Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Ocala earns a D−, 610th among Florida's 634 graded towns, mostly because of safety and schools. It reports more crime per resident than 89% of U.S. towns, including 276 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. Its schools rank behind 87% of the state's. In its favor, it is more walkable than 78% of U.S. towns. 44% of working residents work locally in Ocala, above both the Florida town median (5%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Ocala has 12 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them East Hall and Coca-Cola Bottling Plant. Only 10 of the 132 Florida towns we compare have a higher property crime rate than Ocala.
Where Ocala beats most towns.
Coca-Cola Bottling Plant
Census counts: 243 in 1850, 63,591 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1905 and 3 maps from 1895 on.
12 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Ocala is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Ocala, 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 Ocala.
Ocala draws workers from Silver Springs Shores and beyond, has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
69,128 jobs are based in Ocala, 2.8 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 19.2 minutes, against 28 across Florida.
21% of residents live below the poverty line in Ocala. Since 2013, Ocala has added 13,433 jobs, to 69,128 in 2023. Ocala’s average trip to work is 19 minutes.
| Ocala | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 21% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $56,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Marion school district. Three of its 41 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort King Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 918 | C |
| West Port High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 3,022 | C+ |
| Madison Street Academy of Visual and Performing ArtsTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 467 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
Property crime runs at 24.7 per 1,000 residents, about twice the Florida rate, most of it theft. Reported crimes fell from 2,330 to 2,055 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The violent crime rate in Ocala is 3.8 per 1,000 residents. Ocala reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 89% report less.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The typical value, about $264K, is 7% below its October 2022 peak.
The typical Ocala home is worth about $264,000, down 2.4% in a year, 30% below the Florida typical home. 52% of Ocala households own their home.
| Ocala | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 52% | 72% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 60% | 59% | 48% |
| Median rent | $1,359 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Against the 7,846 U.S. towns with household incomes like Ocala’s, it is healthier than 57%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
Ocala beats the Florida average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 11.
| Ocala | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 37% | 36% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 8.1% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 17% |
| What stands out | Ocala | FL |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16.9% | 12.7% |
| More smokers | 15.5% | 12.4% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 10.5% | 8.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The Orange Springs 2ssw weather station, 24 miles away, records that about 109 days a year reach 90°, more than in 97% of U.S. towns. The Orange Springs 2ssw weather station, 24 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 284 days: longer than most of the country, but shorter than 81% of Florida places with climate records.
Ocala has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 92°, January nights drop to 45° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
14 miles of trail in 29 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Marion County Jail and Sheriff's Office, at 90 acres.
| Ocala | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.4% | 3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ocala Wetland Recharge Park | 2.8 mi | 63 |
| 2. Jervey Gantt Park | 1.3 mi | 71 |
| 3. Lillian F Bryant Park | 1.1 mi | 23 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 60% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 35 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Ocala.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Florida average. Ocala has grown 13% since 2020, to 71,753 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 31% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 34% across Florida.
| Ocala | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.2 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 22% | 20% | 22% |
53% women, 47% men
About 89 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.3 points). Across Florida, 50.9% of residents are women. Median age: women 40.7, men 37.5.
| Ocala | FL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.3% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.9% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.9% | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.7% | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.5% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.7% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.2% | 13.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.9% | 11.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.9% | 9.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9% | 10.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.9% | 27.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 22% | 18.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.9% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.9% | 21.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.4% | 12.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Ocala. Close and well known come first.
35 mi Stadium & arenaBen Hill Griffin Stadium
20 mi National forestOcala National Forest
7 mi Zoo & aquariumSilver Springs
23 mi Ancient siteDevil's Den
30 mi State parkPaynes Prairie
in town MuseumAppleton Museum of ArtBen Hill Griffin Stadium: The original uploader was Hughs at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 2.5 · Ocala National Forest: Sandra Friend, Public domain · Silver Springs: NeilEvans, Public domain · Devil's Den: Eric Beach, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Paynes Prairie: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Appleton Museum of Art: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Ocala
About 4 of every 100 Ocala residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
2 colleges in town.
12 places in Ocala on the National Register of Historic Places.
39 notable people were born in Ocala.
City in Florida, United States
Ocala ( oh-KAL-ə) is a city in and the county seat of Marion County, Florida, United States. Located in North Central Florida. The population was 63,591 as of the 2020 census, and was estimated at 71,753 in 2025, making it the 42nd-most populated city in Florida. It is the principal city of the Ocala metropolitan area, which had a population of 442,660 in 2025. Home to over 400 thoroughbred farms and training centers, Ocala has been called the "Horse Capital of the World". Notable attractions include the Ocala National Forest, Silver Springs State Park, Rainbow Springs State Park, the College of Central Florida, and the World Equestrian Center.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Ocala.
| Town | FL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocala | #610 | D− | C− | D | D | C |
| Silver Springs | #486 | C− | B | — | D | C+ |
| Liberty Triangle | #563 | D | C | — | D | B− |
Silver Springs and Liberty Triangle report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Ocala with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Ocala grades D− overall, better than 2% of U.S. towns and #610 of 634 in Florida. It grades C for health, D for safety and D for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. That is 4.3 years of the area's median household income ($61,010 across the Ocala, FL metro area).
39 notable people were born here, including Elizabeth Ashley and Erin Jackson.
