For the third year in a row, Ocala has topped the charts in U-Haul’s “No. 1 Growth City” rankings, making it clear that the once-sleepy horse town is now a magnet for new residents. But while moving trucks keep rolling in, many longtime locals are slamming the brakes on the county’s breakneck expansion.
A Facebook reel from The Voice of South Marion announcing Ocala’s latest growth accolade has racked up 65,000 views, but instead of celebrating, the comment section reads like a public forum of frustration.
“It is a curse! We do not need another resident,” one person declared. “The current population is suffering because the county commissioners don’t address or control the growth! Vote them OUT.”
Another echoed the sentiment: “Stop the growth in Ocala!” And yet another took it a step further: “Those people need out of office and all those people who came here need to go back to where they came from!”
The most common complaints? Traffic, overcrowding, skyrocketing insurance rates, and the destruction of Ocala’s green spaces.
“Traffic is too much. Too many deadly wrecks causing car insurance to go crazy,” one user lamented. Another added, “House insurance is very high! They are ruining this beautiful place.”
Some residents are mourning what they see as the loss of Ocala’s rural charm. “Horse capital of the world? What a joke,” one person scoffed. “They keep taking all the pasture lands and putting more buildings and more homes on them. Don’t you think they need to work on the roads first?”
Many are calling for drastic action to slow the influx of new residents. “Need a moratorium on housing. Ocala is going to be destroyed by the influx of people just as many other cities have been in the last 10 years. Drive times will triple. All while city councils count the tax dollars,” one wrote.
Another frustrated local had a more dramatic proposal: “Relocation tax to Florida or at least our city should be mandated to accommodate the needed new infrastructure! It should be a retroactive tax from the time they moved into Ocala starting from 2020 after COVID!”
For some, the frustration is personal. “When I moved here, it was beautiful—pastures, quiet roads, small businesses. Now it’s just another overdeveloped mess. I don’t even want to drive down Highway 200 anymore,” one user said.
Infrastructure concerns loom large. “The roads were 10 years behind, five years ago,” one person pointed out. Another added, “Pretty soon you won’t be able to get around. Developers should be required to expand the roads before they build.”
Even the local wildlife isn’t spared. “The poor wildlife is suffering,” someone noted. “All of our land is going to get used up by greed, and the wildlife is going to suffer as well.”
Not everyone, however, is anti-growth. “The growth is the best thing that’s happened here,” one supporter argued. “Keep it up! Non-business individuals would never understand how much it helps the city and small businesses.”
That lone positive comment was quickly overshadowed by a flood of opposition:
“We are full—move elsewhere!”
“Ocala is being destroyed by too much growth. It needs to stop!!!!”
“Ocala is closed.”
With passionate voices on both sides, one thing is certain: as Ocala’s population surges, so do the complaints.
