Forget downtown or the ‘burbs. The far-flung exurbs are where people are moving
HAINES CITY, Fla. — Not long ago, Polk County’s biggest draw was citrus instead of people. Located between Tampa and Orlando, Florida’s citrus capital produces more boxes of citrus than any other county in the state and has devoted tens of thousands of acres to growing millions of trees.
However, last year marked a significant shift as nearly 30,000 more people moved to the county than any other in the United States.
Bulldozed citrus groves in recent years have made way for housing developments and big box stores, leading to speculation about the merging of the two metropolitan areas, which has been half-jokingly dubbed “Orlampa.”
This migration trend and sprawling properties reflect a significant growth noticed nationwide this decade: the rise of the far-flung exurbs.
The U.S. Census Bureau indicates that outlying communities on the outskirts of metropolitan areas, some as far as 60 miles from a city’s center, experienced some of the fastest population growth last year. These communities are primarily located in the South, such as Anna in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, Fort Mill, S.C., near Charlotte, N.C., Lebanon outside Nashville, and Polk County’s Haines City.
For residents like Marisol Ortega, commuting to work can take up to an hour and a half one way. However, Ortega, who lives in Haines City around 40 miles from her job in Orlando, finds the journey worthwhile.
“I love my job. I love what I do, but then I love coming back home, and it’s more tranquil,” Ortega stated.
The rapid growth of far-flung exurbs can be traced back to changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Rising housing costs in urban areas pushed many to seek homes further away, while remote working enabled them to do their jobs from the comfort of their homes at least part of the week.
The Latino population in Polk County has seen considerable growth, increasing from one-fifth to more than a quarter of the total population over the last five years. This change has been driven primarily by Puerto Rican migration following Hurricane Maria in 2017 and subsequent moves from New York during the pandemic.
In parallel, the share of non-Latino white residents has decreased from 61% to 54%, with the county becoming more educated and affluent. Interestingly, despite the influx of newcomers, the county’s political leanings have remained stable.
Yeseria Suero and her family moved from New York to Polk County at the beginning of the decade, captivated by the lifestyle and affordability they encountered during a visit. Adjustments to the local culture were notable: restaurants closing early, an abundance of barbecue and boiled peanuts, and friendly strangers who engage in conversation at grocery stores. Today, Suero is actively engaged with the tight-knit Latino community, and her two sons participate in local sports leagues.
“My kids now say, ‘Yes, ma’am,'” she remarked.
Hurricanes and citrus diseases have increasingly made it appealing for some growers in Polk County to sell their lands to developers who construct new residences or stores. The area has witnessed a decline in citrus farming from 81,800 acres and nearly 10 million trees in 2014 to 58,500 acres and 8.5 million trees in 2024, according to agricultural statistics.
“It hasn’t been a drastic transition of citrus land to development,” explained Matt Joyner, CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, a growers’ association. “However, you can definitely see it in northern and northeastern Polk.”
Anna, Texas, located over 45 miles north of downtown Dallas, is undergoing a similar trend of migration.
Last year, it ranked as the fourth-fastest growing city in the U.S., with its population surging by a third during the 2020s to 27,500. Anna’s demographics have become slightly older, wealthier, and more racially diverse. According to the Census Bureau, nearly three out of five households have moved into their homes since 2020.
Schuyler Crouch, 29, and his wife discovered a reasonably priced home last year that they absolutely loved. They both work in Frisco, about 30 miles away, and now they prefer dining out or enjoying entertainment in Frisco rather than downtown Dallas, even though not long ago, Frisco was regarded as a distant outpost.
Despite this growth, Crouch noted that the exurbs are continually pushed further north as the relentless growth makes affordable housing increasingly difficult to find in once-affordable neighborhoods.
“The next exurb we are going to be living in is Oklahoma,” he joked.
