(The Center Square) – Three of the 15 fastest growing large U.S. cities are in Florida, according to a new report released by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The findings are part of the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2022 Population Estimates, which analyzed the largest cities with populations of 50,000 or more. Southern cities continued to report population increases last year, with nine of the 15-fastest growing large cities being in the South.
Of the three fastest growing largest Florida cities, North Port reported the largest increase of 6.6%. Cape Coral and Port St. Lucie each reported 6.4% increases.
Jacksonville, Florida, remains tied as the 10th largest city in the U.S. with a population of 1 million, the report notes. It also states Jacksonville had a population of 971,319 as of July 1, 2022.
Three larger Florida cities also reported the largest numeric increases: Jacksonville, Port St. Lucie, and Cape Coral. Jacksonville added more than 14,400 residents; Port St. Lucie added nearly 14,000 and Cap Coral added over 13,000, according to the analysis.
The Villages metro area was the fastest-growing U.S. metro area between 2021 and 2022, increasing by 7.5%, according to the report.
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach also ranked ninth as the most populous U.S. metro Area.
As more people are moving to Florida, the former Republican governor, and now U.S. Senator, Rick Scott, issued a warning to “socialists” and “communists” coming to the Sunshine State. While they may be coming from blue states, Scott took aim at Biden administration officials potentially visiting Florida on vacation.
In a news release issued after the Census report was published, Scott issued a “formal travel advisory for all socialists visiting the state of Florida.”
The advisory came after President Joe Biden vetoed a Republican proposal March 20 to prevent pension fund managers from investing in funds that prioritize environmental, social and governance (ESG). He also issued it after Biden on May 16 vetoed a measure Congress passed filed by Rep. Bill Posey, R-Florida, seeking to restore tariffs imposed on Chinese solar manufacturers that a Commerce Department rule eliminated.
The rule suspended tariffs on solar panels being imported from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, third-party countries exporting Chinese made panels, allowing China to circumvent U.S. tariffs. The House on Wednesday failed to override his veto.
Scott has long opposed measures that benefit China and the Chinese Communist Party over Americans, seeking to strip China of its Permanent Normal Trade Status and opposing the CHIPS Act.
Florida last August banned its retirement system from investing in funds that prioritize ESG. On May 2, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill banning ESG and social credit scores from being used by financial institutions in Florida.
When signing it, he said, “In Florida and across the nation, we’ve heard from law-abiding small business owners and consumers who’ve been denied access to financial services because of where they work or what they believe in.” Because of the new law, he said, “Florida will continue to lead the nation against big banks and corporate activists who’ve colluded to inject woke ideology into the global marketplace, regardless of the financial interests of beneficiaries.”
Scott said, he issued the travel advisory “in direct response to the Biden Administration attempts to erase capitalism and the system that has brought prosperity to Florida and the entire United States.”
The travel notice states: “Florida is openly hostile toward Socialists, Communists, and those that enable them. Before traveling to Florida, please understand that the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by Socialists and others who work for the Biden Administration.”
“Let me clear– any attempts to spread the oppression and poverty that Socialism always brings will be rebuffed by the people of Florida.”
This article First appeared in the center square
