Ocala

Ocala is a city in and the county seat of Marion County within the northern region of Florida, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city's population was 63,591, making it the 54th most populated city in Florida. Ocala was officially named the Horse Capital of the World in 2007. Notable attractions include the OCala National Forest, Silver Springs State Park, Rainbow Springs state Park, and the College of Central Florida. The first thoroughbred horse farm in Florida was developed in Marion County in 1943 by Carl G. Rose. Local horses have won individual races of the Triple Crown series; in 1978, Affirmed, who was bred and trained in Marion county, won all three races. The equine industry generates over $2.2 billion in annual revenue for the local Marion County economy. The city is one of only five cities (four in the US and one in France) permitted under Chamber of Commerce guidelines to use the title, "Horse Capital ofThe World", based on annual revenue produced by the horse industry. Postimely Horse shows are one of the largest horse shows in the country: "Horses in the Sun", lasting about two months. Other equine events in the area include endurance rides, barrel races, extreme cowboy rides, rodeo parades, and extreme cowboy rodeo events. The name of the modern city takes its name from the historical village, the name of which is believed to mean "Big Hammock" in the Timucua language.

History

Ocala is located near what is thought to have been the site of Ocale or Ocali, a major Timucua village and chiefdom recorded in the 16th century. The modern city takes its name from the historical village, the name of which is believed to mean "Big Hammock" in thetimucua language. Ocala was an important center of citrus production until the Great Freeze of 1894-1895. The first thoroughbred horse farm in Florida was developed in Marion County in 1943 by Carl G. Rose. The city is one of only five cities (four in the US and one in France) permitted under Chamber of Commerce guidelines to use the title, "Horse Capital of the World", based on annual revenue produced by the horse industry. 44,000 jobs are sustained by breeding, training, and related support of the equine industry, which generates over $2.2 billion in annual revenue. OCala's large residential Historic District, designated in 1984, features many excellent examples of Victorian architecture. The area had one of the highest growth rates in the country for its size in the early 20th century, with a population of more than 250,000 in 1975. The last rodeo events and events and parades in the area were last held in the last decade of the 20th Century. The town is home to the H.I.T.S or "Horses in the Sun", a Dressage/Jumper event lasting about two months. It generates 6 to 7 million dollars for the local Marion County economy each year.

Government and politics

Ocala is governed by a five-member board of councillors and a mayor. It has a council-manager form of government, relying on a manager hired by the city. The mayor sets policy but has few powers other than vetoing legislation passed by the council and tending to some duties involving the police department. As of 2020, Republicans outnumber Democrats in Marion County, 112,000 to 80,000. In the 2008 presidential election, John McCain carried both the city and the county, the latter by a landslide, although Florida as a whole voted for Democrat Barack Obama by a narrow margin. The current mayor is Kent Guinn. The city manager handles most administrative and financial matters. A number of county offices are housed at the McPherson Governmental Complex, which is located in Ocala's downtown area. It is also home to the Florida Supreme Court, the state's highest court, and the Florida House of Representatives, which sits in Tallahassee. The state's governor, Rick Scott, was re-elected in 2010 on a Republican ticket. He is expected to seek re-election in 2016, when he will face off against Democrat Nikki Haley for the governor's seat in Florida's central part of the state, which was won by Barack Obama in 2008. The county is home to a number of state and local government offices, including the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which has a budget of more than $1.5 billion. The Florida House and Senate are also based in the city, with the Senate seat being held by Florida Republican Marco Rubio, who was elected in 2012.

Geography

Ocala has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa), with hot, humid summers and mild winters. The 110-mile (180 km) long Ocklawaha River flows north from Central Florida until it joins the St. Johns River near Palatka, Florida. Ocala is also known for nearby Silver Springs, Florida, site of one of the largest artesian spring formations in the world and Silver Springs Nature Theme Park. The Florida Trail, also known as the Florida National Scenic Trail, cuts through OCala National Forest. The surrounding farms are famous for their thoroughbred horses, in terrain similar to Kentucky bluegrass. The city has a total area of 47.31 square miles (122.5 km²), all land. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the city to have a population of 2,816,000 (2,715,000 in 2010). The city is located at 29°1116N 82°0750W, and is located in Marion County, which is home to the second largest national forest in the state of Florida. The state took over Silver Springs itself in 1993 and incorporated it into the park in 2013. The county is also home to a number of state parks, including Silver River State Park, which was formed out of land the state purchased around the Silver Springs attraction to spare it from development. It is also the home of the Ocla National Forest which was established in 1908 and is now the second biggest national park in Florida.

Demographics

As of the 2010 through 2014 census, Ocala was 63.3% non Hispanic white, 20.4% African American, 11.7% Hispanic or Latino, 2.6% Asian, 2% all other. As of the census of 2000, there were 45,943 people, 18,646 households, and 11,280 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,189.2 inhabitants per square mile (459.2/km²) The racial makeup of the city was 72.9% White, 22.1% AfricanAmerican, 0.4%. Native American, 1.2%. Asian, 0.1%. 1.8% from other races, and 1.6. from two or more races. Hispanic or Latinos of any race were 5.7%. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there are 89.7 males. For each 100 females age 18 and over, There are 85.5 males. The city is located on the Florida Turnpike, which was built in 1883. The turnpike was originally built in the 19th century. It was the first stop on the U.S. Interstate Highway System. It is one of the busiest roads in the state, with more than 1.5 million vehicles per day. It also is the second-busiest highway in Florida, after Florida Springs. The state's largest city is Fort Lauderdale, which has a population of more than 2.2 million.

Economy

Ocala is the headquarters of Emergency One, a worldwide designer and manufacturer of fire rescue vehicles. The median income for a household in the city was $30,888. About 13.2% of families and 18.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.6% of those under age 18 and 9.8% ofThose age 65 or over. According to Ocala's 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in theCity are: Emergency One and the University of Oklahoma. The city's economy is based on a combination of manufacturing, construction, and services. The average household income is $38,190, and the average family income is$38,200. The per capita income for the city is $18,021, including the median income of $29,739 for males and $24,367 for females. It is estimated that the city will have a population of 1.2 million by the end of the year, up from 1.3 million in 2014. The population is expected to reach 1.4 million by 2018. The growth rate is expected in the next few years, according to the city's economic report. The unemployment rate is currently at 2.7%. The city has a population growth rate of 0.9%. It is expected that the population will reach 2.1 million by 2020, up 0.7% from the year before. The U.S. economy is projected to grow at a rate of 2.4% in the coming years.

Education

The public schools in Ocala are run by the Marion County School Board. The College of Central Florida offers bachelor's degrees in Business and Organizational Management, Early Childhood Education, and Nursing. Webster University offers on-site, regionally accredited graduate degree programs in business and counseling. Three of the eight libraries in the Marion County Public Library System are located in Ocala. There are 30 elementary, ten middle and ten public high schools in Marion County, which include the following schools:Private schools include the private school, Freedom Public Library and Marion Oaks Public Library. The town is home to one of 21 campuses of Rasmussen College, a Higher Learning Commission regionally accredited post secondary institution. It is also home to three of the four public libraries in Marion County and the Marion City Libraries. The city has a population of 1.2 million people, according to the 2010 census. The population of Marion County is 1.3 million. The county has a GDP of $1.4 billion. The area has a crime rate of 0.7 percent. The rate of crime in Marion county is 0.8 percent. It has a poverty rate of 1 percent. the rate of poverty in the city is 1 percent. The crime rate in the state of Florida is 2.2 percent. The city's unemployment rate is 1%. It has an unemployment rate of 2.1 per cent. The unemployment rate in the state is 1 per cent, the lowest in the nation.

Sister cities

Ocala has two sister cities: Newbridge, County Kildare, in Ireland (2008) and Pisa and San Rossore in Italy (2004) Ocala is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the European Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. It is located on the banks of the Ohio River. The city is located in the Ohio Valley, and has a population of 2,000 people. It also has a sister city in Pisa, Italy, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town is located near the town of Pisa in the Pisa region of Italy. It has a twin city with Pisa called Pisa-San Rossore, also in Italy. Ocalas is a part of the European League of Cities, which was formed in 2004. It was founded by the city's residents in the early 20th century. Its name means "City of the Stars" in Italian. It's also known as the "Ohio Valley" or "Ohio City" in English and "The Ohio Valley" in Spanish. It shares a name with several cities in the region, including Newbridge and Pisano-Pisa, and the city of Milan in Italy, as well as Pisa in Italy and San Rossore in Italy and San Riccardo in Italy. Its sister city is Ocalya, in Ohio, and its sister city to Pisa is Pisa-Saracina.

Transportation

Ocala was on the western leg of the historic Dixie Highway. Interstate 75, U.S. Highway 27, US Route 301, and US Highway 441 pass through the city. Ocala International Airport provides general aviation services to the community. Amtrak serves the city by bus connection to Jacksonville and Lakeland. Marion Transit is the complementary ADA paratransit service for SunTran the fixed route in the City of OCala. The city is also served by Greyhound Bus Lines, which provides public transportation throughout Marion County for the Transportation Disadvantaged population. It is also the home of the Florida International Airport, which serves as a major hub for air travel to and from the state. It was the site of the first air traffic control station in the United States, which was built in the 1930s. The airport was closed in the 1970s and 1980s due to a lack of runway space. It reopened in the 1990s and is now a major international airport, serving Florida's Gulf Coast region and Florida's Panhandle. It opened in 1998. It has a terminal at the airport, which is located in the heart of the city's downtown area. It also has an airport terminal at Daytona Beach, where it serves as the hub for the Florida Air National Guard and the Florida National Guard Air Reserve Base. It closed in 1998 due to the completion of a new airport terminal in Tallahassee, which opened in 2000. It now serves Florida's Space Coast region.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Ocala, Citrus County, Florida = 86.8. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 59. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 98. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Ocala = 6.4 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 63,591 individuals with a median age of 37.2 age the population grows by 18.17% in Ocala, Citrus County, Florida population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,345.64 residents per square mile of area (519.56/km²). There are average 2.31 people per household in the 21,609 households with an average household income of $37,468 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is of the available work force and has dropped -6.13% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 14.54%. The number of physicians in Ocala per 100,000 population = 155.6.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Ocala = 52.3 inches and the annual snowfall = 0 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 118. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 233. 92 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 45.9 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 25, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Ocala, Citrus County, Florida which are owned by the occupant = 50.06%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 28 years with median home cost = $105,340 and home appreciation of -23.73%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $10.02 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $3,824 per student. There are 16.7 students for each teacher in the school, 484 students for each Librarian and 463 students for each Counselor. 7.62% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 11.84% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 7.51% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).