Income Taxes - Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Deferred tax assets:
Federal net operating carryforwards	$ 0	$ 26,884
State net operating loss carryforwards	11,336	20,759
Impairment losses	116,451	151,050
Prepaid income from land sales	5,507joe_PrepaidIncomeOnLandSales	10,210joe_PrepaidIncomeOnLandSales
Other	1,398	4,697
Total gross deferred tax assets	134,692us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsGross	213,600us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsGross
Valuation allowance	(6,176)	(93,058)
Total net deferred tax assets	128,516us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsNet	120,542us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsNet
Deferred tax liabilities:
Investment in real estate and property and equipment basis differences	2,484	1,726
Deferred gain on land sales and involuntary conversions	31,574	31,385
Installment sale	126,225	58,969
Pension Plan assets transferred to the 401(k) Plan	3,057	0
Prepaid pension asset	0	15,596
Total gross deferred tax liabilities	163,340joe_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesGross	107,676joe_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesGross
Net deferred tax (liability) asset	$ (34,824)us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsLiabilitiesNet	$ 12,866us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsLiabilitiesNet

Deferred gain on land sales and involuntary conversions.

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Deferred Tax Liabilities for Future Company 401(k) Plan Contributions

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Prepaid income on land sales.

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Amount before allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible temporary differences and carryforwards.

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Amount after allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible temporary differences and carryforwards, net of deferred tax liability attributable to taxable temporary differences.

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Amount after allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible temporary differences and carryforwards.

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Amount before allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible domestic operating loss carryforwards. Excludes state and local operating loss carryforwards.

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Amount before allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible state and local operating loss carryforwards.

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Amount before allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible temporary differences from estimated impairment losses.

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Amount before allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible temporary differences from other reserves and accruals not separately disclosed.

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Amount of deferred tax assets for which it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will not be realized.

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Amount of deferred tax consequences attributable to taxable temporary differences derived from prepaid expenses.

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Amount of deferred tax liability attributable to taxable temporary differences from property, plant, and equipment.

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