $40,000. [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. Homebuilders made 29% of the 2025 lot purchases in East Palatka, and builder demand can lift sale prices above what a single owner usually gets from a cash buyer.
See what similar lots sold for
What moves the price in East Palatka
County water on East River Road is not a meter on your lot
The price gap is whether a county main reaches the lot. A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers grant is funding six phases at about $5 million each to upgrade 19 miles of mains. Phase one follows East River Road from Putnam County Boulevard to Dog Branch Road; the next segment to County Road 207A was still being designed in June 2026. East Putnam Regional, public water system 2544444, treats groundwater from two Floridan wells with reverse osmosis. County public works also applied in July 2025 to withdraw 0.625 million gallons a day for the East Putnam County Water System. None of those facts proves a vacant parcel has a meter. Land with no tap, sewer, or completed road work can still be sold for cash. [6],[13],[8]
The mile-wide river, not one flood label for every lot
Flood risk can separate a low river lot from higher ground. The county study says the St. Johns averages about one mile wide here and has about a 2-foot tidal range when flow is low. At U.S. 17, the 1-percent-annual-chance stillwater elevation is 5.3 feet. County planning's zoning letter marks floodplain or wetlands on one parcel. Wetlands require state environmental review before building. The county guide says an approved building in the flood zone must stand one foot above base flood elevation, which adds construction cost. Unincorporated ground is National Flood Insurance Program community 120272; the city west of the bridge is 120273. OpenFEMA lists 120272 in class 8, with a 10 percent premium discount in the Special Flood Hazard Area. [10],[3],[11],[5],[9]
County permits, because this bank is outside the city
A buyer who plans to build uses Putnam County, not city hall across Memorial Bridge. The Census Bureau lists East Palatka as a census-designated place, so it is unincorporated and has no city officers. The county building department says it has no interlocal agreement with Palatka for building services and points jobs inside city limits to the city. County rules require a development permit before work starts in the unincorporated area. A basic house goes to county planning and development services. A subdivision, planned unit development, or other large proposal goes first to the Development Review Committee, which can include public works, the health department, and the water district. [2],[4],[12],[5],[11]
Recorded sale prices sit apart from the tax value
In 2025, 17 vacant lots changed hands one parcel at a time at a median of $20,000. The center of that spread was $8,500–$40,000. The lots were still empty afterward, so the prices are for land alone. The roll's just value is lower, a median of $12,900, and the center of those values is $4,500–$26,300. A tax notice is a poor stand-in for what the dirt will bring. Size is mixed as well. The most common band is the quarter-acre lot, and that band is only 15% of the 482 vacant residential lots. The median lot is 0.35 acres, about 15,250 square feet. A small house lot and a multi-acre piece do not draw the same money, which is why the sale spread runs wide. Adjoining lots with one owner can be conveyed in a single closing when title can handle them together. [1]
Yearly cost is millage, not a flat empty-lot charge
For fiscal year 2026-27 commissioners left the general millage at 8.7418, the same as the year before and 3.6 percent above the rolled-back rate of 8.4367. They set the fire municipal services taxing unit at 1.4 mills, up from 1.1 mills, a 30.5 percent increase, and they adopted a $328,885,255 budget. Those fire mills may be used only for Putnam County Fire Department services. The rate is countywide fire funding, not a surcharge written only for this side of the river, and it is not a flat dollar amount billed on a vacant lot. Career firefighters staff Station 06 at 58 W. Louis Broer Road. 86% of vacant-lot owners list a Florida address and 14% list another state, so many of these bills are paid from far away. Selling is what stops the yearly outlay. [7],[14],[1]
Common situations
Selling land in East Palatka in these situations
No water meter while the East River Road main is still short
Yes. You can sell a lot the new main does not reach. Phase one serves East River Road between Putnam County Boulevard and Dog Branch Road. The next segment to County Road 207A was still in design in June 2026. A parcel may have a private well or no water service until a tap is available and paid for. Where no sewer main exists, a future house needs septic approval through the county health department. None of that work must be done before a sale. We review utilities, legal access, and title before offering. The only contingency is our land inspection; if it fails, you owe nothing. [6],[5]
You inherited the lot or you have never seen it
Yes. Heirs can sell, and so can an owner who lives in another state and has never stood on the ground. 86% of vacant-lot owners show a Florida address and 14% show a different state. A trip here is unnecessary. Documents can be signed electronically, the closing can be handled by mail, and payment is by check or wire. [1]
Wetlands or river floodplain show on the zoning letter
Yes. A wetlands flag or a flood-zone flag on the zoning letter does not block a sale of the land as it sits. That letter is county planning's note on floodplain and wetlands for the parcel. Wetlands mean the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has to approve building. A flood-zone note means the house should be placed outside the mapped area when that is possible. If the county allows construction inside it, the floor must clear base flood elevation by one foot. Those limits change what a builder will pay. They do not require you to haul fill or clear the trees before you sell. We buy the parcel in its present condition. [5],[10]
Back taxes or a recorded lien are still open
Yes. Open taxes or a recorded lien do not, by themselves, stop a cash sale. Any lien, and any back taxes, can be paid out of the closing proceeds when you consent. The title company applies that money so the debt is cleared and a deed can transfer. You are not required to send a separate payment to the county before asking for an offer. We cover the closing costs on our purchase. The rest of the net, after the agreed payoff, is what you receive.
