America’s fastest-growing neighborhood for young people – and why you’d least expect it there
The fastest-growing place for young people in the United States is the last place you’d expect it: a metropolitan area in central Florida that includes a retirement community for those over 55 that was once considered a breeding ground for “drunk” seniors.
Located between Sumter and Marion counties, The Villages is considered one of the largest senior living communities in the country. However, neighboring Wildwood has seen an influx of young people over the past decade.
The fastest-growing demographic is children ages 14 and under, the Tampa Bay Times reported. There was a staggering 18.4 percent increase, partly due to the 19.1 percent increase in the working-age population, U.S. Census Bureau data shows.
The Wildwood-The Villages metropolitan area had more than 151,500 residents last year, most of them retirees. In 2020, the population was 130,000.
But despite the influx of young families, some residents are concerned about a lack of resources, such as childcare.
The Villages, a senior residence in Central Florida that is attracting more and more young families
The fastest-growing demographic is children ages 14 and under, with data showing a staggering 18.4 percent increase, partly due to a 19.1 percent increase in the working-age population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
For some residents, the lack of family-friendly services – including a pediatric emergency center, pediatric dentists and specialists, youth programs and family activities – is a major burden.
Eldresh St. Fleurant, 28, a married mother of two, described the area as both “good” and “bad.”
“Unless you come to something like the library’s storytime event for children, you won’t find young families strolling around here,” she explained.
Morgan Philion, 31, shared that sentiment, explaining that the nearest children’s museum is 80 miles away in Tampa.
Meanwhile, Sarah Feeney, 40, a mother of two young children, described finding an audiologist near her for her three-year-old as “a nightmare.”
The Villages is known for its boozy nights among its retired clientele, many of whom are reported to often be seen hunting in the community’s golf carts.
Pictured: An archive photo of The Villages town square
She explained that many of the services were “geared towards the older generation” and had to drive 60 miles to see a doctor in Orlando.
To address this problem, The Villages recently opened Middleton, a master-planned community adjacent to the community that serves employees and their families who live near the neighboring towns of Wildwood and Oxford.
However, The Villages is reportedly known for its boozy nights among its retired clientele, and some have been seen hunting for partners in the community’s golf carts.
The 55-plus community was once considered “ground zero for geriatricians who mean business” as the number of sexually transmitted diseases rises in the state, according to a 2009 New York Post article.
“See those two?” a blonde woman told the Post reporter at the time. “They were caught having sex in their golf cart a few weeks ago. That happens a lot!”
The Villages is located between Sumter and Marion counties and is considered one of the largest senior living communities in the country. It has more than 100,000 residents.
Many residents of The Villages prefer to use a golf cart to get around town.
At the time, the newspaper reported that there were nearly ten times as many women as men in the community. Local authorities complained of cases of drunk golf cart drivers and there were rumors that Viagra was being purchased on the local black market.
The Villages did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment.
In addition to the hookup culture that has developed among retirees in the past, the metropolitan area’s appeal also lies in the area’s affordability, convenience and charming surroundings.
Andrew Bilardello, Sumter County Commissioner and longtime resident, remembered a time when the area was not nearly as densely populated because many people had migrated elsewhere in search of work, and said he was happy to see the young people return.
“We want to keep young people here,” Bilardello told the news channel. “This is our future.”
Pictured: A group of older adults dance during a concert in The Villages
Pictured: Lake Sumter Landing Market Square, one of the social hubs of The Villages
New homes are being built and there are plenty of jobs – plumbers, electricians, lawn care workers, construction workers and roofers are all in demand.
There are also opportunities in the professional services sector, such as financial advisors, real estate agents and in the healthcare sector.
“Someone has to provide services for this growing number of retirees, and many of those workers will be young adults with children living in the county,” said Stefan Rayer, population program director at the Bureau of Economic and Business Research at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
Many residents describe the young people as a “breath of fresh air”.
Others share their fears about the everyday problems they face, such as the fact that no one under the age of 19 is allowed to live in The Villages and that one household member must be at least 55 years old.
Chris Stanley, 60, also told the Times he was concerned about overcrowded classrooms and the lack of affordable housing in the area.
Pictured: A boat leaves the market square at Lake Sumter Landing
There are currently 13 school districts serving 9,400 students, and the Villages Charter School is open to the children of employees.
The population boom near The Villages paints a very different picture than the rest of the country, the Times reported.
Over the past decade, the number of children ages 14 and under in the United States has declined by 3.3 percent.
The three largest cities, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, reported a total of 614,000 fewer children since 2020.
