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Is being in an area that's growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask. Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Jacksonville and Miami, while others want peace and quiet like in Belleview and Flagler Beach, thank you very much.
But today we're going to put opinions aside and just look at the cold hard facts -- over the past five years, which cities in Florida have the grown the fastest.
After getting knee deep in the Census's American Community Survey, we emerged with this set of cities in the Sunshine State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
These are the 10 fastest growing cities in Florida for 2022 according to the most recent census data:
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Florida For 2022
What's the fastest growing city in Florida for 2022? Based on the most recent ACS data, Fruitland Park ranks as the fastest growing city in Florida. If you happen to be a resident of Fruitland Park, you're probably not too surprised to find it on our list.
If you're surprised--and you're wondering why these places are kind of a big deal--keep reading. We'll tell you what makes each of these 10 places in Florida are growing like weeds.
And if you already knew these places were happening, check out the best places to live in Florida or the Fastest Growing States In America.
For more Florida state reading:
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Florida For 2022
1. Fruitland Park
/10
Population: 9,185
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Population 2010: 4,062
Percent Growth 126.1%
Absolute Growth: 5,123
More on Fruitland Park: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
2. Davenport
/10
Population: 5,420
Rank Last Year: 3 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 2,805
Percent Growth 93.2%
Absolute Growth: 2,615
More on Davenport: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
3. Groveland
/10
Population: 15,109
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 7,935
Percent Growth 90.4%
Absolute Growth: 7,174
More on Groveland: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
4. St. Cloud
/10
Population: 53,132
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 33,742
Percent Growth 57.5%
Absolute Growth: 19,390
More on St. Cloud: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
5. Sweetwater
/10
Population: 20,852
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 1)
Population 2010: 13,599
Percent Growth 53.3%
Absolute Growth: 7,253
More on Sweetwater: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
6. Doral
/10
Population: 62,367
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Population 2010: 41,148
Percent Growth 51.6%
Absolute Growth: 21,219
More on Doral: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
7. Parkland
/10
Population: 32,878
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Population 2010: 22,442
Percent Growth 46.5%
Absolute Growth: 10,436
More on Parkland: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
8. Winter Garden
/10
Population: 44,888
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Population 2010: 31,480
Percent Growth 42.6%
Absolute Growth: 13,408
More on Winter Garden: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
9. Clermont
/10
Population: 36,757
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 1)
Population 2010: 26,141
Percent Growth 40.6%
Absolute Growth: 10,616
More on Clermont: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
10. South Bay
/10
Population: 6,665
Rank Last Year: 128 (Up 118)
Population 2010: 4,772
Percent Growth 39.7%
Absolute Growth: 1,893
More on South Bay: Homes For Sale | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Sunshine State for 2022
To figure out which cities are growing the most, we simply had to look at the growth rates for cities sine the beginning of the decade, according to the American Community Survey put out by the census every year. Specifically:
- Current Population
- Population in 2010
- Growth rate from 2010 to Current (The latest available data which came out in Dec 2018)
We ranked all 221 Florida cities with a population over 5,000 people from highest growth rate to lowest.
The city with the highest growth rate during this time was crowned the fastest growing city in the Sunshine State.
And for those of you who are a little rusty with their statistics, you can calculate the growth rate by the following formula:
[Current Population - Population 2010] / [Population 2010]
Here's a graph of the cities in Florida with the largest percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In Florida, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Florida are led by Fruitland Park which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
It'll be interesting to see if these places can keep growing at the same rate over the next couple of years. We'll be here to let you know!
These places have been growing (or shrinking) the slowest (fastest):
- Quincy
- Starke
- Perry
For more Florida reading, check out:
Detailed List Of Fastest Growing Places In Florida For 2022
| Rank | City | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fruitland Park | 126.1% |
| 2 | Davenport | 93.2% |
| 3 | Groveland | 90.4% |
| 4 | St. Cloud | 57.5% |
| 5 | Sweetwater | 53.3% |
| 6 | Doral | 51.6% |
| 7 | Parkland | 46.5% |
| 8 | Winter Garden | 42.6% |
| 9 | Clermont | 40.6% |
| 10 | South Bay | 39.7% |
