Orlando among the fastest growing cities in the U.S.

ORLANDO, Fla. (FOX 35 ORLANDO) - If you thought it was feeling a little crowded in the City Beautiful, well that's because it is growing drastically.

Orlando is the fifth fastest growing city in the country, welcoming more than 60,000 people in the last year, according to the latest numbers from the United States Census Bureau.

“Orlando is not just a small metro anymore, it’s growing and it’s going to continue to grow, as this date provides evidence,” said Sean Snaith, Director of the Institute for Economic Forecasting for the College of Business at the University of Central Florida.

So, where is everyone going? Orange County representatives say the Lake Nona area, southeast of downtown, is where most of the development is happening.

Snaith citedseveral reasons for the growth.

“The economy is one thing, the climate plays a role, we saw a migration of people from Puerto Rico,” said Snaith.

With the booming population, comes growing pains. Housing is possibly the biggest challenge facing the region.

“As economic growth, job growth and population growth have continued to be strong, we haven’t kept up on the supply side of housing, so that has caused a significant price appreciation over the past several years, so affordability has become an issue for a lot of people,” said Snaith.

Another major issue is transportation.

“More traffic on the road, I don’t think there is a major roadway in our region that isn’t under construction at this point and that is driven by growth,” said Snaith.

Certainty, some challenges but Snaith reiterates, a healthy economy and a desirable city is better than the contrary.