Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 579, settled in 1897.
11% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Bell, below both the Florida town median (31%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). The biggest park or preserve is Wannee Conservation Area, at 21 acres. Bell has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 243 in 1910, a low of 108 in 1950, 518 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1968 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bell, 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 Bell.
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 83% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Gilchrist school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Bell High School, with 696 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bell Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 656 | A− |
| Bell High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 696 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Most working residents leave Bell for work: only 0% work in town. 13% of residents live below the poverty line in Bell, against 11% in Florida’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. The top destinations are Gainesville (13%), Trenton (8%) and Lake City (3%).
| Bell | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 0.5% | 5% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $66,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Bell home is worth about $297,000, up 2.1% in a year, 21% below the Florida typical home. Bell’s median rent is $963 a month.
| Bell | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $963 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 72% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Bell has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Bell is 92°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Bell beats the Florida average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 20% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Bell.
| Bell | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 14% | 8.1% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 37% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 17% |
| What stands out | Bell | FL |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20% | 12.7% |
| More smokers | 18.1% | 12.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 19.8% | 15.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Bell | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2% | 3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wannee Conservation Area | 0.1 mi | 21 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Bell; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Bell residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
Where Bell’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in Florida, United States
Bell is a town in Gilchrist County, Florida, United States. The town is situated in the northern part of the county, and located in North Florida. The population was 518 at the 2020 US Census, up from 456 at the 2010 US Census. It is part of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Bell has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.