©2024 The News Service of Florida
State analysts have issued a new report that estimates Florida had slightly more than 23 million residents as of April 1 — the first time the state has hit that mark in its annual estimates.
The report by the state Demographic Estimating Conference estimated the population at 23,002,597, up from 22,634,867 a year earlier.
The report also includes projections for future years, topping 25 million people in 2031.
It said that from April 1, 2024, to April 1, 2028, the state is projected to average 319,109 net new residents a year, or 874 a day.
“These increases are analogous to adding a city slightly smaller than Orlando, but larger than St. Petersburg every year,” the report said.
