Florida’s Population Boom Reached Record Levels in 2022
Bottom Line: It’s no secret Florida’s population continues to boom. You need only hit the roads of South Florida to realize there are more of us than there used to be. But while Florida had led the country in relocations and population growth for the previous five years, there was something which hadn’t occurred until last year... Florida leading the country in population growth rate. Even if math isn’t your strongest suite, you’re aware that the larger a state is, the harder it is to improve growth rates generally. That’s why the Census Bureau’s just released report detailing population changes between 2021 and 2022 is so remarkable. According to the Bureau’s findings...
- Florida’s population growth rate was the highest nationally at 1.9%
- Florida’s population now totals 22.2 million
And while that’s all significant, those aren’t the only takeaways. Midyear estimates by related experts suggested Florida’s population growth rate was slowing from around 1,000 a day, in the immediate aftermath of COVID lockdowns ending across the country, to approximately 800 people per day. A number that would still have been huge but that was slowing. Turns out Florida’s population boom was significantly underestimated. Florida didn’t just maintain a growth rate of 1,000 or so people per day last year...it accelerated to over 1,100, or about 38% more people fleeing to the Free State of Florida per day than had been estimated. Quoting the Census Bureau: For the third most-populous state to also be the fastest-growing is notable because it requires significant population gains. No doubt. And quoting Jeremy Redfern on behalf of Governor DeSantis: People vote with their feet. We are proud to be a model for the nation, and an island of sanity in a sea of madness. No Doubt. As always there are two sides to stories and one side to facts. There’s no denying the fact that Florida’s far and away the most desired destination for Americans. And based on voter registration trends, it's clear those considerations are high on the list of reasons why.