Apartments for Rent in Gainesville, FL
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Renter's guide to Gainesville, FL

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.

Tips for renting in Gainesville, FL

Things to do in Gainesville, FL

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.

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, FL employment & economy

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.

Education in Gainesville, FL

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.