Population 186,393 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Bay County: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Bay County
Household size in Bay County
| Period | Bay County | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.38 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.54 | 2.73 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.54 | 2.75 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.39 | 2.63 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.01 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Bay County are small: just 2.39 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Households are largest in the northeast and smallest in the southwest.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Bay County
| Period | Bay County | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.4 | 40.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.5 | 42.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.1 | 43.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.3 | 43.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.9 | +2.7 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Bay County are younger than 41.3 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The population here is younger than in Florida overall, where the median age is 43.5. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 39.4, mirroring the country.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Bay County
| Period | Bay County | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.1% | 12.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.3% | 12.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.4% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.3% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in eight households in Bay County (11.3%), close to the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is little changed from 2006–10, while the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Bay County
Renters in Bay County
| Period | Bay County | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.0% | 30.3% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 38.6% | 33.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.9% | 34.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 33.2% | 32.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a third of households in Bay County rent their homes (33.2%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 42.9% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the west and least common in the north. The renter share is down 0.8 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Bay County
| Period | Bay County | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.3% | 17.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.1% | 17.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 21.8% | 15.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.3% | 12.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.1 pts | −4.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 17.3% of the housing in Bay County, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Vacancy is down 4.1 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Bay County
| Period | Bay County | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1985 | 1984 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1986 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1987 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1993 | 1989 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +5 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Bay County is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1993, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1985 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the northwest, the oldest in the south.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Bay County
| Period | Bay County | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $964 | $1,092 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $994 | $1,123 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,097 | $1,323 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,495 | $1,816 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$531 | +$724 | +$606 |
Rent in Bay County runs $1,495 a month at the median, utilities included, close to the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents here are lower than in Florida as a whole ($1,816). Rents are up $531 a month from 2006–10, a 55% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 33.6% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Bay County
Bachelor's degrees in Bay County
| Period | Bay County | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.3% | 26.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.6% | 27.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.3% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 29.1% | 34.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.8 pts | +8.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are less common in Bay County than nationally: 29.1% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 7.8 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the north and least in the south.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Bay County
| Period | Bay County | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.3% | 85.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.6% | 86.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.4% | 88.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.3% | 90.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.0 pts | +4.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Bay County is a bit above the national rate: 91.3% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Florida. The share with a diploma is up 5.0 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Bay County
| Period | Bay County | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.5% | 8.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.7% | 11.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.8% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.8% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.7 pts | −4.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Bay County than nationally: unemployment was 3.8%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 3.7 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Bay County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bay County | 2.39 | 41.3 | 11.3% | 33.2% | 17.3% | 1993 | $1,495 | 29.1% | 91.3% | 3.8% |
| Washington County | 2.47 | 41.1 | 12.3% | 20.0% | 15.5% | 1989 | $994 | 11.5% | 85.6% | 3.2% |
| Gulf County | 2.14 | 48.2 | 10.3% | 19.2% | 29.5% | 1990 | $1,006 | 24.5% | 87.6% | 2.6% |
| Calhoun County | 2.52 | 43.8 | 12.3% | 21.2% | 18.5% | 1985 | $775 | 14.9% | 83.0% | 9.8% |
| Walton County | 2.41 | 44.6 | 9.7% | 21.4% | 23.4% | 2002 | $1,820 | 35.0% | 92.4% | 5.2% |
| Liberty County | 2.42 | 40.7 | 14.3% | 19.9% | 19.3% | 1991 | $929 | 15.1% | 78.5% | 7.6% |
| Jackson County | 2.46 | 43.4 | 13.5% | 24.1% | 14.0% | 1983 | $861 | 15.3% | 83.9% | 4.5% |
| Okaloosa County | 2.55 | 38.8 | 12.1% | 31.6% | 11.1% | 1991 | $1,606 | 34.1% | 93.2% | 4.0% |
| Franklin County | 2.26 | 48.6 | 9.3% | 19.1% | 35.7% | 1987 | $1,163 | 29.2% | 85.5% | 8.6% |
| Gadsden County | 2.41 | 44.1 | 16.9% | 29.3% | 12.8% | 1980 | $950 | 22.7% | 81.7% | 5.3% |
| Wakulla County | 2.61 | 42.0 | 13.1% | 18.1% | 11.8% | 1998 | $1,150 | 24.6% | 89.8% | 3.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Shasta County, CA · Midland County, TX · Imperial County, CA · Cass County, ND · Kent County, DE · Peoria County, IL · Boone County, MO · Washington County, UT · Pitt County, NC · Winnebago County, WI
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Bay County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.