The short answer: Marion County has 31 licensed assisted living facilities with 2,083 beds in our directory, and 21 of them are in Ocala. This is a market of larger communities: 20 of the 31 have 50 beds or more, and only four are small homes of six beds or fewer. Most of the county's older residents live outside the city, in places like On Top of the World and the Marion County part of The Villages, so many families end up comparing Ocala with Belleview, Summerfield and the Sumter County side of The Villages. Ocala has a trauma center, two VA clinics and a growing set of ERs. Being inland spares it storm surge but not hurricane winds, and the nearest airline airports are in Gainesville and Orlando.
How many assisted living facilities are in Ocala and Marion County?
AssistedLivingFacility.com lists these licensed, active facilities:
| Area | Facilities | Licensed beds | 6 beds or fewer | 50 beds or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocala | 21 | 1,655 | 3 | 16 |
| Belleview | 5 | 143 | 0 | 1 |
| Summerfield | 3 | 174 | 1 | 1 |
| Dunnellon and Ocklawaha | 2 | 111 | 0 | 2 |
| Marion County | 31 | 2,083 | 4 | 20 |
| Sumter County, for comparison | 14 | 1,586 | 2 | 12 |
The typical Ocala facility has about 75 beds, so expect dining rooms, activity calendars and staff on site around the clock. Florida requires facilities licensed for 17 or more residents "to maintain an alert staff for 24 hours per day" (s. 429.41, Florida Statutes). If your parent would rather live in a small home with a handful of residents, Marion has very few, and you may need to look in neighboring counties. Our comparison of large and small facilities covers the trade-offs.
Browse listings on our Ocala, Belleview, Summerfield and Dunnellon pages, or the whole of Marion County. For The Villages, see our The Villages and Sumter County pages. If you're also looking north, our Gainesville guide covers Alachua County.
Who lives here?
Marion County had 442,660 residents in July 2025, up from 375,892 in 2020, and 131,623 of them were 65 or older (Census Bureau county estimates). The county is growing because people move here: deaths outnumbered births by 2,508 in the year to June 2025, while net moves from elsewhere in the U.S. added 15,971 people (Census Bureau). Ocala itself had 71,753 residents (Census Bureau city estimates).
The city is much younger than the county around it. Census survey data for 2020–2024 put the median age at 39.2 in Ocala and 47.9 in Marion County, with 19.8% of city residents and 28.7% of county residents aged 65 or older (ACS 2020–2024). The same survey shows about 79% of residents of On Top of the World, southwest of Ocala, and 87% of residents in the Marion County part of The Villages are 65 or older (ACS 2020–2024 summary file). The Villages straddles the county line, with most of its residents in Sumter County.
Which hospitals serve Ocala?
- HCA Florida Ocala Hospital, 1431 SW 1st Avenue, verified as a Level I trauma center by the American College of Surgeons and designated a Level II trauma center by the state. HCA says it has "the only trauma center serving Marion, Citrus and Hernando counties." Together with HCA Florida West Marion Hospital, 4600 SW 46th Court, it forms a 585-bed system (HCA Florida). A roughly $200 million tower at the Ocala hospital, announced in April 2026, will add 62 private rooms (HCA Florida).
- AdventHealth Ocala, 1500 SW 1st Avenue, a medical center "with 425 acute-care beds" (AdventHealth).
- UF Health Ocala Neighborhood Hospital, 2100 NW 35th Street, a small hospital with around-the-clock emergency care that opened in 2024 and is expanding (UF Health).
Freestanding ERs are spreading along the retiree corridors. HCA runs four in Marion County, including Summerfield and Maricamp, and is building another next to the entrance of On Top of the World, due to open in spring 2027 (HCA Florida). AdventHealth runs ERs on SW Highway 200 (TimberRidge) and on SW College Road (Heathbrook, opened January 2026) (AdventHealth). A freestanding ER treats emergencies, but a resident who needs to be admitted will be transferred to a hospital. Ask each facility which hospital its residents usually go to.
