Ocala, FL
The numbers that matter most
What an investor checks first when sizing up a new metro — affordability ratio, rent vs income, cap rate proxy, and where the market is moving. Each metric shown vs. state and national medians for instant context.
moderate
Price to income
3.77×
The single most-cited 'is this market still cheap' check. Below 3× and you're in an affordability tailwind.
- vs Florida
- 4.23×-0.46
- vs U.S.
- 3.43×
Benchmark
ACS median home value ÷ median HHI
moderate
Rent to income
28.1%
What share of a typical household's income goes to rent. Below 30% means tenants can absorb modest rent increases.
- vs Florida
- 28.1%=
- vs U.S.
- 23.3%
Benchmark
(HUD FMR 2BR × 12) ÷ median HHI
deal-by-deal
Cap rate proxy
4.85%
Rough first-pass yield assuming a 35% expense ratio. Not an underwriting number — a 'is this even worth modeling' filter.
- vs Florida
- 4.40%+0.45
- vs U.S.
- 4.35%+0.50
Benchmark
(FMR 2BR × 12 × 0.65) ÷ ACS median home value
steady
Net migration
+1.34%
Forward-looking demand signal. Positive net migration drives rent growth and absorbs new supply.
- vs Florida
- 0.82%+0.52
- vs U.S.
- 0.03%+1.31
Benchmark
IRS net migration ÷ population
strong
Permit pipeline
15.07
permits per 1,000 residents
Forward-supply indicator. Above ~5 means the metro is building meaningfully relative to its size; below 2 means supply is tight.
- vs Florida
- 7.87+7.20
- vs U.S.
- 3.53+11.54
Benchmark
Census BPS permits TTM ÷ population × 1,000
softening
Unemployment
6.3%
Tighter unemployment means higher wages, more rental demand, lower vacancy.
- vs Florida
- 5.5%
- vs U.S.
- 4.5%
Benchmark
BLS LAUS, latest month
balanced buyer mix
Investor loan share
9.0%
8,349 purchase loans · 28.2% denial rate · 2024
Share of financed home purchases going to investors. Above ~15% means landlords are outbidding owner-occupants; below ~8% is owner-dominated.
Benchmark
Investor purchase loans ÷ all purchase loans (CFPB HMDA LAR, annual)
Where prices are and where they've been
5-year price appreciation
+60.9%
homeValues.yearOverYear
-0.7%
Median home value
$220,800
The rent ladder
| Bedroom | Monthly | Annual | % of median HHI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | $1,172 | $14,064 | 24.0% |
| 2 BR | $1,373 | $16,476 | 28.1% |
| 3 BR | $1,772 | $21,264 | 36.3% |
Labor market direction
Unemployment
6.3%
Median household income
$58,535
What's being built
Total TTM
5,844
+0.8% YoY
Single-family
5,309
2–4 unit
156
5+ unit
379
All 1 counties, ranked by population
| County | Population | Home value | Median HHI | Permits TTM | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion County | 378,225 | $220,800 | $58,535 | 5,844 | +0.8% |
Similar metros nationally
| Metro | Pop | Med HHI | P/I | Cap proxy | HPI 5y | Permits/1k | Unemp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★Ocala | 378,225 | $58,535 | 3.77× | 4.85% | +60.9% | 15.07 | 6.3% |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | 366,031 | $60,255 | — | — | +64.9% | — | 3.3% |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | 359,005 | $58,483 | — | — | +45.6% | — | 4.4% |
| Montgomery, AL | 384,740 | $62,746 | — | — | +45.2% | — | 2.3% |
| Tallahassee, FL | 386,064 | $63,078 | — | — | +47.3% | — | 4.9% |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | 391,957 | $54,635 | — | — | +23.9% | — | 3.9% |
Where people are moving in from
Net migration
+5,195
+1.34% of population
| Origin county | Tax returns |
|---|---|
| Lake County, FL | 910 |
| Orange County, FL | 583 |
| Alachua County, FL | 548 |
| Sumter County, FL | 522 |
| Citrus County, FL | 511 |
| Broward County, FL | 475 |
Who lives in Ocala
- Median age
- 48
- Bachelor's+
- 22.4%
- Owner-occupancy
- 76.7%
- Vacancy rate
- 12.9%
- Rent burdened (30%+)
- 46.8%
- Median household income
- $58,535
This page shows federally sourced data. A full editorial analysis with charts and investment commentary is in progress.
Data sources
| Metric | Source | Vintage |
|---|---|---|
| rent vs buy | HUD FMR + Census ACS + FRED MORTGAGE30US | current FY |