Since 2010, the population growth rate of Escambia County, 5.7%, has lagged behind the growth of its neighboring counties–Okaloosa 11.3%, Santa Rosa 11.5%, and Baldwin Co., Ala. 13.8%. Â The rate slowed in Okaloosa in 2016, but Escambia was still half the growth of the other counties.
The Villages, Fla., a metro area west of the Orlando metro area, was the nation’s fastest-growing metro area for the third year in a row, as its population increased 4.3 percent between 2014 and 2015. It was joined in the top 20 by five others in the Sunshine State: Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Punta Gorda, North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford and Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island.
| 2010 | 2015 | 2016 | Over Last Yr % | Since 2010
% |
|
| Escambia | 298,164 | 311,236 | 315,187 | 1.3% | 5.7% |
| Okaloosa | 180,762 | 198,681 | 201,170 | 1.3% | 11.3% |
| Santa Rosa | 152,952 | 166,850 | 170,497 | 2.2% | 11.5% |
| Baldwin | 183,199 | 203,690 | 208,563 | 2.4% | 13.8% |