Relocation guide · St. Johns County
Moving to Shearwater, Florida
The total assessment runs $2,322 to $2,965 a year. But only $162.52 of that is operations — the other 93% repays the bonds that built the community, and that portion ends. It is a fundamentally different structure from every neighbouring option.
Approximate driving distance and typical time outside peak traffic. Check your own route: Open in Google Maps, opens in a new tab
Shearwater at a glance
Where it is: St. Johns County, off County Road 210 west of I-95, near the Trout Creek corridor.
Shearwater is a master-planned community known for its Kayak Club amenity complex, lap and resort pools, a fitness lodge and an extensive trail network along Trout Creek. It is newer than most of its neighbours and still has active builder inventory.
The financial structure is where it differs most. Almost the entire assessment is bond repayment rather than ongoing operating cost, which changes what the community costs to own over a twenty-year horizon.
The number that decides it
What the CDD actually costs
Shearwater's district is officially named Trout Creek CDD, which is why searching for a “Shearwater CDD” turns up so little. It assessed 2,858 units across two bond series, and homes under the Series 2018 bonds pay more than homes under Series 2025 for the same lot width.
| Lot type | Operations | Debt service | Total per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Townhome — Series 2025 | $162.52 | $2,159.17 | $2,321.69 | $193 |
| 40′ — Series 2025 | $162.52 | $2,284.22 | $2,446.74 | $204 |
| 50′ — Series 2025 | $162.52 | $2,396.19 | $2,558.71 | $213 |
| 60′ — Series 2025 | $162.52 | $2,508.15 | $2,670.67 | $223 |
| 70′ — Series 2025 | $162.52 | $2,620.11 | $2,782.63 | $232 |
| 80′ — Series 2025 | $162.52 | $2,732.07 | $2,894.59 | $241 |
| Townhome — Series 2018 | $162.52 | $2,284.19 | $2,446.71 | $204 |
| 40′ — Series 2018 | $162.52 | $2,423.46 | $2,585.98 | $215 |
| 50′ — Series 2018 | $162.52 | $2,549.64 | $2,712.16 | $226 |
| 60′ — Series 2018 | $162.52 | $2,675.82 | $2,838.34 | $237 |
| 70′ — Series 2018 | $162.52 | $2,801.99 | $2,964.51 | $247 |
Source: Trout Creek Community Development District adopted budget and assessment schedule, published at the district's own site, opens in a new tab. Monthly figures are the annual total divided by twelve, shown for comparison only — the assessment is billed once a year with property tax. Verified 12 September 2026.
Two identical 50-foot houses can differ by $153.45 a year purely because of which bond series their lot falls under — $2,558.71 on Series 2025 against $2,712.16 on Series 2018. Nothing about the house explains it.
Why the debt portion matters more here
Because debt service is 93% of the bill, two questions carry unusual weight in Shearwater. First, how many years remain — the district manager can give the maturity for a parcel's bond series, and a house with eight years left carries a very different total cost of ownership from one with twenty-two at the same annual figure.
Second, has the seller prepaid? Florida CDD bonds can be paid off early by the owner. Where a seller has prepaid, the debt portion disappears from the tax bill and the buyer inherits that — which can be worth tens of thousands and is rarely advertised. It is verifiable on the tax bill and always worth asking.
The flip side is that the operating charge is genuinely low, and unlike debt it will grow as amenities age. A $162.52 operating assessment is not a permanent state of affairs.
Check it yourself — official sources
Where to verify every figure
- Trout Creek Community Development District — budgets and assessment schedules, opens in a new tab
District manager: Howard McGaffney, (321) 263-0132 - St. Johns County Property Appraiser, opens in a new tab
- St. Johns County tax estimator, opens in a new tab
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center — search by address, opens in a new tab
- SJCSD attendance-zone locator, opens in a new tab
- Florida Dept. of Financial Services — insurance consumer services, opens in a new tab
Attendance zones change as the county grows, and flood designation is set address by address rather than community-wide. This site publishes no school ratings or neighbourhood rankings — confirm both directly with the district and with FEMA before you write an offer.
Shearwater — common questions
How much is the CDD fee in Shearwater?
For fiscal year 2025/2026 the total annual assessment runs from $2,321.69 for a townhome under the Series 2025 bonds to $2,964.51 for a 70-foot lot under the Series 2018 bonds. A 50-foot lot pays $2,558.71 on Series 2025 or $2,712.16 on Series 2018.
What is Shearwater's CDD called?
Trout Creek Community Development District. The district name does not match the community name, which is why searching for a Shearwater CDD returns little. Budgets and assessment schedules are published at troutcreekcdd.com.
Does the Shearwater CDD fee ever end?
Most of it does. Of the annual assessment only $162.52 is operations and maintenance, which continues as long as the district exists. The remaining 93% is debt service repaying the community's infrastructure bonds, and that portion ends when the bonds mature. Owners can also prepay the bond early, which removes the debt portion from the tax bill.
Why do two identical homes in Shearwater have different CDD fees?
Because the district issued two bond series. A 50-foot lot under Series 2025 pays $2,558.71, while the same lot width under Series 2018 pays $2,712.16 — a difference of $153.45 a year that has nothing to do with the house itself.
How Shearwater compares nearby
Buyers looking here usually also compare Nocatee, Durbin Crossing, RiverTown and Shearwater. The CDD structures differ more than the sticker prices suggest — different bond sizes, different remaining terms, different splits between debt and operations. The area comparison puts drive times, taxes and insurance side by side.
Want the real number for a specific address?
Send the address and Omer will pull the actual assessment for that parcel, the flood zone, and a tax estimate based on what you would pay — not what the seller pays.