May 17, 2024
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Community Portrait
Ocala & Marion County
More than just gathering data, we're trying to capture elements that make each community distinctive.
Florida Trend Staff | 7/1/2010
Who Lives Here?
• Population
Ocala/Marion County: 328,547 (city population is approximately 54,000). The county is the state’s 16th most populous.
• Key Demographics
White, non-Hispanic: 76.2%
African-American: 11.9%
Hispanic: 9.6%
Compared to the average in Florida, Ocala/Marion’s residents:
» Are older (43.3 vs. 40)
» Are less well educated (16.5% with bachelor’s degree or higher vs. 25.7%)
» Spend less time commuting to work (24.3 minutes vs. 25.9)
» Are more likely to own the home where they live (76.8% vs. 70.3%)
» Are more likely to speak English at home (90% vs. 74%)
» Have a median household income of $41,128 vs. a state average of $48,637
Growth: Marion has been among Florida’s fastest-growing rural counties, with the population increasing nearly 40% from 1990-2000 and another 17% between 2000-06.
• Politics
Ocala/Marion mirrors Florida; while a majority of registered voters are Democrats, voters elect mostly Republicans. In the 2008 presidential election, John McCain got 55% of the county’s vote, compared to 43% for Barack Obama.
