Miami-Dade County still has the highest numbers, but the major growth is radiating outward, new statistics show.
By Associated Press
Published September 18, 2003
DEERFIELD BEACH - South Florida's booming Hispanic population is creeping northward, with Broward County seeing the biggest percentage jump of any large Florida county from 2000 to 2002.
Overall, the state's Hispanic population grew 11 percent to an estimated 3,019,305 in 2002, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures released Thursday.
Although Miami-Dade's Hispanic population remained the largest - nearly 1.4-million residents - it grew by less than 7 percent.
Broward saw a jump of 19 percent, to 330,465, and Palm Beach an increase of more than 17 percent, to 168,896.
Jorge Alvarez said many people are moving north for the reason he did: to escape the clogged streets throughout Miami-Dade. Alvarez moved to Deerfield Beach, in the northeast corner of Broward County, about a year ago.
"Here, everyone wants to come because it's nice and quiet," Alvarez said.
The son of Cuban immigrants grew up in New Jersey before moving to Florida. He started his own business, opening the Little Havana Restaurant in North Miami 12 years ago and another one in Deerfield four years later.
Terri Castellano, chairwoman of the Latin Chamber of Commerce in Broward, said many of the people moving to South Florida from Latin countries are better off than they were a generation ago, with a large number being able to invest immediately in their own businesses.
Other businesses are trying to take advantage of the Hispanic population's increasing purchasing power.
Miguel Ibarguren started the marketing firm Spanish Voices about two years ago to help businesses attract the attention of the Hispanic population. He moved from Argentina about 14 years ago.
"Ten years ago, when you went to a Publix supermarket, it was very difficult to find a Latin American product, and nobody spoke Spanish. Nowadays, you find tons and tons of products from Latin America and out of 10 cashiers, five are bilingual," Ibarguren said.
Georgia's 16.8 percent growth in Hispanic population led the nation from 2000 to 2002, according to the Census Bureau estimates. Washington, D.C., was next, at 16 percent, followed by North Carolina, 15.7 percent, Nevada, 15 percent, and Kentucky, 13.9 percent.
