WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — New numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau show population growth from the Palm Beaches to the Treasure Coast, even as two thirds of the nation's counties are seeing declines.
The data released this week has information from July 2020 to July 2021. It indicates that Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties had a steady stream of new residents even as deaths outpaced births.
The net migration numbers, measuring those moving in and out, were +9,706 for Palm Beach County and +16,645 for St. Lucie County. Overall populations were estimated at 1,497,987 for Palm Beach County and 503,521 for St. Lucie County.
Most Florida counties, with the exceptions of Miami-Dade and Broward, did post gains as northerners continued their moves into the Sunshine State, which accelerated during the pandemic.
The influx of new residents is not being ignored by longtime Floridians as shown in a poll taken by Digital Risk.
"It was pretty overwhelming," Kim Lanham, with Digital Risk, said. "You know, more than 73% said too many people are moving here and, you know, almost 50% of those people have been in Florida for more than 20 years."
Many said they notice it by yearlong traffic delays, long lines and surging home prices as demand outpaces available homes.
"It's really becoming a challenge, especially for first-time home buyers who are actually the ones entering the market right now," Lanham said.