Apartments for Rent in Gainesville, FL - 102 Rentals available

Gainesville may not be the first city that comes to mind when you think about Florida. But if you're a nature lover, college sports fan, or prefer small city living, it's one you won't want to miss.

Here's the run down on Gainesville: the pros, the cons, and everything in between.

Gainesville is 62 square miles wide, which makes it just barely bigger than Miami—but more than ten times smaller than Jacksonville.

Gainesville is just 71 miles away from Jacksonville, the state's most populated city, making road trips quick and easy. Atlanta is even closer, at 55 miles, while Orlando is 111 miles away.

Gainesville has a humid subtropical climate, with hot and humid summers that average 70°F at night and 92°F during the day. Afternoon thunderstorms are common during the hotter months, which explains the humidity.

But because Gainesville is located further from the coast, winters are more distinct than most cities in Florida. Temperatures can even drop below freezing on occasion, though snow is rare.

One of the advantages of Gainesville is its low cost of living compared to other cities in Florida.

You can have dinner for two at a mid-range restaurant for around $49, while the average cappuccino costs $3.41.

For utilities, expect to pay around $151, which includes water, electricity, waste collection and heating.

If you'd like to save a little extra money, you can catch the bus via RTS Gainesville for just $1.50—or 75 cents, if you're a student. The monthly pass is an even better deal, at $17.50 for students and $35 for adults.

Every place has its good and bad, and Gainesville is no different.

It's inexpensive, fairly quiet, laid-back, and very nature oriented. In fact, Gainesville is known as Tree City USA—can you guess why? The city also boasts above average healthcare.

On the other hand, the job market in Gainesville is really competitive. There simply aren't a ton of options. And if you're more of the big city type, Gainesville's size may not suit you either.

In terms of ethnic composition, Gainesville is moderately diverse. The majority of the city’s population is white, but it also features a sizeable African-American community, along with about 7% Asians.

Whether you're living in Gainesville or just passing through, you're going to look for things to do. Fortunately, there are plenty of options to choose from.

What Gainesville lacks in big city amenities, it more than makes up for with lots and lots of nature. There's the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, the Butterfly Rainforest, and Paynes Prairie, a Florida State Park that includes over 21,000 acres of savanna.

If that's not enough, there's the Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park and Florida Museum of Natural History. And then you have more than a dozen nature parks, trails, and more.

Nature lovers will have plenty to keep them busy here, which means tons of fun things to do with kids in the great outdoors.

Then there's sports. The University of Florida's football and basketball games are major events in the city, and the atmosphere of game day is something everyone should experience at least once. Even non-football fans will appreciate the electric energy of a packed crowd at The Swamp.

Florida has plenty of pro teams too—like the Miami Heat, Florida Marlins, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers—all of which are just a short road trip away from Gainesville.

If you're looking for some culture, you can check out the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art or some of the annual festivals, like the Santa Fe College Spring Arts Festival or Cinema Verde Film Festival. And Gainesville has a strong music scene too, producing acts like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and The Eagles.

For your shopping needs, there's The Oaks Mall and Thornebrook Village Shopping Center to keep you busy.

Gainesville's biggest industries are education, healthcare, and insurance.

Employment here mostly revolves around three key employers, which are the University of Florida, Shands Healthcare System, and the city government.

Outside of these main industries and employers, business is competitive. Among US cities, Forbes ranks Gainesville #113 in Best Places for Business and Careers and #156 in Cost of Doing Business.

College life may be what Gainesville is best known for, since it's home to the famous University of Florida, one of the largest universities in the country.

The school's academics rank very respectably among public colleges, but where it really stands out is sports. University of Florida has won dozens of NCAA championships across multiple sports, and its athletes have won a combined 50 Olympic gold medals.

University of Florida also has two Nobel Prize winners, 10 US Senators, and 42 US Congressmen among its alumni.

It's always a good idea to make yourself aware of the landlord/tenant laws for the place you're moving to, as they tend to differ from state to state and city to city.

In Gainesville, if you break the same rule in your lease twice in the same year, your landlord can file for eviction without giving you the opportunity to fix the problem. That means no second notice and straight to the eviction process.

Usually the landlord must give a 5 days’ notice before turning the case over to the courts. If the problem is unpaid rent, the landlord is also required to file an initial 3 days’ notice that demands the rent be paid, prior to the 5 days’ notice.