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City

Gainesville

#1 in Best Places to Live in Alachua County
  • A
    Overall Grade
  • City in Florida
  • 779 reviews
A
Overall Niche Grade
How are grades calculated?
  1. Public Schools
    A-
  2. Crime & Safety
    C+
  3. Housing
    C+
  4. Nightlife
    A
  5. Good for Families
    A-
  6. Diversity
    A
  7. Jobs
    B-
  8. Weather
    A-
  9. Cost of Living
    B-
  10. Health & Fitness
    B+
  11. Outdoor Activities
    A
  12. Commute
    A
View Full Report Card
Gainesville is a city in Florida with a population of 128,610. Gainesville is in Alachua County and is one of the best places to live in Florida. Living in Gainesville offers residents a suburban feel and most residents rent their homes. In Gainesville there are a lot of parks. Many young professionals live in Gainesville and residents tend to lean liberal. The public schools in Gainesville are highly rated.
About Gainesville...
Population
128,610

Real Estate

Median Home Value
$143,900
National
$184,700
Median Rent
$858
National
$949
Area Feel
Suburban
Rent vs. Own
  • Rent
    61%
  • Own
    39%
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Niche may be compensated by the third party lenders and others who place ads on the website. Niche is not a lender and does not endorse the products of these advertisers. Fees that Niche receives for ads do not affect the terms you may be offered by the lender you choose. There are many additional borrowing options available.

Gainesville Rankings

Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.

Crime & Safety

Crime & Safety
C+
Based on violent and property crime rates.
Violent Crimes
  • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
National
  • Assault
    458
    283
  • Murder
    3
    6
  • Rape
    124
    41
  • Robbery
    133
    136
Property Crimes
  • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
National
  • Burglary
    377
    500
  • Theft
    2,949
    2,043
  • Motor Vehicle Theft
    273
    284
Home Security Options for Gainesville
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  • 24/7 Whole home protection with no contract
  • CNET Editor’s choice winner 2018

Residents

Diversity
A
Based on ethnic and economic diversity.
Median Household Income
$32,716
National
$55,322
Children
11%
Education Levels
National
  • Master's degree or higher
    22%
    12%
  • Bachelor's degree
    22%
    19%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    28%
    29%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    21%
    28%
  • Less than high school diploma
    8%
    13%
  • Public Schools
  • Private Schools
  • Colleges

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Gainesville Reviews

779 reviews
All Categories
I moved her for school five years ago and Gainesville has been nice! Things stay open relatively late and I like that there are both areas that feel like a "college town" and some areas that don't. The surrounding areas are much more rural but in Gainesville a lot of things are being developed. However, the town doesn't seem to have been built to be a big city so there is a lot of congestion especially in the fall semester and down by the college during football season.
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Being born and raised in Gainesville I feel I have a unique outlook on my hometown. Thousands of people migrate here for school purposes. We are a young town full of life, art, diversity and culture. Currently we've seen a huge economic boom and whichever main road you're driving down you'll see major construction. New buildings, more shopping, updated hospitals. While there is a lot of city life to live you don't have to travel very far at all to play in the outdoors. We are an hour from either the east or west coast beaches. We are less than 45 minutes to several beautiful springs and wild life preserves. There are hunting trails, running/jogging trails, walking trails, wild life trails where you can actually see wild buffalo! We have a lot of community activist, therefore, we have a lot of community services. Gainesville is truly a wonderful place to raise a family. I love living here.
Gainesville is an amazing community and a birthplace for creative and innovative ideas. It is home to the University of Florida, so residents are culturally united by the Gator spirit. Gainesville is also a city that is made up of heterogeneous political views, which makes it one of the loudest cities for residents to speak up and demand change. Residents are fearless when it comes to discussing issues facing the community and do not shy away from sensitive topics. Whether it is political controversies, natural disasters, or economic disparities, us Gainsville residents have been consistently tested and refuse to remain silent- and our courage is admirable.