Gainesville, Florida Population 2024

148,225

Gainesville is a city located in Alachua County Florida. Gainesville has a 2024 population of 148,225. It is also the county seat of Alachua County. Gainesville is currently growing at a rate of 1.03% annually and its population has increased by 4.23% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 142,203 in 2020.

The average household income in Gainesville is $66,377 with a poverty rate of 29.02%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Gainesville is 26 years, 25.9 years for males, and 26 years for females.

Gainesville is located in Alachua County, where it has been designated as the county city. The city has been ranked as one of the best places in the U.S. to live.

Gainesville Population and Labor Statistics

The University of Florida is the largest employer in the city, with over 27,000 employees. UF Health, Alachua County School Board, Gainesville Veterans Administration Medical Center, and the City of Gainesville are other top employers, providing jobs to thousands of residents.

Gainesville Population Growth

Since the census taken in 1890, Gainesville has seen nothing but growth across its population. By 1930, the city had over 10,000 residents. This number had nearly tripled by the 1950 census. The population grew significantly between 1950 and 1960, exploding from over 29,000 residents to over 64,000. By 2000, the population had nearly reached 100,000. Recent estimates show that the population has grown by 5.8% since the 2010 census. At this rate, the population will reach 150,000 soon.

The Gainesville region was originally inhabited by Paleo-Indians approximately 12,000 years ago. The European explorer Hernando de Soto passed through the area in 1539. Once the Europeans arrived, many Native Americans perished from diseases that were brought over.

The city of Gainesville was founded to serve as the Alachua County seat because of its position along the Florida Railroad Company’s route. The original proposed name of the city was Hogtown, but a settlement located near Westside Park already had this name, so the city name was adopted. This former site was later annexed in 1961.

In 1854, the public sale of lots was ordered. Two years later, a courthouse was constructed, and the following year, a well was dug and a jail was constructed. The property values during this time began to rise quickly. The city continued to grow and by the end of the 1850s, there were multiple stores and hotels.

Gainesville was incorporated as a city in 1866, but the government was weak at this time. The city was reincorporated in 1869 by order of the Florida legislature. After the Civil War, the city’s economy revolved around cotton shipping and was the leading shipping facility in the state. More railroads arrived, continuing the growth of the city. For a brief period, citrus growing became an important part of the economy but ended following freezes.

Heading into the 20th century, Gainesville became known as a rough city. Lots of violence included severe injuries and killings. This included racial violence.

In the 20th century, a new charter was requested and was granted in 1905. The borders of the city were also expanded. A bond issue was offered this year and was used to launch a sewer system and pave roads. A generating plant was built in 1914. The University of Florida had also been established by this time.

The city faced its hardships in the 20th century, including exhausting its water supply. A new well was drilled and a water tower built. Agriculture remained the dominant industry in Gainesville. It was also still a major shipping point through until a boll weevil infestation destroyed crops.

In the 1920s, a land boom occurred, and new subdivisions were developed. More schools opened, the government added a city manager, and the police force expanded. The city continued to grow. When the Great Depression hit, Gainesville wasn’t affected nearly as bad as other cities and had a lower unemployment rate than many other areas in the country. During World War II, the city continued to grow both in terms of the economy and population. The airport was updated, and the hospital was expanded, while the university was used to train military personnel. Following the war, enrollment at the University of Florida grew, bringing veterans and their families to the area.

The city continued to see a pattern of growth through the 1960s when it became known for college activism. This rose again during the 1980s. Today, the city has been named as one of the best places to live in the U.S. It is known for its low cost of living. One drawback is that with so many educated residents, the job market is quite weak and the median income falls below the national average. The city welcomes many visitors each year, who come to see the cultural facilities and festivities, historic sites and landmarks, and other attractions that Gainesville has to offer.

Gainesville Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Gainesville was:

  • White: 61.4%
  • Black or African American: 21.9%
  • Two or more races: 8.39%
  • Asian: 6.14%
  • Other race: 1.87%
  • Native American: 0.21%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.09%
State
Florida
Land Area (mi²)
63.1 sq mi
Density (mi²)
2,350.30/sq mi
Growth Since 2020
4.23% (6,022)
The current population of Gainesville, Florida is 148,225 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 142,203.

