Florida Is Shrinking!

The New York Times has a story yesterday about a recent report from the University of Florida's Bureau of Economics and Business Research which found that Florida's population has shrunk for the first time since perhaps 1900 (with the exception of WWI and WWII) -- "After Century of Growth, Tide Turns in Florida"

The state is very interesting demographically. From a marketers perspective there are many different markets in Florida. It has one of the highest Hispanic populations in the country. The population until recent years skewed much older. South Florida is vastly different than the rest of the state - younger, more Latino. Northern Florida is as deep south as any place in the country. Like many states, Florida is not one market.

So who left? Who is coming? For marketers, the devil is in these details. My guess is that fewer laborers came to the state and a whole bunch of construction workers left. Anyone who has been to Florida in the last 5-10 years has seen the explosion in building. The collapse of the real estate market in Florida over the last 18 months is well documented.

The 2010 Census will be a treasure trove for marketers seeking to understand consumer markets and migration flows. The Pew Hispanic Center also has very good analytical work regarding the Hispanic population in the U.S.

Looks like Florida's loss is Alabama's gain. The 2010 Census should show for sure, but look for the faster growing states in the Southeast and Southwest to continue to grow.