About Ocala, Florida

Ocala may be best known for its thoroughbred horse breeding. With more than 44,000 people employed in Ocala’s horse industry, it is a major revenue generator for both the city and its residents. First beginning in the 1940s, horse breeding gained notoriety in 1956 when the first thoroughbred from Florida won the Kentucky Derby. Since that time, horse breeding has become a competitive and moneymaking industry in Ocala. There are more than 2,000 horse farms in Ocala’s Marion County totaling more than 77,000 acres.**

Ocala encourages a diversified business environment to help maintain stability and promote economic growth within the city. In recent years, Ocala has witnessed an increase in a variety of businesses including manufacturing, the service industry, and tourism.

Over the years, Ocala’s convenient location near Orlando and Silver Springs has also benefitted its economic growth. About an hour drive from Orlando, many tourists visiting Disney World or the water and theme parks of Silver Springs make Ocala a part of their vacation travel plans to see the beautiful horse farms and potential future winners of the Kentucky Derby. Ocala’s extensive park system and large national forest are also major attractions and have been preserved to provide visitors and residents with opportunities to explore the city’s natural surroundings and environment.

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Interesting Facts About Ocala, FL:

  • Ocala is one of five cities in the world that earned the title of “Horse Capital of the World” due to the amount of revenue generated from the city’s horse industry.**
  • Ocala’s residents have an average 19.7-minute commute to and from work each day.*
  • The Ocala median household income is $37,592.*
  • 84.3% of Ocala’s residents have a high school diploma and 21.3% have a Bachelor’s degree or higher.*

To learn more about Ocala, FL, Rasmussen College Ocala campus, or the degree programs offered at Rasmussen College Ocala campus, contact one of our campus representatives today at (888) 5-RASMUSSEN.

*U.S. Census Bureau. U.S. Census Bureau. Web. 5 Apr. 2010. .
** Daniels, Stephen A. "Ocala: The Horse Capital of the World." ArticlesBase.com. ArticlesBase.com, 6 Dec. 2009. Web. 5 Apr. 2010. .