SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. — The retirement community of The Villages is well known across the country. The 55 and up community is home to more than 150,000 residents and is recognized by many in Florida.

What You Need To Know

  • The Villages has about 150,000 residents

  • The Villages/Wildwood area is one of the fastest growing metro areas in the country for young people

  • More than 40% of Sumter County District school children attend The Villages Charter School

As more retirees relocate to The Villages, more people are needed to keep things running.

You don’t have to look far from the front entrance of The Villages to see all the places residents would go — a car wash, restaurants scattered around different shopping plazas, or every day retail shopping.

Customers are the retirees, meaning the local workforce is younger with plenty of opportunity.

When you think of The Villages, you think about golf, pickleball, golf carts, and grandparents.

Karen Turner has nine grandchildren and says it was an easy decision to retire to the area from Illinois ten years ago.

“Vibrant, and exciting,” Turner said between pool volleyball games. “So much to do, fun!”

If you’re in the area, you shouldn’t be surprised to see more golf carts than cars for everyday use, both on property and off. Turner uses hers daily.

“I take it absolutely everywhere,” she said while sitting in the golf cart. “To the grocery store, to go out to eat, just to go out for a ride at night, to come here to play water volleyball.”

With more than 140,000 people now living in The Villages, that means there’s a lot of people to serve in a densely populated area.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, The Villages/Wildwood area saw a five percent population increase from 2022 to 2023. That made it the fastest growing metro area in the country.

But it’s not just retirees helping to grow the population.

From 2020 to 2023, U.S. Census Bureau data shows The Villages/Wildwood area saw an 18% growth for children ages 0-14: the largest in the country during that time frame.

Which means as more folks come to retire, there’s more opportunity for workers in businesses that continue to open in the area.

“I did notice that a lot, especially the employees at physician offices, are the younger population,” Turner said. “I just naively never really thought about where they were coming from.”

A mile-and-a-half down the road in Wildwood, Ron DeMoss recently relocated his barber shop from Leesburg.

“I have more clientele, like out the gate,” DeMoss, owner of Cut Throat Barber Co., said. “I am doing double the cuts that I was doing over in Leesburg.”

Business is buzzing and so is his cost of living. A year ago, DeMoss was able to purchase his family’s first home.

“It took time, but we were able to do it because it’s affordable. I got a house for $200,000, and that’s unheard of in this market. Especially for being over 1,800 square feet," he said.

With five kids, and three old enough to work, DeMoss knows there are plenty of opportunities for young workers or small business owners in the area with a steady customer base.

“Huge,” DeMoss said when asked about growth potential. “I think by January, I will be doing 25-30 haircuts a day. Right now I am doing 10 to 15.”

When you see the price board in the barber shop, “Seniors” are listed first at $18 a haircut. The shop owner knows his demographic, and so does every other business in the area.

Businesses are looking for younger workers because the overwhelming majority of the residents in The Villages are retired.

According to Sumter County Schools, the district has about 10,000 students, and more than 40% of them attend The Villages Charter School.

Sumter County commissioner Andy Bilardello said the new Middleton community that is being built by The Villages developer is designed to house the younger working class. Most of which are moving there to cater to The Villages residents.