Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More weak spots than strong ones. Where it falls short is schools: its public schools trail 87% of Florida towns on state tests and graduation. With a C− overall, Silver Springs sits 486th of 634 in Florida. Set against the rest, it does better than 16% of U.S. towns. At about $215K, a typical home costs 3.5 years of the Ocala metro’s $61K median household income. Its best grade is for walkability (B+): it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 66% of U.S. towns. T. W. Randall House and Silver Springs is on the National Register of Historic Places. 30% of residents live below the poverty line here, above both Florida’s towns (11%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). 37% of the land in Silver Springs is conserved, against 3% in Florida’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns.
Figures: schools, state test and graduation results · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · National Register of Historic Places · USGS PAD-US.
Where Silver Springs beats most towns.
37.2% of the town is conserved land, across 4 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Silver Springs is from typical.
Its best grade is an A+ for the outdoors (#8 of 638 in Florida; 10 miles of trails; 37% conserved land), which describes the town but isn’t part of the overall grade; its C− comes from the livability subjects above.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1886 and 3 maps from 1895 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Silver Springs is unincorporated, so Marion County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Silver Springs.
Silver Springs keeps more of its land conserved than most of Florida, has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
Its 1,470 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 98% of Florida towns. Its A+ for the outdoors ranks #8 of 638 in Florida.
Silver Springs’ trail density is 1.7 miles per square mile. Trails total 10 miles in 4 parks and preserves. Also worth knowing: the biggest park or preserve is Silver Springs Sandhill, at 463 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Coehadjoe Park | 1.5 mi | 90 |
| 2. Silver Springs Sandhill | — | 463 |
| 3. Indian Lake State Forest | — | 224 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
73.7% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 60.1% across Florida. The median property tax bill is $199, against $2,730 across Florida, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical home value in Silver Springs is about $215,000, down 2% in a year, 43% below the Florida typical home. Silver Springs: 40% of households live in a home they own. For Silver Springs, the typical rent is $1,176 a month.
| Silver Springs | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 40% | 72% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,176 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
For most workers, Silver Springs is a place to come home to: only 1% work in town. This Florida town had 747 jobs in 2023, up 60 from 2013. The typical journey to work for Silver Springs comes to 23 minutes. The top destinations are Ocala (45%), Gainesville (3%) and Jacksonville (2%).
| Silver Springs | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 30% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $32,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.2% | 5% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The Orange Springs 2ssw weather station, 19 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, 19 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.
The midsummer high in the town is 92°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Against the 803 U.S. towns with household incomes like Silver Springs’s, it is healthier than 94%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
In Silver Springs, 14% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance. Two figures for adults in the town: 18% report frequent mental distress, 37% have obesity.
| Silver Springs | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 32% | 35% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Silver Springs | FL |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 15.4% | 12.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.7% | 7.2% |
| More adults with depression | 20.4% | 17.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
FEMA puts 44% of Silver Springs’s expected hazard losses down to hurricanes, and 34% to inland flooding. Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 65% of U.S. communities. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Silver Springs after 6 declared disasters, most recently in 2024.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Silver Springs. Close and well known come first.
35 mi Stadium & arenaBen Hill Griffin Stadium
in town Zoo & aquariumSilver Springs
15 mi National forestOcala National Forest
26 mi Ancient siteDevil's Den
30 mi State parkPaynes Prairie
35 mi MuseumFlorida Museum of Natural History200K visitors a yearBen Hill Griffin Stadium: The original uploader was Hughs at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 2.5 · Silver Springs: NeilEvans, Public domain · Ocala National Forest: Sandra Friend, Public domain · Devil's Den: Eric Beach, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Paynes Prairie: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Florida Museum of Natural History: WillMcC, CC BY-SA 3.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Silver Springs
About 2 of every 100 Silver Springs residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
Where Silver Springs’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Census-designated place in Florida, US
Silver Springs is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Marion County of northern Florida. It is the site of the Silver Springs, a group of artesian springs and a historic tourist attraction that is now part of Silver Springs State Park. The community is part of the Ocala metropolitan area. It was first listed as a CDP for the 2020 census, when it had a population of 2,844. One of Florida's first tourist attractions, the springs drew visitors even before the U.S. Civil War. Glass-bottom boats have been a popular way to see the 242-acre (98 ha) complex. A small amusement park with various animals, a concert stage, a carousel, and exhibits also developed.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Silver Springs.
| Town | FL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Springs | #486 | C− | B | — | D | C+ |
| Ocala | #610 | D− | C− | D | D | C |
Silver Springs reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Silver Springs with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Silver Springs grades C− overall, better than 16% of U.S. towns and #486 of 634 in Florida. It grades C+ for health and D for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
