The U.S. Census Bureau released its population data for 2023, revealing interesting information about several Florida towns and cities.
According to the data, Marineland — a small research town wedged between Flagler and St. John counties — ranked as the smallest town in Florida. The town’s population sat at a paltry nine residents during 2023.
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Meanwhile, Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista place next on this list, with fewer than 50 residents between them both.
The cities are actually home to Walt Disney World theme parks and resorts, and Disney selects residents to live in mobile home communities within these areas. Bay Lake is situated near the Magic Kingdom, while Lake Buena Vista can be found near Disney Springs.
Ranked at No. 4, the small village of Lazy Lake in Broward County was made up of only 31 people.
According to Visit Lauderdale, the village got its name because developers in the 1940s thought that the nearby lake looked “so lazy and peaceful.” The developers were able to attract a few homeowners to the community, and the 30 residents there eventually voted themselves as an independent entity.
Below is a list of the remaining top 50 smallest places in Florida:
| Ranking | Town/City/Village | County | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marineland | Flagler/St. Johns | 9 |
| 2 | Bay Lake | Orange | 23 |
| 3 | Lake Buena Vista | Orange | 25 |
| 4 | Lazy Lake | Broward | 31 |
| 5 | Belleair Shore | Pinellas | 75 |
| 6 | Indian Creek | Miami-Dade | 82 |
| 7 | Bascom Town | Jackson | 90 |
| 8 | Otter Creek | Levy | 111 |
| 9 | Cloud Lake | Palm Beach | 140 |
| 10 | Horseshoe Beach | Dixie | 174 |
| 11 | Campbellton | Jackson | 198 |
| 12 | Layton | Monroe | 202 |
| 13 | Glen Ridge | Palm Beach | 214 |
| 14 | Noma | Holmes | 215 |
| 15 | Jacob City | Jackson | 225 |
| 16 | Raiford | Union | 225 |
| 17 | Ebro | Washington | 244 |
| 18 | Golf | Palm Beach | 265 |
| 19 | Westville | Holmes | 270 |
| 20 | Hillcrest Heights | Polk | 274 |
| 21 | Highland Park | Polk | 278 |
| 22 | St. Marks | Wakulla | 305 |
| 23 | Caryville | Washington | 315 |
| 24 | La Crosse | Alachua | 320 |
| 25 | Brooker | Bradford | 336 |
| 26 | Esto | Holmes | 351 |
| 27 | Everglades City | Collier | 384 |
| 28 | Lee | Madison | 384 |
| 29 | Wausau | Washington | 386 |
| 30 | Worthington Springs | Union | 389 |
| 31 | Ocean Breeze | Martin | 402 |
| 32 | Jupiter Inlet Colony | Palm Beach | 426 |
| 33 | Manalapan | Palm Beach | 429 |
| 34 | Greensboro | Gadsden | 459 |
| 35 | Sopchoppy | Wakulla | 466 |
| 36 | Cinco Bayou | Okaloosa | 469 |
| 37 | Glen St. Mary | Baker | 485 |
| 38 | Hampton | Bradford | 488 |
| 39 | Altha | Calhoun | 495 |
| 40 | Reddick | Marion | 496 |
| 41 | McIntosh | Marion | 508 |
| 42 | Beverly Beach | Flagler | 516 |
| 43 | Briny Breezes | Palm Beach | 517 |
| 44 | Alford | Jackson | 518 |
| 45 | Ponce de Leon | Holmes | 518 |
| 46 | Orchid | Indian River | 547 |
| 47 | Sea Ranch Lakes | Broward | 552 |
| 48 | Greenwood | Jackson | 553 |
| 49 | Bell | Gilchrist | 558 |
| 50 | Jay | Santa Rosa | 572 |
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