WaPo: “From 2010 to 2020, census records show, the top two fastest-growing metro areas in the United States were The Villages, a retirement community in Florida, and Myrtle Beach, S.C. Over that same period, the rate of population growth in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee exceeded the national average while other states like West Virginia and Mississippi saw declines. Florida’s population grew at an astonishing pace over that decade, adding more than 2.7 million people.
Joseph Von Nessen, a University of South Carolina economist, said that the majority of new residents in the Southeast are coming from New England. Many are retirees attracted by the region’s lower cost of living, mild winters and other charms.Younger workers are moving to the region as well, drawn by newly-created manufacturing jobs.
“Severe weather events are certainly one cost people are considering, but based on the data, these benefits, at least for many, seem to clearly outweigh the costs,” Von Nessen said. Census projections suggest the Southeast will see the largest population gains over the next two decades, through 2040.
These population trends increase the likelihood that more Americans will be trapped in a costly cycle of flooding and repairs, experts said.”