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Moving to
Gonzalez.
Gonzalez is an unincorporated community in Escambia County, FL. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.
What it's like to live in Gonzalez
Gonzalez is an unincorporated community in Florida with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Gonzalez deals with a population that has been shrinking, larger class sizes than the national average, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, and hot summers.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
The not so good
- Shrinking population
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
- Hot summers
- Very rainy — 68" of rain per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Gonzalez compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Gonzalez
Based on Gonzalez's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,500
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $50,000 a year
- 59% of Gonzalez renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$55,660
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $27,830
- Homes cost 3.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 12% below US
$1,250/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,250 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $278,300. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $278,300 · 59% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.3% county unemployment
Unemployment in Escambia County is 4.3%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Escambia County (county-wide)
Safety
602 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Gonzalez doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Escambia County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction as a whole, which runs above the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 2554/100k · Policed by Escambia County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate) · 2020 data
Getting around▼ 13% below US
23 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 22.7 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 11% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 90°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 45°F. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 17% below US
30% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 30%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 22:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Gulf Islands National Seashore (19 miles away).
Bottom line
Gonzalez's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are a population that has been shrinking and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin. A year of median rent ($1,250/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget.
Other places near Gonzalez
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