01 · the cities
Jacksonville
Jacksonville is the largest city in the continental U.S. by land area, which means everything is 20 minutes from everything else and most of those 20 minutes involve a bridge. The St. Johns River cuts the city in half, the beaches are a quick drive east, and the food scene leans seafood and surprisingly excellent BBQ. It's a Florida city without the theme-park vibe.
full dispatch→Ocala
Ocala is the horse capital of the world (it actually has more thoroughbred horses than Lexington, Kentucky), with rolling hills of horse farms unlike anywhere else in Florida. Silver Springs (one of the largest artesian springs in the world) is right next door, with glass-bottom boats and clear blue water. Surprisingly hilly. Slower than the coastal cities, with a quietly strong equestrian economy.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,679/mo
$1,616/mo
$63/mo less than Jacksonville (4%)
Median home price
Median home price
$358k
$277k
$81k less than Jacksonville
State income tax
State income tax
0%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,654/mo
$6,717/mo
Ocala has $63/mo more gross after rent at $100k
Gross left after rent reflects state income tax but not federal, based on $100k salary. Enter your salary to find your ideal city.
03 · the weather
Pleasant days/yr
Pleasant days/yr
198 days
208 days
10 more than Jacksonville
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
27 days
15 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Jacksonville has 12 more days above 95°F each year than Ocala.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
64 / 100
62 / 100
2.0 pts behind Jacksonville
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
26 routes
5 routes
21 fewer direct routes than Jacksonville
Metro size
Metro size
1.7M metro
410k metro
Jacksonville has 52.0x more events per month than Ocala.
the verdict
2
Jacksonville
categories won
5
Ocala
categories won
Ocala wins on money and weather. Jacksonville has the edge on lifestyle.
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