For the first time, Florida’s population has hit a record high with slightly more than 23 million residents, according to a report from the state Demographic Estimating Conference. And we have people moving in from other states to thank for that.
As of April 1 this year, 23,002,597 people have been calling the Sunshine State home, marking its position as the third-most populous state in the U.S., trailing behind California (39.5m) and Texas (30.5m). Per report estimates, Florida added nearly 359,000 new residents last year and has been adding between 350,000 and 375,000 people annually for the past decade.
The Associated Press reports that this upward trend in population is expected to peak this year and get smaller each following year for the rest of the 2020s, as the final cohort of baby boomers entering retirement gets smaller.
While it’s no secret Florida has been welcoming tons of residents from other states (we don’t want to point any fingers, but more than half a million people moved to Florida in 2022 just from New York), the U.S. Census Bureau noted this year that Florida had four of the five fastest-growing metro areas in the country. The Villages came in first, followed by Lakeland-Winter Haven in a close second, while Ocala and Port St. Lucie landed in fourth and fifth. Several Florida counties were also named as the fastest-growing, including Polk, Pasco and Marion.
You’re probably wondering, “How about Miami-Dade?” When it comes to international migration, the U.S. Census Bureau shows that Dade County had the largest gains, receiving a net 54,457 migrants from abroad.