NEWS Health Care Education Real Estate Florida 500 Movers & Influencers Law & Politics Business Beat Exclusives

Subscribe

April 20, 2024

SHARE:

community portrait

Daytona Beach & Volusia County

More than just gathering data, we're trying to capture elements that make each community distinctive.

Florida Trend Staff | 2/1/2010

Economic Life

» Average Wage (all industries)

Volusia County: $32,924

Florida: $40,579

» Taxes and Cost of Living

Volusia County’s cost of living ranks below the state’s average. The county ranks 32nd among 67 Florida counties in total county taxes levied.

» Economic Engines

The Daytona 500 draws close to 200,000 fans. [Photo: John Harrelson - Getty]

» Tourism: The county’s 10 million-annual-visitor tourism industry starts with its 47 miles of beach, which attract legions of surfers, vacationers and spring breakers. From the days early last century when autos raced on the sand, Volusia’s history is intertwined with that of motorsports. NASCAR’s headquarters is at Daytona International Speedway, and New Smyrna Speedway and Volusia Speedway Park also host races. Daytona Beach’s Bike Week is a local institution. There are more than 20 golf courses in the county, including the LPGA headquarters course. Inland, Skydive DeLand is a favorite for parachuters, and the county’s natural areas and waterways — whether springs like Blue Spring, rivers like St. Johns, Indian or Halifax, or the Atlantic Ocean — draw campers, watersport enthusiasts and fishermen.

» Manufacturing: A higher-than-state-average portion of the county’s workforce is employed at the more than 400 manufacturing firms in the county, which produce everything from military products to boats, medical equipment, aerospace products, sensors, automotive equipment and suntan products.

Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center near I-95 has expanded its presence.

» Healthcare: More than a million square feet of new hospital space — nearly half a billion dollars’ worth — opened in 2009, as both Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center and Halifax Health Medical Center opened new facilities in Daytona Beach. Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center expanded, replacing an older facility in Ormond Beach with a new, 277-bed facility near I-95. Florida Hospital also plans a cancer institute. Halifax Health opened a 10-story, 180-bed tower on its existing campus with a state-of-the-art emergency department, one of the largest in Florida. Another hospital, the non-profit, 112-bed Bert Fish Medical Center, is operated by the Southeast Volusia Hospital District.

Stetson University's 175-acre DeLand campus is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

» Education

Together, education and healthcare services account for almost 20% of total employment in Volusia. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Stetson University, Bethune-Cookman, the University of Central Florida, Daytona Beach State College and for-profit Keiser College all operate in the county. Embry-Riddle, one of Volusia County’s largest employers, is internationally regarded for its aerospace programs, serving more than 34,000 students worldwide at campuses in Daytona Beach, Arizona and virtually on the internet. The county is also home to several vocational and technical schools, including the American Motorcycle Institute and Florida Technical College.

» Agriculture

Farming and other agriculture accounts for around 8,000 jobs in Volusia, producing products with a total market value of more than $100 million. Greenhouses and nurseries — the northern part of the county is famous for production of ferns — account for nearly a third of the around 1,100 farms.

» Largest Employers

» Volusia County School Board, 8,998 employees

» Halifax Staffing, 6,330

» Publix Super Markets, 2,798

» Wal-Mart, 2,206

» Vision HR (management services), 1,667

Embry-Riddle is a leader in aerospace education.

» Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, 1,513

» Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center, 1,403

» Daytona Beach State College, 1,334

» Winn Dixie Stores, 1,290

» Notable Firms

» NASCAR, International Speedway Corp., Daytona International Speedway

» Brown & Brown (insurance and brokerage)

» Boston Whaler (fiberglass outboard motor boats)

» Germfree Laboratories (hospital and pharmacy equipment)

» Hudson Technologies (metal products for medical, automotive and aerospace use)

» Native Tan Sun Fun Products (suntan products)

» Naarden (motorcycle performance products)

» Pierson Fern and Greens (horticulture)

» Tropical Blossom Honey Co.

» Ladies Professional Golf Association (headquarters)

» Raydon Corp. (military simulation training technology)

Don Ariel, CEO of Raydon Corp.

» CartTech (shopping cart refurbishing)

» Crane Cams (racing and high-performance auto parts)

» Microflex (metal hose, vehicle exhaust components)

» Sparton Electronics Florida (electronics design and manufacturing)

« PREVIOUS 1 2 3 4 5 6 NEXT »

Florida hospitals: Building boom

College crime surging back to pre-COVID levels. Here's the crime at Florida colleges, universities

Florida insurance market full of ‘low quality' companies, study finds

Sunshine State manufacturing is a powerhouse, rivals tourism

For SUBSCRIBERS

READ THE April Issue » Access An Issue

FLORIDA TREND MAGAZINE

· LAST MONTH'S ISSUE · SUBSCRIBE NOW! · BUY A SINGLE ISSUE · GET DIGITAL ACCESS

Florida Business News

Will seaweed on Florida beaches be bad in 2024? Here's the latest outlook
Remember the blob? Just over a year ago, Florida beaches were inundated by a smelly, irritating seaweed known as sargassum. Will the same thing happen in 2024?
Panhandle students get pipeline to construction jobs at Career Days
The fourth-annual Construction Career Days event brought together more than 1,000 high school students from four counties to introduce them to the various career paths available across the construction industry.
Masonite shareholders sue to block $3.9B deal on claims of self-dealing, faulty info
Three Masonite International Corp. shareholders filed lawsuits to block the Tampa-based manufacturer’s $3.9 billion sale to Owens Corning.
A hotel, hundreds of homes and retail in the Ag Reserve? A proposal is in the pipeline
Another mixed-use development may be coming to part of Palm Beach County’s Agricultural Reserve, one of the few swaths of relatively open land left in all of South Florida.
Orange County ramps up $100 million in transportation work after tax effort suspended
Orange County has started work on several transportation projects in a $100 million initiative. The progress comes on the heels of the county commission tabling the effort to get a transportation sales tax on the 2024 ballot.

Florida News Releases

Florida Trend Video Pick

Giant domino line of cereal boxes falls to celebrate Cereal for Summer Drive

About one thousand cereal boxes were lined up by Achieva Credit Union employees in honor of the donations.

Video Picks | Viewpoints@FloridaTrend

Ballot Box

Do you think recreational marijuana should be legal in Florida?

See Results

About Us Contact Us Site Map Circulation Services

Advertise Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy

Florida Trend Media Company
490 1st Ave S
St Petersburg, FL 33701
727.821.5800

FREE News Alerts
Stay on top of Florida business by signing up for any of our free eNewsletters. They are easy to read on any device, and always filled with timely news, insights and analysis.

SUBSCRIBE and get a FREE GIFT!
Now you can read Florida Trend anytime and anywhere. Subscribe today for the format that suits your lifestyle best: Print, Digital or All Access!