Osceola County is an area Bahia Real Estate deals with regularly. It is an area rich in history and heritage that reaches back to its founding in 1887, when the area was named after the Seminole war chieftan Osceola.
From these early days, Osceola county, with its seat at Kissimmee, grew and flourished, thanks to an attractive climate that was excellent for agriculture, particularly for raising cattle.
The county seat, Kissimmee, is one of two incorporated municipal areas in Osceola County (the other is St. Cloud). This city is located on the shore of West Lake Tohopekaliga. The exact original meaning of the name is unknown, but most agree that it is a westernized form of some local word, possibly from the obscure Jororo people group.
Kissimmee’s population is on the youngish side (the total population at 2004 was 55, 856) and most of the new houses going in are single-family homes. This is an area where most family homes are rented rather than owner-occupied (and if you’re one of those people renting a home in Kissimmee who wants to own their own home without leaving the city, we’ve got homes on our lists at Bahia Real Estate that could suit you perfectly).
The other major centre in Osceola County is St Cloud. This is also a lakeside town, being situated on the southern shores of East Lake Tohopekaliga. Though it’s a smaller town – its population in 2005 was 22, 508 – St Cloud is a proudly independent community. Originally founded during the Civil War, St. Cloud calls itself “Soldier City” and prides itself on being a good place for families to enjoy a small-town lifestyle and also benefit from the innovative “Cyberspot” internet scheme.
A number of unincorporated areas are also found in Osceola County, including one with the hilarious name of “Yeehaw Junction” (and improvement on its older name of Jackass Junction).