Gainesville, Florida Population 2024

Population by Race

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Race
Population
Percentage (of total)
White87,44261.4%
Black or African American31,18221.9%
Two or more races11,9448.39%
Asian8,7496.14%
Other race2,6661.87%
Native American3010.21%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander1300.09%

White

Black or African American

Two or more races

Asian

Other race

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Gainesville Population by Race

Gainesville Population Pyramid 2024

Gainesville Median Age

26

Total

25.9

Male

26

Female

Gainesville Adults

There are 123,053 adults, (15,807 of whom are seniors) in Gainesville.

Gainesville Age Dependency

32.8

Age Dependency Ratio

14.7

Old Age Dependency Ratio

18.1

Child Dependency Ratio

Gainesville Sex Ratio

Female74,43052.26%
Male67,98447.74%

Gainesville Population by Age

Gainesville Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Household Type
Count
Average Size
Owner
Renter
All55,1932.2738.561.5
Non Family34,0521.662674
Married13,4623.0871.228.8
Female5,8453.6836.263.8
Male1,8343.1437.962.1

3.17

Average Family Size

2.27

Average Household Size

38.5%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Gainesville Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Gainesville Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Gainesville Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 100%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 74.04%.

Gainesville Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$38,939

Average Earnings

$41,699

Average Male

$37,580

Average Female

Gainesville Earnings by Educational Attainment

Gainesville Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Gainesville Language

83.08% of Gainesville residents speak only English, while 16.92% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 8.41% of the population.

Gainesville Language

Gainesville Poverty by Race

rate

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Name
Total
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
White69,12418,38926.6%
Black29,3618,40928.64%
Hispanic14,8925,45636.64%
Multiple10,8503,52432.48%
Asian7,5172,57634.27%
Other2,52883533.03%
Native2946522.11%
Islander1303930%

29.02%

Overall Poverty Rate

28.14%

Male Poverty Rate

29.83%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Gainesville

The race most likely to be in poverty in Gainesville is Hispanic, with 36.64% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Gainesville is Native, with 22.11% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 3.9%. Among those working part-time, it was 44.28%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 45.38%.

Gainesville Poverty

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Less Than 9th Grade35.08%
High School20.2%
Some College14.55%
Bachelors or Greater11.22%

Gainesville Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Male Unemployed59.13%
Female Unemployed52.62%
Female Employed19.26%
Male Employed16.35%

Gainesville Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Gainesville Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

Gainesville Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

23.7%

Overall Marriage Rate

25.0%

Male Marriage Rate

22.5%

Female Marriage Rate

Gainesville Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Gainesville Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.

Gainesville Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Gainesville Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

6,031

Number of Veterans

4,985

Male Veterans

1,046

Female Veterans

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Gainesville Veterans by War

count

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Gainesville Veterans by Age

count

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Gainesville Veterans by Race

Gainesville Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

9.97%

Veteran Poverty Rate

24.89%

Veteran Disability Rate

Gainesville Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

57.8%

Labor Force Participation

54.5%

Employment Rate

5.5%

Unemployment Rate

Gainesville Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Gainesville Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Gainesville Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

55.77%

Born in Gainesville

88.83%

Native Born

11.17%

Foreign Born

6%

Non Citizen

5.17%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

88.83% of Gainesville residents were born in the United States, with 55.77% having been born in Florida. 6% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.

Gainesville Place of Birth

Note: data after 2022 is projected based on recent change

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Year
Population
Growth
Growth Rate
2029155,7521,5050.98%
2028154,2471,5060.99%
2027152,7411,5051%
2026151,2361,5061.01%
2025149,7301,5051.02%
2024148,2251,5061.03%
2023146,7191,5051.04%
2022145,2141,2590.87%
2021143,9551,7521.23%
2020142,2038,0155.97%
2019134,1883710.28%
2018133,8171,6891.28%
2017132,1284710.36%
2016131,6572,2321.72%
2015129,4251,7901.4%
2014127,6351,2530.99%
2013126,3823640.29%
2012126,0183320.26%
2011125,6861,0110.81%
2010124,675
200095,44710,67712.6%
199084,7703,3994.18%
198081,37116,86126.14%
197064,51034,809117.2%
196029,7012,84010.57%
195026,86113,10495.25%
194013,7573,29231.46%
193010,4653,60552.55%
19206,86067710.95%
19106,1832,55070.19%
19003,63384330.22%
18902,790-152,962-98.21%
showing: 32 rows

Gainesville Population by Year