Citrus groves bulldozed in recent years have made way for housing and big-box stores that could one day merge the two metropolitan areas into what has been jokingly dubbed “Orlampa.”

The migration – and homeownership sprawl – reflects an important type of growth seen across the country this decade: the rise of isolated suburbs.

Outlying communities on the outskirts of metropolitan areas — some as far as 60 miles from the center of a city — experienced some of the fastest population growth last year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. These communities are primarily in the South, such as Anna, on the outskirts of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area; Fort Mill, South Carolina, outside Charlotte, North Carolina; Lebanon outside Nashville; and Haines City, in Polk County.

For some residents, like Marisol Ortega, the commute to work can take up to an hour and a half one way. But Ortega, who lives in Haines City, about 40 miles from his job in Orlando, says it’s worth it.

“I love my job. I love what I do, but I also love coming home and it’s quieter,” Ortega said.

A pandemic exodus and more

The rapid growth of outer suburbs is a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Census Bureau, as rising housing costs have kept people away from cities and remote work has allowed many to do their jobs from home. home for at least part of the time. the week.

Polk County’s Hispanic population has grown from a fifth to more than a quarter of the total population over the past five years, driven by Puerto Rican migration from the island after Hurricane Maria in 2017, then from New York during the pandemic.

The county has become more diverse, with the share of non-Hispanic white residents falling from 61% to 54%, and it has also become more educated and wealthier, according to the Census Bureau. Despite the influx of new people, the county’s Republican leanings have remained relatively unchanged.

Yeseria Suero and her family moved to Polk County from New York City earlier this decade after falling in love with the pace of life and affordability during a visit. There were still some cultural adjustments: restaurants closed early, barbecues and boiled peanuts everywhere, strangers chatted with her at the grocery store. Suero is now involved in the close-knit Hispanic community and her two boys are active in sports leagues.

“My kids now say, ‘Yes, ma’am,’” she said.

Recent hurricanes and citrus diseases in Florida have also made it more attractive for some Polk County growers to sell their citrus groves to developers who are building new residences or stores.