Betts Truckstop sign, Route 19, 1980
Chiefland’s story
137 years in pictures
Census counts: 421 in 1930, 2,316 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1980 and 3 maps from 1954 on.
- 1889Chiefland is settled
ChieflandFL
A town of 2,456, settled in 1889.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: The Bushranger · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
2,456
2025 Census estimate · +5.5% since 2020
Typical home
$173K
−1% in a year
Median age
41.5
years
Jobs based here
1,844
A job hub
Is Chiefland a good place to live?
The best of Chiefland’s subject grades are a B+ for walkability and cost of living; the weakest is a C− for hazard risk. 26% of residents live below the poverty line in Chiefland, above both Florida’s towns (11%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 64 of Florida’s 774 towns score higher on cost of living. The biggest park or preserve is Nature Coast State Trail, at 62 acres. Chiefland has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Chiefland stand out
Where Chiefland beats most towns.
Jobs vs. working residents
Jobs here1,844
Residents who work860
Work
A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 94% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023.
WalkabilityB+
More walkable than 73% of U.S. towns
3.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
Typical home value
Chiefland$173K
Florida$375K
Cost of livingB+
2.8 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 70% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
A job hub
Every workday, about 1,743 people come to Chiefland for work
Where Chiefland’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,844jobs based in Chiefland
12%of working residents work in town
31 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Chiefland grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Chiefland is from typical.
Hazard riskhurricanes tops the listC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8 of 20; 16.4% of households have no carB+Open →HealthHCA Florida North Florida Hospital 29.7 miles awayCOpen →Cost of livingB+Open →SchoolsBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 1% conserved landB−Open →History2 notable people born hereC−Open →Civic life8.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Chiefland: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Chiefland, and how to reach them.
PowerDuke Energy18.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Chiefland WTP water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers90% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Chiefland’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Florida you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereLevy Supervisor of ElectionsLevy County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2023
ZIP code3262632626 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 17, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Chiefland.
Work & commute
With 2.1 jobs for every working resident, Chiefland draws in 1,743 commuters
Most working residents leave Chiefland for work: only 12% work in town. Chiefland’s average trip to work is 31 minutes, where Florida’s towns sit at 27 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Jobs based in Chiefland grew to 1,844 in 2023, 253 more than in 2013.
12%work in town
| Chiefland | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 5% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Chiefland12%
Gainesville12%
Bronson6%
Jacksonville4%
Ocala3%
31 mi
median commute distance
1,844
jobs based in Chiefland
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 73% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SchoolsB
Public schools in Chiefland beat 59% of Florida districts
Its public schools are run by the Levy school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Chiefland Middle High School, with 760 students.
59%of FL districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefland Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 725 | B |
| Chiefland Middle High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 760 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade B+
The median rent in Chiefland is lower than in most of Florida or the rest of the country
Chiefland’s median rent is $845 a month. The typical Chiefland home is worth about $173,000, down 1% in a year, 54% below the Florida typical home. 39% of Chiefland households own their home.
$173KZillow home value
| Chiefland | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 39% | 72% | 73% |
| Median rent | $845 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Chiefland$173K
Florida$375K
−1%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthC
On CDC estimates, Chiefland is less healthy than 73% of U.S. towns
Chiefland beats the Florida average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 13. 44% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Chiefland.
27%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Chiefland | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 37% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 17% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 15% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
31 measures vs. Florida
0 better18 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Chiefland | FL |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 19.5% | 12.7% |
| More smokers | 16.2% | 12.4% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 11.1% | 8.6% |
VA North Florida/South Georgia Healthcare System - Gainesville
28.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
High risk in Chiefland, with hurricanes at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 69% of U.S. communities.
69risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesInland floodingCold waves
13
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Chiefland has mild winters and hot summers
Chiefland has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Chiefland is 91°F.
91°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter44–69°
Spring56–82°
Summer71–91°
Fall60–82°
Dec 2
typical first frost
Feb 28
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
91°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsB−
Chiefland has set aside 1.2% of its land for conservation
0.5 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves.
1.2%conserved
| Chiefland | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.2% | 3% | 4.3% |
1.2%
conserved · 52 of 4,298 acres
0.5 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Nature Coast State Trail | — | 62 |
| 2. Charles Strickland Recreational Park | — | 30 |
| 3. City of Chiefland Eddie Buie Park | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Chiefland
19pages on Chiefland
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Chiefland; the nearest are
Galen Health Institutes-GainesvilleUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Gainesville28.6 mi$17,048 tuitionUniversity of FloridaUniversity or college · Public · Gainesville32.9 mi$6,381 in-state tuitionWiregrass Georgia Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Valdosta, GA100.9 mi$3,480 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Chiefland residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
About Chiefland
City in Florida, United States
Chiefland is a city in Levy County, Florida, United States. The population was 2,316 at the 2020 census, up from 2,245 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1929
- Area
- 6.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 33 ft
- ZIP code
- 32626, 32644
- Area code
- 352
Chiefland’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Chiefland.
Manatee RoadAndrewsChiefland
How the neighbors grade
| Town | FL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefland | — | — | B+ | — | B | C |
| Manatee Road | — | — | A | — | B | C− |
| Andrews | — | — | B− | — | B | C− |
Chiefland, Manatee Road and Andrews have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Chiefland, Manatee Road and Andrews report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Chiefland with a neighbor →
Questions about Chiefland
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Chiefland, FL expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
What is Chiefland, FL known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Aslyn and Earl Faircloth.