Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Alachua grades C overall, 354th among Florida's 634 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Residents are healthier than 75% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates and it has 21 miles of trail. On the other side, the typical home is worth about $322K, 5.2 years of the Gainesville metro’s $61K median household income. 15% of the land in Alachua is conserved, where Florida’s towns sit at 3% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Only 14 of Florida’s 327 towns score higher on civic life. San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park, at 2,887 acres with 16.9 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
Where Alachua beats most towns.
9,059 counted in 2010 and 10,574 in 2020; an estimated 10,612 in 2025.
Growth has leveled off: within 1% of 2020, after 16.7% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Alachua is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 610 in 1910, 10,574 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1910 and 3 maps from 1966 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Alachua, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 17, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Alachua.
Alachua draws workers from Gainesville and beyond and has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns.
8,612 jobs are based in Alachua, 2 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. Jobs based here grew from 5,384 in 2013 to 8,612.
Most working residents leave Alachua for work: only 10% work in town. Jobs based in Alachua grew to 8,612 in 2023, 3,228 more than in 2013. At 24 minutes, Alachua’s average trip to work is below Florida’s towns (27 minutes) and close to U.S. towns (25 minutes).
| Alachua | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 9.9% | 5% | 8% |
| Median household income | $83,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Alachua school district. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Santa Fe High School, with 1,132 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. L. Mebane Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 385 | C |
| Santa Fe High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,132 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park | 16.9 mi | 2,887 |
| 2. Turkey Creek Hammock Preserve | 0.9 mi | 378 |
| 3. Alachua Sports Complex | — | 27 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
21% of Alachua adults get no exercise outside work. Alachua beats the Florida average on 11 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 13% of Alachua adults report frequent physical distress.
| Alachua | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 25% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 23% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 20% | 19% |
| What stands out | Alachua | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 10.7% | 15.9% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 9.1% | 12.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 68% of U.S. communities. Since 1998, 20 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Alachua.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The High Springs weather station, 8 miles away, records that about 100 days a year reach 90°, more than in 95% of U.S. towns. The High Springs weather station, 8 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 255 days: longer than most of the country, but shorter than 88% of Florida places with climate records.
Alachua has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Alachua’s July high is 92°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Alachua home is worth about $322,000, down 2.2% in a year, 14% below the Florida typical home. The median rent in Alachua is $1,284 a month.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Florida average. 41% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Alachua.
| Alachua | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 41% | 31% | 29% |
| Median age | 37.9 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 23% | 20% | 22% |
55% women, 45% men
About 83 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.4 points). Across Florida, 50.9% of residents are women.
| Alachua | FL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.8% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.1% | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.2% | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.1% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.9% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.3% | 13.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.9% | 11.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.7% | 9.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.4% | 10.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 23.5% | 27.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.1% | 18.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.8% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.8% | 21.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 15.4% | 12.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Alachua. Close and well known come first.
12 mi Stadium & arenaBen Hill Griffin Stadium
14 mi Park & preserveGinnie Springs
16 mi State parkPaynes Prairie
12 mi MuseumFlorida Museum of Natural History200K visitors a year
27 mi Ancient siteDevil's Den
22 mi State parkIchetucknee Springs State ParkBen Hill Griffin Stadium: The original uploader was Hughs at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 2.5 · Ginnie Springs: (WT-de) Mistoffeles, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Paynes Prairie: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Florida Museum of Natural History: WillMcC, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Devil's Den: Eric Beach, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ichetucknee Springs State Park: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 2.5
4 within 15 miles of the center of Alachua
About 7 of every 100 Alachua residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Florida.
Where Alachua’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
2 places in Alachua on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Florida, United States
Alachua ( ə-LATCH-oo-ay) is the second-most populous city in Alachua County, Florida, and the third-largest in North Central Florida. According to the 2020 census, the city's population was 10,574, up from 9,059 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. Alachua has one of the largest bio and life sciences sectors in Florida and is the site for the Santa Fe College Perry Center for Emerging Technologies.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Alachua.
| Town | FL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alachua | #354 | C | C− | — | C+ | A− |
| High Springs | #506 | D | D | — | C+ | B |
| Gainesville | #504 | D | C− | D | C+ | B+ |
Alachua and High Springs report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Alachua with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Alachua grades C overall, better than 30% of U.S. towns and #354 of 634 in Florida. It grades A− for health and C+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
