Florida's Migration Boom Cooled. Here Is Where People Are Still Moving.
Shebastian Burley, Realtor®
CENTURY 21 BE3 · Tampa Bay
The headline number
Net migration into Florida fell to about 201,000 people in 2025, down from a peak near 599,000 in 2022, according to the University of Florida's Bureau of Economic and Business Research and Shimberg Center (reported by UF News, July 2026, and Fortune, July 15, 2026).
That is still 201,000 new neighbors. The story is where they went.
Where the growth is
- Polk County ranked among the top five counties in the entire country for domestic migration for the fifth year in a row.
- Pasco County posted the second highest migration gain in Florida in 2025.
- St. Johns County grew fastest in the state at 3.9 percent.
- Marion County was the only Florida county whose 2025 growth rate beat its own 2022 rate.
Where people are leaving
Miami-Dade lost about 73,000 residents to other places in 2025 (Shimberg Center via Fortune). People are trading the most expensive coast for counties where a dollar buys more house.
What it means if you are buying
Follow the people, and look at what your budget buys where they are going. On October 16, the typical home for sale at $400,000 to $450,000 was 2,179 square feet in Hernando County and 1,449 in Pinellas (Stellar MLS). Text me your budget and I will show you both sides of that trade.
*Sources: UF News, July 2026; Fortune, July 15, 2026; Stellar MLS, October 16, 2026. Migration figures are estimates and are revised over time.*