Census estimates reveal growth dynamic in Sumter

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.

“Oh, we love it here,” said Tina, a retired nurse practitioner. “The question is what’s not to enjoy.”

The new census estimates reinforced not only the population estimates released last November by the Bureau of Economic and Business Research at the University of Florida, but also the population forecast BEBR issued earlier this month.

Census year-over-year population estimates put Sumter’s growth at 3.3 percent in 2009, Lake County at 1.3 percent and Marion County at 0.4 percent.

“Relative to the rest of the state, it does look like that area, as far as population growth, is still up there,” BEBR demographer Scott Cody said. “Whether you look at their data or our data, it’s showing growth for those three counties. Clearly, there’s a lot of building going on down there in The Villages.”

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Census estimates reveal growth dynamic in Sumter - The Villages Daily Sun - March 29, 2010