University of Florida News

THE NATIONAL RECESSION HAS WIPED OUT THE HOUSING MARKET, THE JOB MARKET, AND NOW FLORIDA’S EXPECTED POPULATION GROWTH.

THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA’S LATEST POPULATION STUDY PROJECTS POPULATION GROWTH IN THE SUNSHINE STATE WILL FALL TO ITS LOWEST LEVEL SINCE WORLD WAR TWO. FLORIDA’S AVERAGED 300 TO 400 THOUSAND NEW RESIDENTS EACH YEAR OVER THE LAST DECADE. NOW THAT NUMBER’S EXPECTED TO FALL TO 37 THOUSAND, A NINETY PERCENT DROP.

Stanley Smithy/UF population researcher: “During most of the 80s and 90s we averaged about 300 thousand a year, there was some variation from year to year. Some years we were as high as 400 thousand. But in 60 years, we haven’t seen anything lower than 125 thousand a year. So this will be really unusual in Florida.”

IN FACT RESEARCHERS EXPECT SOME COUNTIES IN FLORIDA WILL ACTUALLY LOSE POPULATION.

Stanley Smithy/UF population researcher: “Typically every country in Florida with perhaps the exception of one or two in a decade will be growing in population. But we’re expecting 14 or 15 to be losing population over the next two years.”

JOB CREATION AND HOUSING HAVE SPURRED FLORIDA’S GROWTH IN THE PAST AND THE RECESSION HAS PLAYED HAVOC WITH BOTH ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.

(See related post: Recession discouraging people from moving to Florida)