A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Freeport$2,210/mo

Typical home $388K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.56% · or rent about $1,859/mo · Housing →

Alachua$1,970/mo

Typical home $327K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.95% · or rent about $1,284/mo · Housing →

The difference: $240 a month, about $2,900 a year, between Freeport and Alachua.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Alachua places higher on 11 of 20 FL lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Florida ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Schools

A−FreeportBetter than 82% of districts in the state BAlachuaBetter than 55% of districts in the state

Health

B+FreeportHealthier than 68% of U.S. towns A−AlachuaHealthier than 75% of U.S. towns

8Freeport

11Alachua

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Shortest commuteGetting around · 635 towns #612#164 Cheapest rentCost of living · 626 towns #440#152 Most trailsOutdoors · 430 towns #68#200 Most affordableCost of living · 630 towns #423#236 Best schoolsSchools · 488 towns #167#301 Fastest growingGrowth · 614 towns #5#166 Most conserved landOutdoors · 578 towns #193#66 Fewest smokersHealth · 633 towns #360#229

Left end = #1 in Florida. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Freeport’s rankings →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

FreeportAlachua

Snow a year0″0″

January low40°F 40°F

July high92°F 92°F

Growing season (days)275d 255d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)92nd 68th

Outdoors & history

FreeportAlachua

Trails31 mi 21 mi

Conserved land5.3%15%

Settled1830 1884

National Register places1 2

Archive photos2 —

Famous people born here2 —

Community

FreeportAlachua

Library hours a week46 hrs 50 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

223 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

FreeportFL AlachuaFL

Freeport ↔ Alachua223 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Florida average

FreeportAlachua

People

Population 6,689Lowest 10,743Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +228%Highest FL: +14.6% +16.7%Lowest FL: +14.6%

Median age 36.9±3.3Lowest 13% below FL 37.9±4.1Highest 11% below FL

Alachua and Freeport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 28.2%±5.7Highest FL: 19.5% 22.8%±4Lowest FL: 19.5%

Freeport and Alachua are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 12.3%±2.8Lowest FL: 21.3% 19.6%±3.9Highest FL: 21.3%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 32.7%Lowest FL: 34.1% 41.2%Highest FL: 34.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.4%±1.6Lowest FL: 6.1% 6.5%±2Highest FL: 6.1%

Alachua and Freeport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $91,985±$14kHighest 23% above FL $83,464±$11kLowest 12% above FL

Freeport and Alachua are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $407,800±$23kHighest 14% above FL $299,200±$24kLowest 17% below FL

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,859±$136Highest 11% above FL $1,284±$113Lowest 23% below FL

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,304Lowest 16% below FL $2,834Highest 4% above FL

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 50.8%±17.4Highest FL: 60.1% 37%±11.4Lowest FL: 60.1%

Freeport and Alachua are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 7.4%Lowest FL: 12.6% 9.5%Highest FL: 12.6%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 71.8%Lowest FL: 67.6% 74.8%Highest FL: 67.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 2014Highest 26 yrs newer than FL 1996Lowest 8 yrs newer than FL

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 37 minHighest 33% above FL 24 minLowest 13% below FL

Work from home 17.5%±6.3Lowest FL: 15.7% 21%±6.1Highest FL: 15.7%

Alachua and Freeport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 7%Lowest 9.9%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 18.3 miHighest 12.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.78Lowest 2.00Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Miramar Beach (9%)Gainesville (45%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in AlachuaFew work in Freeport

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 5.3%Lowest 15%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 31.1 miHighest 21.3 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.2 miHighest 0.6 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Lowest 5Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 23.1Highest 19.0Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #167 of 488 in FL #301 of 488 in FL

School district WALTONALACHUA

High school in town Freeport Senior High SchoolSanta Fe High School

Students per teacherat that high school 16.1Lowest 24.1Highest

Florida average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Freeport neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Freeport’s Town Square.

Alachua neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Alachua’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Freeport vs Alachua

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $240 more a month in Freeport

Alachua places higher on 11 of 20 FL lists

What daily life feels like in each

223 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Freeport and Alachua

Towns like Freeport

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