The city's job market scored only 6 points out of a possible 100 in the Cities Ranked and Rated guide, as the downside to the low cost of living is an extremely weak local job market that is oversupplied with college-educated residents. The median income in Gainesville is slightly below the U.S. average.
The city of Gainesville heavily promoted solar power by creating the first Feed-in Tariff (FIT) in the United States. The FIT allowed small businesses and homeowners to supply electricity into the municipal power grid and paid a premium for the clean, on-site generated solar electricity. The FIT started with a rate set at $0.32 per kilowatt-hour and would allow the person or business to enter into a 20-year contract where Gainesville Regional Utilities would purchase the power for 20 years.[116] The FIT ended in 2013,[117] when the rate was set at $0.18 per kWh, but the city is still seen as a leader in solar power. This increase in solar installations put Gainesville at number 5 in the world, in solar installed per-capita, beating Japan, France, China and all of the US.[118]
The sports drink Gatorade was invented in Gainesville in the 1960s as a means of refreshing the UF football team. UF still receives a share of the profits from the beverage. However, Gatorade's headquarters are now located in Chicago.
Top employers
According to Gainesville's 2014 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[119] the top employers in the city are:| No. | Employer | No. of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Florida | 27,870 |
| 2 | UF Health | 12,000 |
| 3 | Alachua County School Board | 4,200 |
| 4 | VA Hospital | 3,500 |
| 5 | City of Gainesville | 2,270 |
| 6 | Publix | 2,160 |
| 7 | North Florida Regional Medical Center | 2,100 |
| 8 | Gator Dining Services | 1,200 |
| 9 | Nationwide Insurance | 950 |
| 10 | Walmart | 910 |
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