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St. Leo, San Antonio see populations boom

Tribune photo by FRED BELLET

Pancho Villa's Mexican Restaurant and the San Ann Market are among the few businesses along Pennsylvania Avenue in San Antonio. Across the street is the Lookin' Good Salon. Professional businesses such as a chiropractor's office, an attorney's office and a financial adviser's office also make up the small business district along the town's main street.

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By KEVIN WIATROWSKI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 5, 2009

The Tampa Bay area's smallest municipalities made big population gains in the last eight years, according to census figures released last week.

One Pasco County town, the Catholic enclave of St. Leo, ranked among the Top Five cities in Florida in terms of its rate of growth, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's estimates of 2008 city and town populations.

St. Leo began the decade with about 600 residents, fewer people than the average elementary school. By last year, it had ballooned to more than 1,300, thanks largely to new dormitories at Saint Leo University and development in the Lake Jovita golf resort.

Neighboring San Antonio grew by 62 percent, cracking 1,000 people for the first time

Every city in Hillsborough and Pasco counties grew by 9 percent or more, according to the census numbers.

While growth slowed as the housing market cooled in the last two years, Tampa still grew 12.3 percent from its 2000 head count.

In Pinellas County, most cities followed the county's overall downward trend in population. St. Petersburg's population declined slightly more than 1 percent. Clearwater's population fell by nearly 3 percent.

Pinellas communities gaining residents included Oldsmar, which grew by 12.5 percent, and Tarpon Springs, which grew by 11.3 percent.

Reporter Kevin Wiatrowski can be reached at (813) 731-8168.

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