Villages’ population growth bucks trend

THE VILLAGES — While at their neighborhood recreation center, Village of Duval residents Paul and Dawne Lampson gazed across the street last week and expressed an amazement shared by neighbors Jerry and Sue Wilson and Jim and Gayle Opatrny.

Just a year or so ago, an expanse of undeveloped land existed across the street from the Odell Circle pool, bocce court and postal station.

Now, a neighborhood with all the trappings — wind chimes hanging from lanais, barbecue cookers on the patios and other indicators of occupancy — stands as testimony to population growth last year in The Villages.

The growth in The Villages is significant, considering that last year Florida experienced its first population decline in 60 years, recently released state demographic data showed.

“Look out there, there’s nothing but homes now,” Dawne Lampson commented. “I would say the population growth here is astronomical.”

Compared with the 2000 Census, Sumter County’s population ranked second behind Flagler County for the year ended April 1 in terms of percentage growth, the Bureau of Economic and Business Research at the University of Florida reported in estimates recently presented to the state Legislature.

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Villages’ population growth bucks trend - The Villages Daily Sun - November 15, 2009