Alachua County, FL

County

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2024 Population

285,492

US Senator

Rick Scott

Republican Party

US Senator

Ashley Moody

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

32.3

0.311% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

21.2%

7.64% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$61,949

3.84% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$288,800

8.25% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

137,362

1.55% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Alachua County, FL reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

94.8% of the residents in Alachua County, FL are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Alachua County, FL are University of Florida (19,345 degrees awarded in 2023), Santa Fe College (2,956 degrees), and University of Florida-Online (993 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Alachua County, FL was $288,800, and the homeownership rate was 54.1%.

Most people in Alachua County, FL drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Alachua County, FL was 2 cars per household.

Alachua County, FL borders Bradford County, FL, Columbia County, FL, Gilchrist County, FL, Levy County, FL, Marion County, FL, Putnam County, FL, and Union County, FL.

About the photo: Sweetwater Wetlands, Gainesville, FL

Photo by formulanone

United States Florida Gainesville, FL

Population & Diversity

Alachua County, FL is home to a population of 285k people, from which 94.8% are citizens. As of 2024, 11.5% of Alachua County, FL residents were born outside of the country (33k people).

In 2024, there were 3.03 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (164k people) in Alachua County, FL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 54.2k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 17.2k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

94.8%

2024 Citizenship

94.8%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 94.8% of Alachua County, FL residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Alachua County, FL was 94.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Alachua County, FL compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Alachua County, FL

White (Non-Hispanic)
164k ± 908
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
54.2k ± 908
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
17.2k ± 634

12.6%

Hispanic Population

35.9k people

12.6% of the people in Alachua County, FL are hispanic (35.9k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Alachua County, FL as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Florida.

Most Common Origin

Cuba
1,008,771 ± 24,085 people
Haiti
353,350 ± 14,476 people
Colombia
307,955 ± 13,528 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Florida was Cuba, the natal country of 1,008,771 Florida residents, followed by Haiti with 353,350 and Colombia with 307,955.

Foreign-Born Population

11.5%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

33k people

11.4%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

32.1k people

As of 2024, 11.5% of Alachua County, FL residents (33k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Alachua County, FL was 11.4%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Alachua County, FL compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
4,465 ± 501
Gulf War (2001-)
2,932 ± 568
Gulf War (1990s)
2,576 ± 467

Alachua County, FL has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.52 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Alachua County, FL.

Economy

The economy of Alachua County, FL employs 137k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Alachua County, FL were Educational Services (28,688 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (24,579 people), and Retail Trade (13,727 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($68,750), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($60,998), and Finance & Insurance ($55,794).

Employment

Occupations

137k

2024 Value

± 3,816

1.55%

1 Year growth

± 3.82%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Alachua County, FL grew at a rate of 1.55%, from 135k employees to 137k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Alachua County, FL, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (16,385 people), Management Occupations (14,836 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (14,804 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Alachua County, FL.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Florida.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Florida (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

137k

2024 Value

± 3,816

1.55%

1 Year growth

± 3.82%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Alachua County, FL grew at a rate of 1.55%, from 135k employees to 137k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Alachua County, FL, are Educational Services (28,688 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (24,579 people), and Retail Trade (13,727 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Alachua County, FL, though some of these residents may live in Alachua County, FL and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$45,349

Median earning men ± $2,061

$37,118

Median earning women ± $1,266

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($71,379), Manufacturing ($64,105), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($62,041).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Construction ($54,056), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($48,899), and Public Administration ($47,083).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Florida.

Y-Axis

4.23%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 9.69M people employed in Florida. This represents a 4.23% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 12.6%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Florida.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

662
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
462
Health Care and Social Assistance
390
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$1.72M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$443k
Retail Trade
$439k
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Florida went to Donald J. Trump with 56.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (43%), followed by Jill Stein (0.396%).

Rick Scott and Ashley Moody are the senators currently representing the state of Florida. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Florida is currently represented by 26 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Alachua County, FL. Showing the available data for Florida.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (56.1%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (43%)
Democratic Party
Jill Stein (0.396%)
Green Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Florida went to Donald J. Trump with 56.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (43%), followed by Jill Stein (0.396%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Florida for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Florida

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Florida.

Rick Scott

Senator from Florida

Assumed office on January 8, 2019
Inauguration delayed in order to finish his term as Governor of Florida.

