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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Bay County

Florida · 175,216 residents · 759 sq mi
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The short version

Bay County is a county of 175,216 people in Florida. The median age is 42.3, about 3 years above the US median. About 24% of adults have finished a four-year degree. People stay put here: 79% were in the same home a year ago. 7% of residents were born outside the United States. 26,999 more people live here than in 2000.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Older
median age 42.3
US median: 38.8
Less educated
24% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 55%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
175,216
+18%since 2000
from 148,217 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
42.3
+13%since 2000
from 37.4 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
759 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
121K139K157K175K192K19902000201020202024Bay County
2024186K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55.1%(8,911)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.6%(9,785)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146%(10,561)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 195.8%(10,190)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.5%(9,565)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3412.6%(21,993)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4412.6%(22,024)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5413%(22,823)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6415.4%(26,965)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7411.3%(19,770)
US avg: 10%
75 to 845.4%(9,409)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.8%(3,220)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$56,483
+4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $36,092 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$30,774
+65%since 2000
from $18,700 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
36.1%
+10.6 ptssince 2009
from 25.4% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
13.0%
Unchangedsince 2000
from 13.0% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information13.3%
US avg: 11.1%
Wholesale trade7.6%
US avg: 6.7%
Retail trade6.4%
US avg: 10%
Other services6.3%
US avg: 6.6%
Finance & insurance4.8%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical3.8%
US avg: 4.7%
Public administration2.8%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing2%
US avg: 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, food1.4%
US avg: 2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1%
US avg: 1.7%
Education & health services1%
US avg: 0.8%
Construction0.7%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.3%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$195,000
+55%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $83,700 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,099
+36%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $536 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
67.4%
−1.2 ptssince 2000
from 68.6% in 2000
32.6% rent
Persons per household
2.42 people
+4%since 2009
from 2.32 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
3.5
−10%since 2009
from 3.9 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
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%
2020
White, non-Hispanic73.3%(128,348)
Black10%(17,549)
Hispanic / Latino7.9%(13,846)
Asian2.3%(4,068)
Other4.7%(8,255)
Segregation Score
30
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
Mexican2.3%(4,108)
Puerto Rican1.8%(3,193)
Cuban0.5%(904)
Honduran0.5%(880)
Spaniard0.2%(392)
Colombian0.2%(349)
Panamanian0.1%(268)
Salvadoran0.1%(263)
Dominican0.1%(255)
Nicaraguan0.1%(244)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0.1%(169)
Venezuelan0.1%(133)
Guatemalan0.1%(110)
Costa Rican0.1%(92)
Argentine0%(58)
Chilean0%(39)
Asian origin
Filipino0.8%(1,405)
Vietnamese0.5%(845)
Asian Indian0.3%(488)
Korean0.2%(339)
Mongolian0.2%(316)
Thai0.1%(180)
Japanese0.1%(135)
Chinese0.1%(127)
Pakistani0%(58)
Hmong0%(36)
Taiwanese0%(10)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.1%(207)
Samoan0%(16)
Ancestry
American12.4%(22,410)
Irish11.5%(20,667)
German10.8%(19,477)
English10.1%(18,144)
Italian3.6%(6,530)
French2.8%(4,960)
Scottish2.6%(4,736)
Polish2%(3,632)
Scotch-Irish1.3%(2,417)
Dutch1.1%(2,019)
British1%(1,768)
West Indian1%(1,720)
+ 44 more ancestry groups with data
Norwegian0.7%(1,307)
French Canadian0.7%(1,257)
Welsh0.7%(1,245)
Jamaican0.7%(1,231)
Swedish0.5%(850)
Greek0.4%(752)
Russian0.4%(744)
Hungarian0.4%(673)
Portuguese0.3%(630)
Canadian0.3%(527)
Ukrainian0.2%(435)
Danish0.2%(379)
Czech0.2%(369)
Brazilian0.2%(297)
Swiss0.1%(266)
Lithuanian0.1%(253)
Slovak0.1%(215)
Austrian0.1%(206)
Syrian0.1%(177)
Haitian0.1%(164)
Romanian0.1%(134)
Slovene0.1%(113)
Arab0.1%(103)
Lebanese0.1%(103)
Finnish0.1%(100)
Croatian0.1%(99)
Latvian0%(55)
Egyptian0%(50)
Belgian0%(50)
Kenyan0%(48)
Moroccan0%(46)
Nigerian0%(45)
Bulgarian0%(25)
Iranian0%(24)
Armenian0%(22)
Guyanese0%(19)
Turkish0%(19)
Israeli0%(16)
Barbadian0%(11)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
24.5%
+6.8 ptssince 2000
from 17.7% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
90.9%
+9.9 ptssince 2000
from 81.0% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
8.7%
+2.1 ptssince 2000
from 6.6% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
24.1 min
+77%since 2000
from 13.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
80.7%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 80.8% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
5.4%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 4.9% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.4%
−3.8 ptssince 2011
from 8.2% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
61.4%
−3.9 ptssince 2011
from 65.2% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
70.9%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
34.0%
+3.1 ptssince 2009
from 30.9% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.6%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 49.5% in 2009
Female
50.4%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 50.5% in 2009
Foreign born
6.7%
+1.5 ptssince 2009
from 5.2% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
13.6%
−5.1 ptssince 2013
from 18.7% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
93.6%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
79.3%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
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

Uninsured
13.6%
−5.1 ptssince 2013
from 18.7% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
42.1%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
15.0%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
20.5%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
18.9%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
5.2%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
65.1%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
38.1%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)30.4%(6,438)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)34.1%(7,233)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era31.9%(6,757)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War6.4%(1,348)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II1.7%(357)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 21,209 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
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Bay County to nearby counties

BAY COUNTY VS
Calhoun County
Income$50,517−11%
Home value$145,300−25%
Population13,289−94%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BAY COUNTY VS
Gulf County
Income$61,179+8%
Home value$250,000+28%
Population15,943−92%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BAY COUNTY VS
Washington County
Income$58,210+3%
Home value$171,000−12%
Population26,695−87%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BAY COUNTY VS
Liberty County
Income$58,671+4%
Home value$127,300−35%
Population8,035−96%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Bay County, Florida?

Bay County, Florida has about 175,216 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Bay County, Florida?

The typical household in Bay County, Florida earns about $56,483 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 $195,000, and the typical rent is about $1,099 a month.

How educated are people in Bay County, Florida?

About 24.5% 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 13.0% 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 48,222 residents, a change of about 38 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →