Panama City Beach, FL

Census place 1254725 · pop 18,971

C60/ 100
😐 Meh
B
in FL
📍 Florida ranks #29 of 50 states →
🏆 Growth+48.8% · top 1%
🚽 Disaster97/100 · bottom 21%
Taxes
0.58% property · US 0.99%6.98% sales · US 7.00%None income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

The breakdown — worst first

Natural disaster riskCounty-level97/10021

U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities

97/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Housing cost$441,30025

U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities

$441,300 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Income inequality0.4631

U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities

Gini 0.46 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Air quality (AQI)County-level47 AQI33

U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities

47 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Homeownership59.2%36

U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities

59.2% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Uninsured adults10.6%41

U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities

10.6% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Adult smoking13.1%51

U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities

13.1% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Poor mental health16.7%56

U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities

16.7% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Median household income$80,94157

U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities

$80,941 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Poverty rate10.0%58

U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities

10.0% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Rent$1,646/mo58

U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities

$1,646/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level1 days62

U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities

1 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Physical inactivity22.8%63

U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities

22.8% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Bachelor's degree or higher38.0%66

U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities

38.0% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Unemployment rateCounty-level3.3%67

U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities

3.3% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Adult obesity31.8%68

U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities

31.8% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Commute time21 min71

U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities

21 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Broadband access94.5%74

U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities

94.5% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Property-tax burden0.58%84

U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities

0.58% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Violent crime rate0/100k96

U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities

0 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.

Property crime rate0/100k97

U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities

0 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.

Population growth (5yr)+48.8%99

U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities

+48.8% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Frequently asked

Is Panama City Beach, FL a good place to live?
By the numbers, Panama City Beach scores 60/100 — a C (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is population growth (5yr) and its weakest is natural disaster risk. Florida overall ranks #29 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
How safe is Panama City Beach, FL?
Panama City Beach reports 0 violent crimes per 100k and 0 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
Is Panama City Beach, FL expensive to live in?
Panama City Beach has a median home value of $441,300 and typical rent around $1,646/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Panama City Beach, FL?
Its weakest measured area is natural disaster risk (97/100) — 21/100, worse than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
What is Panama City Beach, FL best at?
Its strongest measured area is population growth (5yr) (+48.8%) — 99/100, better than most U.S. cities.

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.