Ocala, FL

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

2024 Population

400,078

US Senator

Rick Scott

Republican Party

US Senator

Ashley Moody

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

47.9

0.622% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

14.4%

1.12% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$61,010

4.23% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

Population & Diversity

Ocala, FL is home to a population of 400k people, from which 96.1% are citizens.

As of 2024, 9.4% of Ocala, FL residents were born outside of the country (37.6k people).

In 2024, there were 5.65 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (262k people) in Ocala, FL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 46.3k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 35.6k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.1%

2024 Citizenship

96.6%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.1% of Ocala, FL residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Ocala, FL was 96.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Ocala, FL

White (Non-Hispanic)
262k ± 763
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
46.3k ± 1.22k
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
35.6k ± 2.4k

17%

Hispanic Population

68.1k people

17% of the people in Ocala, FL are hispanic (68.1k people).

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

Global Diversity

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

Most Common Origin

Cuba
1,051,839 ± 24,582 people
Haiti
364,479 ± 14,701 people
Colombia
327,463 ± 13,946 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Florida was Cuba, the natal country of 1,051,839 Florida residents, followed by Haiti with 364,479 and Colombia with 327,463.

Foreign-Born Population

9.4%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

37.6k people

8.85%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

34.3k people

As of 2024, 9.4% of Ocala, FL residents (37.6k 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 Ocala, FL was 8.85%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
13,936 ± 904
Gulf War (1990s)
4,891 ± 743
Gulf War (2001-)
4,671 ± 648

Ocala, FL has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.85 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Ocala, FL employs 156k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Ocala, FL were Health Care & Social Assistance (23,402 people), Retail Trade (22,016 people), and Construction (14,336 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($78,269), Management of Companies & Enterprises ($75,288), and Public Administration ($52,045).

Employment

Occupations

156k

2024 Value

± 4,021

5.33%

1 Year growth

± 3.49%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Ocala, FL grew at a rate of 5.33%, from 148k employees to 156k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Ocala, FL, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (19,022 people), Sales & Related Occupations (18,016 people), and Management Occupations (12,934 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Ocala, 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

156k

2024 Value

± 4,021

5.33%

1 Year growth

± 3.49%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Ocala, FL grew at a rate of 5.33%, from 148k employees to 156k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Ocala, FL, are Health Care & Social Assistance (23,402 people), Retail Trade (22,016 people), and Construction (14,336 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Ocala, FL, though some of these residents may live in Ocala, FL and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$43,328

Median earning men ± $1,498

$35,372

Median earning women ± $976

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($57,471), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($54,511), and Information ($54,464).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Information ($50,123), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($47,727), and Public Administration ($47,113).

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

683
Construction
614
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
546
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

$950k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$709k
Retail Trade
$539k
Manufacturing

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

Education

The student population of Ocala, FL in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 2,838 male students and 7,021 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Ocala, FL are White (2,862 and 52.6%), Hispanic or Latino (932 and 17.1%), Black or African American (912 and 16.8%), and Unknown (362 and 6.65%).

The largest universities in Ocala, FL by number of degrees awarded are Rasmussen University-Florida (2,597 and 47.2%), College of Central Florida (2,225 and 40.4%), and Marion Technical College (557 and 10.1%).

The most popular majors in Ocala, FL are Registered Nursing (1,284 and 23.3%), Liberal Arts & Sciences (669 and 12.2%), and General Business Administration & Management (481 and 8.74%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $1,987 for in-state students and $7,947 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2024 there were 9,859 students enrolled in Ocala, FL, 28.8% men and 71.2% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 4,517 records, of which 68.1% were women and 31.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
992 degrees awarded
Liberal Arts & Sciences
669 degrees awarded
Early Childhood Education & Teaching
155 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Ocala, FL was Registered Nursing with 992 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Rasmussen University-Florida
2,597 degrees awarded
College of Central Florida
2,225 degrees awarded
Marion Technical College
557 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Rasmussen University-Florida with 2,597 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2024, 1,529 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Ocala, FL, which is 0.385 times less than the 3,973 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 2,862 degrees mean that there were 3.07 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 932 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

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($14,024) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($2,232) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Private for-profit, 2-year ($2,921) 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 Ocala, FL was $243,100 in 2024, which is 0.731 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $220,800 to $243,100, a 10.1% increase. The homeownership rate in Ocala, FL is 77.5%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Ocala, FL have an average commute time of 26.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Ocala, FL is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$243,100

Median Property Value 2024

±$4,168

$127,737

Median Property Taxes

±$3,083

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 Ocala, FL the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

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

Rent vs Own

77.5%

Homeownership

2024

65.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 77.5% of the housing units in Ocala, FL were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 76.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Ocala, 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.

$61,010

Median Household Income

± $1,361

165k

Number of Households

± 3,645

In 2024, the median household income of the 165k households in Ocala, FL grew to $61,010 from the previous year's value of $58,535.

The following chart displays the households in Ocala, 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 $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

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

0.471

2024 Wage GINI in Florida

0.473

2023 Wage GINI in Florida

In 2024, the income inequality in Florida was 0.471 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.383% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Florida was lower than than the national average of 0.474. 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 (74.8%)
Worked At Home (12%)
Carpooled (10.8%)

In 2024, 74.8% of workers in Ocala, FL drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (12%) and those who carpooled to work (10.8%).

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

26.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Ocala, FL have a longer commute time (26.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.72% of the workforce in Ocala, FL have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

14.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Ocala, FL (56.3k out of 391k 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 55 - 64, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 35 - 44.

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

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.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

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

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

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