Florida has 67 counties, fifteen of which are among the fastest growing in the nation according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s report of the 100 fastest growing counties nationwide July 1, 2004 to July 1, 2005. This statistic includes the nation’s fastest growing county, Flagler County. The population of Florida retirement communities is growing rapidly, thanks in great part to the thousands of baby boomers moving into the state each year. At the time of this writing in 2006, experts project that Florida’s population is growing by almost 370,000 people per year. This works out to over 1,010 people a day. Florida is currently the 4th most populated state behind California, Texas, and New York, with an estimated 17 million people. This is almost double the 9 million and change from 1980, and Florida is projected to move into the third spot ahead of New York by 2011.

These statistics might make you want to stop and say hmmm…maybe Florida will be too crowded for me when I am ready to move there. But this is not likely to happen soon. Florida’s local governments and developers are now well aware of what the future holds for Florida and are rapidly, if not frantically, preparing the state with extra infrastructure, housing developments, and communities necessary to accommodate the large influx of population.

One of the best ways to mentally grasp the geographical distribution of Florida’s

population is to look at the population of Florida’s Metropolitan Statistical Areas.

Florida’s Top Ten Metropolitan Statistical Areas

1. Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Miami Beach – 5,428,962

2. Tampa/St. Petersburg/Clearwater – 2,636,972

3. Orlando/Kissimmee – 1,953,354

4. Jacksonville – 1,277,763

5. Sarasota/Bradenton/Venice – 672,231

6. Cape Coral/Fort Myers – 549,442

7. Lakeland – 541,840

8. Palm Bay/Melbourne/Titusville – 531,970

9. Deltona/Daytona Beach/Ormond Beach – 494,649

10. Pensacola – 440,066

(Source: e-florida.com)