200 miles separate Key West and Parkland.

One dates back centuries while other is 50 years old. One holds itself up to be model of modern suburban living.

In South Florida the dividing line between 2 more people moving in and those leaving is Broward Miami Dade county line.

North of that in Palm Beach counties and Broward the population increase.

South in Miami Dade and Monroe counties more people moved out.

The rapid growing city in Florida with 20,000 resident between 2020 and 2023 was Haines City. Heart of Florida is what it says on city seal.

Haines City is about 40 miles south of Orlando. Its population grew by 35%.

.These two cities are on different end of spectrum of Florida population growth.

Parkland is rapid growing city in South Florida with over 20,000 residents since the Covid-19 pandemic. Its population has increased more than 9%.

Key West is facing drop in residents losing 5 % of population between April 2020 and July 2023.

Parkland is city for people to move to said Parkland Mayor Richard Walker.

Even though one is increasing and one is falling the two cities share some of same driving forces behind population changes, home prices and housing supply.

More homes are coming to Parkland. The city bought part old Heron Bay Golf Course about year and half ago.

The course hosted the Honda Classic for 6 years it closed in 2019.

Parkland paid $25.4 million for 65 acres of course.It sold two dozen acres to home builder for $19.5 million.

52 luxury homes are expected to be spread across 21 acres.

The area is expected to include commercial development like restaurants and shopping.

Walker said :We bought that kind of limit how much residential we can have in there.

“It gives us chance to provide amenities to residents. We do not have shopping restaurants.

City is not finished. Walker and city have eyes on largest undeveloped tract of land in Broward County. Hendrix Farm has 739 acres sitting between Parkland northwest border and Loxahatchee Road.

“We will have additional supply whether its three years. four years 10 years from now we do not really know that.”

In Key West Johnston hopes to address lack of housing supply by asking voters to change city charter permitting it to purchase properly for housing.

The city can buy property if voters okay purchase through a ballot refrendum.

“If we desire employes to stay here and live here in city of Key West raise their families here send kids to our schools we have got to do something to impact that. That falls into category of housing.”

Florida homeowners pay highest premium for home insurance. Florida close to $11000 a year.

The 6 most expensive cities for home insurance in country are in South Florida.

Key West had additional challenge that taxpayer backed Citizen properly Insurance the insurer of last resort often is only insurer.

Four out of five home insurance policy in Keys is with Citizens.

Johnston pointed out home is difficult in Key West. The median price of home for sale is $1.5 million.

Key West in good company of South Florida cities shrinking since covid.High price of housing is one reason to drop in population.

Aventura and Miami Beach lost 4% residents. Sunny Isles Beach and Coral Gables shrunk by 2%