#2 Huge Market, Huge Opportunities
No doubt about it, Florida is a people place. Each year, greater numbers of people are drawn to Florida to live and to play, and as the market swells, so do your opportunities for business growth.
MARKET STATISTICS
Permanent residents » 19.1 million » 4th most populous U.S. state
Visitors » 86.5 million in 2011 » up 5% over 2010
Population Gain » 256,000+ residents since 2010 » on track to become the 3rd largest state by 2013
Consumer market » 4th largest GDP in America
Visitor Spending » $67.2 billion in 2011 » roughly $184 million per day on goods and services while in Florida
Economy » 20th largest in the world
Gross Domestic Product » 4th largest among U.S. states
Total Personal Income » 1st in the Southeast » 4th in the U.S.
Per Capita Personal Income » 2nd in the Southeast
MONEY MATTERS
» PERSONAL WEALTH Forbes’ 2012 list of the 400 richest Americans includes 28 billionaire Floridians, three-fourths of whom live in the Southeast counties of Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach.
» VENTURE CAPITAL INVESTMENT
In just the second quarter of 2012, venture capitalists pumped $94.8 million into 11 business ventures, putting Florida among the top 10 states for attracting venture funding. Total VC activity in 2011: 52 deals, $323.3 million invested.
POPULATION DISTRIBUTION
» With More than 12 million residents combined, Florida’s four top MSAs — Jacksonville, Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, — account for more than 60% of the state’s total population and are within a day’s drive of close to half of the 50 million people living in America’s Southeast.