The fastest-growing metro area in the United States may surprise you . While many of the communities in the Top 10 list released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday were in the oil- and gas-rich Great Plains region , the fastest-growing community was a retirement development near Ocala , Florida . The Villages in central Florida has more than 101,000 residents . Rules there require that at least one person in a household be older than 55 . `` The Villages active life style continues to draw people from all over the county , '' Gary Lester , vice president for community relations at The Villages , told CNN . He points to its theaters , hotels , golf courses and nightly entertainment as big draws for new residents . Data from the U.S. government shows that the community added 5.2 % to its population from July 2012 to July 2013 , making it the fastest-growing community in the United States , percentagewise . Homes range from just over $ 100,000 to more than $ 1 million , and the average age at purchase is 62 , Lester said . Odessa and Midland , Texas , and Fargo and Bismarck , North Dakota , rounded out the Top 5 , the Census Bureau reported .
Census data shows fastest growing community , percentagewise , is for retirees . Community has 101,000 residents and grew by 5.2 % between July 2012 and 2013 . Midland and Odessa , Texas , and Fargo and Bismarck , North Dakota round out the Top 5 .