10 Things We Learned About Florida From the 2020 Census

The results from last year’s Census are confirming what you already know. The population has exploded. Who had the most growth – Hillsborough or Pinellas? Actually it was neither of the big two! Here are 10 things we’ve learned from the 2020 U.S. Census about life in the Sunshine State, according to the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

• Hillsborough County grew, but not as fast as it did in the early 2000s

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  1.5 million are in the 813. That’s up almost 19% since 2010. But the ironic thing is the growth was faster from 2000 to 2010.

• Sarasota County's growth doubled the national average

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  Population in the Sarasota area over the past decade in the area is up by over 14%.

• Pinellas County's growth was actually belong the national average

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  Perhaps because there is so little space left to build, Pinellas didn’t see the growth rate like Hillsborough. Population from 2010 to 2020 was under 5%.

• Polk County's population growth is the second highest in the area

  Just slightly behind Pasco, Gradyland’s population is up by over 20%.

   

• Pasco County had the biggest jump

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  Highway 19 traffic confirms what we already knew. Pasco County’s population grew by almost 21% over the last decade. But there was actually more growth from 2000 to 2010, when population was up by about 35%. Maybe being on Live PD didn’t hurt the image of the area as much as some thought!

• There Were A Lot of Empty Houses In 2020

  

  A surprisingly high number of vacancies were recorded in the 2020 census. With the real estate market as hot as it is right now, you have to think this has already changed. Tampa was only one of four states with vacancy rates exceeding the national average. A big factor? Snowbirds. The census counts their Florida property as vacant if their permanent residence is out of state.

• The Only State With A Bigger Population Increase

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  Only Texas saw a bigger rise in population.

• Manatee County

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  With a population explosion of almost 24% from 2010 to 2020, Manatee County saw the biggest population growth in terms of percentage in the Tampa area.

   

• Florida Population Is Up... Way Up

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  It’s obvious to anyone who lives here and the data backs it up. Florida’s population in 2010 was 18.8 million. That number jumped to 21.5 million in 2020.

   

• Diversity Is Up

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  Following the national trend, the Tampa area’s population has become more diverse. The biggest increase in population was with Hispanic residents.