Gainesville vs Ocala
Gainesville, Florida versus Ocala, Florida: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Gainesville and Ocala score about the same overall (53 vs 55 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Gainesville | Ocala |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $44k | $51k |
| Cost of Living | $51k | $47k |
| Home Value | $217k | $190k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.97% | 0.74% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 7.10% | 5.11% |
| Unemployment | 5.5% | 8.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 55°F | 57°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 81°F | 82°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 54.6 in | 52.2 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 215 days | 298 days |
| Summer Humidity | 73°F | 72°F |
| Comfortable Days | 121 days | 131 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 46.3 | 78.3 |
| Air Quality | 45 AQI | 41 AQI |
| School Quality | 39.8 | 33.9 |
| Violent Crime | 1821/100k | 2403/100k |
| Property Crime | 2734/100k | 3003/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 142,414 | 63,504 |
| Median Age | 26.0 | 37.3 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.56 | 0.53 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.91 | 0.93 |
| Political Leaning | D+28 | R+26 |
| White (%) | 55.3% | 57.7% |
| Black (%) | 21.5% | 19.6% |
| Hispanic (%) | 12.1% | 16.2% |
| Asian (%) | 6.1% | 3.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.1% | 3.5% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 19 min | 19 min |
| Walkability | 14.4/20 | 14.1/20 |
| Airport Distance | 68 mi | 73 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 85.2% | 88.2% |
| Amenities Nearby | 19.52 | 20.79 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Gainesville or Ocala more affordable?
- Ocala has the lower cost of living: its index is $47k, compared with Gainesville's $51k and Ocala's $47k. Median rent is $1k in Gainesville versus $1k in Ocala.
- Is Gainesville or Ocala safer?
- Gainesville has the lower violent crime rate. Gainesville reports 1821/100k and Ocala reports 2403/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Gainesville or Ocala?
- The median home value is $217k in Gainesville and $190k in Ocala, so homes are more affordable in Ocala.