David Miles, a Hernando County planner and demographics expert, said he will have a far better idea of what caused the decline when he receives figures for smaller Census blocks. Those will show, for example, if the drop in population was in retirement communities or in minority neighborhoods. He thinks an aging population is probably the biggest factor for Brooksville's population decline. In most parts of the state, deaths are more numerous than births, and new development accounts for population increases. I think that's what's driving this.
Kids move off, and parents grow older.
Hernando County is the kind of place where younger people tend to leave. People tend to gravitate to metropolitan areas for better opportunities. That might not be the case for long. Several city staffers and council members pointed out that Brooksville will almost certainly grow, and maybe rapidly, in the next 10 years. The Suncoast Parkway is expected to bring new residents.