Gainesville receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Ocala
Gainesville
Opportunity
41 · Bottom 21%
vs38 · Bottom 16%
Growth
79 · Top 7%
vs78 · Top 8%
Climate
84 · Top 3%
vs85 · Top 2%
Physical resilience
22 · Bottom 11%
vs36 · Bottom 25%
Housing affordability
73 · Bottom 14%
vs68 · Bottom 11%
Access
70 · Bottom 38%
vs73 · Bottom 44%
Economic stability
30 · Bottom 20%
vs34 · Bottom 25%
Measured values
| Metric | Ocala | Gainesville | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 400,078 | 349,923 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $61,010 | $61,468 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,539 | $37,916 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 252/sq mi | 149/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $243,100 | $266,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,277 | $1,295 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 77.5% | 59.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.7% | 5.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.1% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.4% | 41.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.4% | 20.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 5,645 | 2,965 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 14.1 | 8.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -11.0% | 61.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 91°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 46°F | 43°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 51.6" | 48.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 57 mi | 51 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.4 min | 25.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 47.9 | 34.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Ocala
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, wildfire.
Gainesville
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, wildfire.
Your best match
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Ocala
57
Your Score
55
Area Score
Gainesville
59
Your Score
57
Area Score
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Full profiles: Ocala, FL Metro Area · Gainesville, FL Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology