One of the world’s largest retirement communities, The Villages in central Florida, has become the fastest-growing metro for young children in the U.S. this decade. (AP Video/Cody Jackson)
THE VILLAGES, Fla. (AP) — As one of the world’s largest retirement communities, The Villages in central Florida is known for its endless golf courses, having the oldest median age in the United States and its traffic-stopping golf-cart parades usually supporting a Republican candidate during campaign season.
What it’s not known for is kids.
Yet the area that is home to The Villages has become the fastest-growing metro for young children in the U.S. this decade.
The number of children age 14 and younger has grown this decade by 18.4% in the Wildwood-The Villages metro area. The big reason is the working-age population has risen by 19.1%, making it also the fastest-growing metro area in the U.S. for that age group this decade, according to population estimates released this summer by the U.S. Census Bureau.