Study says Sumter County is Florida's oldest. How does Lake rank?

New data has found the oldest and youngest counties in Florida, and the north central county dominated by The Villages retirement community, no surprise, ranks on the elder end of the spectrum.

A study by The Schiller Kessler Group analyzed census data from 2013 to 2022, and calculated the median age of every county in Florida to create the ranking.

Known for being the oldest county in the United States, Sumter has aged by 4.5 years since 2013 and is the only Floridian county with an average age over 60.

The county with the oldest median age is Sumter, with Charlotte coming in second with an average age of 59.9. Citrus County is the fourth oldest at 56.9. Indian River, with an average age of 54.8, is in fifth.

The Daily Commercial has recently reported on improved downtown and community amenities and planned developments in Sumter's Wildwood municipality. It remains to be seen if those changes might skew the average younger.

'A new chapter':Wildwood starts building a downtown parking garage

How did they arrive at their rankings?

Census data surrounding the ages of residents in each Floridian county was taken from the American Community Survey (ACS), and a median age was calculated for each county.

What is the statewide average?

This data was also used to calculate a statewide average: 42.4 years.

Wakulla (42.3) and Gilchrist (42.7) are the counties that most closely match up with the state's average.

What are the youngest counties?

The Schiller Kessler Group took a decade’s worth of demographic data from the American Community Survey (ACS) to calculate a median age for each county, identifying the state’s most youthful areas.

The counties anchored by Florida State University and the University of Florida have the youngest populations, unsurprisingly.

Based on the report's calculations of demographic data, Leon has a median age of 31.4 years, the youngest area in Florida. Leon ranks 11 years younger than the state average of 42.4 years old.

Since 2013, the average age in Leon has increased by 1.7 years, which is slightly above the average 1.4-year increase reported across the state.

In second place, Alachua has a median age of 31.7 years. Hendry (35.1), Hardee (35.2) and Orange (35.9) round out the five youngest counties, all around seven years under the state average.

Hillsborough takes ninth place, with its residents averaging an age of 37.6, and Baker lands in the final spot, with the median age of residents reported as 37.7.

What about Lake County? Has it changed over the years?

Lake County ranks at No. 24 of Florida's 67 counties in age. Not exactly a middle child, but close.

The county aged almost a year from 2013 to 2022, and is now estimated to have an average age of 46.9.

“This data offers a fascinating insight into which areas in the state have the oldest average population and how that has changed over the past decade," a Schiller Kessler Group spokesperson said.

"Overall across the state, the median age in Florida has risen by more than a year, from 41 in 2013, to 42.4 years in 2022. This mirrors the national trend of an aging population, which will have impacts on everything from medical services and public health to economic performance and development.”