Florida Counties Compared – “Real Estate Matters” December 27, 2025 Video Podcast

For more than 11 years, Real Estate Matters has been the voice of real estate in Palm Coast and Flagler County, Florida. Veranda Bay, the new luxury Intracoastal Community in Flagler Beach, sponsors the show.

Florida Counties Compared on over 60 metrics: government revenue and expenses, taxes, and more.

Be sure to check out the new Flagler County Map of Developments and Subdivisions.

The companion article to this broadcast, complete with a copy of the study, can be found here.

Raw Show Notes

Our behind-the-scenes guide to the show’s flow, including topics we didn’t have time to get to on the show. This is raw and likely contains typos. Data reflects the date of the show’s recording

Show Notes 12-27-2025

Recorded 12-23-2025

This is Real Estate Matters, the voice of real estate in Flagler County and Palm Coast for over 11 years. Welcome to the quiet side of Florida.

I’m Toby Tobin, the publisher of GoToby.com, contributor to the Palm Coast Observer, and a Florida-licensed Realtor with Grand Living Realty. Co-host Annamaria Long is on the phone today.

Thanks to Our Sponsors:

• Our Lead Sponsor is Veranda Bay – A private developing community of lots and luxury homes on the Intracoastal Waterway in Flagler Beach, featuring custom homes by Olsen Homes, AR Homes by Arthur Rutenberg, ICI Homes, and Hulbert Homes. Newly opened sections feature homes by Toll Brothers and Dream Finders. To learn more, visit VerandaBay.com.
• Flagler County Home Builders Association
• Hammock Community Church – On A1A in The Hammock – Small enough to know you but large enough to serve you. North of the toll bridge with the message sign out front. It’s not just for Hammockians. Like me, many people cross the bridge.

Guest: None

December MTD stats:

• 199 Homes sold via the Flagler MLS at $389,900 vs 230 homes at $355,000K last December, DOM = 73 this year, %/List 97%
• $250K and lower = 7, 2 for cash, DOM=16. 9 sold last December 8 for cash. %/List 91%
• $1M or higher – 14, 13 for cash, DOM=15. 9 sold last December 5 for cash. %/List 96%
• Homes listed – 1,179
• Homes Pending – 293
• 5.1 months of inventory
• Median Price of homes pending – $375K
• GINNdex is down from 4.9 in July to 4

Observations:

December is often an odd month in housing. Year-end financial positioning decisions prevail. Both median and average sales prices are elevated. Cash is king. 

The high end of the market is very strong.

We have already exceeded last December’s total sales volume.

The last four months of the year are substantially better for the Flagler housing market than both the first 8 months of the year and the same period last year.

Third quarter GDP growth was a surprising 4.3%. Increased tax refunds will fuel 2026 and reduced withholding.

Today’s Topic – 2025 How Florida Counties Compare

Of Florida’s 67 counties, Flagler ranks second in the per capita collection of County, Municipal and School Impact Fees with a total of $315.78 per capita vs $112.45 per capita for the entire state. St Johns collects $227.18 per capita while Volusia collects $113.26. (measured in 2022-23). 20 counties have no impact fees. But that’s not the entire picture.

Florida TaxWatch, sponsored by the North Florida Land Trust, released this month its 2025 How Florida Counties Compare report. The report compares Florida’s counties across over 60 metrics, including spending, revenue, usage fees, property value, millage rate, employment, population, and more.

Florida’s counties, cities, school districts, and special tax districts collectively spend more money combined than the state government does, so this data is essential. Statewide, county expenditure growth vs. population and inflation growth (over the period FY 2012-13 to FY 2023-24) shows expenditures grew by 63.1%, exceeding population and inflation-adjusted growth of only 54.5%.

Total expenditures by municipalities exceeded population and inflation growth in 41 of Florida’s 67 counties.

Taxing and spending levels vary across the state’s counties based on differences in population, density, household income, tourism, and real estate values. Not surprisingly, the variations in the adopted revenue mix are more puzzling as jurisdictions select different mixes of revenue sources.

Per Capita Total Property Tax Levies (2024)

How does Flagler County stack up on some key metrics?

• Flagler County $2,176.86
• Statewide $2,397.57

Per Capita County Government Property Tax Levies (2024)

• Flagler County $998.11
• Statewide $941.74

Per Capita Municipal Government Property Tax Levies (2024)

• Flagler cities $380.35
• Statewide cities $376.80

Per Capita School District Property Tax Levies (2024)

• Flagler County $734.63
• Statewide $933.39

Average Total Property Tax Millage Rate (2024)

• Flagler 17.2605
• Statewide 16.3624

Property Tax Growth vs Population and Inflation (2014-2024)

• Flagler County 119.5% tax growth vs 78.8% adjusted for population and inflation growth
• Statewide 108.1% tax growth vs 54.9% adjusted for population and inflation growth

Growth in Property Taxes for the 59 Largest Florida Cities (2014-2024)

• Palm Coast 152.9%
• Statewide 135.3%

Percent of Total Just Value that is Taxable

• Flagler County 56.4%
• Statewide 62%

Per Capita County and Municipal Charges for Services

• Flagler County $1,292.54
• Statewide $1,508.53

Per Capita Local Option Tourist Development Tax Revenue (FY2023-24)

• Flagler $41.14
• Statewide $89.60

Per Capita County, Municipal, and School Impact Fees (FY 2022-23)

• Flagler County $315.78
• Statewide $112.45 (20 counties reported no impact fees)

Per Capita Total County and Municipal Government Revenue (FY 2022-23)

• Flagler County $3,673.45
• Statewide $4,750.51

Population Density (2025 – Persons/Square Mile)

• Flagler County 290
• Florida 445

The list goes on. Not surprisingly, the cost of government is growing faster than population growth and inflation. To see the entire report, CLICK HERE and wow your friends and befuddle your social media critics with the facts.

Filler News:

For Sale by Owner transactions – better known as FSBOs – comprised just 5% of home sales during the past few years, beating out last year’s lowest on record of 7%, according to the National Association of Realtors®’ 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers. Meanwhile, a record high of 91% of home sellers sold their homes with the assistance of a real estate agent.

The FSBO market share has been gradually shrinking over the last four decades, even as technological advances have entered more aspects of a real estate transaction. In 1985, FSBO sales accounted for up to 21% of home sales. The FSBO share has stayed mainly in the single digits since 2010.

Wrap up:

Video podcasts of Real Estate Matters are now available on GoToby.com. Click on Podcasts on the top navigation bar. Show notes are included so you can see what we didn’t get to on the show.

If you have a question or a suggestion for Real Estate Matters or GoToby.com, reach out to me.

(386) 931-7124 or email me at Toby@GoToby.com