Seminole County, Florida

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Seminole County (Script error: No such module "IPAc-en"., Script error: No such module "Respell".) is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 470,856, making it the 13th-most populated county in Florida.[1][2] Its county seat and largest city is Sanford.[3] Seminole County is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

On July 21, 1821, two counties formed Florida: Escambia to the west and St. Johns to the east. In 1824, the area to the south of St. Johns County was designated Mosquito County, with its seat at Enterprise. The county's name was changed to Orange County in 1845 when Florida became a state, and over the next 70 years several other counties were created. Seminole County was one of the last to split.

Seminole County was created on April 25, 1913, out of the northern portion of Orange County by the Florida Legislature. It was named for the Seminole people who historically lived throughout the area. The name "Seminole" is thought to be derived from the Spanish word cimarron, meaning "wild" or "runaway".

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of Script error: No such module "convert"., of which Script error: No such module "convert". is land and Script error: No such module "convert". (10.4%) is water.[4] It is Florida's fourth-smallest county by land area and third-smallest by total area.

Seminole County's location between Volusia County and Orange County has made it one of Florida's fastest-growing counties. The Greater Orlando Metropolitan District which includes Seminole, Osceola, and the surrounding counties of Lake and Orange counties, together with neighboring Volusia and Brevard counties create a viable, progressive, and diverse setting for economic growth and residential development.

Adjacent counties

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Template:Sronly%±
192010,986—
193018,735Script error: No such module "String".%
194022,304Script error: No such module "String".%
195026,883Script error: No such module "String".%
196054,947Script error: No such module "String".%
197083,692Script error: No such module "String".%
1980179,752Script error: No such module "String".%
1990287,529Script error: No such module "String".%
2000365,196Script error: No such module "String".%
2010422,718Script error: No such module "String".%
2020470,856Script error: No such module "String".%
2025 (est.)491,884[5] IncreaseScript error: No such module "String".%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]
1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8]
1990-2000[9] 2010-2019[1] 2022[10]

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2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 470,856. The median age was 39.4 years. 21.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.2 males age 18 and over.[11]

The racial makeup of the county was 61.5% White, 11.4% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 5.4% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 6.6% from some other race, and 14.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 22.6% of the population.[12]

96.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 3.2% lived in rural areas.[13]

There were 182,420 households in the county, of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 47.6% were married-couple households, 17.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[11]

There were 193,790 housing units, of which 5.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 63.0% were owner-occupied and 37.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.5%.[11]

As of 2020, the Seminole County School District was the 12th largest school district in Florida and 60th nationally with more than 67,000 students and 10,000 employees.[14]

Racial and ethnic composition

Seminole County, Florida – Racial and ethnic composition
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Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 1980[15] Pop 1990[16] Pop 2000[17] Pop 2010[18] Pop 2020[19] % 1980 % 1990 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 154,815 239,612 274,682 280,452 264,072 86.13% 83.33% 75.21% 66.34% 56.08%
Black or African American alone (NH) 17,867 23,801 33,688 44,196 50,276 9.94% 8.28% 9.22% 10.46% 10.68%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 316 754 906 995 765 0.18% 0.26% 0.25% 0.24% 0.16%
Asian alone (NH) 1,294 4,588 8,992 15,451 25,164 0.72% 1.60% 2.46% 3.66% 5.34%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) x [20] x [21] 144 194 243 x x 0.04% 0.05% 0.05%
Other race alone (NH) 303 168 743 1,202 2,975 0.17% 0.06% 0.20% 0.28% 0.63%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) x [22] x [23] 5,310 7,771 20,822 x x 1.45% 1.84% 4.42%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 5,157 18,606 40,731 72,457 106,539 2.87% 6.47% 11.15% 17.14% 22.63%
Total 179,752 287,529 365,196 422,718 470,856 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 365,196 people, 139,572 households, and 97,281 families residing in the county. The population density was Script error: No such module "convert".. There were 147,079 housing units at an average density of Script error: No such module "convert".. The racial makeup of the county was 82.4% White, 9.5% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 2.5% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.1% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. 11.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 139,572 households, out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.3% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.07. The Department of Education states that in 2003, school enrollment was approximately 72,630. As of 2006, the Seminole County School District was the 52nd largest in the nation.[24]

Population was distributed with 25.4% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $49,326, and the median income for a family was $56,895. Males had a median income of $40,001 versus $28,217 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,591. About 5.1% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.6% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over. As of March 2009, according to Workforce Central Florida, the unemployment rate for Seminole County is 9.2 percent.

Religion

The following reflects the latest year available for religious statistics, which was 2000.[25]

Religion Number
Did not claim a religious affiliation 230,901
Catholic 60,191
Evangelical Protestant 48,430
Mainline Protestant 19,713
Other 5,487
Orthodox 474

Government and politics

Seminole County is part of the strongly Republican belt of central and southwest Florida that was the first portion of the state to politically distance itself from the "Solid South", until Joe Biden carried the county in 2020; the last Democratic Party candidate to win the county in a presidential election had been Harry Truman in 1948, and the last Democrat to win a majority of votes in the county being Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944.[26] As of October 31, 2024Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters"., Republicans outnumbered Democrats 122,489 to 113,260, in registered voters.[27]

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The government operates under a County Charter adopted in 1989 and amended in November 1994. Policymaking and the legislative authority are vested in the Board of County Commissioners, a five-member board elected to four-year terms in partisan, countywide elections and from single member districts. The board adopts the county budget, levies property taxes and other fees, and hires the county manager and county attorney. In addition to the board, five constitutional officers are elected to partisan, four-year terms in accordance with the constitution of the State of Florida.

