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If you look at the big picture, the story is very clear: America is getting older. As baby boomers age and birth rates stay lower than they were decades ago, the nation’s median age keeps increasing. Specifically, the median age for the U.S. rose to 39 from 38 a decade ago. And that is a trend that shows up practically everywhere you look.

Well, almost.

Lakeland–Winter Haven, Florida, is defying this trend. Over the past decade, while most metros aged, Lakeland actually got about a year younger. In particular, the median age in the Lakeland metro area fell from 41 to 39. That may sound small, but in a country moving in the opposite direction, it’s a meaningful shift, and it didn’t happen by accident.

What Changed in Lakeland

Lakeland didn’t suddenly lose its older residents. Instead, it attracted more people in the age groups that drive housing demand most, especially young professionals and families.

Between 2014 and 2024, Lakeland increased its share of residents ages 25 to 44, the years when people are building careers, forming households, renting first, and eventually buying homes. Today, Lakeland’s population in those age groups looks much more like the national profile than it did a decade ago. At the same time, the metro continues to have a solid share of children, a sign that many of those younger adults are putting down roots rather than just passing through.

In other words, Lakeland didn’t just attract people; it attracted people at the stages of life that create long-term housing demand.

Isn’t Florida a Retiree State?

Yes, and that’s exactly why Lakeland stands out. Florida is often thought of as a retiree destination, and for many markets, that’s absolutely true. But Florida isn’t one housing market, and it isn’t one demographic story either. Some metros continue to age quickly as retirees move in. Others, like Lakeland, are also attracting younger households looking for jobs, relative affordability, and access to larger employment centers. This helps explain how Florida can be aging overall while certain markets inside the state are getting younger at the same time.

Why Salisbury, MD, Isn’t Part of This Story

You may notice that Salisbury experienced an even bigger drop in median age over the past decade. The median age in this metro was about 44 in 2014, compared to 38 in 2024. But at the same time, between 2014 and 2024, the Salisbury metro area changed significantly in size and definition, from a multi-state metro to a much smaller, Maryland-only geography. As a result, the population for this specific metro is substantially smaller, and when boundaries change that much, median age can change even if the people themselves haven’t changed much at all. That’s why Salisbury isn’t included here. It’s difficult to separate how much of this “younger” profile reflects real demographic change versus a redefinition of the metro itself. By contrast, Lakeland metro reflects a real demographic movement within consistent metro boundaries.

Why This Matters for Housing

National averages are useful, but they only tell part of the story. Age is one of the strongest forces shaping housing demand, from rentals to starter homes to long-term growth. Lakeland shows that even in an aging country, some markets can move in a different direction when they attract people at life stages when housing demand is most active. And that’s exactly why looking beyond the national picture and paying attention to local demographics matters so much when trying to understand what’s really happening in the housing market.