Fun, weather, jobs power Orlando population growth
Ismael Perdomo sees the signs of Orlando’s population growth every day, at home and at work, so it’s no surprise to him that the area is the 15th fastest-growing metro in the United States.
“At work, I receive 10 new projects each day,” said Perdomo, an architect who works on new homes. He moved to Orlando from Bogota, Colombia, two years ago.
New U.S. Census data released today says metro Orlando added almost 60,000 people from 2015 to 2016, a 2.5 percent growth rate.
It moved up a notch among the most populous U.S. metros, to No. 23. The metro area, which includes Kissimmee and Sanford, has 2,441,257 people, up from 2,382,132 the previous year. That included 46,922 people who moved to the area — 29,441 from inside the U.S. and 17,481 from other countries.
The Villages, a 55-and-older community northwest of Orlando, turned up at No. 1 in the
nation for growth as it has for several years, with a 4.3 percent population increase. Sumter County, home to much of The Villages, was No. 7 in the nation for percentage growth.
Orange County grew the most of any Florida county, adding 29,503 people for a new total of 1,314,367.
The growth included 11,078 more people moving to the county from other countries than its domestic migration of 10,083. New data on where those people were coming from is not yet available.
Perdomo, 56, sees the growth at home because he lives along downtown Orlando’s booming North Orange Avenue, where thousands of apartment units have been added in high-rise buildings over the last few years.
“I could have moved anywhere, and I have family in Colorado, New York and California. But the only place I feel comfortable is in Florida, and I found the right job in Orlando,” Perdomo said as he walked his Schnauzer along North Orange.
He cited Florida’s weather and the large number of people with Spanish heritage here as additional reasons.
Desiree Siegel also moved into a new North Orange apartment recently. She’s been in Orlando for five years and was very clear about what brought her here: Walt Disney World.
“I teach elementary school, so I could have moved anywhere,” Siegel said. “I’m a huge fan of Disney, and the amusement parks here mean there’s always something to do. Living downtown gives me lots of options, too.”
She noted a downside to the growth, pointing at nearby Interstate 4. “The traffic is difficult sometimes, and construction on I-4 makes it worse right now,” she said.
At a nearby downtown vinyl record store, called Uncle Tony’s Donut Shoppe, manager Hector Moreno says Orlando’s growth is so diverse and fast that it’s creating a new culture. He said some of the region’s infrastructure hasn’t kept up with the growth, particularly transportation.
“Orlando is still a virgin city in many ways,” said Moreno, who has Colombian heritage but moved to Orlando from Long Island, N.Y. “It’s looking for its brand. It’s almost a remix of older cities at this point.”
Much of the growth locally is coming from Puerto Rico, another continuing Florida trend.
Robert Ramirez, a property manager, moved to Orlando from Puerto Rico 14 years ago and recently moved to downtown from Lake Nona.
“The growth is good, but it’s driving up the cost of property and rents,” Ramirez said. “Wages in my industry haven’t kept up with that.”
He, too, had come to Orlando on a vacation and liked the atmosphere. He also had an uncle who lived here.
“I haven’t been to the theme parks in years, but that was part of the attraction,” he said, laughing.
Orlando was one of four metro areas in the nation that were among the top 25 for both rate of growth and sheer numbers gained. The others were AustinRound Rock, Texas; Raleigh, N.C.; and Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, Nev.
The Lakeland and DaytonaDeltona areas were also among the fastest growing metros. Lakeland area clocked in at 666,149, an increase of 2.6 percent. The Daytona metro gained 2.3 percent, to 637,674.