Flagler County, Florida had the highest growth rate in housing stock of all counties in the nation for the period July 2004 to July 2005, according to recently released U.S. Census Bureau statistics. The county added more than 5,000 housing units over the year – a 14.8 percent increase. This marks the second year in a row that Flagler County tops the list of fastest-growing housing markets.
Other counties rounding out the top five in the country include:
- Sumter County, Florida (second place);
- Pinal County, Arizona (third);
- Osceola County, Florida (fourth); and
- Franklin County, Washington (fifth)
For the same time period, the U.S. experienced an overall growth rate of 1.5 percent in housing units. Four of the five states with the highest rate of growth in housing stock are located in the West. For states, Nevada’s experienced a growth rate in housing units almost three times the rate of growth for the nation.
Earlier this year, Flagler County was named the fastest-growing county in terms of population – also for the second year in a row. Growth in the county has been steady over the past fifteen years; the 2005 population estimate for Flagler County is 76,410, compared to 49,832 in 2000, and 28,701 in 1990, according to the Census Bureau.
Flagler County is located in the northeastern section of Florida. Bunnell is the county seat; other cities in the county include Palm Coast (established as a city in 1999), Flagler Beach, and Marineland.