After declining for the first time since the end of World War II, Florida’s population increased modestly by more than 21,000 residents between 2009 and 2010, the University of Florida said today.
The largest population increases were in some of the biggest counties. Miami-Dade added an estimated 8,253 residents, followed by Hillsborough, 6,353 and Broward, 5,834. “Because they’re the largest counties, they have fairly sizable numbers of births,” said Stan Smith, director of UF’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research. “They also receive a substantial number of foreign immigrants.”
The county with the biggest percentage increase were Lafayette, which grew by 5.2 percent, largely attributable to the addition of state prison inmates.
Seminole County lost 3,659 residents, the largest population decline, followed by Pinellas, 3,119, and Volusia, 2,055. The counties with the biggest declines in percentage terms were Glades, followed by Jackson and Holmes.
Smith said he expected Florida’s population to continue to grow slowly over the next year or two, given that a quick economic turnaround was unlikely. He added that over the next 10 to 20 years, it is possible the state’s annual population growth could be as high as 250,000.