The constitutional officers, clerk of the circuit and county courts, sheriff, tax collector, property appraiser, and supervisor of elections, maintain separate accounting records and budgets. The board funds a portion or, in certain instances, all of the operating budgets of the county's constitutional officers.

The county provides a full range of services: the construction and maintenance of the county's infrastructure, public safety, recreation, health and human services, and development and protection of the physical and economic environment.

In addition to the county government described above, there are other political entities which are controlled by the county, but have their own appointed boards; the Seminole County Expressway Authority, the Seminole County Port Authority, the Fred R. Wilson Memorial Law Library and the US 17-92 Community Redevelopment Agency.

County elected officials

Republicans control all of Seminole County's partisan elected offices. In 2020, despite Joe Biden narrowly winning Seminole County in the presidential election, Republican candidates for county office won by wide margins over their Democratic opponents.[28]

Seminole County Officials
Position Incumbent Next election
style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" |District 1 Commissioner style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" align="center"|Bob Dallari style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" align="center"|2028
style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" |District 2 Commissioner style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" align="center"|Jay Zembower style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" align="center"|2026
style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" |District 3 Commissioner style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" align="center"|Lee Constantine style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" align="center"|2028
style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" |District 4 Commissioner style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" align="center"|Amy Lockhart style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" align="center"|2026
style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" |District 5 Commissioner style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" align="center"|Andria Herr style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" align="center"|2028
style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" |Clerk of Courts and Comptroller style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" align="center"|Grant Maloy style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" align="center"|2028
style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" |Sheriff style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" align="center"|Dennis Lemma style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" align="center"|2028
style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" |Property Appraiser style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" align="center"|David Johnson style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" align="center"|2028
style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" |Tax Collector style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" align="center"|J. R. Kroll style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" align="center"|2028
style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" |Supervisor of Elections style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" align="center"|Amy Pennock style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" align="center"|2028
style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" |18th Judicial Circuit State Attorney style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" align="center"|Phil Archer style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" align="center"|2028
style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" |18th Judicial Circuit Public Defender style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" align="center"|Blaise Trettis style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading" align="center"|2028

Secondary officials

Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District

The Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District serves as an administrative role to conserve the environment within the county.[29]

The following officers are elected as indicated:

Seminole County Soil and Water Conservation District Officers
Group Name Position Election Year
Group 1 Jennifer Webb Vice Chair & Public Relations 2024
Group 2 Karen Hariot Chairperson 2026
Group 3 Megan Betche Secretary 2024
Group 4 Gabbie Milch Treasurer 2026
Group 5 Vacant TBD 2024

Law enforcement

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The Seminole County Sheriff's Office is the law enforcement agency for unincorporated areas of Seminole County. As of 2022Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". the current sheriff is Dennis M. Lemma, who took office in 2017.

The Seminole County Sheriff's Office is currently accredited by eight independent bodies:

Libraries

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The library system was founded in 1978 by the Seminole County Board of County Commissioners. It contains 500,000 volumes and has a circulation of 2.5 million books annually.[30] There are five branches, located in the cities of Casselberry, Sanford, Lake Mary, Oviedo, and Longwood.[31]

An online catalog is available including access to e-books and audio books. Library cards are restricted to county residents, property owners, students (enrolled in a county public school), or employed by the county government.[32]

Education

Seminole County Public Schools operates public schools.

Transportation

Interstates and expressways

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Surface roads

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Airports

Passenger rail

The Amtrak Auto Train service, which transports both passengers and cars, has its southern terminus in Seminole County at the Sanford Amtrak station.Template:Efn The train offers daily service between the Sanford station and a northern terminus in Lorton, Virginia.

The SunRail commuter rail service has stops in four counties in Central Florida, including Seminole County. Seminole County itself contains four SunRail stations: Altamonte Springs, Longwood, Lake Mary, and Sanford.Template:Efn

Public transportation

LYNX provides public bus service to three counties in Central Florida, including Seminole County. As of January 2026Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters"., LYNX operates 3 bus routes in the southern part of the county.[34][35]

In 2025, the county introduced a microtransit service, dubbed Scout, which replaced most of the county's LYNX routes in early 2026.[36] Scout offers on-demand service in five designated zones across the county, as well as to the University of Central Florida in neighboring Orange County. The service costs $4-14 per ride, depending on the number of zone boundaries crossed during a trip.[34]

Communities

Cities

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Census-designated places

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Unincorporated communities

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Former communities

See also

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Notes

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References

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  20. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
  21. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
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  23. ↑ not an option in the 1990 Census
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  26. ↑ Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
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External links

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