A university town market where student enrollment shapes the electorate each cycle
The Gainesville media market anchors Alachua County, where University of Florida's roughly 50,000 students create unusually high turnout volatility and a college-educated demographic profile that diverges sharply from surrounding rural North Florida counties.
| County | Pop. | Margin | Dem | Rep | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alachua | 285K | D+21.0 | 81,578 | 52,939 | 136,548 | 19.0% |
| Alachua | 257K | D+21.0 | 81,578 | 52,939 | 136,548 | 19.0% |
| Alachua | 239K | D+21.0 | 81,578 | 52,939 | 136,548 | 19.0% |
| Alachua | 218K | D+21.0 | 81,578 | 52,939 | 136,548 | 19.0% |
| Levy | 45K | R+50.3 | 5,994 | 18,245 | 24,378 | 3.4% |
| Levy | 40K | R+50.3 | 5,994 | 18,245 | 24,378 | 3.4% |
| Levy | 39K | R+50.3 | 5,994 | 18,245 | 24,378 | 3.4% |
| Levy | 34K | R+50.3 | 5,994 | 18,245 | 24,378 | 3.4% |
| Gilchrist | 19K | R+68.0 | 1,662 | 8,931 | 10,686 | 1.5% |
| Dixie | 17K | R+70.4 | 1,183 | 6,920 | 8,148 | 1.1% |
| Gilchrist | 17K | R+68.0 | 1,662 | 8,931 | 10,686 | 1.5% |
| Gilchrist | 17K | R+68.0 | 1,662 | 8,931 | 10,686 | 1.5% |
| Dixie | 16K | R+70.4 | 1,183 | 6,920 | 8,148 | 1.1% |
| Dixie | 15K | R+70.4 | 1,183 | 6,920 | 8,148 | 1.1% |
| Gilchrist | 14K | R+68.0 | 1,662 | 8,931 | 10,686 | 1.5% |
| Dixie | 14K | R+70.4 | 1,183 | 6,920 | 8,148 | 1.1% |
| Group | Gainesville | National |
|---|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 68.0% | 57.4% |
▶Black / African American(14) | 16.9% | 12.2% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(20) | 8.2% | 19.3% |
▶Asian(6) | 4.0% | 6.0% |
Multiracial / Other | 2.6% | 4.0% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(10) | 1.0% | 0.9% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(1) | 0.2% | 0.9% |
Catholic-Evangelical edge: -42.4pp (vs national 4.5pp). A strongly Evangelical-leaning religious profile, which nationally correlates with Republican-leaning rural and exurban communities.
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents | US Pop | US Adherents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24.1% | 56.7% | — | — | |
| 8.0% | 18.7% | — | — | |
| 5.1% | 11.9% | — | — | |
| 3.6% | 8.5% | — | — | |
| 1.8% | 4.2% | — | — | |
LDS (Mormon) | 1.4% | 3.3% | — | — |
Non-religiousPopulation | 57.4% | — | — | — |
Who lives in the Gainesville media market? 1,286,171 residents across 16 counties.
Scale, voting-age share, and this geography's footprint inside the national electorate.
Income, attainment, and ownership indicators that often shape coalition structure and turnout behavior.
Age structure, language use, and nativity signals that explain how this geography differs from state and nation.
| Offices | Margin A | Margin B | Split |
|---|---|---|---|
| President vs Senate | D+1.9 | R+0.5 | 2.4pp |