FL's Fastest-Growing City In 2023 Has A Population Of Around 39,000 & Is Known As The "Heart Of FL"

Photo byEbyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

You'd be forgiven if you thought that Tampa or Miami were Florida's fastest-growing cities in 2023 since real estate sites like Redfin often touted them as among the nation's most popular relocating destinations. These big cities were not the fastest growing in the Sunshine State in 2023, however. That honor went to tiny Haines City.

The Census Data: Census data released in May of 2024 highlighted the fastest-growing cities in the United States when calculated by percentage change. Although Texas dominated the list, Florida had two spots in the top 10. Both cities were on the smaller side.

Leesburg came in at number 14 and it has a population of only around 31,000. The other Florida city, ranked higher, is a little bigger, but it rarely shows up on lists about Florida.

The Fastest Growing City In Florida By Percentage In 2023: The Florida city that topped the list was Haines City, which only has a population of over 39,000.

Haines City is in Polk County, which is located in the middle of the state. The city was initially called "Clay Cut," but today, it has the nickname “Heart of Florida.”

Haines City is not very far from Orlando, making it workable for commuters, but it has its own attractions like Lake Eva Park and Allen David Broussard Catfish Creek Preserve State Park.

Niche gives Haines City a B-. and residents give it 3.5 out of 5 stars. Those who took off stars tended to do so for increasing traffic and crowding.

One reviewer wrote:

"Grew up in Haines City and loved it. Lots of land, the people were friendly, and yearly events always took place in the town park. I’d love to see more activities for young adults, there’s not much to do in the town. I would also like for there to be restrictions for builders and subdivisions so we can preserve some of the groves and citrus industry history the town used to pride themselves on."

The median home price in Haines City is $329,900 according to Redfin. That's less than the median home price in Florida of $422,800, which might account for some of Haine's City's recent popularity.