POLK COUNTY, Fla. — The latest 2023 census data show that more people are moving to Polk County than anywhere else in the U.S.
At The Treasured Olive, located in downtown Winter Haven, you can buy the freshest olive oil on the market. Their balsamic vinegar is imported from Italy.
“We import our olive oils from all over the world. Every six months we switch from the northern to southern hemisphere, so that we always have the freshest olive oil. What you get from the grocery store isn’t really olive oil,” said Nathaniel Briggs, co-owner of The Treasured Olive.
Briggs and his wife recently moved to Polk County from Kansas, and they are ready to put down some roots.
“We’re originally from down in the country in Kansas. We love it and wouldn’t change it for anything. We're trying to get our family to move here,” Briggs said.
More people moved to Polk County last year than any other county in the U.S. In data released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2023 more than 29,300 people moved to Polk County.
“This is absolutely not a surprise. When the data came out, it confirmed what we in Polk County already knew,” said Sara Beth Wyatt, President/CEO of Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce.
The majority of the growth in Polk County — 88% — consisted of people moving from another part of the U.S. rather than from abroad, according to the 2023 population estimates.
Wyatt said one perk is that the county is an equal distance from Tampa and Orlando but is a cheaper alternative to the two metro areas.
“We’re seeing a lot of people that are working here and opening their own businesses here. We are also seeing a lot of remote workers that have moved here. They didn't necessarily love the pace of life where they were,” Wyatt said.
To accommodate the growth, more subdivisions and apartments are popping up in Polk County, where orange groves once were.
“For those that have been in the community for a while you know it was all citrus groves and orange trees. Apartment complexes are a great solution, as opposed to being able to put in 100 single-family homes we can put in one apartment complex to accommodate the same number of people,” said Wyatt.
