Can you say that you were “born and raised in Lakeland,” or are you one of our more recent transplants? We took a deep dive into Migration Patterns — which uses data from the United States Census Bureau — to show where most Lakelanders move to and from between the ages of 16 and 26.
It turns out that there’s a good chance our readers have been around for a while.
- Of Lakeland’s young adults who grew up here, ~64% chose to stay in Lakeland.
- 17% of those who lived in Lakeland at age 16 moved away but stayed in Florida, and 18% moved out of state.
- Most in-state movers opted to stay close to home in larger cities Tampa and Orlando.
- The most popular destinations for those who moved out of state are Atlanta, GA; New York, NY; Washington, DC; and Los Angeles, CA.
- Former Lakelanders moved an average of 202 miles away for a new job, above the national average of 181 miles.
In addition to the young adults choosing to stay in Swan City, Lakeland is also one of the fastest-growing cities
in the nation. So from where are new Lakelanders moving?
- Of Lakeland’s current young adult residents, 16% moved from other areas in Florida.
- Most of these movers are from urban cities like Tampa, Orlando, and Miami.
- 20% of residents came from out of state, with most moving from up north.
- It’s most likely that your new neighbors are from New York, NY; Newark, NJ; or Philadelphia, PA.
- Lakeland’s job market is also bringing in residents from near and far — the average young adult moved here from 210 miles away for a local job.
Want to map it out for yourself? Check out migration patterns for Lakeland and more cities across the country, here .