(3 Jan 2014) VOICE-OVER SCRIPT:
BLUE SKIES, WHITE BEACHES, AND ENDLESS SUNSHINE. THE LURE OF FLORIDA. BUT IT'S NOT JUST VACATIONERS DRAWN TO THE STATE.
THE AVAILABILITY OF LOW-SKILL JOBS, ABSENCE OF A STATE INCOME TAX, AND PROXIMITY TO LATIN AMERICA HAVE PEOPLE FLOCKING TO THE SUNSHINE STATE, WHICH IS SET TO SURPASS NEW YORK IN POPULATION THIS YEAR.
(SOT: Karen Flanzenbaum, New York resident):
"There's going to be more people in Florida than New York? Surprised."
NEW CENSUS FIGURES SHOW THE TWO STATES WERE SEPARATED BY 98 THOUSAND PEOPLE IN JULY. ACCORDING TO GROWTH PROJECTIONS, THAT DIFFERENCE IS NOW LIKELY AROUND 20 THOUSAND.
(SOT: Bruce Stephenson, professor of civic urbanism at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida):
"You have to remember a hundred years ago there were less than a million people living in Florida. And Florida had the smallest population east of the Mississippi. So, to have a growth rate like that surpasses the growth rate of India or China."
PEOPLE LIKE ELAINE AND MICHAEL MENDOZA ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE POPULATION SURGE.
(SOT: Michael Mendoza, Florida resident who moved from Maryland):
"We looked at moving to a number of different places and we wanted a community that was a diverse community. We wanted to live in an area that was close to a large, urban center. And we wanted a warm climate."
DEMOGRAPHER BRUCE STEPHENSON SAYS THAT FLORIDA MAY BE THE EXPERIMENT GROUND FOR OTHER HOT SPOTS AROUND THE COUNTRY.
(SOT: Bruce Stephenson, professor of civic urbanism at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida):
"The problems Florida is grappling with in terms of demographics, real estate and water, which is a big issue, the rest of the nation will be dealing with."
ALTHOUGH FLORIDA HAS THE NATION'S LARGEST SHARE OF RESIDENTS OVER AGE 65, SENIORS ACCOUNT FOR ONLY 10 PERCENT OF NEW ARRIVALS IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, WITH MORE THAN HALF BEING BETWEEN 25 AND 64.
ONCE FLORIDA SURPASSES NEW YORK, IT WILL TRAIL ONLY CALIFORIA AND TEXAS.
JILL CRAIG, ASSOCIATED PRESS
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