Four out of 10 households in Marion County are occupied by someone who is 65 or older.

That is perhaps no surprise in Florida which, according to recently released census statistics, ranks first in the nation for percentage of older households.

The following represent city-, county-, and regional-level news stories around the state relating to the BEBR Population Program's recent release of the April 1, 2009 preliminary population estimates.

Brevard's population dipped last year - Florida Today - August 24, 2009
UF: Polk Is Losing People - The Ledger - August 22, 2009

If you have moved to Marion County or had children here since 2000, you have helped make the county one of the fastest-growing places in America.

For the first three-quarters of this decade, according to federal and state data, Marion County added 66,000 people - about the same number that now reside in Daytona Beach.

That influx means 325,000 people now call the county home. But if like many in the community you think it's a bit too crowded now, imagine what it will be like in 20 years, when demographers project the population could be twice what it is today.

A University of Florida economist said the reason many Americans are financially strapped is simple: Prices are rising and wages are not.

David Denslow, who works for UF's Bureau of Economic and Business Research, said that overall, the retail price index has increased in the past five years about 2 percent to 2.5 percent. This index indicates what people pay for food, housing, medical care and other goods and services.

He said that during the 1990s, prices rose about the same, but pay was keeping up. These days, it's a different story.