Growth rate slows: BEBR

Florida's growth has slowed to its lowest level in more than 60 years, and the rate is expected to steadily decline through 2040 although the state again was a national leader in population gain during the past decade, according to a study released Monday. The University of Florida's Bureau of Economic and Business Research analyzed U.S. Census figures that show the state's permanent population increased by more than 2.8 million, or 17.6 percent, to 18.8 million between 2000 and 2010. That was the third-largest increase overall and eighth-biggest on a percentage basis among the states, but Florida's growth rate dropped significantly during the last few years of the decade. Full story in the Ledger here.