Flagler County, Florida

Last updated

Flagler County
County
Bunnell, FL, Courthouse, Flagler County, 08-08-2010 (2).JPG
Flagler County Courthouse in Bunnell
Map of Florida highlighting Flagler County.svg
Location within the U.S. state of Florida
Florida in United States.svg
Florida's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 29°28′N81°18′W / 29.47°N 81.3°W / 29.47; -81.3
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
StateFlag of Florida.svg Florida
FoundedApril 28, 1917
Named after Henry Flagler
Seat Bunnell
Largest city Palm Coast
Area
 • Total
571 sq mi (1,480 km2)
 • Land485 sq mi (1,260 km2)
 • Water85 sq mi (220 km2)  15.0%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
115,378
 • Estimate 
(2023)
131,439 Increase2.svg
 • Density200/sq mi (78/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 6th
Website www.flaglercounty.org

Flagler County is a county located in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 115,378. [1] Its county seat is Bunnell, and the largest city is Palm Coast. [2] [3] Created in 1917 from portions of Saint Johns and Volusia Counties, it was named for Henry Flagler, who built the Florida East Coast Railway. Flagler County is included in the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach, FL metropolitan statistical area, and is also included in the Orlando–Deltona–Daytona Beach, FL Combined Statistical Area. [4]

Contents

History

In 1974, Marco Polo Park, a theme park off Interstate 95 opened. It was never profitable and closed soon after.

In 1998, when two brush fires threatened to become one huge brush fire in Flagler County, a mandatory evacuation was ordered for the entire county. This was the first and so far the only time a whole county was evacuated in Florida for a wildfire.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 571 square miles (1,480 km2), of which 485 square miles (1,260 km2) is land and 85 square miles (220 km2) (15.0%) is water. [5]

Adjacent counties

Parks and gardens

Rivers and waterways

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1920 2,442—
1930 2,4661.0%
1940 3,00822.0%
1950 3,36711.9%
1960 4,56635.6%
1970 4,454−2.5%
1980 10,913145.0%
1990 28,701163.0%
2000 49,83273.6%
2010 95,69692.0%
2020 115,37820.6%
2023 (est.)131,439 [6] 13.9%
U.S. Decennial Census [7]
1790-1960 [8] 1900-1990 [9]
1990-2000 [10] 2010-2019 [1]
Flagler County racial composition
(NH = Non-Hispanic) [a]
RacePop 2010 [13] Pop 2020 [14] % 2010% 2020
White (NH)72,86084,29176.14%73.06%
Black or African American (NH)10,47010,53710.94%9.13%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)2232910.23%0.25%
Asian (NH)2,0202,4502.11%2.12%
Pacific Islander (NH)47590.05%0.05%
Some Other Race (NH)2907040.3%0.61%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH)1,5354,7471.6%4.11%
Hispanic or Latino 8,25112,2998.62%10.66%
Total95,696115,378100.00%100.00%
A map of the racial demographics of Flagler County, Florida by Census tract Legend .mw-parser-output .col-begin{border-collapse:collapse;padding:0;color:inherit;width:100%;border:0;margin:0}.mw-parser-output .col-begin-small{font-size:90%}.mw-parser-output .col-break{vertical-align:top;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .col-break-2{width:50%}.mw-parser-output .col-break-3{width:33.3%}.mw-parser-output .col-break-4{width:25%}.mw-parser-output .col-break-5{width:20%}@media(max-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .col-begin,.mw-parser-output .col-begin>tbody,.mw-parser-output .col-begin>tbody>tr,.mw-parser-output .col-begin>tbody>tr>td{display:block!important;width:100%!important}.mw-parser-output .col-break{padding-left:0!important}} Non-Hispanic White .mw-parser-output .legend{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .legend-color{display:inline-block;min-width:1.25em;height:1.25em;line-height:1.25;margin:1px 0;text-align:center;border:1px solid black;background-color:transparent;color:black}.mw-parser-output .legend-text{} 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% 80-90% >90% 2023 Racial Demographics in Flagler County by Census Tract.svg
A map of the racial demographics of Flagler County, Florida by Census tract
Legend

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 115,378 people, 48,450 households, and 34,022 families in Flagler County, Florida. [15] [16] The population density was 237.3 per square mile (91.6/km2). There were 55,565 housing units at an average density of 114.3 per square mile (44.1/km2). [16] [17] The racial makeup was 75.98% (87,661) White or European American (73.06% non-Hispanic white), 9.48% (10,935) black or African-American, 0.33% (385) Native American or Alaska Native, 2.18% (2,512) Asian, 0.06% (65) Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, 2.98% (3,436) from other races, and 9.0% (10,384) from two or more races. [18] Hispanic or Latino of any race was 10.66% (12,299) of the population. [19]

Of the 48,450 households, 21.8% had children under the age of 18; 54.8% were married couples living together; 24.7% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 24.0% of households consisted of individuals and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. [16] The average household size was 2.5 and the average family size was 2.9. [20] The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 19.7% of the population. [21]

16.5% of the population was under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 17.4% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 32.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 54.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.5 males. [16] For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 111.6 males. [16]

The 2016-2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $57,536 (with a margin of error of +/- $2,337). The median family income was $66,778 (+/- $2,998). [22] Males had a median income of $34,295 (+/- $3,092) versus $26,810 (+/- $1,300) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $30,465 (+/- $1,204). [23] Approximately, 7.8% of families and 11.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.4% of those under the age of 18 and 6.9% of those ages 65 or over. [24] [25]

2010 census

As of the census [26] of 2010, there were 95,696 people, 39,186 households, and 27,843 families residing in the county. The population density was 197.1 people per square mile. There were 48,595 housing units. The racial makeup of the county was 82.3% White, 11.4% Black or African American. 8.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 19.9% under the age of 18, and 24.5% who were 65 years of age or older.

The median income for a household in the county was $51,049, and the median income for a family was $58,327.

Flagler county was ranked the fastest-growing county in the nation by the US Census Bureau from 2000 to 2005, boasting a 53.3% change, with a July 1, 2005, population estimate at 76,410. As of 2016 the largest ancestry group in the county was English-American at 18.1% of the county, followed by German-American at 12.7% and Irish-American also at 12.7%. [27]

Transportation

Airports

Major roads

Other

Politics

Flagler County Board of County Commissioners

Flagler County's foremost elected body is the Board of County Commissioners, a five-seat board elected in partisan races with four-year terms. The County Commission has the following members: [29]

PositionNameParty
 Commissioner, District 1Andy Dance (Chair) Republican
 Commissioner, District 2Greg Hansen Republican
 Commissioner, District 3Kim Carney Republican
 Commissioner, District 4Leann Pennington (Vice Chair) Republican
 Commissioner, District 5Pam Richardson Republican

Commissioners Pennington and Hansen are in office until 2026, having each been elected in 2022. [30] Dance's term expires in 2028, having been re-elected in the 2024 primary election. [31] Carney and Richardson were elected in 2024, and their terms will expire in 2028. [32]

Flagler County School Board

The county is also served by the Flagler School Board, who are elected in non-partisan races to four-year terms in office. [33] One member, Derek Barrs, is poised to leave office upon potential confirmation as the U.S. Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The members are as follows: [34]

PositionName
School Board Member, District 1Derek Barrs
School Board Member, District 2Will Furry (Chair)
School Board Member, District 3Janie Ruddy
School Board Member, District 4Christy Chong (Vice Chair)
School Board Member, District 5Lauren Ramirez

Furry and Chong are in office until 2026, having both been elected in 2022. [35] Barrs was defeated by Ruddy in the 2024 election, but was then appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to fulfill the vacancy created by member Sally Hunt's resignation. [33] [36] The county elected Janie Ruddy to the District 3 seat and Lauren Ramirez to the District 5 seat in the 2024 election respectively. [37]

East Flagler Mosquito Control District

Flagler County voters elect three individuals to the East Flagler Mosquito Control District Board of Commissioners in non-partisan races, with each serving a four-year term in office. The commissioners are responsible for overseeing the management of mosquito breeding and population within the county. The members are as follows: [38]

PositionName
Commissioner, Seat 1Julius 'Jules' Kwiatkowski
Commissioner, Seat 2Mike Martin (Chair)
Commissioner, Seat 3Lance Alred

Kwiatkowski and Alred were last elected in 2024, winning terms that expire in 2028. Martin was also up for election in 2024, but faced no opposition. [39]

Other Elected Officials

The county is also served by five elected constitutional officers: Sheriff Rick Staly, Property Appraiser Jay Gardner, Clerk of Courts Tom Bexley, Tax Collector Suzanne Johnston, and Elections Supervisor Kaiti Lenhart. [40]

Voter registration

According to the Secretary of State's office, Republicans are a plurality of registered voters in Flagler County. The last Democrat to win the county was Barack Obama in 2008, and since then it has seen a gradual increase in Republican support in every election. In 2024, Donald Trump performed better in the county than any Republican since Nixon's 1972 landslide.

