Retirement Community In Florida Roars To The Top As Fastest-Growing Metro In The Nation

A retirement community in Florida with a reputation for being wild is the fastest-growing metropolitan area in the country.

The Villages population grew by 4.7% to 151,565 between July 1, 2022, and July 1, 2023, according to U.S. Census data. In January, Real Estate Consulting named The Villages the top-selling planned community for the 11^th consecutive year.

Ongoing development is one reason the 55-and-up community is growing so quickly. It also has a variety of housing types and price points. Buyers can get a two-bedroom, two-bath mobile home for $169,000 or a three-bedroom, two-bath 1,915-square-foot home for $550,000. The median list price is $389,900.

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The Villages gained notoriety as the "STD Capital of America" after a WFTV news report stated, "One physician at the Women's Center of The Villages said even in her years working in Miami, she has never seen so many cases."

Another rumor suggested that loofahs attached to car roofs indicated that the vehicle's owner is a swinger, with different colors signaling their level of experience. It turns out that the mesh bath exfoliators are used to help residents identify which vehicle is theirs in a sea of mostly white Honda CR-Vs.

But The Villages isn't the only Florida metro area that's growing. People have been moving to the Sunshine State in droves over the past few years. Florida gained nearly half a million people in 2022 and boasted the highest population growth of any state in 2023, according to the moveBuddah 2023-2024 Florida Migration Report.

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People moving from California and New York lead the inflow into Florida — and celebrities such as Jeff Bezos, Sylvester Stallone and Guy Fieri are among them.

State	2023 Net Inflow Volume Rank	2024 Net Inflow Volume Rank
Texas	3	1
North Carolina	1	2
Florida	2	1
Colorado	4	4
Georgia	5	5
Arizona	6	6
Washington	7	7
New York	8	8
Illinois	9	9
California	10	10

Source: moveBuddah

Florida's growth trajectory is expected to continue in 2024. The state is expected to hit a population of 22.9 million by April. Florida added 3 million residents between 2010 and 2020 and continues to attract more moves from out of state than it loses to exits.

Competition with Texas is tight — both states rank among the top three for volume and net inflow. The top contenders all have warm climates as well as lower taxes, which may be a reason the ultra-wealthy like Bezos are attracted to them.

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