Broward County has three cities in the top ten when it comes to employment growth, income growth, and population, according to a recent study.
NerdWallet.com, which crunches numbers on banking and finance, looked at more than a hundred cities, towns, and census-designated places throughout the state to find cities with more than 20,000 residents that had been experiencing growth in jobs, income, and population.
The findings show that Parkland, Pembroke Pines, and Coconut Creek are all on the rise among the top ten cities in Florida.
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The study examined growth metrics from U.S. Census Bureau data such as the working-age population from 2009 to 2012 as well as the growth in the percentage of employed residents from those years. NerdWallet also calculated growth in the median income for full-time, year-round workers.
"We examined around 147 cities, towns, and census-designated places to identify the fastest-growing places in Florida," NerdWallet PR analyst Christine Kim tells New Times. "And we found Broward County trending high with Parkland, Pembroke Pines, Coconut Creek, Tamarac, and Miramar all ranked in the top 20."
The study also found that six of the top ten places on the rise are in South Florida, with all ten of those cities seeing an increase in employment rates compared to statewide employment growth.
"Florida has firmly established itself as a life sciences powerhouse with industry leaders such as Bristol-Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, and Actavis located in the state," the study says.
The three Broward cities within the top ten, via Nerdwallet:
2. ParklandParkland, an affluent city in Broward County, gets its moniker for the lush park-like structure of the city, which boasts nine parks and recreation facilities. Quiet, family-oriented and communal, the city saw a 9.4% growth in population with a steady 9.7% climb in employment compared to the rest of the state. As well, there was a 14.7% increase in median income from 2009 to 2012. Avid equestrians find kindred spirits at the Parkland Horseman's Association and the many horse shows it hosts throughout the year that attract participants from all over the state.
8. Pembroke Pines
Pembroke Pines, one of the largest cities in Broward County, is nestled between Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties. The working-age population grew 9.2% while the median income increased 11.4% from 2009 to 2012. Pembroke Pines offers many unique art and cultural programs at venues for professional and amateur artists at Fletcher Art & Culture Center and Studio 18. In response to the state's burgeoning life sciences sector, Pembroke Pines and other cities have worked to show a commitment to a seamless transition for companies, such as Stemtech International, that move to the area.
9. Coconut Creek
The community, which calls itself the Butterfly Capital of the World, is located centrally in the tri-county area of Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties. Coconut Creek works to balance support for the business community with sustainable green spaces. Employment growth relative to statewide growth from 2009 and 2012 increased 7.1%, and median income rose 11.4% during that same time. More opportunities are planned for the future as the city focuses on its Mainstreet Project, which will contain over 250 acres of LEED-certified businesses, housing, parks and trails.
You can view the full rankings here.
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