Wildwood is a city in Sumter County, Florida, United States. The population was 6,709 at the 2010 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2018 estimates, the city had a population of 7,024. Due to rapid growth the city had over 33,000 residents by October of 2022 with plans to swell to over 100,000 in the foreseeable future. Geography Wildwood is located at (28.858610, –82.038499). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.4 km2 (5.2 mi2). Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 3,924 people, 1,640 households, and 1,074 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,062 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 64.76% White, 32.93% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.97% from other races, and 1.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.42% of the population. There were 1,640 households, out of which 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 17.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.81. In the city the population was spread out, with 22.3% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 18.4% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 33.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $23,357, and the median income for a family was $27,247. Males had a median income of $23,250 versus $18,103 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,758. About 17.3% of families and 21.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.6% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over. History A post office called Wildwood has been in operation since 1881. The town was named for its remote location in the woods. In April 2015, The Villages petitioned the city of Wildwood with