Ashley Moody

Senator from Florida

Assumed office on January 21, 2025
While elections for full class 3 terms will take place in 2028, Florida will hold a special election in 2026 to elect a senator to complete the remainder of Marco Rubio's term.

Rick Scott and Ashley Moody are the senators currently representing Florida.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Florida over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2023, universities in Alachua County, FL awarded 23,484 degrees. The student population of Alachua County, FL in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 32,260 male students and 41,720 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Alachua County, FL are White (12,203 and 56.7%), Hispanic or Latino (4,801 and 22.3%), Asian (1,645 and 7.64%), and Black or African American (1,368 and 6.35%).

The largest universities in Alachua County, FL by number of degrees awarded are University of Florida (19,345 and 82.4%), Santa Fe College (2,956 and 12.6%), and University of Florida-Online (993 and 4.23%).

The most popular majors in Alachua County, FL are Liberal Arts & Sciences (1,921 and 8.18%), General Business Administration & Management (1,797 and 7.65%), and General Computer & Information Sciences (898 and 3.82%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $3,358 for in-state students and $15,000 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Alachua County, FL, the percentage of applicants admitted was 24.9%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 45.6%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 73,980 (43.6% men and 56.4% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 73,980 students enrolled in Alachua County, FL, 43.6% men and 56.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 36,572 records, of which 56.9% were women and 43.1% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
757 degrees awarded
General Psychology
688 degrees awarded
General Biological Sciences
655 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Alachua County, FL was General Business Administration & Management with 757 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Alachua County, FL according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

University of Florida
19,345 degrees awarded
Santa Fe College
2,956 degrees awarded
University of Florida-Online
993 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Florida with 19,345 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 9,920 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Alachua County, FL, which is 0.731 times less than the 13,564 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 12,203 degrees mean that there were 2.54 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 4,801 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private for-profit, 2-year ($18,240) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($691) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private for-profit, 2-year ($923) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Alachua County, FL was $288,800 in 2024, which is 0.868 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $266,800 to $288,800, a 8.25% increase. The homeownership rate in Alachua County, FL is 54.1%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Alachua County, FL have an average commute time of 21.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Alachua County, FL is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 21% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Alachua County, FL. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.01%.

Housing

Property

$288,800

Median Property Value 2024

±$7,665

$63,185

Median Property Taxes

±$2,147

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Alachua County, FL the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Alachua County, FL compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

54.1%

Homeownership

2024

64.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 54.1% of the housing units in Alachua County, FL were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 54.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Alachua County, FL compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$61,949

Median Household Income

± $1,676

117k

Number of Households

± 3,282

In 2024, the median household income of the 117k households in Alachua County, FL grew to $61,949 from the previous year's value of $59,659.

The following chart displays the households in Alachua County, FL distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Alachua County, FL is from Florida.

0.473

2023 Wage GINI in Florida

0.474

2022 Wage GINI in Florida

In 2023, the income inequality in Florida was 0.473 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.136% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Florida was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Florida in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Florida across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (68%)
Worked At Home (14.1%)
Carpooled (8.53%)

In 2024, 68% of workers in Alachua County, FL drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (14.1%) and those who carpooled to work (8.53%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

21.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Alachua County, FL have a shorter commute time (21.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.41% of the workforce in Alachua County, FL have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Alachua County, FL compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Alachua County, FL distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Alachua County, FL have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 21% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Alachua County, FL. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.01%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

21.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Alachua County, FL (56.7k out of 268k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Alachua County, FL is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 17.5% of the children was living in poverty in Alachua County, FL. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 9.4%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 561 in Alachua County, FL. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 142 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

92.6% of the population of Alachua County, FL has health coverage, with 51.2% on employee plans, 10.9% on Medicaid, 10.5% on Medicare, 18.2% on non-group plans, and 1.71% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Alachua County, FL see 643 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (643 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 523 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 144 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.1% were men and 51.9% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

643 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Alachua County, FL

Primary care physicians in Alachua County, FL see an average of 643 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (643 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Alachua County, FL in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21% under 18 years, 32.7% between 18 and 34 years, 31.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 15% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.1% were men and 51.9% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

7.42%

Uninsured

51.2%

Employer Coverage

10.9%

Medicaid

10.5%

Medicare

18.2%

Non-Group

1.71%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Alachua County, FL declined by 4.9% from 7.8% to 7.42%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Alachua County, FL changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 63.9 in Alachua County, FL.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Alachua County, FL.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 33% in Alachua County, FL.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Alachua County, FL.