Recent population estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau placed six Florida cities in the top 20 fastest-growing metro areas in the country between 2013 and 2014.
Florida has now surpassed New York as the third most populous state, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s website. Of the 20 ranked metro areas, The Villages was first, Cape Coral was sixth, Naples was 10th, Orlando was 16th, North Port was 18th and Panama City was 19th.
Stefan Rayer, director of the UF Population Program in the Bureau of Economic and Business Research, said Alachua County’s population grew by more than 3,000 people from 2013 to 2014.
Rayer said demographic factors — including the number of births, deaths, net migration and natural increase — contribute to population growth.
Edgar Campa-Palafox, the economic development coordinator of Alachua County, said there are many ways to measure the growth of an economy or region.
Alachua County has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the state, Campa-Palafox said.
He said because of the population growth, chain businesses might be more attracted to Gainesville.
“The businesses will look into the cities in the state, and Gainesville is in the mix,” he said.
Some of the opportunities for population growth also stem from promising retail development in the area right now, he said.
Celebration Pointe is a development under construction just northwest of Interstate 75 on Archer Road, and Butler Plaza is expanding to almost double its current size.
[A version of this story ran on page 3 on 3/30/2015 under the headline “Cities growing across Fla.”]
1. The Villages, Florida: 5.4
2. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: 3.2
3. Austin, Texas: 3.0
4. Odessa, Texas: 2.9
5. St. George, Utah: 2.9
6. Cape Coral, Florida: 2.7
7. Bend, Oregon: 2.7
8. Greeley, Colorado: 2.6
9. Midland, Texas: 2.6
10. Naples, Florida: 2.5
11. Houston, Texas: 2.5
12. Fort Collins, Colorado: 2.4
13. Hilton Head Island, South Carolina: 2.4
14. Daphne, Alabama: 2.4
15. Raleigh, North Carolina: 2.3
16. Orlando, Florida: 2.2
17. Charleston, South Carolina: 2.2
18. North Port, Florida: 2.2
19. Panama City, Florida: 2.2
20. Boise, Idaho: 2.1
