This exercise helps show how the population centers of the state have shifted since Florida first became a major population center in the late 1960’s. You’ll note many counties that today have a large suburban or exurban population were less-populated in 1970, than traditional rural counties that have hardly grown in the last 50 years.

Interestingly, the seven large urban counties in 1970 are the same large urban counties today, but below that, lots of shifts.

Counties are ranked by population 1-67 in both 1970 and 2020.