Reviews & Comments
Ocala, FL
Ocala is great for Seniors -
12/10/2023My wife and I have lived in Ocala as retirees since 2014 and we love it here. It is definitely a place for retired folks. There is lots to do here for us. As for young people, the place is not geared towards them because it is mainly a retirement town. When our grandkids visit, they are bored. But for us, there is the art walk downtown on Fridays which is very nice, and music in the park. Also there are good coffee shops, restaurants and bakeries downtown. It is a small downtown but it has a historical look to it which is quite pleasant. The town is divided by Silver Springs Blvd (N/S). We found more seniors living on the SW and SE side of town compared to NW or NE. So if you are looking for a lot of things for seniors to do, keep this in mind because many events you can even walk to depending on where you live. The largest community for seniors in Ocala is On Top Of the World in the SW part of town and this is a huge, expansive senior citizen development with many golf courses and activities, but it can be pricey so you will have to decide on this based on your budget. Also, there are many mobile home parks, many which are quite nice, however you will have buy the home first and then pay a lot rent on the land that your home sits on, which can run you upwards of $600 a month on average for 2023. Many parks are owned by large corporations, and have annual lot rent increases, have fairly strict rules and will require park approval to buy into the development. But again, depending on the park, some come with amenities like sewer and water while others do not. Ocala is horse country so you will find there is a lot to do at the World Equestrian Center. Also we have regular classic car events, and RV shows at the horse park which is a good day of entertainment. We also have nice antique shops and plenty of shopping for everyone both downtown and in the local malls. We have a few Walmarts in this town to serve the needs of everyone along with several Publix stores. The weather is good year round and sometimes in winter it will dip to the 30's for a couple of days, but it never snows here. One thing you should be prepared for is the rain as it comes down like a waterfall and can be quite noisy. It is not typical steady rain in these mostly summer months as it POURS hard. So that takes getting used to. Otherwise at least for seniors you will find this a delightful town with friendly people. There is crime but usually it is in certain areas but you still have to be vigilant and be aware of your surroundings as in any town and keep your doors locked. People asked me why did I not include the job market so here it is. As for jobs, I am afraid that Ocala just does not live up to a good job market. The wages are significantly lower than the rest of the state and that is IF you can find a job. Our grandson has been here for 3 months now and cannot find any work. Many seem to be laying off and going more automated now. So for the younger people, this could be a real struggle and the rents are higher that you would expect given the wages, so this town needs a better balance of the two. Back to seniors though, there are many developments that have golf cart roads so you can tool around in your golf cart and join many of the activities like parades and such in your golf cart. We found having a golf cart to be very fun as we can visit neighbors and friends, or go to events without hopping in our car. I hope this helps anyone looking to retire or move here.