INVERNESS, Fla. — A population boom could be coming in Citrus County.
Earlier this week, commissioners got an overview of how other counties across the state are managing growth. It comes at a time where the demand for housing is at a high in the county.
For Eric Williams, Citrus County is a way of life. He knows this all too well, being the city manager of Inverness.
“It is a high quality of life,” Williams said. “It’s a quiet life. The age dynamic is starting to shift and you want to have that diversity. You’re naturally going to have growth in Florida, but I think it comes with a certain cost.”
Under his lead, the city has seen a variety of upgrades and changes throughout the years, which most recently includes a revitalization of the old historic Citrus County Courthouse.
There are countless projects that have been designed with the intent of reaching a larger audience in mind — in visitors and those who call it “home.”
“You also have infrastructure that comes with things like public safety and park systems,” said Williams. “Staying ahead of that and being able to understand what’s coming to you. That’s a big challenge. But if you get it right, or close to right, it really helps get development across the line.”
“The big hammer that we have is affordability,” said Judy McCoy, a realtor for Century 21 in Inverness.
She says the housing market in Citrus County has seen a sizable increase within the last five years.
“You are living in Florida and you are paying a reasonable price,” says McCoy. “Everything is a little bit lower price than it is, you know, in the bigger cities and on the coast.”
It’s a positive trend that may continue as more people become familiar with the area.
“This graph is something that I think every home buyer and home seller has lived since the COVID times because what you see here was a ten-year correction in Citrus County,” said McCoy. “We have always been very affordable, probably one of the most affordable, beautiful places in Florida.”
Something, Williams says, the city and county are prepared for.
“What I hope to see in my time and plan on forever having a home here, is that that continues to be a platform where growth can be accepted in a measured way but, eventually, also the diversity in the economy is stabilized to the point that there’s a good mix of working class opportunities as well as that for our retirement folks.”
It’s a place where people of all walks of life can continue to live.
Calvin Lewis
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