One of the bluest political regions of Florida grew larger in the last year.
New U.S. Census Bureau information released this week revealed that the Orlando/Kissimmee/Sanford region is the fastest growing metro area in Florida. The region grew by 37,690 people between July 2024 and July 2025. That was the 10th largest numeric growth by a metro area in the nation.
Texas had four of the top nine metro areas in growth by population, with Houston first, Dallas second, Austin sixth and San Antonio ninth.
The population increase was noted by the National Democratic Redistricting Committee on Thursday, which is actively opposing the proposed congressional redistricting effort led by Gov. Ron DeSantis scheduled to take place next month. The organization says that the Orlando metro area has “already been gerrymandered to prevent the congressional districts from becoming more competitive.”
“Further cracking these seats and combining them with slower-growing regions like that of South Central Florida, or towards the Villages in Sumter County, will pose a significant challenge in the state legislature,” the group says in a memo.
The main U.S. House Representative for Orlando is Democrat Maxwell Frost.
When it comes to the largest metro area increases in the country by percentage (and not by pure numbers), Ocala was the highest in the country, with 3.4% growth, going from 427,995 to 442,660.
The Lakeland-Winter Haven metro area, which has for years been among the top metro areas in growth, was the fourth highest metro area in percentage population growth, with a 2.7% increase, from 851,434 to 874,790.
However, two of the state’s biggest counties — Miami-Dade and Pinellas — lost more population last year.
Only Los Angeles County saw more of a numeric decline in population than Pinellas, which lost 11,834 people from July 2024 to July 2025. The third biggest loss in the country was Miami-Dade, at 10,115 people. That was dramatic, as Miami-Dade saw the second-largest population increase of any county in the U.S. in 2024.
However, Miami-Dade’s population of more than 2.8 million (2,809,029 officially) still makes it the 7th largest county in the U.S.
The shifts in the country’s biggest counties were largely due to lower levels of net international migration, the Census Bureau reports.
Florida also saw two of the four largest population reductions by percentage in the country with Taylor County being first with a 2.2% reduction, and Monroe County in the Keys fourth with a 2.0% reduction.
Disclaimer
Artificial Intelligence Disclosure & Legal Disclaimer
AI Content Policy.
To provide our readers with timely and comprehensive coverage, South Florida Reporter uses artificial intelligence (AI) to assist in producing certain articles and visual content.
Articles: AI may be used to assist in research, structural drafting, or data analysis. All AI-assisted text is reviewed and edited by our team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our editorial standards.
Images: Any imagery generated or significantly altered by AI is clearly marked with a disclaimer or watermark to distinguish it from traditional photography or editorial illustrations.
General Disclaimer
The information contained in South Florida Reporter is for general information purposes only.
South Florida Reporter assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in the contents of the Service. In no event shall South Florida Reporter be liable for any special, direct, indirect, consequential, or incidental damages or any damages whatsoever, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other tort, arising out of or in connection with the use of the Service or the contents of the Service.
The Company reserves the right to make additions, deletions, or modifications to the contents of the Service at any time without prior notice. The Company does not warrant that the Service is free of viruses or other harmful components.
