You don’t need Census Bureau data to know that Ocala is growing, and fast! But even for us Ocalans who feel the impact of rapid growth on a daily basis — whether it is on our roads or while waiting for a table at a restaurant — the latest census numbers are head-turning.
Last month the Census Bureau released its latest population estimates, and the Ocala Statistical Metropolitan Area, which includes all of Marion County, was ranked the fastest-growing metro area in the country. Numero uno. No. 1. In short, our growth rate, about 4 percent between July 1, 2023, and July 1, 2024, was the biggest of any community in America.
Our population, as of July 2024, was estimated at 428,905, up 16,567 over the year before and up some 55,000 people from 2020 – and it’s still climbing.
So, hallelujah, right? How many cities would give anything to boast about the economic windfall of being the fastest-growing place in America. And it’s not just the census tabulators who say we’re No. 1. The moving equipment company U-Haul earlier this year dubbed Ocala as the No. 1 destination for its customers migrating from one part of the country to another.
The statistical breakdown is impressive. Based on the census data, in 2023-24 an estimated 318 people a week, or 45 per day, moved to Ocala. To put that in perspective, with an average of 2.37 people living in every household here, that means we need to build 19 residences per day to keep up with the demand for housing. Hence, from September 2023 to October 2024, 7,145 building permits were issued for single-family homes in Marion County.
So, it seems everyone wants to move to Ocala. Meanwhile, many of those already here wish there was something that could slow the flow of newcomers. It isn’t going to happen.
As Brady Rome, president of U-Haul Company of Gainesville, explained in January:
“There are two main reasons people are moving to Ocala. The primary reason is the cost of living, simply being that it’s lower than almost everywhere in the state. It allows housing to be a more affordable option for families packing up their U-Haul and moving to Central Florida.
“The second reason is the job market, which remains strong with the addition of so many manufacturing jobs. The healthcare industry has also seen massive growth in the past year and is a driving force of employment. And you can’t go without mentioning Ocala is the ‘Horse Capital of the World.’ The (World Equestrian Center) is huge and continues to bring people here.”
Well, there you have it. Affordability. Job growth. And a signature industry that sets Ocala apart. If you expect or want Ocala to quit growing so fast, well, it’s not.
The challenge for the community is going to be getting infrastructure – roads, schools, public safety services – up to par to handle the growth. As it stands, we’re more than a decade behind on those infrastructure needs and catching up will be daunting for the local government.
But then, that’s the cost of being No. 1.
Protecting the way of life that is drawing so many from across America – and has drawn so many of us before — to our fair city is job one. It won’t be easy, but the growth is not going to stop, because Ocala really is that great of a place to live, work and play.
Some pretty impressive growth numbers were revealed at a recent Chamber and Economic Partnership get-together showing Ocala once again is one of the nation’s most popular places to which Americans migrate.
Across town, though, the Marion County Commission is not talking about the scores of people who move to our little slice of paradise every week or fretting about whether it can provide the roads and services needed to keep up with being the 10th-fastest growing community in the nation, at least not publicly. No, they are frustrated by a growing litter problem.
Sometimes bigger is better. Sometimes it’s not.
The growth numbers are head-turning. CEP CEO/President Kevin Sheilley said that, in addition to having a top 10 growth rate, about 150 new residents move to metro Ocala every week. The influx of people helped move metro Ocala up to 146th in size among the 400 largest metro areas in the country. And while metro Ocala is the 146th largest metro area in population, it ranked 48th in the number of new residents added last year.
“We’re 146th in size and 48th in the number of new residents,” Sheilley said, according to the Ocala Star-Banner. “That means a lot of communities much larger than us added fewer people. To give you a really shocking number, Miami-Dade metro added only 500 more people than Marion County did last year.”
The growth is expected to continue, as more and more companies look to establish distribution operations here. As Sheilley noted, it’s all about location, location, location, and Ocala sits within a day’s drive of 34 million people, halfway between Tampa and Jacksonville, halfway between Miami and Atlanta.
But with growth comes problems. And one that is vexing the County Commission – and, hopefully, all who love our community – is a persistent, indeed worsening litter problem.
Consider this: In the first four months of 2021, county litter crews, inmates and volunteers picked up 423,000 pounds of trash around Marion County. That’s 211 tons — and it has gotten worse every month this year. County Commissioners Michelle Stone and Kathy Bryant both summed up the situation in one word: disgusting. Exactly.
Commissioners are baffled why littering is such a big problem. And anyone who grew up seeing the Keep America Beautiful TV commercials, featuring a Native American looking at littered roadways with a tear rolling down his cheek, surely feels the same way.
Commissioners would love Sheriff Billy Woods and our local police chiefs to start ordering tickets written for littering to stir public awareness. It is, after all, illegal to litter. But that, unfortunately, is not likely going to happen on any scale. First of all, it’s hard to catch litterers. And, besides, the cops already have their hands full fighting bigger crimes.
Yet, something needs to happen. A Keep Marion Beautiful campaign is surely in our future, and civic clubs, student organizations and individuals looking for a cause should look into the county’s Adopt-A-Road program, where participants take responsibility for a small stretch of road in their neighborhood and help keep it clear of litter.
We are blessed to be one of America’s most beautiful and appealing places to live – and the numbers back it up. But if we continue to throw our trash out our windows, dump discarded tires and furniture in our woods and treat our spectacular landscape like a landfill, it will ultimately cost us. Litter is ugly, and who wants to live in an ugly place?
So, Keep Marion Beautiful. It costs nothing, but it could cost all of us a lot if we can’t stop the defacing of our landscape. Because it is disgusting.
