North Port is again the second-fastest-growing city in the country, according to one of the country’s most popular moving companies.
North Port, ranked as the second-fastest-growing city in the U.S. in 2023, was most recently recognized by U-Haul for seeing another surge of inbound moves over the past year.
With a current population of 96,300, North Port is the largest municipality in the Sarasota-Manatee metropolitan area.
Florida claimed eight of the top 10 growth cities, defined as a city experiencing significant increases in population and development. The state also claimed 12 of the top 25 overall for the past year. Sarasota also made the list of growth cities, coming in at No. 18.
What is driving growth in North Port?
Wellen Park consistently ranks among the top master-planned communities in the country for new home sales.
Downtown Wellen, the community’s commercial/residential center on the banks of an 80-acre man-made lake, has become a major regional amenity.
New commercial construction there means more shops, restaurants and services.
A Jan. 20 groundbreaking will mark the start of construction for Wellmar, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel by Marriott.
That five-story hotel will feature 149 guestrooms, food-and-beverage venues, resort-style amenities and more than 3,200 square feet of event space. The hotel is anticipated to be complete by late 2027.
In December, Benderson Development Co. announced plans for a 500,000 commercial and retail complex in Wellen Park too.
On the east side of the city, Benderson continues to build out its North Port Business Park, which is anticipated to generate at least 1,500 new jobs.
Healthcare on the rise in North Port
Sarasota Memorial Health Care System broke ground last November on a new hospital near the Sumter Boulevard exit off of Interstate 75.
That $507 million campus is expected to open as soon as late 2028.
Meanwhile Healthcare Corporation of America opened a free-standing emergency room in Wellen Park last March, with a goal of building a full-service hospital there.Last November, the West Florida division of AdventHealth, a Seventh-day Adventist nonprofit healthcare system, revealed plans to build a free-standing ER in eastern North Port and eventually follow up with a 240-bed hospital there.
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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: North Port again ranked as No. 2 ‘growth city’ in the U.S.
Reporting by Earle Kimel and Ella Thompson, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
