After years of accelerated population growth, Florida is officially the nation’s fastest-growing state in the country.
In 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, national moving companies ranked Florida as the number one relocation destination in the country. Now, Florida is the fastest-growing state in the nation for the first time since 1957.
As reported by the Census Bureau on Dec. 22, Florida’s population grew to 22,244,823 between 2021 and 2022—an increase of 1.9 percent—making it the fastest-growing state in the country. It’s a title that was held by Idaho for the previous five years in a row.
For the Young and the Old
The U.S. Social Security Offices ranked the Sunshine State as the best place in the nation for seniors to retire. Florida’s extensive system of state universities and community colleges also makes Florida a popular choice for younger people, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic when other states suffered extensive prolonged lockdowns.Florida also consistently ranks high on lists of the most popular vacation destinations in the country. Those tourists contribute in excess of an additional $4 billion in sales tax revenues and create over 1 million jobs. That consistency in tourism dollars—in excess of $60 billion per annum—has enabled Florida to remain among the nine states that do not have a personal income tax.
However, there are other factors that seem to attract the young, the old, and everyone in between into making Florida home.
Jobs
The latest data compiled by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that Florida had the seventh-lowest unemployment numbers in the nation. While unemployment claims surged in the rest of the country during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, applications for unemployment benefits in Florida declined dramatically. Numbers released Dec. 22 by the Labor Department (pdf) showed there were around 5,398 new unemployment claims filed in Florida for the week ending Dec. 17. That was down from a revised count of 6,393 during the week ending Dec. 10. Data released by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Dec. 16 showed that even in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Southeast Florida remained resilient, having the lowest unemployment rate among the country’s top ten largest states.In November, Florida’s job growth rate also exceeded national levels for the 20th consecutive month. Florida’s unemployment rate in November was 2.6 percent, over a full percentage point lower than the national rate of 3.7 percent. That marked the 24th consecutive month that Florida’s unemployment rate was below the national average.
Florida’s status as a “right-to-work“ state also attracts new businesses, which also creates new jobs.
The Economy
When it comes to states with the best economies, Florida ranks fifth on WorldAtlas.com. While being the most popular state to call home means a need for places to live, Florida rises to the challenge by ranking in the top ten for states having a strong housing market, meaning the availability of housing is more capable than most of meeting supply with demand. The cost of living in Florida is below the national average. Data released on Dec. 23 by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis ranked Florida as the state with the fifth-largest increase in personal income in the third quarter, with earnings in the health care and social assistance fields being the leading contributors. Florida also saw a 3.8 percent increase in real Gross Domestic Product. At a cost of around $3.08 for a gallon of gas, Florida is below the national average price of $3.25.The Governor
Florida’s Gov. Ron DeSantis has shown a willingness to buck the establishment in order to do what he believes will most benefit the residents of his state.While governors in most states imposed mask and vaccine mandates and participated in extended lockdowns of businesses and schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, DeSantis signed executive orders (pdf) and legislation prohibiting these actions in schools and statewide.
When schools in many states adopted curriculums based on critical race theory and pushed transgender policies, often without the knowledge or consent of parents, DeSantis signed measures into law banning CRT and the teaching of transgender ideology at certain grade levels and laws empowering parents by giving them control in decisions regarding the education of their children.
In 2020, Florida’s fourth-place national ranking by the state for K-12 Achievement was moved up to third place in grading by Education Week. Florida maintained that ranking in the year 2021.
While many states struggled with election integrity, DeSantis signed a bill (pdf) into law that strengthened voter ID rules, prohibited the mass mailing of unsolicited ballots, and banned ballot harvesting in the state of Florida. Concern that the penalties for these infractions were not “severe enough,” and that a misdemeanor charge wasn’t a sufficient deterrent, DeSantis established the nation’s first Office of Election Crimes and Security at the Department of State, specifically formed to investigate and prosecute allegations of voter fraud.
The Epoch Times reached out to the governor’s office regarding Florida’s new status as the fastest-growing state in the nation.
“People vote with their feet. Florida’s record-breaking net domestic migration exhibits the success of Governor Ron DeSantis’ first term in office,” DeSantis Executive Press Secretary Bryan Griffin responded with a statement by email. “People are fleeing states that eliminate cash bail, constantly raise taxes, and indoctrinate their children to come to the free state of Florida. We are proud to be a model for the nation, and an island of sanity in a sea of madness.”
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