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Gainesville, FL

Government town · 25.5% of jobs are government, including public universities (U.S. 12.1%)

High Springs is part of the Gainesville area. This page covers the whole metro.

Everyday life
Shops, cafes, and daily routines
Hobbies & activities
Trails, parks, and pastimes
Nearby scenery
Lakes, overlooks, and drives

Photos and reviews come from Google Maps and show single places, not the whole area. Reviews are the most relevant ones Google returns for each place. We show the longest highly rated review under 400 characters and, when there is one, the longest low-rated review. Google doesn't verify reviews but removes fake ones when it finds them.

Around Gainesville

Street Wall
Street Wall · Photo: LaggedOnUser, CC BY-SA 2.0
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium · Photo: Berniestew at English Wikipedia, Public domain
Century Tower
Downtown Gainesville, FL
Downtown Gainesville, FL · Photo: reedberkowitz, CC BY-SA 4.0
Dsg Alachua County Courthouse Family and Civil Justice Center
Dsg Alachua County Courthouse Family and Civil Justice Center · Photo: Unknown, CC BY 2.0
Gainesville, FL Downtown
Gainesville, FL Downtown · Photo: Rbrko, CC BY-SA 4.0
Gainesville FL main
Gainesville FL main · Photo: Ebyabe, CC BY 2.5
Gainesville Gillig
Gainesville Gillig · Photo: SKW6V92TA, CC BY-SA 4.0
Gville UF Sledd
Gville UF Sledd · Photo: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0
Main entrance , The Oaks Mall
Main entrance , The Oaks Mall · Photo: Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
Spring Hill UF Health panoramio
Spring Hill UF Health panoramio · Photo: Sean Plemons, CC BY 3.0
Sweetwater Wetlands Park
Sweetwater Wetlands Park · Photo: Flatwoods 36, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Where it is
Gainesville
Gainesville in Florida
Florida in the U.S.
State outlines: U.S. Census Bureau.

What's nearby

Within 5 miles of the center of the Gainesville area.

25
grocery stores
174
restaurants
39
coffee shops
80
parks
44
playgrounds
17
libraries
3
movie theaters
9
live theaters
7
museums
24
bookstores
1
comic shop
14
gyms
24
bars
12
pharmacies
5
hospitals

Counts from OpenStreetMap, a volunteer map, so small or new places can be missing. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Biking and trails

Within 5 miles of the center of the Gainesville area.

Bike lanes and bike paths
167 miles
more than almost all U.S. towns
Walking and hiking trails
109 miles
more than almost all U.S. towns

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Counts depend on how well local volunteers have mapped the area, so treat them as a rough guide.

What rent costs

Of about 53,469 rented homes in the Gainesville area, 88% rent for under $2,000 a month and 98% for under $3,000.

Under $1,000: 31%
$1,000 to $1,499: 36%
$1,500 to $1,999: 20%
$2,000 to $2,499: 7%
$2,500 to $2,999: 3%
$3,000 or more: 2%

Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.

What moving costs

Hiring movers

Average cost: $1,946

From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.

Moving in as a renter

The middle rented home in the Gainesville area rents for $1,000 to $1,499 a month. First month plus a one-month deposit comes to about $2,000 to $2,998 before you get the keys.

Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.

Your first weeks in Florida

  • Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
  • Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the Florida DMV.
  • Register to vote at your new address: Florida voter registration.
  • Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
  • Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
  • Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.

Public schools

One public school district serves this county, with about 28,964 students. Which one serves a home depends on its address.

Alachua · Gainesville
28,964 students · 19.8 students per teacher · 64 schools · grades Pre-K to 12

NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For test results and programs, see each district's site and your state's school report card.

Childcare and colleges

Daycare and preschool

Florida keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.

Typical full-time prices in this county (2022)
AgeDaycare centerHome daycare
Infant (under 2)$250/week
about $13,000 a year
$235/week
about $12,200 a year
Toddler (2)$182/week
about $9,500 a year
Preschool (3 to 4)$160/week
about $8,300 a year
$130/week
about $6,800 a year
School-age$134/week
about $7,000 a year

For an infant at a center: $250/week here, $225 across FL, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 14% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.

U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022. Middle (median) price for full-time care. State and U.S. figures average the county prices, weighted by population (Census 2024).
Search licensed childcare in Florida →
Link via childcare.gov (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).

3 colleges in the county around Gainesville. Prices are yearly tuition and fees for full-time undergrads, before financial aid.

University of Florida · Gainesville
Public, 4-year · 54,814 students · $6,381 in-state, $28,659 out-of-state
Santa Fe College · Gainesville
Public, 4-year · 12,698 students · $2,563 in-state, $9,189 out-of-state
University of Florida-Online · Gainesville
Public, 4-year · 5,462 students · $3,876 in-state, $16,579 out-of-state

Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.

IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.

The facts behind it
Typical home value
$302,455
What a typical home sells for across the Gainesville area.
Source: Zillow Home Value Index, August 2026
Cost of living
About 3% below the U.S. average
Everyday prices (rent, groceries, services) run about $97 here for what costs $100 nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis price index 96.7 (U.S. = 100), 2024
Drive to the nearest big job hub
About 1 hr 24 min at rush hour
To downtown Jacksonville, FL, 73 miles. About 1 hr 22 min with no traffic.
Source: Google traffic estimate for a weekday morning around 8am
Average commute
23 minutes one way
How long residents' trips to work take on average, counting every job and way of getting there. U.S. average: about 27 minutes.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Data centers nearby
2 within 15 miles
The nearest is about 2.9 miles from the town center (University of Florida). The largest is about 36,000 sq ft.
Source: PNNL IM3 Data Center Atlas, from OpenStreetMap (ODbL), loaded July 2026
Homeowners insurance
About $7,136 a year
The statewide average for a typical policy in FL. Your own quote will depend on the home.
Source: Statewide estimate, 2026
Natural disaster risk
Relatively Moderate
FEMA's overall rating for the county, covering floods, storms, wildfire, earthquakes and more.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hail risk
Very Low
FEMA's rating for hail damage in the county, compared with other U.S. counties.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hospitals nearby
5 within 5 miles
Hospitals mapped within 5 miles of the center. Emergency and specialty care vary, so check which ones fit your needs.
Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Drug overdose deaths (county)
14.1 per 100,000 people a year
41 deaths in the 12 months ending March 2026. FL average: 17.1 per 100,000. U.S.: 19.9. Counts are by where people lived, and recent months may still be updated.
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, provisional counts through March 2026; Census population estimates 2024
People without housing (local count)
About 17.7 per 10,000 residents
HUD's one-night count in January 2025 found 852 people without housing in the Gainesville/Alachua, Putnam Counties area (6 counties): 401 in shelters and 451 outside, up from 752 in 2024. FL: 11.9 per 10,000. U.S.: 21.9. One-night counts miss people, and how areas count differs.
Source: HUD Point-in-Time Count, January 2025 (HUD, 2025 report to Congress); Census population estimates 2024
Median household income
$59,659
Half of households in the county earn more than this, half earn less.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Property tax
0.98% of home value a year
About $980 a year for every $100,000 of home value.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
State income tax
No state income tax
FL's state income tax. Some cities and counties add their own.
Source: 2026

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