Florida Metros Lead in Fast-Growing Cities
Florida cities like Groveland, Celebration and St. Cloud saw major growth from 2014–2023, driven by housing, jobs and access to self-storage.
ORLANDO, Fla. — Four metro areas in Florida – Lakeland, Orlando, Tampa and Miami – are home to 13 cities that stand out for rapid population growth, according to a new study by StorageCafe. The analysis examined more than 2,500 U.S. cities with populations of at least 10,000 and ranked them by the percentage of population change between 2014 and 2023.
Davenport in Polk County, Groveland in Lake County and Wimauma in Hillsborough County each saw their populations double or more between 2014 and 2023. The study also determined how storage access, economic opportunity and housing affordability factored into the cities' growth.
Four cities in metro Orlando made StorageCafe's list. With a 120% population increase in the last 10 years, Groveland was the leading metro Orlando city to make the list at No. 19. Its population has doubled, and significant housing development is underway, including 300 to 500 homes built each year for the last five years.
Celebration in Osceola County was ranked No. 36, with a population growth of 85% over the last decade to reach 13,150 residents. At No. 87 and 88 on the list were St. Cloud in Osceola County and Minneola in Lake County, respectively, with 56% growth. St. Cloud has 61,963 residents, and Minneola has 15,371 residents.
Across other Florida metros, Orlando saw a 25% increase in population, totaling 311,732 residents; a 15% increase in Jacksonville, totaling 961,739 residents; a 13% increase in Tampa, with 393,389 residents; and a 7% increase in Miami, with 446,663 residents.
Source: Orlando Business Journal (04/30/25) Lundine, Susan; Davis, Devonta; Fraser, Trevor
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