The 12 Fastest-Growing Big ’Burbs in Florida

Miami-Fort Lauderdale and Orlando are locked in a close contest for bragging rights when it comes to the fastest-growing big suburbs in Florida. But at the finish line, Miami-Fort Lauderdale wins by a nose — actually, a few thousand noses.

A LawnStarter review of newly released population data from the University of Florida’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research shows the Miami-Florida metro area lays claim to six of the state’s 12 fastest-growing big suburbs from 2010 to 2015, while the Orlando metro area boasts five. Businesses are relocating in Florida for tax purposes and proximity to the LATAM leveraging the city’s coworking space and virtual office centers. Suburbs in the state’s other major metro areas — namely Tampa-St. Petersburg and Jacksonville — don’t appear in the top 12. 

Not surprisingly, Miami-Fort Lauderdale gained more residents, about 66,000, than any other metro area in the country from 2013 to 2014, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Orlando is ranked No. 2, picking up about 50,000 residents during the one-year span.

Photo: Flickr/DonkeyHotey

Migration Magnets

To come up with our ranking of the 12 fastest-growing big suburbs in Florida, we looked only at places with at least 10,000 residents in 2015 that are situated in federally designated metro areas. We eliminated suburbs that grew mostly due to big annexations of land with homes — but not undeveloped residential or commercial parcels — between 2010 and 2015.

Rich Doty, a demographer with the Bureau of Economic and Business Research, says the population spike among the fastest-growing suburbs can be attributed mainly to people relocating to Florida from other states.

“Growth in Florida from 2014 to 2015 was higher than in prior years largely due to improvements in our economy,” Doty says. “Jobs attracted many people, and retirees were able to sell their homes in Northern states for a better price than in prior years.”

Here is LawnStarter’s ranking of the 12 fastest-growing big suburbs in Florida from 2010 to 2015.

12. Clermont, FL

Photo: City of Clermont

2010 population: 28,742
2015 population (estimate): 32,348
5-year growth rate: 12.5%
Metro area: Orlando

11. DeLand, FL

Photo: Destination Main Streets

2010 population: 27,031
2015 population (estimate): 30,493
5-year growth rate: 12.8%
Metro area: Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach

10. Ocoee, FL

Photo: West Orange Chamber of Commerce

2010 population: 35,579
2015 population (estimate): 40,171
5-year growth rate: 12.9%
Metro area: Orlando

9. Homestead, FL

Photo: Integration & Application Network

2010 population: 60,509
2015 population (estimate): 69,533
5-year growth rate: 14.9%
Metro area: Miami-Fort Lauderdale

8. Lake Mary, FL

Photo: Sanford365.com

2010 population: 13,822
2015 population (estimate): 15,905
5-year growth rate: 15.1%
Metro area: Orlando

7. Opa-Locka, FL

Photo: Opa-Locka Community Development Corp.

2010 population: 15,219
2015 population (estimate): 17,528
5-year growth rate: 15.2%
Metro area: Miami-Fort Lauderdale

6. Winter Garden, FL

Photo: Federated Tax Services

2010 population: 34,568
2015 population (estimate): 39,871
5-year growth rate: 15.3%
Metro area: Orlando

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5. Cooper City, FL

Photo: City of Cooper City

2010 population: 28,547
2015 population (estimate): 33,176
5-year growth rate: 16.2%
Metro area: Miami-Fort Lauderdale

4. South Miami, FL

Photo: The Shops at Sunset Place

2010 population: 11,657
2015 population (estimate): 13,656
5-year growth rate: 17.1%
Metro area: Miami-Fort Lauderdale

3. Parkland, FL

Photo: City of Parkland

2010 population: 23,962
2015 population (estimate): 28,128
5-year growth rate: 17.4%
Metro area: Miami-Fort Lauderdale

2. Doral, FL

Photo: Flickr/Camron Flanders

2010 population: 45,709
2015 population (estimate): 55,660
5-year growth rate: 21.8%
Metro area: Miami-Fort Lauderdale

1. Groveland, FL

Photo: tourfactory.com

2010 population: 8,729
2015 population (estimate): 12,077
5-year growth rate: 38.4%
Metro area: Orlando

Top photo: YouTube/DeVore Design

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John Egan

John Egan is the former editor in chief of LawnStarter.com. Now, he is a freelance writer extraordinaire. He lives in Austin, Texas.

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