Gulf Coast Business Review 40 Under 40, 2005
2005 Honorees
July 29-August 4,

By Isabelle Gan / Contributing Writer

Recognized as a mecca for retirees, Greater Sarasota-Manatee isn’t known for its allure to the young professional. But little by little that’s changing. Since 2000, U.S. Census figures show Greater Sarasota’s 20-to-40 age group grew 1% while the 60-and-over group shrunk by 1.4%. The 20- to 40-year-olds, in fact, held their ground in terms of the total percentage of population here (25%) while retirees, clearly the dominant group, shrunk from 35% to 32% of total population. Those aren’t dramatic shifts, but the perception and reality is that as the Gulf Coast continues to grow, more and more working people are choosing Manatee and Sarasota counties as the place they want to raise their families.