The St. Joe Company’s Residential Communities in Walton County, Florida Continue to Grow Alongside the Walton County School District’s Rise in Statewide School Rankings

Rhea-AI Summary

The St. Joe Company (NYSE: JOE) reports significant growth in its Walton County residential communities, coinciding with the county's educational achievements. The Walton County School District has been ranked No. 1 in education across Florida by the Florida Policy Institute's 2025 Child Well-Being Index and No. 2 in high school graduation rate according to the Florida Department of Education.

Since 2017, the district has improved from 35th to 3rd place in state academic testing and increased graduation rates by over 20%. St. Joe's three major communities in Walton County - Watersound Origins, Watersound Origins West, and Watersound Camp Creek - have expanded to include over 1,000 completed homes and 3,500 homesites in various development stages as of December 31, 2024.

The company maintains a strong partnership with the Walton County School District, exemplified by their 2019 collaboration on the Magnet Innovation Center, a STEAM high school facility.

Positive

• Strong residential portfolio growth with 1,000+ completed homes and 3,500+ homesites in development
• Top-ranked school district (No. 1 in Florida) enhancing property values and attractiveness to homebuyers
• Continued strong demand from homebuyers and homebuilders in Walton County communities
• Significant land assets with 21,500 homesites across five Northwest Florida counties

Negative

• None.

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The St. Joe Company (NYSE: JOE) and its subsidiaries’ (“St. Joe”) residential communities in Walton County continue to grow alongside the local school district’s rise in statewide school rankings. Walton County School District recently announced its recognition as No. 1 in education across the State of Florida by the Florida Policy Institute’s 2025 Child Well-Being Index and No. 2 in high school graduation rate based on data released by the Florida Department of Education (“FDOE”).

Watersound Origins community in Walton County, Florida (Photo: Business Wire)

“We are incredibly proud to have a strong residential portfolio in Walton County where the school district has achieved such an impressive rise in rankings over the past several years,” said Jorge Gonzalez, St. Joe President, Chief Executive Offer and Chairman of the Board. “The ability to provide potential homebuyers a statistically solid reason to consider moving to the area and building or buying in one of our communities is a significant advantage.”

According to the National Association of Realtors “Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers,” more than half of home buyers with children in the home under the age of 18 years said that the quality of school districts is an important factor when purchasing a home.

Since 2017, Walton County School District has seen significant progress within several educational rankings, including rising from No. 35 in the state to No. 3 regarding state academic testing according to the FDOE state testing results and increasing the graduation rate by more than 20 percent. St. Joe residential communities in Walton County have also experienced substantial growth over the past several years with active development of three large scale, multi-phase communities in its Walton County portfolio: Watersound Origins®, Watersound Origins West and Watersound Camp Creek®. As of December 31, 2024, these communities combined include more than 1,000 completed homes and more than 3,500 homesites in various stages of development, engineering, permitting or concept planning.

“Demand in our Walton County residential communities from homebuyers and homebuilders remains strong, which we attribute to the continued migration to our region from all over the country due to the high quality of life here, including K-12 education,” said St. Joe Senior Vice President of Residential Real Estate, Bridget Precise.

The St. Joe Company has as long history of partnering with the Walton County School District. In 2019, the two introduced the Magnet Innovation Center, a STEAM high school facility at St. Joe’s former corporate office location. This partnership was recognized by the FDOE with the Commissioner’s Business Recognition Award for “commitment to student success and academic achievement.”

St. Joe has residential communities across five counties in Northwest Florida—Walton, Bay, Gulf, Franklin and Leon—with approximately 21,500 homesites in various stages of development, engineering, permitting or concept planning. To learn more about St. Joe’s residential assets, click here for a comprehensive video tour or visit joe.com/real-estate.

About The St. Joe Company

The St. Joe Company (“Company”) is a diversified real estate development, asset management and operating company with real estate assets and operations in Northwest Florida. The Company intends to use existing assets for residential, hospitality and commercial ventures and has significant residential and commercial land-use entitlements. The Company actively seeks higher and better uses for its real estate assets through a range of development activities. More information about St. Joe can be found on its website at www.joe.com.

©2025 The St Joe Company. “St. Joe^®,” “JOE^®,” the “Taking Flight Design^®,” “St. Joe (and Taking Flight Design)^®,” “Watersound Camp Creek^®,” and “Watersound Origins^®,” are registered service marks of The St. Joe Company.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250313614078/en/

St. Joe Investor Relations Contact:

Marek Bakun

Chief Financial Officer

1-866-417-7132

marek.bakun@joe.com



St. Joe Media Relations Contact:

Mary Beth Lovingood

Corporate Director of Marketing

850-231-6583

marybeth.lovingood@joe.com

Source: The St. Joe Company

FAQ

How many homes and homesites does JOE have in its Walton County communities as of 2024?

As of December 31, 2024, JOE has over 1,000 completed homes and more than 3,500 homesites in various stages of development across Watersound Origins, Watersound Origins West, and Watersound Camp Creek.

What educational rankings has Walton County School District achieved in 2025?

Walton County School District ranked No. 1 in education across Florida according to the Florida Policy Institute's 2025 Child Well-Being Index and No. 2 in high school graduation rate.

How has Walton County School District's academic performance improved since 2017?

The district improved from No. 35 to No. 3 in state academic testing and increased its graduation rate by more than 20% since 2017.

What educational partnership did JOE establish with Walton County School District in 2019?

In 2019, JOE partnered with the district to create the Magnet Innovation Center, a STEAM high school facility at St. Joe's former corporate office location.