COUNTY
Bay County
Florida · 204,479 residents (2025 est.) · 759 sq mi
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Part of the Panama City metro area
Notable rankings
#74Fastest growingof 3,135+16.7%The short version
Bay County is a county of 186,393 people in Florida. Few US counties rank higher on income. 38,176 more people live here than in 2000. About 30% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The foreign-born share is 9%. 82% were living in the same home a year earlier.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $73,533, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 41.0
US median: 38.9
Less educated
30% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 104%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Bay County
What changed most since 1990
- Median home value (2024 dollars)$146,404 → $310,500 (+112%)US over the same years: +67%
- White share85.1% → 72.7% (−12.4 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Among the 67 counties in Florida
- 23rd in household income$73,533
- 28th in share with a bachelor's degree29.6%
- 29th in home value$310,500
- 42nd in diversity score56.2
Section 01
Population & growth
186,393
+26%since 2000
from 148,217 in 2000
204,479 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
759 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024186K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.5%(10,295)
5 to 95.9%(10,905)
10 to 146.1%(11,369)
15 to 195.4%(10,072)
20 to 245.8%(10,809)
25 to 3413.4%(24,939)
35 to 4412.9%(24,036)
45 to 5412.3%(22,870)
55 to 6414.5%(27,020)
65 to 7411%(20,522)
75 to 845.4%(10,055)
85 and over1.9%(3,501)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$73,533
+12%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $36,092 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
48.9%
+23.5 ptssince 2009
from 25.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information13%
Wholesale trade9.2%
Other services7.8%
Retail trade5.7%
Finance & insurance4%
Professional, scientific, technical3.6%
Public administration3.5%
Transportation & warehousing2.1%
Arts, entertainment, food1.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.5%
Construction0.4%
Education & health services0.4%
Manufacturing0.1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$310,500
+104%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $83,700 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
4.2
+10%since 2009
from 3.9 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
66
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic82.8%(122,708)
Black10.5%(15,526)
Hispanic / Latino2.4%(3,591)
Asian1.7%(2,534)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic72.7%(135,483)
Black9.8%(18,301)
Hispanic / Latino9.2%(17,061)
Asian2%(3,806)
Other6.3%(11,742)
56
+32%since 2009
from 43 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
28
−4%since 2020
from 30 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Mexican2.8%(5,234)
Puerto Rican2.1%(3,941)
Central American1.7%(3,078)
South American1.3%(2,342)
Honduran0.8%(1,584)
Cuban0.6%(1,177)
Colombian0.4%(662)
Venezuelan0.3%(537)
Panamanian0.2%(414)
Argentine0.2%(381)
Dominican0.2%(349)
Nicaraguan0.2%(319)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Guatemalan0.2%(312)
Peruvian0.2%(296)
Spaniard0.2%(289)
Chilean0.1%(241)
Salvadoran0.1%(225)
Costa Rican0.1%(224)
Ecuadorian0.1%(142)
Uruguayan0%(44)
Bolivian0%(32)
Paraguayan0%(7)
Asian origin
Vietnamese0.5%(1,018)
Filipino0.5%(948)
Korean0.3%(546)
Asian Indian0.2%(438)
Chinese0.2%(291)
Thai0.1%(220)
Pakistani0.1%(191)
Japanese0%(50)
Indonesian0%(32)
Laotian0%(19)
Taiwanese0%(15)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.1%(217)
Guamanian0%(82)
Chamorro0%(74)
Marshallese0%(40)
Samoan0%(31)
Ancestry
English13.9%(25,873)
Irish11%(20,511)
German10.6%(19,790)
American8.8%(16,423)
Italian3.8%(7,156)
French2.8%(5,254)
Scottish2.3%(4,268)
Polish2%(3,717)
Scotch-Irish1.3%(2,387)
Norwegian1%(1,837)
West Indian1%(1,823)
Dutch0.8%(1,545)
+ 46 more ancestry groups with data
Jamaican0.8%(1,402)
British0.7%(1,313)
Swedish0.6%(1,123)
Arab0.5%(1,013)
Welsh0.5%(840)
Greek0.4%(721)
Subsaharan African0.4%(662)
Czech0.3%(649)
Russian0.3%(634)
French Canadian0.3%(595)
Brazilian0.2%(454)
Egyptian0.2%(447)
Portuguese0.2%(430)
Danish0.2%(376)
Guyanese0.2%(376)
Hungarian0.2%(348)
Lithuanian0.2%(290)
Austrian0.2%(289)
Ukrainian0.1%(269)
Finnish0.1%(268)
Canadian0.1%(250)
Swiss0.1%(241)