For veterans, the Ocala VA Clinic at 4826 SW 49th Road offers primary care, mental health, audiology, podiatry and telehealth (VA). The Villages VA Clinic, on SE 165th Mulberry Lane, is a larger multi-specialty clinic. Veterans who need a hospital go to the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center in Gainesville or the Lake City VA Medical Center (VA). Lake City is also home to Florida's only state-run veterans assisted living facility; our guide to State Veterans' Homes explains how it works, and our Aid and Attendance guide covers the VA pension.
What about hurricanes?
Marion County is inland, so it isn't on the state's storm-surge evacuation zone maps, which cover coastal counties (Florida Division of Emergency Management). That doesn't make it safe. The county's own warning: "If Hurricane Irma taught us anything, it's that living in a county nestled in the heart of Florida shouldn't give us a sense of security" (Marion County). During Hurricane Milton in 2024, large parts of Marion County had sustained tropical-storm-force winds and hurricane-force gusts, and rain totals across the region ranged from 7 to 11 inches (National Weather Service).
Here, evacuation orders depend on the type of home. Before Milton, the Sheriff's Office ordered a mandatory evacuation "for those living in mobile homes, RVs, modular-type homes, and any structure in which the resident feels unsafe" (Marion County Sheriff's Office). Emergency management sits within the Sheriff's Office, which keeps a confidential special needs registry, updated annually, for residents with needs such as oxygen, feeding tubes or Alzheimer's disease. Call 352-369-8100 (Marion County Sheriff's Office).
Assisted living facilities must submit an emergency plan to the county emergency management agency within 30 days of licensing, for its review and approval (s. 429.41). Every facility must keep temperatures "at or below 81 degrees Fahrenheit for a minimum of ninety-six (96) hours" during a power outage (rule 59A-36.025). Inland, the bigger risk is usually a long power cut rather than flooding, so ask to see the generator and the fuel plan. Our hurricane questions guide has the full checklist.
Who can help locally?
- Elder Options, the area agency on aging and aging and disability resource center for Marion and 15 other north central Florida counties. Its Elder Helpline is 1-800-262-2243 (Elder Options; Elder Affairs).
- Medicaid long-term care: Marion County is in Region B, a 23-county region that also includes Alachua, Lake, Sumter and Volusia (s. 409.966, Florida Statutes). Ask each facility whether it accepts a Region B plan. Our guide to Medicaid and assisted living explains the program.
- Marion Senior Services, a nonprofit (not a county department), provides meals, transportation and in-home support to help older residents stay at home, on a sliding fee "from no cost to full pay." Call (352) 620-3501 (Marion Senior Services).
How do families here pay?
Most pay privately from savings, income and home sales. Our guide to how to pay for assisted living in Florida covers the main options, and our levels of care guide explains why two quotes for the same room can differ.
How do you get around?
- SunTran, Ocala's bus system, runs seven routes. Riders 65 and older, and Medicare card holders, pay $0.75 a ride or $23 for a 30-day pass (City of Ocala). Eligible riders who can't use the bus can book door-to-door paratransit within three-quarters of a mile of a route for $2 a trip (City of Ocala).
- Marion Transit, run by Marion Senior Services, offers countywide door-to-door rides for eligible residents. Book at least 72 hours ahead; one-way fares run $2 to $5 (City of Ocala).
Most facilities provide or arrange rides to medical appointments, so ask what's included in the monthly rate.
What about visiting family?
Ocala International Airport is a general aviation airport with no airline service (City of Ocala). Relatives usually fly into Gainesville, which is closer but smaller, or Orlando International, one of the country's busiest airports. Tampa, Orlando Sanford and Jacksonville are other options (FAA). If you're managing a parent's care from another state, our guide to choosing Florida assisted living from out of state walks through it.
For outings, Marion County calls itself the "Horse Capital of the World," and says 35% of Florida's horses live in the county (Marion County). Silver Springs State Park, east of downtown, runs glass-bottom boats over "America's largest spring" and lists accessible amenities, with an $8 vehicle fee (Florida State Parks).
How do you check a facility before you visit?
Every facility in our directory is licensed by AHCA, Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration. Look up each one's inspection history and license type with our guide to checking a Florida license, then bring our tour checklist. In a large Ocala community, ask how many residents each aide looks after on the overnight shift, and whether the facility has a separate secured area if your parent's memory is changing.
