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West side spurts in nose count
By JENNIFER FARRELL, Times Staff Writer During the past decade, Hernando County grew more populous and more diverse and topped the state's rate of homeownership, but aged slower than experts had predicted. According to U.S. Census Bureau figures, the population jumped by almost a third to 130,802, a rate slightly higher than Florida's overall growth but far lower than the fastest-growing counties in the state, among which Hernando had once counted itself. Not surprisingly, the biggest spikes came on the west side of the county in Timber Pines and Seven Hills. Hernando's Hispanic and Asian populations continued to surge, more than doubling during the 1990s. The number of Asian residents grew by 121.6 percent, from 379 to 840, while Hispanics surpassed the number of non-Hispanic blacks as Hernando's largest minority and now make up about 5 percent of the county's overall population, with 6,587 residents. Confounding expectations, the county did not become the fast-graying area experts had predicted. The median, or middle, age barely budged over the last decade, landing at 49.5. Experts said that's because Hernando gained more young families with school-age children even as longtime retired residents continued to age, and the fastest-growing age group was those 85 and older. Experts say Hernando's inexpensive land and houses, coupled with a large retirement population, fueled what has become Florida's highest rate of homeownership. Census numbers released in July put Hernando at the top of the state, with 86.5 percent of all occupied units -- houses, mobile homes, condominiums -- filled by their owners. On the other hand, Hernando ranked last when it comes to the share of units filled with renters, at 13.5 percent.
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From today's Hernando Times |
