The fastest-growing place for young people in the U.S. is the last place one might expect: a metropolitan area that includes a 55-and-over retreat in Central Florida previously labeled a “drunken” hotbed for senior sexual encounters.
The Villages, located between Sumter and Marion counties, describes itself as one of the largest retirement communities in the country, although its neighbor Wildwood has experienced a youth invasion over the past decade.
Its fastest growing demographic is children 14 and younger. The Tampa Bay Times There has been a staggering 18.4 percent increase due in part to a 19.1 percent increase in the working-age population, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
The Wildwood-The Villages metropolitan area had more than 151,500 residents last year, most of whom are retirees, up from 130,000 residents in 2020.
But despite the influx of young families, some residents are concerned about the lack of resources such as child care.
The Villages, a retirement community in Central Florida, where more and more young families are coming
The fastest-growing demographic is children ages 14 and younger, with data showing a staggering 18.4 percent increase due in part to a 19.1 percent increase in the working-age population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The lack of family-friendly services (including a children’s urgent care center, pediatric dentists and specialists, youth programs and family activities) has left some residents struggling.
Eldresh St. Fleurant, 28, a married mother of two, described the area as both “good” and “bad.”
“If you don’t come to an event like (the library’s Storytime event for children), you’re not going to find young families hanging out here,” she explained.
Morgan Philion, 31, shared the same sentiment, explaining that if you want to go to a children’s museum, the closest one is 80 miles away in Tampa.
Meanwhile, Sarah Feeney, 40, a mother of two young children, called her experience of finding a local audiologist for her three-year-old son “a nightmare”.
The Villages has a reputation as a hotbed of drunken partying among its retired clientele, many of whom are reportedly found hanging around the community on golf carts.
Pictured: An archive photo of The Villages town square
She explained that many of the services are “geared toward the older generation” and she had to drive 60 miles to go to a doctor in Orlando.
To help offset this problem, The Villages recently opened Middleton, a community-planned residential development geared toward employees and their families living in nearby Wildwood and Oxford.
However, The Villages is said to have a reputation for being a drunken party spot among its retired clientele, with some reportedly seen seeking out partners on the community’s golf carts.
The 55-plus community was previously labeled “ground zero for geriatricians having a good time” amid rising STD rates in the state, according to a 2009 article in The New York Post.
“You see those two?” a blonde woman told the Post reporter at the time. “They got caught having sex on their golf cart a few weeks ago. It happens a lot!”
The Villages, located between Sumter and Marion counties and described as one of the largest retirement communities in the country, has more than 100,000 residents.
Many residents of The Villages choose to use a golf cart to get around town.
At the time, the outlet reported that there were nearly ten times as many women as men in the community, and local authorities were lamenting instances of drunk driving on golf carts amid rumors that Viagra was being purchased on a local black market.
The Villages did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment.
Beyond its long-standing culture of casual encounters among retirees, the metropolitan area’s appeal can also be found in affordability, convenience and charming neighborhood surroundings.
Sumter County Commissioner and longtime resident Andrew Bilardello recalled when the area was not as populated after many people left to seek employment elsewhere and said he is glad to see young people returning.
“We want young people to stay here,” Bilardello told the outlet. “That’s our future.”
Pictured: A group of seniors dancing during a concert in The Villages.
Pictured: Lake Sumter Landing Market Square, one of the social centers of The Villages
New homes are being built and jobs are plentiful: plumbers, electricians, lawn care providers, construction workers and roofers are in demand.
There are also opportunities in professional services such as financial advisors, real estate agents and the healthcare industry.
“Someone has to provide services to that growing retiree population and many of these workers will be young adults with children living in the county,” said Stefan Rayer, director of the population program at the University of Florida’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research in Gainesville.
Many residents describe the young people as “a breath of fresh air.”
But others share their anguish over some of the everyday problems they face, including restrictions dictating that no one under 19 can live in The Villages and that one member of the household must be 55 or older.
Chris Stanley, 60, also told the Times he was concerned about overcrowded classrooms and a lack of affordable housing options in the area.
Pictured: A boat leaves Lake Sumter Landing Market Square
Currently, there are 13 school districts for its 9,400 students, and The Villages Charter School is open to employees’ children.
The population boom seen near The Villages paints a very different picture than the rest of the country, the Times reported.
Over the past decade, the number of children age 14 and younger in the United States has declined by 3.3 percent.
The three largest cities – New York, Los Angeles and Chicago – have reported that a combined 614,000 fewer children live there since 2020.
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