One US county, known as ‘the heart of the citrus industry’, is now attracting a lot of people bushes.
Haines City in Polk County, Florida – located between Tampa and Orlando – joins a list of several other southern communities experiencing high population growth. Haines City saw an increase of 30,000 new residents last year, according to U.S. Census Bureau data, earning the title as one of the ‘most popular migration destination(s) across the country.”
(According to U.S. Census Bureau data, Haines City saw an increase of 30,000 new residents last year.)
These areas, labeled as “ex-burbs,” are typically 40 to 60 miles away from major metro areas and can offer a more peaceful way of life and “affordable housing.”
Anna, TX, Fort Mill, SC, and Lebanon, TN are among the other hotspots praised for high population growth.
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Its population has increased by a third since 2020 and is located 45 miles north of Dallas, the city sometimes called “your hometown,” Anna, Texas. shared in a press release earlier this year that the growth could be attributed to location, housing options and development plans for both residential and commercial.
As for the population growth in Fort Mill, SC – also known as the home of PuckerButt Pepper Company, the original producer of the hottest peppers in the world – which once stood at 24,514 and is now up 37.2% since 2020, according to a local newspaper.
Fort Mill, in SC, has seen a 37.2% population increase since 2020, according to a local newspaper. (LOGAN CYRUS/AFP via Getty Images)
In the middle of Tennessee, Lebanon grew from 8.9% from July 2023 to July 2024, the population is now approximately 48,000.
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Katy Worthington Decker, Senior Vice President of the Lakeland Economic Development Council, offered her explanation as to why ex-burbs are booming, especially in Polk County.
“The Lakeland-Winter Haven MSA, which includes all of Polk County, Florida, has experienced significant growth for years, but has accelerated over the past four years. We believe that accelerated growth is partly due to pandemic-era policies to accelerate growth. Florida’s reopening compared to other parts of the country has also helped our economy bounce back quickly after 2020 because we don’t rely on tourism like many other parts of the country. Florida is,” Decker said.
Decker continued, “Polk County’s location in the center of the state offers the same moderate Florida weather, but with comparative affordability (the median home price is ~100,000 less than Tampa and Orlando) for our surrounding metro markets, low tax rates, connectivity with other metropolises. market by automobile, rail, or commercial air service, and a diverse range of quality of life, from Lakeland’s downtown urban lifestyle, to 55+ communities, to 554 lakes, to numerous areas of agricultural land.
COVID-19 triggered the trend of increased migration to different communities for anyone who could work from home or anywhere in search of lower housing and living costs. (Stefan Wermuth/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
COVID-19, cited as one reason by the US Census Bureau, has sparked the trend of increased migration into different communities for anyone who could. work from home or elsewhereseeking lower housing and living costs.
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Several US cities – such as Bend, OR and Asheville, NC – were dubbed “Zoom cities” at the time and saw large population increases as employees could use tools like Zoom to connect with their companies and colleagues.
However, if some large companies are reintroducing return-to-office policiesIt is unknown what the future of working from home and living in the ‘ex-burbs’ holds.
“While the return to office policies may certainly impact people who have chosen to live and work remotely to benefit from quality of life benefits, I believe Polk County and Central Florida are well positioned to work on to offer to those individuals if they decide to stay,” Decker explained.
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Decker continued and shared her thoughts on whether a return to the office would be beneficial for both the company and the employer.
“We personally believe that the return to work policy is beneficial to the company’s culture and employees’ long-term career growth. However, we also believe that employees will continue to demand flexibility and a greater focus on work-life balance. Polk County has a very limited number of businesses that are still completely remote. Even our largest employers competing for national talent have quickly returned to full-fledged businesses. time or hybrid schedule in the office within a year of the pandemic beginning,” Decker concluded.
