Population
157,772
2025
+21.1% since 2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025), 2025. Resident population, July 1 estimate.
Wildwood-The Villages, FL metro area: population growth, jobs and income
The Wildwood-The Villages, FL metro area gained 3,511 residents between 2024 and 2025 (+2.3%).
The Wildwood-The Villages, FL metro area had an estimated 157,772 residents in 2025, up 21.1% (27,479 more people) since 2020.
Data as of 2025 · updated
Map, parcel and listing layers cover North and South Carolina only for now.
Headline numbers
Net domestic migration
+5,633
2025
35.7 per 1,000 residents
+36,929 in total, 2021–2025
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025), 2025. People moving in from other U.S. counties minus people moving out.
Unemployment rate
6.8%
2025
+1.4 pts since 2019
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2025. Annual average unemployment rate.
New homes permitted
3,516
2025
−11.2% since 2024
22.3 per 1,000 residents
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025. Housing units authorized by building permits in the year.
Median household income
$76,508
2020–24
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–24. American Community Survey 5-year estimate.
Private-sector employment
31,813
2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023. Paid employees of private employers in mid-March (County Business Patterns).
Net migration (IRS tax returns)
+5,343
2022–23
Source: IRS Statistics of Income, U.S. Population Migration Data, 2022–23. People on tax returns moving in minus moving out, U.S. and abroad; the sum of the member counties (moves between them cancel out).
Population, migration, employment, permits, unemployment and income are the figures each agency publishes for the area itself (OMB Bulletin 23-01 delineation; ACS 2016-20 and CBP 2018 use the delineation of their year). IRS migration is the sum of the member counties.
What the numbers say
Net domestic migration added 5,633 people in 2025: more people moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out.
Private employers had 31,813 paid employees in mid-March 2023 (County Business Patterns).
Unemployment averaged 6.8% in 2025, 1.4 points higher than in 2019 (before the pandemic).
Builders were authorized to start 3,516 new homes in 2025, or 22.3 per 1,000 residents.
Median household income was $76,508 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey.
Population growth over five years ranks 1st of 22 Florida metro areas and 1st of 362 U.S. metro areas.
IRS tax-return data for 2022-2023 show a net gain of 5,343 people (the sum of its counties).
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How it ranks
| Measure | Among U.S. metro areas |
|---|---|
| Population growth | 1st of 362 |
| Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents | 2nd of 362 |
| Median household income | 141st of 362 |
| Lowest unemployment rate | 347th of 362 |
| New homes permitted per 1,000 residents | 1st of 362 |
1st = highest (lowest for unemployment), against areas with a figure for the same period.
Fastest-growing metro areas in Florida · Fastest-growing metro areas in the U.S.
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Counties in this metro area
| County | Role | Residents2025 | Share of residents2025 | Change2020–2025 | Share of the change2020–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sumter County, FL | Central | 157,772 | 100.0% | +27,479 (+21.1%) | 100% |
Census Bureau population estimates (July 1). Shares are of the member counties' total; a share of the change shows only when every county moved the same way. – means no figure for the common period.
Nearby and similar metro areas
Next to this metro area
Similar in size
Questions
Is the Wildwood-The Villages, FL metro area growing?
Yes. Its population grew 21.1% between 2020 and 2025, about 27,479 more people (Census Bureau population estimates).
How many people moved to the Wildwood-The Villages, FL metro area?
On net, about 5,633 people in 2025: that many more moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate).
What is the unemployment rate in the Wildwood-The Villages, FL metro area?
It averaged 6.8% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).
What is the population of the Wildwood-The Villages, FL metro area?
About 157,772 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.
How many jobs are in the Wildwood-The Villages, FL metro area?
Private employers there had 31,813 paid employees in mid-March 2023 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns; government jobs and the self-employed are not counted).
Sumter County data alerts
Email me when Sumter County gets new Census numbers: population, building permits, jobs and income. About 4 emails a year, one click to stop.
Sources and method
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics
- U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates
- U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns
- IRS Statistics of Income, U.S. Population Migration Data
Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.
Jobs outside North and South Carolina use County Business Patterns (paid private-sector employees in mid-March); wages and government jobs are not included.