Florida's population broke 15 million in 1998 as the state went country with people moving away from traditionally high-growth metropolitan areas, a new University of Florida study finds. Heavily populated areas are nearing their saturation point, causing growth to spill over into counties away from major urban cores, said June Nogle, a demographer at UF's Bureau of Economic and Business Research. For instance, rapid growth that characterized Orange County in the 70s has shifted to Osceola county in the 90s, she said. We're going to see lesser-known places like Osceola and Wakulla counties really come into their own. Adding to strong migration from other counties is the population boost from new prisons in Gilchrist, Liberty and Sumter counties, Nogle said.
Counties get their most migrants from right next door.
People move across county lines for cheaper taxes or more available land. Just as when we look at states, Georgia is often one of the biggest states to send migrants to Florida. Being on the Atlantic coast and sandwiched between the Jacksonville and Daytona Beach metro areas, Flagler county is in a good location for growth, as is Wakulla, being on the Gulf of Mexico and near the Tallahassee metro area, she said. In sheer numbers, Broward, Palm Beach and Dade had the most new residents. With smaller counties, they may grow at a faster speed because a few more people can make a big difference, but they continue to be relatively small.