Jacksonville

Located in northeast Florida, Jacksonville has long been in the shadow of its more high-profile Florida neighbors to the south and west. But the city, rated by Money magazine in 1997 as one of the "Top 10 Best Places to Live," is enjoying a run of prosperity and recognition. Many locals credit Jacksonville's vitality to the start-up of the National Football League expansion franchise the Jacksonville Jaguars. Since the Jaguars moved into the new $138 million Alltel Stadium in August 1995, the team has helped put Jacksonville in the national spotlight and has helped attract business to the region. In addition to the Jaguars, the sports-loving market also boasts a double-A baseball team, two minor-league hockey clubs and a pro soccer team. Golf and tennis are also a major force in the Jacksonville market. The PGA Tour's world headquarters, the World Golf Hall of Fame and the ATP Tour's offices are all located close by.

Jacksonville has the youngest population of cities in Florida, with a median age of about 33. There is a major U.S. Navy presence in the market, with some 50,000 military and civilian personnel working on several bases. "Florida's First Coast" also features many beaches and waterways, including the St. Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean.

"Jacksonville is kind of looked at as the last frontier in Florida," says Jay Weimar, director of display advertising for the Florida Times-Union, the market's only daily newspaper. As other areas of the state exploded with growth in the 1980s and '90s, Jacksonville remained largely stagnant. But the region is now beginning to experience some of the expansion other Florida markets have already seen. For example, two brand-new communities are being developed in a project that will add about 20,000 households. "In the next five to 10 years, Jacksonville will experience unprecedented household growth," Weimar says.

The increased growth and prominence of the Jacksonville market is reflected in its chameleon-like local media scene. The local television business has experienced significant expansion over the past few years, going from No. 54 to 52 (with 540,450 TV households) in the Nielsen Media Research rankings. Many locals expect the market to crack the top 50 before too long. (This November, the Jacksonville TV market will gain Pierce County...