Wildwood’s population gain slowed significantly over the past year as The Villages moved its focus to building homes in Lake County.
The city’s population reached 31,337 as of April 1, up about 3 percent since 2023, according to the latest estimate from the University of Florida Bureau of Economic and Business Research.
The number of residents has effectively doubled since the 2020 Census, when the population was 15,730.
City Manager Jason McHugh told commissioners the city was adding about 4,000 to 5,000 residents a year and probably will return to that pace as The Villages moves its expansion back to Sumter County.
Mayor Ed Wolf recalled that the population was 1,200 when he began his city government career more than 50 years ago.
Wildwood’s rapid growth has required the city to spend $150 million to expand its wastewater treatment capacity. The city is building a new treatment plant next to the old one and the two plants will process up to 4.5 million gallons daily.
