Manatee's population growth slows U.S. Census FIGURES | Economy, housing slump keeping newcomers out of county

Duane Marsteller

Mar. 19, 2009 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- MANATEE -- Growth has come to a near standstill in Manatee County.

The county's population rose by just 0.5 percent from mid-2007 to mid-2008, the smallest annual gain since at least 1970, according to Census figures released today.

An estimated 315,766 people lived in Manatee last July 1, just 1,635 more than a year earlier, the Census said. It's the second straight year that Manatee's population has grown by less than 1 percent after several years of growing by at least 2 percent, driven largely by newcomers from other areas.

But fewer people now are moving to Manatee because of the economy and housing slump, demographers and local planners said.

"There aren't as many people coming here for jobs because jobs now are fewer and farther between," said Leon Kotecki, a county planner who oversees population projections.

Manatee's unemployment rate jumped from 4.6 percent to 7.2 percent between mid-2007 and mid-2008, and now stands at 10.1 percent, according to state figures. Much of that is from job losses in construction and tourism, which long have been among the county's economic engines.

Kotecki said many who are moving out are Hispanics who lost construction jobs they took during the housing boom.

Another local economic driver, retirees, also has taken a hit. Fewer retirees are coming to Florida because of falling home prices and shrinking retirement portfolios, said Scott Cody, research demographer at the University of Florida's Bureau of Economic and Business Research.

"We get most of our growth from migrants," he said. "A lot of them are retirees, but if they can't sell their house up north, they can't move here."

The Census estimated that 1,122 more people moved to Manatee than moved out between 2007 and 2008. Of that, almost 400 came from elsewhere in the United States.

The lone bright spot was international migration: An estimated 724 foreigners moved to Manatee between 2007 and 2008, the Census said. It was the first time since 1970 that foreign newcomers outnumbered domestic ones.

Foreigners are being drawn by the area's quality of life, falling local home prices and a weaker dollar compared to their currency, said Charles Totonis, an agent in Michael Saunders and Co.'s Lakewood Ranch office who specializes in international buyers.

"A lot of seasonal residents are Canadians who ultimately become permanent residents," he said.

There also were 368 more births than deaths in Manatee from mid-2007 to mid-2008, the Census said.

Besides fewer newcomers, Manatee also is seeing more people moving out.

About three-quarters of All My Sons Moving and Storage in Bradenton's business now is from people leaving Manatee, said Connie Avery, office manager. As recently as two years ago, it was the opposite.

"It's the economy," she said. "People are losing their jobs. They're losing their homes."

Of those moving in, most are either affluent retirees or younger people moving back in with their families because of lost jobs, Avery said.

The county's slower growth rate has manifested itself in various ways: The county landfill is taking in less trash, there are fewer new county utility hookups and fewer new students in county schools.

"This is the second year that we haven't seen a fairly large increase" in student enrollment, schools spokeswoman Margi Nanney said. "We were seeing increases of 1,200 to 1,500 students for several years in a row, but in the past two years, it's been flat. It's all because of the economy."

Duane Marsteller, transportation/growth and development reporter, can be reached at 745-7080, ext. 2630.

Newstex ID: KRTB-0027-33188367