Flagler County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of April 30, 2025 [41]
Political PartyTotal VotersPercentage
Republican 49,47849.41%
Democratic 24,39224.36%
No party affiliation22,63522.61%
Minor parties3,6243.62%
Total100,129100.00%

Statewide elections

United States presidential election results for Flagler County, Florida [42]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
1920 7419.79%20655.08%9425.13%
1924 7520.16%20254.30%9525.54%
1928 32558.14%21939.18%152.68%
1932 9416.52%47583.48%00.00%
1936 10617.29%50782.71%00.00%
1940 13619.74%55380.26%00.00%
1944 11422.14%40177.86%00.00%
1948 15423.77%15323.61%34152.62%
1952 51251.30%48648.70%00.00%
1956 49841.92%69058.08%00.00%
1960 42631.35%93368.65%00.00%
1964 71843.31%94056.69%00.00%
1968 36020.25%60133.80%81745.95%
1972 1,40974.08%49325.92%00.00%
1976 1,26237.41%2,08661.84%250.74%
1980 2,89551.70%2,50344.70%2023.61%
1984 4,91362.08%3,00037.91%10.01%
1988 6,50460.32%4,24439.36%340.32%
1992 6,24638.19%6,69340.92%3,41620.89%
1996 8,23441.01%9,58547.74%2,26011.26%
2000 12,61846.53%13,89751.25%6012.22%
2004 19,63351.02%18,57848.28%2690.70%
2008 23,95148.66%24,72650.24%5401.10%
2012 26,96953.19%23,20745.77%5311.05%
2016 33,85058.38%22,02637.98%2,1113.64%
2020 43,04359.90%28,16139.19%6590.92%
2024 51,01463.59%28,43135.44%7720.96%
Previous gubernatorial elections results
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2022 66.76%39,18332.67% 19,1770.57% 336
2018 58.60%30,95140.11% 21,1831.29% 682
2014 52.82%19,99642.25% 15,9944.93% 1,868
2010 52.91%17,71143.11% 14,4303.98% 1,335
2006 51.81%15,37645.79% 13,5892.40% 714
2002 55.97%14,40743.25% 11,1330.77% 199
1998 54.01%9,77945.99% 8,326
1994 47.37% 7,16052.63%7,954

Education

Flagler County Public Schools enroll approximately 13,000 students. [43] The system includes two public high schools, Flagler Palm Coast and Matanzas High School. The county also has five elementary schools and two middle schools. All elementary schools will be Pre-K to 5th grade and middle schools 6th and 8th. Flagler County schools are:

In addition, Daytona State College maintains a branch campus in Palm Coast.

Roman Catholic Diocese of Orlando operates area Catholic schools. Father Lopez Catholic High School, a private high school, is in nearby Daytona Beach. [44]

Libraries

Flagler County Library System consists of two branches with over 57,000 borrowers. [45] The Main Branch is located at 2500 Palm Coast Pkwy NW, Palm Coast and the Bunnell Branch is located at 103 E Moody Blvd, Bunnell. The Flagler County Library system currently employees eighteen staff, with fourteen full-time employees and four part-time employees with an annual operating budget of $1 million. [46]

The Flagler County Public Library was created by the County Commission in 1987, but as early as 1937, a room of the County Courthouse in Bunnell was set aside for a small library, which was sponsored by the Colony Club. The current library director is Holly Albanese.

