Lakeland ranks in top 10 of 100 'boomtowns' in U.S. metros

LAKELAND, Fla. - Five of the fastest-growing cities or 'boomtowns' in the country are in Florida and one of them is in Polk County.

The City of Lakeland, in-between Tampa and Orlando, is in the middle of it all. A major theme park, Legoland Florida, and Detroit Tigers Spring Training.

"You still have that hometown feel without the hustle and bustle of the major metropolitan areas," said Mark Jackson, Director of the destination marketing organization, Visit Central Florida. "For some people, that's fantastic. " 

It's no wonder it ranks eight of 100 in Lending Tree's fastest-growing U.S. Metros. The rankings were scored on three categories: people and housing, work and earnings, and business and economy.

By the numbers:

Between 2021 and 2023, the city grew by more than 8% with more than 15% of people moving here from another county, state or country.

"We're ranked number seven as far as for first-time homebuyers," said Nikki Silva, a Broker Associate with REMAX Collective. "We're ranked number three for how easy it is to purchase here. It's super-cost-effective here because it's centrally located."

A big economic driver for the city has been Avelo Airlines at Lakeland Linder International Airport, which has ten destinations.

A lot of people are moving to the state of Florida in general because of the gorgeous warm weather, lower taxes and lucrative business incentives. 

What's next:

With all the growth has come a rising demand for affordable housing, something the city began increasing funding for years ago. They're also continuing to invest in infrastructure.

"You see a lot of construction going on in the city of Lakeland and that's part of this," said city spokesperson, Kevin Cook. "We're trying to meet today's needs but meet the needs of tomorrow as well."

The four other Florida cities in the Top Ten list are Orlando, Cape Coral, North Port, and Daytona.