What are Florida’s youngest cities and its oldest cities?
Florida is well-known for having an older population, with entire cities of retirees. It is true that many of Florida’s towns have populations that are older than average, but that’s only half of the story. Florida is also home to colleges that attract tons of new young people to the state. 87.6% of Florida’s college students are from out of state, and many of those students remain in the state after graduation. It isn’t only old people who are drawn to Florida. Many people would probably guess that Florida is the state with the oldest average population, but actually it ranks 5th (6th if you include Puerto Rico). The average age in Florida is 42.4, compared to the USA’s national average of 38.1.
Florida cities vary widely when it comes to average age, with the youngest city in Florida clocking in at 26.3 years and the the oldest city in Florida at 71.7. The rest of the towns fall all over the place in the middle. If you’re looking for the best place to retire, the best city to start your career in, or a good home for your young family, average age matters. So we’ve picked out 80 of Florida’s cities from around the state and listed them from the youngest to the oldest.
Florida’s Youngest Cities
1. Gainesville – 26.3
Unsurprisingly, the city most famous as the home of the University of Florida is the youngest city in Florida. A huge portion of the population is made up of UF students and recent graduates.
2. Tallahassee – 26.9
Tallahassee is Florida’s capital, and it is true that political aides are often young. However, it is probably Florida State University that attracts the majority of young people to the area.
3. Homestead – 30.6
Homestead’s youth is a little bit more of a mystery than some of these other cities. It does have a lower cost of living than most of Southeast Florida, so that might be a reason younger people end up living there.
4. Kissimmee – 34.5
Kissimmee is home to many of the employees of Disney World and surrounding hotels. People working in the industry tend to be younger, so it makes sense that the area where they live would also be younger.
5. Orlando – 34.6
Central Florida is younger in general than Florida’s other regions. There are likely many reasons for this: a thriving jobs market, a wide variety of activities for both young children and young adults, ect. Being the location of UCF, the nation’s largest university, probably doesn’t hurt.
Florida Cities that are Younger than Average
6. Sanford – 34.9
7. North Miami – 36
8. Tampa – 36
9. Jacksonville – 36.1
10. Altamonte Springs – 36.4
11. Lake Worth – 36.6
12. Davie – 36.8
13. Oviedo – 36.9
14. Pensacola – 36.9
15. Milton – 37
Florida Cities that are About Average
The following cities fall within one year of the national average of 38.1, but are still younger than Florida’s average of 42.4.
16. Brandon – 37.1
17. Apopka – 37.3
18. Coral Springs – 37.4
19. Navarre – 37.4
20. Fort Pierce – 38.2
21. Ocala – 38.3
22. Deltona – 38.4
23. Winter Garden – 38.5
24. Panama City – 39
Still Average for Florida
25. Sunrise – 39.5
26. West Palm Beach – 39.5
27. Leesburg – 40
28. Palm Bay – 40.3
29. Celebration – 40.4
30. Daytona Beach – 40.6
31. Fort Myers – 40.6
32. Miami – 40.7
33. Key West – 40.9
34. Pembroke Pines – 40.9
35. Lakeland – 41.1
36. Wellington – 41.2
37. Miami Beach – 41.4
38. Hollywood – 41.6
39. DeLand – 41.9
40. Fort Lauderdale – 42.1
41. Destin – 42.3
42. Jacksonville Beach – 42.3
43. Port St. Lucie – 42.5
44. Boynton Beach – 42.6
45. Melbourne – 42.6
46. Panama City Beach – 42.6
47. Pompano Beach – 42.8
Florida Cities that are Older than Average
48. Spring Hill – 43.5
49. St. Petersburg – 43.8
50. Bradenton – 44.4
51. Hialeah – 44.5
52. St Augustine – 45
53. Clermont – 45.3
54. Titusville – 45.3
55. Clearwater – 45.4
56. Winter Park – 45.7
57. Jupiter – 46.1
58. Port St Joe – 46.2
59. Cape Coral – 46.7
60. Delray Beach – 47.7
61. Largo – 48.3
62. Boca Raton – 48.5
63. Sarasota – 49.2
64. Palm Coast – 49.4
65. Zephyrhills – 50.3
66. New Port Richey – 50.7
67. Tarpon Springs – 52
68. Key Largo – 52.9
69. Port Charlotte – 53.2
70. Vero Beach – 53.4
71. Dunedin – 54.4
72. Cocoa Beach – 57.5
73. New Smyrna Beach – 59.3
74. St Pete Beach – 59.8
Florida’s Oldest Cities
75. Marco Island – 65.3
76. Naples – 66
77. Sanibel – 66.9
78. Venice – 69.1
The 4 above cities are all in the same part of Florida: the southwest region. It may not be the most well-known part of Florida, but is the fastest growing part. Many of its new residents are retirees drawn to the many retirement communities in the area.
79. Palm Beach – 70.6
Florida’s wealthiest city is also one of its oldest. This shouldn’t need too much explanation. People only move to Palm Beach after they’ve made their fortune.
80. The Villages – 71.7
If you know anything about The Villages, you won’t be surprised to see it as the oldest city in Florida. It was built as a dream retirement location. Much of it is age restricted; you actually can’t live in most of its communities if you are younger than 55.
