Skip the city, go to the forest - 8/12/2019
The city isn't really anything special but the real nice stuff is in the Ocala national forest with the freshwater springs and big lakes. I really think more people should visit them more often. they're beautiful, inexpensive and lots of fun to go to. Read More

Don’t bother - 8/10/2019
Ocala is a good ol boy town with confederate flags and right wingers. If that’s your style you will love it here. Cost of living is low, paychecks are even lower. The traffic light system is not set up for traffic flow but for traffic congestion and there is a lot of that. Some say the slowest baddest drivers live here. Crime is very high.  Read More

Ocala Good place to live - 4/20/2019
I have been a resident since 1987 of Ocala, FL . I have raised 2 children hear. Like ever place it has its up and downs. But I choose to change the bad areas and make it better. It has nice parks, It has Horse farms and local events. If you are looking for Disney World this is not your place. There is ample employment if especially if you have credentials. If you have little to no education then the job market will likely be an issue. I find those struggling with employment usually failure to pass background checks and with failure to search hard. We do have Lockheed Martin and other large employers I am a Realtor and can help you with relocation. Fort King Realty, Read More

Ocala Good place to live - 4/20/2019
I have been a resident since 1987 of Ocala, FL . I have raised 2 children hear. Like ever place it has its up and downs. But I choose to change the bad areas and make it better. It has nice parks, It has Horse farms and local events. If you are looking for Disney World this is not your place. There is ample employment if especially if you have credentials. If you have little to no education then the job market will likely be an issue. I find those struggling with employment usually failure to pass background checks and with failure to search hard. We do have Lockheed Martin and other large employers I am a Realtor and can help you with relocation. Fort King Realty, Read More

Do NOT move to Ocala Florida - 8/20/2018
This is a very terrible place to live - believe me. There in NOTHING to do here. There are NO jobs and the pay for these jobs are pitiful. I came from Lovely Brandon (Tampa) and I am looking to return. I am a city girl and not a country bunkin, if thats what you like. Ocala has NOTHING to offer anyone except senior Read More

Moving to Ocala - 5/18/2018
My husband and I are moving to Ocala. In reviewing the comments, I see a very mixed group. We spent a weekend there looking at real estate and it seems there is a lot of things to do. Hiking, historical tours, great restaurants, museums, parks for recreation and of course the equestrian life.We both hate the cold and we have horses. We are really looking forward to being in Ocala. My husband grew up in Florida, so he is familiar with the weather which seems to be a constant source of complaints. We don't mind driving, so the beaches are easy for Read More

If not for the weather... - 11/3/2017
The oppressive heat ruins this place for me. Additionally, I don't drive and it was so isolating and depressing. I spent most of my years there in front of an AC unit miserable and trapped, with my animals depressed too. If you had a car, it's still rough. No beaches nearby.... the summers, and even spring and much of fall, are just god awful. The town itself is nice, and the local countryside and the nearby forest are gorgeous. If you have real money, good cars, and a pool, it could be pretty nice. Read More

peaceful life - 6/27/2017
Ocala ( unincorporated, not the city of Ocala ) has a great variety of stores especially since Earth Fare arrived recently. There is nature here, less traffic, and a good amount of wildlife. The community I am in ["Pine Run"] is like a bird sanctuary with even ibises flying around. Homes are less than $80,000 and some less than $40,000. Air conditioning is not necessary if one slowly accustoms oneself to the heat. The heat is less bothersome if you have a healthy , vigorous lifestyle. The body adjusts if it is in a healthy condition. Most communities have pools. If you don't have a pool here you can go to the local college and swim in their Olympic sized pool for a very low cost. The best thing is having flowers blooming all year round ( if you plant some ). Come on down. Why pay thousands of dollars on house taxes when you can pay around $700 a year instead.

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Not a bad place to live luxuriously on the cheap. - 3/4/2017
Pro's: No state tax, no yearly inspection fees for cars, the homeowner's homestead exemption is excellent, low cost of living in general. In Ocala, I rented in 2015 a 3/2 3,000 SQFT luxury condo with armed security, gated access, every possible country club benefit you could dream up at Fore Ranch. God, that place is like living in the lap of luxury. I paid $1,000/month rent. The gym, pool and clubhouse was worth it on it's own, absent the rent! It's like living at one of those grand hotels you never want ot check out of and Ocala has way more than just Fore Ranch! Tuscany is another, the list goes on. I moved to an equally small town in Longmeadow, MA and $1,000 a month got me a one room studio in a horrible section of town. In Ocala the only expensive thing is utilities. In any other place, your utility will be 70% less. In Florida, utility companies are privately owned and they charge whatever they like and pad the bill. But it's worth putting up with in exchange for 3 pks of Read More

mixed review - 7/4/2016
I have to say car collisions seem to be an issue here. And the heat. The heat is oppressive, and I LOVE the heat.
the economy is oppressive too. I'm 34, technically educated, and looking to leave.

The first thing I notice after arriving in 2015 was the collisions. Just when i think to myself: it's been a little while since I saw one. Bam. there it is again. Some look incredibly violent too, rollovers, tilt overs, multi directional pileups, T bones. People just don't care about one another here.

I went to school in Gainesville. I love north central florida in general, but this summer is really hot, the rain is not even a cooling rain anymore. I'm married and trying to raise a family on one income. It's not really possible here, I am finding; is that the new reality? Or is it still possible in the north or mid-atlantic? My benefits in Ocala seem singularly crappy, I have to say. Ihave had jobs before... before the crisis, and this is the lowest Read More