ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — More people moved to a county rich with citrus groves located between two of Florida’s most populous metro areas than to any other county in the U.S. last year, according to estimates released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau.
More than 29,300 people moved last year to the county between Tampa and Orlando, two metro areas where housing has grown increasingly pricey and the county is considered a cheaper alternative. In short order, Polk County has come to have fewer orange groves along Interstate 4 and more subdivisions for local service workers as well as distribution warehouses for on-demand deliveries for residents in both metropolitan areas.
Almost all the growth in Polk County — 88% — consisted of people moving from another part of the U.S. rather than from abroad, according to the 2023 population estimates…