ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – It's no secret that St. Johns County is one of the fastest growing communities in Florida.
A new population study released by the University of Florida shows the county has grown by a quarter over the last eight years.
For perspective, that's nearly 10 percent more than Florida's overall growth rate for the same timeframe.
The evidence of this growth can be seen in the new businesses and homes going up in St. Johns County.
Studies show St. Johns County doesn't just lead the state in terms of its population growth and schools. It's also first in the state for new businesses popping up in the last few years, plus new building permits for family homes.
The UF study found that as of April, more than 190,000 people had moved to St. Johns County since 2010. That puts the number at more than 238,000.
That number is only expected to go up with new developments at Beachwalk -- off State Road 210 -- and Rivertown.
With the population boom, you know the business and housing surge isn't far behind.
If you need a reminder about how quickly St. Johns County is growing, look no further than the development happening at the Pavilion at Durbin Park off Race Track Road.
A new study from SmartAsset finds new business in St. Johns County grew by more than 13 percent.
The study also finds that the average number of new building permits per 1,000 homes stood at nearly 37 percent.
Experts agree, with more homes going up and more businesses coming in, this is a trend that is likely to continue over the next several years.
The UF study also tracked city population growth over the last eight years. It found that the city of St. Augustine added about 1,000 more people, and St. Augustine Beach added more than 600.