Pinellas one of 10 Florida counties to lose population

Pinellas, Broward and eight other counties lost population between 2006 and 2007.

Here's a link to a story and map with the dirty details.

***UPDATE COURTESY OF KETCHPHRASE:

Overall the state grew by 193,735 people.

Top 5 Gainers:
1. Lee: up 20,475
2. Pasco: 16,844
3. Polk: 16,723
4. Hillsborough: 12,845
5. Lake: 11,845

Top 5 Losers:
1. Broward: down 13,154
2. Pinellas: -5,456
3. Okaloosa: -1,495
4. Monroe: -1,174
5. Charlotte: -233

Comments

[ketchphrase]

gotcha by 3 minutes ;)

http://blogs.tampabay.com/realestate/2008/03/ninety-seven-ho.html#comments

[James Thorner]

Thanks! I'm glad you posted something more thorough!

[EscapedFromFla]

I'd have to see the demographics of the folks that left vs the folks to moved in. This could be good news or bad news.

If the retiree/worker balance continues to favor Florida as a retirement haven, then say goodbye to more skilled workers in the coming years, and that should worry business leaders and real estate interests.

A local economy with a majority of the population in retirement is un-sustainable.

knock yourself out: http://www.census.gov/popest/datasets.html

If the retiree/worker balance continues to favor Florida as a retirement haven, then say goodbye to more skilled workers in the coming years, and that should worry business leaders and real estate interests.

I am afraid it may be that the skilled workers are leaving due to lack of higher paying skilled jobs and the affordability issue that still exists.

I am also hearing that many of the local college grads are leaving because they cannot find jobs. I just had a realitive who moved his family to the Tampa Bay area and is now relocating out of Florida due to the lack of higher paying jobs and housing being expensive compared to Atlanta areas. Then two of a friends sons who graduated from college last year moved out of state due to lack of decent paying jobs.

I found this to be interesting because these are two different families who do not know each other, yet it is the same issue.

hmmm....if retirees are all that are moving in, then unskilled doctors, lawyers, developers of retirement communities, pharmacists, nurses, teachers of professional's kids, insurers, banking, real estate, hospitality, reatilers, grocers, media (news, etc.) and managers of Wal-Mart are all we'll have left, right?
No more call centers and high-pollutant manufacturing?

That's terrible!

[Dave]

Nurses, teachers, police officers and the likes are not able to afford the low wages and high property taxes in Florida. I'm a cardiac nurses and left for higher wages on the west coast, meaning WA and CA, where wages are double Florida's. Your obviously joking about high pollutant manufacturing and call centers. Economically Florida is reliant on Retirees and tourists.

[alex]

Wow. You left Florida because your salary doubled when you moved to the west coast (WA or CA). Your salary might have doubled, but your housing had to more than double. The median home price in Seattle ($379K) and bigger cities in California (where the median price in San Francisco for sold homes in 2/08 was $825K) is crazy compared to Florida. Oh, and by the way, I am a teacher and my salary won't double--no matter where I move to. I might as well stay in Florida, at least I don't pay a state income tax. Again, as I have posted before, there are studies out that show the Tampa area as "affordable" but no one comments on that. What a bunch of Chicken Littles..."the sky is falling, the sky is falling".

[Alex]

Oh, and for people who like hard numbers. If I left Hillsborough County School District for the San Francisco Unified School District, I would make about $6000 more a year. Six Thousand. How is that supposed to help me afford a median home price of $825K? Move to Oakland, median home price was $407K. Average rents? $1400K a month. So, Tampa isn't the only city where mortgages and rents don't add up. Tampa's average rent is $868 (well, back in October). People on this board are always saying that they would rather rent then buy because a mortgage is more expensive. Duh, you are buying a house. I understand I will have to pay more to own something. You pay more to own a car than you would to lease a car. Why are homes any different? Also, I have rented before. I hate it. Living in an apartment complex stinks. Thin walls, neighbors who don't care about your rights. I would rather spend more and live in a neighborhood where people care. Honestly, some people need to get real.

[brian]

Get real! a teachers salary on Long Island is easily double that of FL. ( starting salary the same, but LI teachers top out at 80-90 thousand)Probably the same in CA. Police? same thing. I'll give you nurses, their salaries are essentially the same.

[alex]

The $46K I quoted (from San Fran schools) is what I would make if I had been teaching 8-9 years. When do I get to double my salary? After 30 years? How does it help people in their 20's or 30's? Again, how am I supposed to buy a house out there? Or Long Island (where I have no desire to live)? Median price $450K. Even if I double my salary in 21 years (yes, it will take that long, I've looked it up) how am I going to afford a house in one of the most expensive places to live? I won't get rich teaching in Tampa, but I can go to a decent neighborhood in Carrollwood and buy a nice house for $200-$225K.

[bobo]

People do seem to think the grass is greener. It usually isn't.

[bobo]

People do seem to think the grass is greener on the other side. It usually isn't.