Growth of unincorporated Volusia
outpaces rates of growth in cities
Volusia County
is a big place – 1,103 square miles of land and 329 square miles of
water. A majority of Volusia’s approximately 500,000 residents live
within the boundaries of our cities. However, unincorporated Volusia
by far is the biggest when it comes to land mass and population by
jurisdiction.
The population
of our unincorporated area is 114,961, a number that dwarfs the
number of residents in Deltona or Daytona Beach, our largest cities.
In terms of size, unincorporated Volusia consists of more than 700
square miles.
When it comes
to growth, there is more action in unincorporated Volusia than any
other single area of the county. For example, of all the permits for
new construction in Volusia County issued in 2005, 25.5 percent were
issued for unincorporated areas.
What’s the attraction?
“Many people
move here in search of a rural setting and areas with lower
density,” according to Tom Brooks, a planner with Volusia County’s
Growth Management Department. In fact, many people living in our
unincorporated areas moved here from other parts of the state or
nation where they felt as though they were chased away as rural
lands diminished in the wake of growth and development. “In our
surveys of people living in our unincorporated areas, it came
through loudly and clearly they came here in search of a rural
lifestyle. When they sought to protect the peace and quiet they
cherish, the Volusia County Council obliged by approving local area
plans that help to protect the rural character of these areas.”
However, this
preference for a rural or small town existence is not limited to the
wide open spaces. In Wilbur By-the-Sea, a quaint unincorporated
village along the shoreline between Ponce Inlet and Daytona Beach
Shores, people love the small town charm and the fact that densities
are low. This is because the residences are primarily single family
homes and there are no high-rise condominium projects to skew the
density ratios. The challenge will be for communities such as Wilbur
By-the-Sea and other rural neighborhoods to retain the charm that
residents found attractive in the first place.
This will not be
easy, given the growth that continues in Volusia County. No matter
how you slice it, Volusia County is growing every day. Countywide,
27,000 new residents move in each year and 18,000 move out, for a
net gain of about 9,000 annually, or just under 25 new residents per
day.
