City · Alachua County, Florida

Waldo, Florida

Waldo is a city in Alachua County, Florida, part of the Gainesville, FL metro area. It has 1,303 residents. Waldo, Florida has a quality-of-life score of 37 out of 100 (low), ranking #9,821 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Florida it ranks #471 of 780 cities and towns. It ranks best on dentists (high), primary care physicians (high) and mental health providers (high). It ranks worst on median household income (low), drought exposure (high) and bachelor's degree or higher (low).

37Low

Quality-of-life score: #9,821 of 15,651 cities and towns
Florida: #471 of 780 in FL
Population: 1,303 (2020-2024)
Land area: 2 mi²
Density: 598.6 /mi²
FIPS code: 1274925

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 75 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety34#10,353/15,637
Economy22#12,183/15,631
Housing11#13,266/14,977
Health61#6,071/15,609
Healthcare74#4,136/15,650
Environment78#3,459/15,453
Education29#11,149/15,649
Infrastructure19#12,728/15,650
Community43#8,923/15,651
Leisure & amenities66#5,282/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Waldo, Florida ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Alachua County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Dentists · high193 /100k
100/100Florida 65 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAlachua County value
Primary care physicians · high151 /100k
99/100Florida 73 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAlachua County value
Mental health providers · high695 /100k
96/100Florida 226 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAlachua County value
Comfortable days · high33.3%
91/100Florida 32.4%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAlachua County value
Drinking water violations · low0
86/100Florida 0United States 02024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAlachua County value
Days with unhealthy air · low0.0%
84/100Florida 0.2%2025U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAlachua County value

Weaknesses

Median household income · low$29,894
2/100Florida $77,687United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013
Drought exposure · high99%
2/100Florida 78%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAAlachua County value
Bachelor's degree or higher · low6.7%
3/100Florida 34.2%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Rent-burdened households · high55.4%
4/100Florida 60.1%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Rent as share of income · high31.8%
7/100Florida 35.2%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071High uncertainty
Hot days · high98 days
10/100Florida 102 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAlachua County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
825 (2015-2019) → 1,303 (2020-2024)
+58%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Child poverty rateWorsening
13.5% (2015-2019) → 52.6% (2020-2024)
+39 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Improving
22.9% (2015-2019) → 8.6% (2020-2024)
−14 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%
Rent as share of incomeImproving
40.2% (2015-2019) → 31.8% (2020-2024)
−8.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Poverty rateWorsening
19.9% (2015-2019) → 28.0% (2020-2024)
+8.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
2.9× (2015-2019) → 3.8× (2020-2024)
+32%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Waldo, Florida improved on 1 of 8 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 7 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved1

Uninsured−14 points22.9% → 8.6%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 8 measures

Change of every measure of Waldo, Florida between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Broadband subscriptions	69.0%2015-2019	65.0%2020-2024	−4 points	Within the margin of error	3%
High school diploma or higher	86.2%2015-2019	83.9%2020-2024	−2.4 points	Within the margin of error	13%
Home price to income ratio	2.9×2015-2019	3.8×2020-2024	+0.9×	Within the margin of error	25%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4492015-2019	0.4262020-2024	−0.023	Within the margin of error	70%
Median household income	$36,2502015-2019	$29,8942020-2024	−18%	Within the margin of error	1%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent-burdened households	50.5%2015-2019	55.4%2020-2024	+4.9 points	Within the margin of error	38%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	22.9%2015-2019	8.6%2020-2024	−14 points	Improved	99%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Waldo, Florida five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Waldo, Florida in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

No place that looked like Waldo, Florida five years ago has more measures that improved than declined, with a higher standing among its peers today.

For comparison, Waldo, Florida itself moved −7 points in standing on average over the same 6 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,303 residents (±524)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 10–19 men (+6.2 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,303 residents (±524)

Waldo, Florida
Florida share

White55%†711
Black29%†376
Hispanic or Latino11%†146
Asian0.0%0
American Indian and Alaska Native0.0%0
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races5.4%†70

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Other or two or more races (+4.5 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

898 residents (±367)

Waldo, Florida
Florida share

No high school diploma16%†145
High school or GED52%†469
Some college18%†164
Associate degree6.7%†60
Bachelor's degree5.6%†50
Graduate degree1.1%†10

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

648 households (±330)

Waldo, Florida
Florida share

Under $25k22%†144
$25k–50k51%†328
$50k–75k12%†77
$75k–100k4.9%†32
$100k–150k7.3%†47
$150k–200k1.7%†11
$200k or more1.4%†9

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

648 households (±330)

Waldo, Florida
Florida share

Own68%†442
Rent32%†206

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

184 households (±111)

Waldo, Florida
Florida share

Under $75053%†97
$750–1,00015%†28
$1,000–1,50023%†43

Home values

442 homes (±307)

Waldo, Florida
Florida share

Under $150k78%†344
$150k–250k14%†62
$250k–400k2.5%†11

Age of homes

702 homes (±332)

Waldo, Florida
Florida share

2010 or later5.4%†38
2000–20096.4%†45
1980–199922%†152

Size of homes

702 homes (±332)

Waldo, Florida
Florida share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom2.1%†15
2 bedrooms36%†255

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

616 workers (±345)

Waldo, Florida
Florida share

Drive alone88%†540
Carpool1.3%†8
Public transit0.0%0
Walk3.4%†21
Bike0.0%0
Work from home6.2%†38
Other1.5%†9

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

578 workers (±342)

Waldo, Florida
Florida share

Under 15 min42%†241
15–29 min16%†90
30–44 min31%†177

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Gainesville, FL

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Alachua County, the county holding most of Waldo's residents.

Alachua County has 6,721 employer establishments, 233 for every 10,000 residents (0.94× the US rate of 248; 0.83× Florida's), with 103,368 paid employees at an average annual pay of $53,632. The Census Bureau also counts 25,285 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 6,721; 25,285 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 233; US 248 · Florida 282
Paid employees: 103,368
Average annual pay: $53,632; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Alachua County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	704	24.5	1.17×About typical	8,873	$67,668	1,937
Restaurants and other eating places	516	17.9	0.98×About typical	11,770	$21,860	110
Lessors of real estate	410	14.2	1.16×About typical	1,538	$54,610	2,350
Specialty trade contractors	346	12	0.78×Fewer than typical	4,190	$53,209	1,048
Services to buildings and dwellings	244	8.5	1.26×More than typical	1,774	$39,415	1,797
Limited-service restaurants	238	8.3	1.03×About typical	5,024	$19,034	35
Offices of physicians	238	8.3	1.28×More than typical	3,014	$90,485	370
Offices of other health practitioners	210	7.3	1.20×About typical	1,428	$45,312	740
Full-service restaurants	209	7.3	0.95×About typical	5,935	$24,488	46
Legal services	193	6.7	1.25×About typical	931	$77,594	216
Management, scientific and technical consulting	190	6.6	0.98×About typical	1,143	$64,563	1,212
Construction of buildings	188	6.5	0.86×About typical	1,156	$75,487	585

Rank places for an industry Open Alachua County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 287,873 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

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Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Waldo is mostly in Alachua County.

See federal money in Alachua County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Waldo, Florida is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Kat CammackR-FL-3 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 1.3%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Alachua County67100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Gainesville, FL59

Other cities and towns in Alachua County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

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