Lebanese0.1%(200)
Belgian0.1%(162)
Palestinian0.1%(131)
Turkish0.1%(115)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0.1%(103)
Moroccan0.1%(102)
Cape Verdean0.1%(100)
Syrian0.1%(99)
Slovak0.1%(96)
Croatian0.1%(94)
Haitian0%(75)
Bulgarian0%(70)
Ghanaian0%(67)
Romanian0%(56)
Latvian0%(46)
Ethiopian0%(46)
Australian0%(29)
Israeli0%(19)
Slovene0%(19)
Serbian0%(17)
Armenian0%(15)
Barbadian0%(15)
Iranian0%(9)
Nigerian0%(7)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
91.4%
+10.4 ptssince 2000
from 81.0% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
74.2%
+3.3 ptssince 2020
from 70.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
97.3%
+3.7 ptssince 2020
from 93.6% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married30.4%(23,123)
Married54.6%(41,512)
Widowed2.7%(2,056)
Divorced12.2%(9,271)
Women 15+
Never married24.4%(19,029)
Married51.8%(40,298)
Widowed9.2%(7,131)
Divorced14.6%(11,404)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
17.0%
+2.0 ptssince 2020
from 15.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
4.6%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 5.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
63.9%
−1.2 ptssince 2020
from 65.1% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
36.8%
−1.3 ptssince 2020
from 38.1% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)35.6%(6,996)
Gulf War (1990s)43.5%(8,550)
Vietnam era26.6%(5,224)
Korean War3.3%(652)
World War II0.6%(126)
Share of the 19,659 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Bay County, decade by decade
| Year | Population | Median household income | Median home value | Bachelor's degree+ | Diversity score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 126,994 | $59,243 | $146,404 | 15.7% | 33.0 |
| 2000 | 148,217 | $65,747 | $152,473 | 17.7% | 37.8 |
| 2010 | 168,852 | $68,721 | $252,469 | 20.4% | 44.7 |
| 2020 | 175,216 | $68,460 | $236,348 | 24.5% | 55.5 |
| 2024 | 186,393 | $73,533 | $310,500 | 29.6% | 56.2 |
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
Drill deeper
Places similar to Bay County
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Pop 194,170
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Pop 200,518
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Pop 181,648
Elkhart County
Pop 208,774
Places similar to Bay CountyHead to head
Compare Bay County to nearby counties
BAY COUNTY VS
Calhoun County
Income$50,517−31%
Home value$145,300−53%
Population13,289−94%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BAY COUNTY VS
Gulf County
Income$61,179−17%
Home value$250,000−19%
Population15,943−92%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BAY COUNTY VS
Washington County
Income$58,210−21%
Home value$171,000−45%
Population26,695−87%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BAY COUNTY VS
Liberty County
Income$58,671−20%
Home value$127,300−59%
Population8,035−96%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Bay County, Florida?
Bay County, Florida has about 186,393 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Bay County, Florida?
The typical household in Bay County, Florida earns about $73,533 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Bay County, Florida expensive?
In Bay County, Florida, the median home is worth about $310,500, and the typical rent is about $1,484 a month.
How educated are people in Bay County, Florida?
About 29.6% of adults age 25 and over in Bay County, Florida hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Bay County, Florida?
About 11.9% of people in Bay County, Florida live below the federal poverty line.
Has Bay County, Florida grown since 1990?
Yes, Bay County, Florida has grown since 1990. The population has added about 59,399 residents, a change of about 47 percent over that period.
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50 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 5Census Tract 27.10Census Tract 3.02Census Tract 26.04Census Tract 4.02Census Tract 14.02Census Tract 14.04Census Tract 13.02Census Tract 2.01Census Tract 15.01Census Tract 13.01Census Tract 26.09Census Tract 15.02Census Tract 24Census Tract 9Census Tract 22Census Tract 8.06Census Tract 11Census Tract 26.08Census Tract 8.0512 ZIP codes
ZIP 32404ZIP 32405ZIP 32444ZIP 32401ZIP 32408ZIP 32407ZIP 32413ZIP 32409ZIP 32466ZIP 32438ZIP 32410ZIP 32403Up the hierarchy
All counties in FloridaDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024