Ocala
- Town in Florida
Town
Ocala
- grade B+Overall Grade
- Town in Florida
- Rating 3.8 out of 5 463 reviews
Report Card
- Public Schoolsgrade B
- Crime & Safetygrade C
- Housinggrade C+
- Nightlifegrade B+
- Good for Familiesgrade B
- Diversitygrade A
- Jobsgrade B minus
- Weathergrade A minus
- Cost of Livinggrade B
- Health & Fitnessgrade B minus
- Outdoor Activitiesgrade B+
- Commutegrade B+
editorial
About
Real Estate
Median Home Value
$149,800
National
$229,800Median Rent
$973
National
$1,096Area Feel
Dense Suburban
Sponsored Mortgage Options for Ocala
Get Rates
- Find a loan that's right for you. Compare today's top mortgage and refinancing providers.
- Get approval in minutes. Checking rates won't affect your credit score.
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.
Map
Ocala Rankings
Niche ranks thousands of places to live based on key statistics from the U.S. Census and expert insights.
Crime & Safety
Crime & Safety
grade C
Based on violent and property crime rates.
Violent Crimes
- Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
- Assault479.8national 282.7
- Murder4.9national 6.1
- Rape89.8national 40.7
- Robbery99.6national 135.5
Property Crimes
- Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
- Burglary262.7national 500.1
- Theft2,714national 2,042.8
- Motor Vehicle Theft182.8national 284
Residents
Working in Ocala
Jobs
grade B minus
Based on employment rates, job and business growth, and cost of living.
Median Household Income
$42,361
National
$64,994Top Public Schools Serving Ocala
- grade A minus
Madison Street Academy of Visual & Performing Arts
- Rating 5 out of 5 3 reviews
- grade A minus
Dr. N.H. Jones Elementary School
- Rating 2 out of 5 1 review
- grade A minus
Forest High School
- Rating 3.8 out of 5 350 reviews
- grade A minus
Vanguard High School
- Rating 3.74 out of 5 305 reviews
- grade A minus
West Port High School
- Rating 4.03 out of 5 672 reviews
Top Private Schools Near Ocala
- grade A
Trinity Catholic High School
- Rating 4.05 out of 5 204 reviews
- grade B+
Meadowbrook Academy
- Rating 4 out of 5 18 reviews
- grade B+
Ocala Christian Academy
- Rating 4.07 out of 5 29 reviews
- grade B
St. John Lutheran School
- Rating 4.3 out of 5 27 reviews
- grade B
Redeemer Christian School
- Rating 4 out of 5 9 reviews
Similar Places
Ocala Reviews
Rating 3.8 out of 5 463 reviews
Selecting a category below will take you to another page
All Categories
What makes Ocala special is the beauty of the area. While there are attempts being made to make things more updated and more modern, the secret to enjoying this town is hidden in its rural scenery. Ocala is a place where you could be getting off the interstate, driving into to town, and suddenly, you start passing by beautiful countryside filled with horses and neverending land. The sudden change in scenary makes you want to get out and enjoy the great outdoors, as it is too beautiful to pass up. Ocala, also known as "slow-cala", is the escape from the city that you want, that you need, as things seem to be "slowed down" and you are able to relax. My favorite part of Ocala is coming home to relax and spend time with my family. Together, we are able to enjoy the calming atmosphere of the town and escape the rush my current city (Gainesville) offers. It's like island time here!
This place is absurdly dull even for a town of its size. Everything is either catered to families with small children, or the elderly. I've lived in Florida cities much bigger (Tampa), or a good bit smaller (Panama City; not the beach) and all of them at least tacitly acknowledged that they needed to throw the occasional bone to teens, twenty-somethings or even childless older folks.
That said, it has most of the trappings of modern living; though a lack of real competition makes it all weirdly expensive here. Obviously rent/housing costs are people's greatest expense, by far. In that regard, Ocala's fairly cheap. Though most jobs pay even less than the already low Florida averages. Utilities? Food? Booze? Entertainment (such as it is)? Way more expensive than in bigger cities.
It could be worse. I could've spent my teens and early twenties here. Now there's a spooky thought for Halloween season.
That said, it has most of the trappings of modern living; though a lack of real competition makes it all weirdly expensive here. Obviously rent/housing costs are people's greatest expense, by far. In that regard, Ocala's fairly cheap. Though most jobs pay even less than the already low Florida averages. Utilities? Food? Booze? Entertainment (such as it is)? Way more expensive than in bigger cities.
It could be worse. I could've spent my teens and early twenties here. Now there's a spooky thought for Halloween season.
I'm a young person myself, in my early 20s. Not much for people our age to do. There's things to do downtown every once in a blue moon that don't typically sound that enticing, and the mall. That's it. Much more for older, retired folks to do. It's quite segregated, I must say. Very little diversity, food is typically not that great around here, pay is lower than surrounding towns (with very few job opportunities, mind you), driving on 200 is ALWAYS a pain. It's a pretty place though, on the other hand. Well-maintained.