Sitting outside his lakefront mobile home, Lake County snowbird Dick Risch relishes the peacefulness around him.
Until recently, Risch's winter community was packed with seasonal residents. But while most part-time residents already have left, unusually chilly temperatures up North kept some snowbirds like Risch, 68, from joining the flock just yet.
For businesses that thrive on the spending of seasonal residents, these snowbird stragglers seeking to stay warm a bit longer are a welcome economic bonus.
Florida has been one of the most rapidly growing states in the United States for many years, but growth rates have fluctuated considerably from one year to the next. Most of these fluctuations were caused by changes in the number of people moving into and out of the state. In this issue of Florida Focus, we examine annual migration trends in Florida from 1980 to 2008, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The data refer solely to people moving from one state to another; they do not include foreign immigrants.
THE VILLAGES — Third time was the charm for Fritz and Tina Masur.
Little that they experienced as age-restricted homeowners in Arizona or Illinois compares with the quality of life they found during the past year in The Villages.
The experiences of the Village of Hemingway couple also provide a glimpse into the dynamics of new population estimates that ranked Sumter County last year — largely fueled by growth in The Villages — as the state’s second-fastest growing county in terms of percentage increase.
PANAMA CITY — Bay County’s population crept up last year despite the worst recession in decades, according to U.S. Census Bureau data released this week.
“The growing population areas are the ones who tend to attract new jobs,” said Janet Watermeier, county Economic Development Alliance executive director. “I believe this is our decade.”
Volusia County continued to lose residents in 2009 while Flagler County, though plagued by higher unemployment, continued to grow, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates released Tuesday.
Volusia lost an estimated 1,454 residents between 2008 and 2009. That followed a similar loss of 1,425 between 2007 and 2008.
Although the combined losses total less than 1 percent of the county's estimated 2007 population of 498,769, they are a sign of the recession's lingering impact.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — It’s a small bounce, but Florida’s population should rebound this year from its first loss in more than half a century in a hopeful sign for the struggling state economy, new estimates from the University of Florida show.
The Sunshine State is expected to add about 23,000 residents between April 1, 2009, and April 1, 2010, following a loss of almost 57,000 residents the previous year, according to population projections released today by UF’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research.
MANATEE — Are more people moving out of Florida than moving in from other states?
Yes, one national moving company said in a report released Monday.
No, said another national mover that also released a similar report.
Both are probably right, but it’s more complex than just counting shipments, a state researcher said.
Atlas Van Lines said it handled 4,847 moves into Florida and 5,419 moves out of the state in 2009, the fourth consecutive year that departures outnumbered arrivals for the company.
Florida is known as a destination for snowbirds, but new data released by the U.S. Census Bureau hints at a new trend.
The data shows Florida has seen a decline in the number of people who migrate to the state from other states.
In 2005, Florida had an influx of more than 250,000 domestic migrants and was considered a fast-growing state during a mid-decade population boom.
However, the state has recently been suffering losses in domestic migration, losing 9,000 Florida residents in 2008 and 31,000 in 2009 due to out-migration.
After decades of rapid growth in which housing developments sprouted in swamps, farmland and deserts, the number of Americans moving to several states in the South and the West has slowed sharply because of the recession and housing bust, according to Census Bureau figures released Wednesday.
