Alachua County, Florida

FL · FIPS 12001 Democrat

Located in Florida, Alachua County has a population of 285,492 residents and a median age of 32.3 years, making it the #253 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 21.2%. The median home value is $288,800, and the median household income is $61,949, which is 18% below the national median.

285,492
Population
#253 of 3,222
$61,949
Median Income
-17.6% #1,900 of 3,222
32.3 years
Median Age
-17.0% #3,109 of 3,222
21.2%
Poverty Rate
+68.0% #2,775 of 3,222

Demographics

Alachua County has a population of 285,492, making it the #253 most populous county in the US. The median age is 32.3 years, which is 17.0% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

88.4%
Native Born
11.6%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Alachua County is $61,949, ranking #1,900 out of 3,222 counties — 17.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 21.2% and unemployment stands at 4.4%.

Income#1,900
$61,949
-17.6%
vs nation
41th percentile
Per Capita#969
$38,869
-5.8%
vs nation
70th percentile
Poverty#2,775
21.2%
+68.0%
vs nation
14th percentile
Unemployment#1,563
4.4%
-17.6%
vs nation
52th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Alachua County is $288,800 (+2.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,339/mo and the homeownership rate is 54.1%.

Home Value#684
$288,800
+2.4%
vs nation
79th percentile
Rent#374
$1,339
+15.1%
vs nation
88th percentile
Homeownership#3,122
54.1%
-16.0%
vs nation
3th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Alachua County, 48.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 44.7% above the national average, ranking #120 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
48.8% +44.7% vs nation
Rank #120 of 3,222
96th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Alachua County is 77.7 years. 17.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 10.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#718
77.7
+3.4%
vs nation
77th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,225
17.6%
-10.0%
vs nation
61th percentile
Diabetes#1,593
10.9%
-2.1%
vs nation
49th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,579
37.7%
+1.1%
vs nation
50th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,520
5.6
-0.4%
vs nation
52th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,295
4.3
-4.0%
vs nation
59th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,728
10.2%
-3.1%
vs nation
45th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,167
24.4%
-7.5%
vs nation
63th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,348
13.6%
-5.6%
vs nation
57th percentile

Substance Use

15.6% of adults in Alachua County smoke , 33.0% are obese , and 18.6% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 18.2 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#800
15.6%
-13.1%
vs nation
75th percentile
Adult Obesity#441
33.0%
-12.9%
vs nation
86th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,051
18.6%
-6.5%
vs nation
67th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#447
18.2
-43.7%
vs nation
79th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Alachua County is 5.4 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 13.5 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 13.6 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#672
5.4
-32.4%
vs nation
56th percentile
Suicide Rate#491
13.5
-31.7%
vs nation
81th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#589
11.9
-33.2%
vs nation
76th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#771
13.6
-32.8%
vs nation
73th percentile

Families & Children

17.5% of children in Alachua County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 9.1 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 8.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,180
9.1
+33.7%
vs nation
14th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#308
8.7
-60.4%
vs nation
90th percentile
Child Poverty#1,503
17.5%
-7.9%
vs nation
52th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Alachua County is 69.0%. The mean commute time is 24.1 min, which is 12.7% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
69.0% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
24.1 min −12.7% vs nation
Rank #2,134 of 3,222
34th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Alachua County voted Democratic with a margin of 20.9%. The vote was 59.7% Dem / 38.8% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 6.3 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +20.9%
59.7% 38.8%
Dem 136,548 votes Rep
2020 DEM +27.2%
62.9% 35.7%
Dem 142,604 votes Rep
2016 DEM +22.6%
59% 36.4%
Dem 127,827 votes Rep
2012 DEM +17.4%
57.9% 40.5%
Dem 120,318 votes Rep
2008 DEM +21.6%
60.2% 38.6%
Dem 125,519 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Alachua County, Florida

Alachua County, Florida has a total population of 285,492, making it the 253rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Alachua County is 32.3 years, which is 17.0% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Alachua County is $61,949, which ranks #1,900 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 17.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 21.2%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.4%.

The median home value in Alachua County is $288,800, 2.4% above the national median. Renters in Alachua County pay a median gross rent of $1,339 per month. The homeownership rate is 54.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Alachua County, 48.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 44.7% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 24.1 min.

Alachua County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 57.6% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (19.0%) and Hispanic or Latino (12.6%).

All data for Alachua County, Florida comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.