The entire country was abuzz after it was announced that a single ticket sold in Florida matched all 6 numbers in the October 31, 2023 POWERBALL drawing, winning the massive $1.2 billion dollar jackpot. Lottery officials confirmed the winning ticket was purchased in the state of Florida, causing many to wonder exactly where in Florida the lucky winner resides.
The Numbers
The winning numbers from the October 31 drawing were: 10, 33, 41, 47, 56 and Powerball number 10. The lucky ticket holder matched all 6 numbers to win the $1.2 billion jackpot, the second largest in POWERBALL history. The cash value option was chosen for the prize, making the lump sum payout an estimated $497.3 million before taxes. The odds of matching all 6 numbers to win the jackpot are incredibly steep, at just 1 in 292.2 million. This makes the Florida winner extremely fortunate to have defied such odds.
Where in Florida was the Ticket Purchased?
Immediately after it was announced a single Florida ticket won the massive jackpot, speculation began swirling about where exactly in the state the winning ticket had been purchased. Given that Florida has a population of over 21 million, it left many wondering if the winner could possibly be a neighbor. As of now, lottery officials have only disclosed the winning POWERBALL ticket was purchased somewhere in the state of Florida. However, they have not yet revealed the specific city, county, or retailer where the ticket was sold.
Past POWERBALL Winners in Florida
This is not the first time the state of Florida has produced a POWERBALL jackpot winner. In fact, since POWERBALL began in 1992, Florida has sold 16 jackpot winning tickets over the years prior to this most recent win. Here is a quick history of past POWERBALL jackpot winners purchased in Florida:
- May 2013 – $600 million, Zephyrhills
- September 2013 – $50 million, Lakeland
- January 2016 – $950 million, Melbourne Beach
- August 2017 – $543 million, lutz
As you can see, Florida has been home to several substantial POWERBALL jackpot wins over the past decade. So residents of the state are no strangers to having massive lottery winners in their midst.
Demographics of Florida – Where Could the Winner Reside?
Florida is a highly populous state, with over 21.5 million residents. To try and narrow down the possibilities of where the $1.2 billion POWERBALL winner resides, let’s take a look at key demographic data for Florida:
Largest Cities
Here are the 10 largest cities in Florida by population:
| City | Population |
|---|---|
| Jacksonville | 904,755 |
| Miami | 470,914 |
| Tampa | 403,781 |
| Orlando | 287,442 |
| St. Petersburg | 265,098 |
| Hialeah | 238,942 |
| Tallahassee | 196,645 |
| Port St. Lucie | 198,920 |
| Cape Coral | 194,451 |
| Fort Lauderdale | 182,595 |
Based purely on population size, the winner could potentially live in one of these major metropolitan areas. However, POWERBALL tickets are sold across the entire state, so the winner could just as easily hail from a small town.
Counties with the Most Population
Here are the Florida counties with the highest populations:
| County | Population |
|---|---|
| Miami-Dade | 2,716,940 |
| Broward | 1,951,260 |
| Palm Beach | 1,498,044 |
| Hillsborough | 1,436,888 |
| Orange | 1,380,645 |
| Pinellas | 974,996 |
| Duval | 950,181 |
| Lee | 754,610 |
| Polk | 725,602 |
| Brevard | 601,942 |
By looking at the counties with the largest populations, it again increases the odds that the winner could reside in those heavily populated areas. The Miami-Ft. Lauderdale metropolitan area encompassing Miami-Dade and Broward counties has nearly 4.7 million residents combined. However, there are less populated counties across Florida as well where the winner could be from.
Most POWERBALL Retailers by County
The Florida Lottery has over 13,000 licensed retailers across the state selling POWERBALL tickets. Here are the counties currently with the most POWERBALL retailers:
| County | Retailers |
|---|---|
| Miami-Dade | 1,456 |
| Broward | 1,150 |
| Palm Beach | 771 |
| Hillsborough | 715 |
| Orange | 511 |
| Duval | 496 |
| Pinellas | 472 |
| Lee | 368 |
| Polk | 350 |
| Volusia | 328 |
With the most PL retailers, Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties in South Florida stand out as prime areas where the winning ticket could have been purchased. Keep in mind this data does not rule out less populated counties, but counties with more retailers likely sold more POWERBALL tickets, increasing the odds of a jackpot winner.
Past Jackpot Wins by County
As mentioned earlier, Florida has sold 16 POWERBALL jackpot winning tickets since 1992. Here is a breakdown of what counties have sold jackpot winning tickets in the past:
| County | # of Jackpot Wins |
|---|---|
| Brevard | 1 |
| Broward | 1 |
| Duval | 1 |
| Hillsborough | 1 |
| Lee | 1 |
| Martin | 1 |
| Orange | 2 |
| Osceola | 1 |
| Palm Beach | 2 |
| Polk | 2 |
| Sarasota | 1 |
| Seminole | 1 |
While this does not give definitive insight into exactly where the winning $1.2 billion ticket was sold, it provides some clues on counties with past luck selling jackpot tickets. Very few counties have sold multiple winning POWERBALL tickets, likely making the winner’s county an area with little or no jackpot history.
Most Likely Florida Retailers to Have Sold the Winning Ticket
With over 13,000 Florida retailers selling POWERBALL tickets, trying to pinpoint exactly where the winning ticket was sold is extremely difficult without more details from lottery officials. However, we can make some educated guesses on the types of retailers that may have sold the winning ticket based on a few key factors:
High Traffic Locations
The winning ticket was likely purchased at a high traffic retailer with steady daily customer traffic. Busy grocery stores, convenience stores, and gas stations with frequent visitors increase the odds of selling a winning ticket. Some top contenders:
- Publix – With over 800 high traffic supermarket locations in Florida, Publix is a prime candidate for where the ticket was purchased. Publix sold a $590.5 million POWERBALL jackpot winner in 2013.
- 7-Eleven – There are over 600 7-Eleven convenience store locations across Florida, making the chain a probable retailer. 7-Eleven has previously sold two jackpot winning POWERBALL tickets in the state.
- Cumberland Farms – With over 100 locations in Florida, Cumberland Farms is another convenience retailer with steady customer traffic that could have sold the winning POWERBALL ticket.
Past Luck Selling Winning Tickets
Certain retailers in Florida have previously sold winning POWERBALL tickets before, making them frontrunners for where the winning ticket was sold this time around as well. For example:
- Publix in Zephyrhills sold a $590.5 million POWERBALL jackpot winning ticket in 2013.
- 7-Eleven in Fort Myers sold a $106 million POWERBALL ticket in 2019.
- Cumberland Farms in Port Richey sold a $150 million POWERBALL ticket in 2008.
Locations with multiple past big wins likely have better odds of producing POWERBALL winners given their track record.
Major Population Centers
As discussed earlier, counties like Miami-Dade, Broward, Hillsborough, and Orange contain major population centers, increasing the odds that the winning ticket came from those heavily populated areas. Retailers with multiple locations in those counties may be the source of the winning ticket.
Conclusion
Until Florida lottery officials release the name of the retailer location that sold the winning $1.2 billion POWERBALL ticket, we are left to speculate where the fortunate winner resides. Common sense dictates the ticket was likely purchased at a high traffic retailer in a heavily populated area of Florida, probably in a county that has previously sold jackpot winning tickets before. However, without confirmation from the lottery, the winner’s place of residence shall remain a mystery for now. Hopefully soon we will find out exactly where in the sunshine state this massive jackpot winning ticket was sold!