Step by step
How do I sell my land in East Palatka?
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 East Palatka: common questions
Can I sell my lot in East Palatka if it has no water or sewer?
Yes. A missing meter or sewer lateral does not stop a cash sale. County crews are extending mains on East River Road between Putnam County Boulevard and Dog Branch Road, but a vacant lot off that path can still be dry. East Putnam Regional, system 2544444, draws from two Floridan wells. Where sewer pipe is absent, the county health department handles septic approval. We buy land in that condition, with or without completed road work, and review utilities, legal access, and title before offering.
How much does it cost to keep an empty lot in East Palatka each year?
There is no published flat annual charge that applies only to empty lots on this bank. The repeating bill is county property tax. For fiscal year 2026-27 the general rate is 8.7418 mills, 3.6 percent over the rolled-back 8.4367, and the fire taxing unit is 1.4 mills after a rise from 1.1. Those fire mills fund county fire service. They are not an East Palatka-only assessment and not a set dollar amount per vacant lot. Station 06, run as a career station, is at 58 W. Louis Broer Road. Your taxable value times the rates on the bill is the dollar cost. A sale is what ends it.
Do I need a survey to sell land in East Palatka?
No. You do not need a fresh survey to request our cash offer. We check access and title, and our single contingency is a land inspection. Should that inspection fail, the cost stays with us and you owe nothing. Papers can be signed electronically, the closing can be done by mail, and payment is by check or wire. We cover the closing costs on our purchase.
Is an East Palatka lot automatically in a flood zone?
No. The river does not put every lot in one flood zone. At U.S. 17, the 1-percent stillwater elevation is 5.3 feet on the maps dated February 2, 2012. County planning's zoning letter flags floodplain or wetlands for the parcel. Wetlands require state environmental review. A house approved inside the flood zone must stand one foot above base flood elevation. This unincorporated area is flood community 120272; the city west of the bridge is 120273.
Who permits a house on a lot in East Palatka, the county or the city?
The county does. This place is a census-designated place, not a municipality, so it has no city building official of its own. Putnam County's building department lists no interlocal agreement that would let Palatka permit unincorporated land, and it tells people to use the city only inside the city limits. County rules require a development permit before development activity starts out in the unincorporated area. A basic house goes to county planning and development services. A subdivision or a planned unit development is heard first by the Development Review Committee. That file is not a city approval.
Owner resources
Guides for your situation
- How to Sell Land in a Flood Zone
Flood-zone land can be sellable and sometimes buildable. A FEMA flood zone describes mapped risk; it is not a building permit. The buyer must verify the current effective Flood Insurance Rate Map and any map changes, then ask the local floodplain administrator what elevation, floodway, coastal, permit, and design rules apply.[1][2][4] Vacant land itself is not covered by an NFIP policy; flood insurance covers qualifying buildings and contents, not land value.[5][6]
- Water, Sewer, Septic, and Wells on Vacant Lots
A vacant lot may use public water, a private well, public sewer, or an onsite septic system, but nearby pipes and neighboring homes do not prove what the parcel can use. Ask each utility for a written availability decision, ask the permitting office whether connection is mandatory, and obtain a qualified site evaluation before saying septic will fit. Keep every response, permit, plan, test, and receipt.
- Can You Build on a Vacant Lot?
Maybe. A vacant lot is buildable only if the proposed use fits the rules that apply to that parcel and the site can satisfy access, utility, environmental, and permit requirements. Start with the local planning or zoning office, confirm that the parcel is a legal lot, and get a written parcel-specific answer. A zoning label or tax parcel number alone is not approval to build.[1][2]
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
- Palatka
2,780 vacant lots · 2025 median lot sale $13,800
- Florahome
1,845 vacant lots · 2025 median lot sale $8,800
- St. Johns Riverside Estates
3,531 vacant lots · 2025 median lot sale $8,500
- Hastings
588 vacant lots · 2025 median lot sale $45,000
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 East Palatka. 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. County-level figures are used on this place page. 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] U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census Place List for Florida (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [3] U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files: Florida Places (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [4] Putnam County, Putnam County Building Department (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [5] Putnam County, A Citizen's Guide to Development in Putnam County (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [6] Palatka Daily News, County officials expanding water services in east end (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [7] Palatka Daily News, County maintains general tax rate, increases fire tax (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [8] Florida Public Notices, Notice of CUP application 92165-4, East Putnam County Water System (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [9] FEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Putnam County 120272 (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [10] Putnam County, Flood Insurance Study 12107CV000A, Putnam County, Florida (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [11] Wikipedia, East Palatka, Florida (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [12] Wikipedia, Memorial Bridge (Palatka, Florida) (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [13] Putnam County, 2023 Drinking Water Quality Report, East Putnam Regional (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [14] Putnam County, Putnam County Fire Rescue Station Locations (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [15] Putnam County, Status of Trails Implementation, February 6, 2014 (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [16] Putnam County Parks & Recreation, St. Johns Paddling Trail (accessed 2026-10-03)