Flagler County, Florida


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. Its county seat is Bunnell, and the largest city is Palm Coast. 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.

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, of which is land and is water.

Adjacent counties

Racial and ethnic composition

RacePop 2010Pop 2020% 2010% 2020
White 72,86084,29176.14%73.06%
Black or African American 10,47010,53710.94%9.13%
Native American or Alaska Native 2232910.23%0.25%
Asian 2,0202,4502.11%2.12%
Pacific Islander 47590.05%0.05%
Some Other Race 2907040.3%0.61%
Mixed/Multi-Racial 1,5354,7471.6%4.11%
Hispanic or Latino8,25112,2998.62%10.66%
Total95,696115,378100.00%100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Flagler County had a population of 115,378, 48,450 households, and 34,022 families; the population density was 237.3 per square mile, and there were 55,565 housing units at an average density of 114.3 per square mile. Of those housing units, 12.8% were vacant, 78.5% of the occupied units were owner-occupied, and 21.5% were renter-occupied, with a homeowner vacancy rate of 2.1% and a rental vacancy rate of 10.7%.
As of the 2020 census, the median age was 54.0 years; 16.5% of residents were under the age of 18, 6.0% were 18 to 24, 17.4% were 25 to 44, 28.0% were 45 to 64, and 32.2% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.6 males age 18 and over.
As of the 2020 census, the racial makeup of the county was 76.0% White, 9.5% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 3.0% from some other race, and 9.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 10.7% of the population.
As of the 2020 census, 92.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 7.7% lived in rural areas.
As of the 2020 census, there were 48,450 households, of which 21.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 54.8% were married-couple households, 14.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.5 and the average family size was 2.9.

2020 [American Community Survey] (2016–2020) estimates

According to the 2016-2020 American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 19.7% of residents had a bachelor’s degree or higher. The median household income was $57,536, and the median family income was $66,778. Males had a median income of $34,295 versus $26,810 for females, and the median income for those over 16 years old was $30,465. 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.

2010 census

As of the census 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%.

Transportation

Airports

  • Flagler County Airport is the primary airport within the county. It does not provide commercial air services but does serve private, student and business aviation.

    Major roads

  • Other

  • The Florida East Coast Railway provides rail freight services in the county.
  • The Intracoastal Waterway runs just in from the coast in eastern Flagler County and provides for freight shipping and recreational boating.

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

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. 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:
PositionName
School Board Member, District 1Derek Barrs
School Board Member, District 2Will Furry
School Board Member, District 3Janie Ruddy
School Board Member, District 4Christy Chong
School Board Member, District 5Lauren Ramirez

Furry and Chong are in office until 2026, having both been elected in 2022. 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. The county elected Janie Ruddy to the District 3 seat and Lauren Ramirez to the District 5 seat in the 2024 election respectively.

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:
PositionName
Commissioner, Seat 1Vacant
Commissioner, Seat 2Mike Martin
Commissioner, Seat 3Lance Alred

Alred was last elected in 2024, winning terms that expire in 2028. Martin was also up for election in 2024, but faced no opposition. Seat 1 became vacant on December 2, 2025 when Julius 'Jules' Kwiatkowski was announced to have passed away while serving his term in office. Kwiatkowski had been on the Mosquito Control Board since 2008.

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.

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, 2025Flagler County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of April 30, 2025Flagler County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of April 30, 2025Flagler County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of April 30, 2025Flagler County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of April 30, 2025Flagler County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of April 30, 2025
Political PartyPolitical PartyTotal VotersPercentage--
Republican49,47849.41%--
Democratic24,39224.36%--
No party affiliation22,63522.61%--
Minor parties3,6243.62%--
TotalTotal100,129100.00%--