The Flagler County Library System offers a wide variety of services beyond traditional library services. They have an e-book collection through Overdrive and Axis360. The library system will assist patrons in filing taxes, and applying for some government programs, as well as with passport applications. Both libraries offer fax services, and the Main Branch also offers scanning services. [47]

In 2001, the Flagler County Library System began a local oral history project called the "Flagler County Memories Project". This project is currently being recorded and then preserved on compact discs. The project mission states, "This collection of oral life histories seeks to sample the common themes and unique stories of selected local residents." [48]

Communities

Cities

Towns

Unincorporated communities

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race. [11] [12]

References

  1. 1 2 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 6, 2011. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ↑ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Flagler County, Florida". Archived from the original on June 21, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  4. ↑ "OMB Bulletin No. 18-04:Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas" (PDF). United States Office of Management and Budget. September 14, 2018. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
  5. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  7. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  11. ↑ http://www.census.gov [ not specific enough to verify ]
  12. ↑ "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  15. ↑ "US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type". data.census.gov. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 "US Census Bureau, Table DP1: Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics". data.census.gov. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  17. ↑ "Gazetteer Files". Census.gov. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
  18. ↑ "US Census Bureau, Table P1: RACE". data.census.gov. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  19. ↑ "US Census Bureau, Table P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race". data.census.gov. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  20. ↑ "US Census Bureau, Table S1101: Households and Families". data.census.gov. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  21. ↑ "US Census Bureau, Table S1501: Educational Attainment". data.census.gov. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  22. ↑ "US Census Bureau, Table S1903: Median Income in the Past 12 Months (In 2020 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars)". data.census.gov. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  23. ↑ "US Census Bureau, Table S2001: Earnings in the Past 12 Months (In 2020 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars)". data.census.gov. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  24. ↑ "US Census Bureau, Table S1701: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months". data.census.gov. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  25. ↑ "US Census Bureau, Table S1702: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months of Families". data.census.gov. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  26. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  27. ↑ https://www.census.gov/ [ not specific enough to verify ]
  28. ↑ "Florida Department of Transportation, Division of Survey and Mapping, Road Map of Flagler County (PDF)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 10, 2016. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
  29. ↑ "Flagler County Board of County Commissioners".
  30. ↑ Gollon, Chris (November 23, 2022). "Mullins Out, Pennington in on County Commission; Hansen and Dance Get Leadership Slots". AskFlagler.
  31. ↑ Gollon, Chris (August 21, 2024). "Andy Dance Wins Re-Election, Besting Fernando Melendez". AskFlagler.
  32. ↑ Gollon, Chris (November 20, 2024). "Kim Carney, Pam Richardson Sworn In to County Commission Seats". AskFlagler. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  33. 1 2 Gollon, Chris (September 20, 2024). "Flagler School Board Member Sally Hunt Resigns Her Seat". AskFlagler.
  34. ↑ "Board Members".
  35. ↑ Gollon, Chris (November 22, 2022). "New School Board Members Sworn In; Massaro and Conklin Get Chair and Vice Chair". AskFlagler.
  36. ↑ Gollon, Chris (October 31, 2024). "2 Months After Election Loss, DeSantis Gives Derek Barrs School Board Seat". AskFlagler. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  37. ↑ Gollon, Chris (August 23, 2024). "Lauren Ramirez, Janie Ruddy Win School Board Races". AskFlagler.
  38. ↑ "Board Information". East Flagler Mosquito Control District. December 2, 2022. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  39. ↑ "Summary Results - Election Night Reporting". enr.electionsfl.org. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  40. ↑ "Elected Constitutional Officers".
  41. ↑ "Florida Voter Registration by County and Party". Florida Division of Elections. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
  42. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  43. ↑ "Schools | Flagler County Public Schools". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016.
  44. ↑ Trimble, Linda (July 10, 2012). "Father Lopez High School gets new president". The Daytona Beach News-Journal . Daytona Beach, Florida . Retrieved March 27, 2024. [...]Father Lopez, the only Catholic high school in Volusia and Flagler counties.
  45. ↑ "Flagler County, FL - Library System". www.flaglercounty.org. Archived from the original on April 26, 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
  46. ↑ "Flagler County Public Library System" . Retrieved April 25, 2016.
  47. ↑ "Flagler County, FL". www.flaglercounty.org. Archived from the original on April 18, 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
  48. ↑ "Local History". Archived from the original on April 18, 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

Government links/Constitutional offices

Special districts

Judicial branch

29°28′N81°18′W / 29.47°N 81.30°W / 29.47; -81.30

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.