In the ranking of US metropolitan areas with the greatest volume of planned new construction, Ocala, Florida, became No. 2, trailing only Myrtle Beach in South Carolina.
Experts from Realtor.com analyzed the issuance of new construction permit in 2022 according to data from the US Census Bureau and identified the metropolitan areas with the greatest number of new single-family houses construction permits per capita to calculate where new homes will emerge in the nearest future (relative to the population).
As a result, Ocala, situated in Central Florida, at the same distance from the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, came second in this ranking. Last year, 5,318 construction permits for single-family houses were issued here. The median asking price of such properties in the local market is $309,950.
George Ratiu, Senior Economist and Manager of Economic Research at Realtor.com, notes that Ocala used to be a small sleepy community whose residents were mostly engaged in horse farming and horse riding. Now, though, when property prices across Florida have soared rapidly, many—and not just retirees—choose this city for permanent residence over more “hyped” Orlando and Miami.
Ocala’s population is only 370,000 people, making it the smallest metropolitan area in the ranking—and one of the cheapest. The cost of housing per square foot in Ocala is approximately 9% lower than the US average. A nice four-bedroom house with a garage for two vehicles standing on a 2,000 m2 land plot is available for slightly over $300,000.