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Place dossier plate
SheetFL-PANAMA-CITY-FL · Panama City, FL 34,211 pop · income 37th pct · 50 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Panama City
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Panama City on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Golden Glades · lowest
49,932
Golden Glades · lowest
49,932 median HH income
26.2% of the leader · rank #1
Fraser · near
61,118
Fraser · near
61,118 median HH income
32.0% of the leader · rank #2
Dexter · near
61,118
Dexter · near
61,118 median HH income
32.0% of the leader · rank #3
Panama City · this city
61,125
Panama City · this city
61,125 median HH income
32.1% of the leader · rank #4
Browns · near
61,125
Browns · near
61,125 median HH income
32.1% of the leader · rank #5
Oden · near
61,132
Oden · near
61,132 median HH income
32.1% of the leader · rank #6
South Riding · highest
190,701
South Riding · highest
190,701 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Panama City on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 34,211.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Panama City - the verdict
Nationally, Panama City sits in the 37th percentile for household income and the 18th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
37th
percentile, household income
54th
percentile, home value
73rd
percentile, median rent
18th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Panama City, FL
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 34,211 residents in Panama City, a small city within Florida. The typical household in Panama City brings in $61,125 a year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 14.2%. Typical homes in Panama City are valued around $243,200, and the median resident age is 38.6 years. 25.5% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 58.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 288 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 67% from five years earlier. Panama City's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 2838.0 incidents per 100,000 residents, above the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 69.4°F with 61.3 inches of precipitation per year.
Florida carries a cost-of-living premium: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Florida at 103.4 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Above Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,526 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $225 across Florida, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 75.7 out of 100 (High).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Panama City's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from housing and income to comparison shortlist to work and mobility to schools and households to reported crime to population change to climate and hazard context to within-city variation; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Panama City, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, local building permits, commute-mode shares, FBI reported-crime rates, within-city Census tract profiles, annual population history.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
1. Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in Panama City?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 4.0 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 14.2%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Which cities make useful reference points for Panama City?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Florida, the closest population matches are Cooper City (34,166 residents, $122,565 income); Merritt Island (34,718 residents, $91,020 income); Golden Glades (35,042 residents, $49,932 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are South Riding, VA (34,200 residents); Pikesville, MD (34,253 residents); Montgomery, MD (34,161 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
What does the journey to work look like in Panama City?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 72.9%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
What can 50 Census tracts reveal inside Panama City?
PlainCities matches 50 Census tracts to this city.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for Panama City?
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 36 public schools within the city match. 25.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
Poverty estimate
14.2%
Bachelor's degree+
25.5%
Matched public schools
36
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Panama City?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 2838.0 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 24% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
Total reported rate
2838.0
Violent rate
649.5
Property rate
2188.5
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Is Panama City growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +4,924 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +15.0% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 288 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
2020 estimate
32,882
2025 estimate
37,806
Period change
+15.0%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What physical conditions frame life in Panama City?
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 69.4°F, with 61.3 inches of precipitation. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Florida is 75.7 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
FEMA risk index (state avg)
75.7
Annual precipitation
61.3 in
Mean temperature
69.4°F
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
Below median income · poverty 14.2% (High poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
103.4 (US=100)
Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Florida average
F
City profile score · Panama City, FL
28/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Bachelor's+ share C-
25.5%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income F
$61,125
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Cost of living F
103.4 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Poverty rate F
14.2%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime F
650 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Panama City profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 50/100 (C-) · 25.5%
Household income: 36/100 (F) · $61,125
Cost of living: 25/100 (F) · 103.4 index
Poverty rate: 24/100 (F) · 14.2%
Violent crime: 8/100 (F) · 650 /100k
Where Panama City sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Panama City's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Panama City highlighted among 23 peers.Read the chart values
Panama City, FL (this city): home $243,200, crime 2,838/100k
Lufkin, TX : home $162,600, crime 2,724/100k
Holland, MI : home $235,800, crime 1,615/100k
New York, NY : home $751,700, crime 3,039/100k
Los Angeles, CA : home $879,500, crime 2,212/100k
Chicago, IL : home $315,200, crime 4,012/100k
Houston, TX : home $253,400, crime 5,442/100k
Phoenix, AZ : home $381,900, crime 3,125/100k
Philadelphia, PA : home $232,400, crime 5,457/100k
San Antonio, TX : home $219,700, crime 5,218/100k
San Diego, CA : home $848,500, crime 2,082/100k
Dallas, TX : home $295,300, crime 4,010/100k
San Jose, CA : home $1,187,800, crime 3,195/100k
Austin, TX : home $512,700, crime 3,709/100k
Fort Worth, TX : home $277,300, crime 3,158/100k
Columbus, OH : home $234,500, crime 3,088/100k
Indianapolis, IN : home $207,000, crime 4,214/100k
San Francisco, CA : home $1,380,500, crime 4,526/100k
Seattle, WA : home $912,100, crime 5,783/100k
Denver, CO : home $586,700, crime 5,755/100k
Oklahoma City, OK : home $215,100, crime 3,570/100k
El Paso, TX : home $171,700, crime 1,772/100k
Washington, DC : home $724,600, crime 4,514/100k
How does Panama City compare to other US cities?
Where Panama City sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income37% higher than other cities
Home value54% pricier than other cities
Median rent73% pricier than other cities
Safety18% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Florida alone, Panama City ranks #98 of 120 Florida cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Panama City against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Florida only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Florida-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Panama City near the bottom of Florida's cities
Among the 930 Florida cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Panama City ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Panama City only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#578 of 903
36th percentile in Florida
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 930
0th percentile in Florida
Median Home Value
#591 of 894
34th percentile in Florida
Poverty Rate
#223 of 930
76th percentile in Florida
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#500 of 930
46th percentile in Florida
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Florida only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
37th percentile nationally for median household income · 18th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Panama City's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Panama City's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Panama City's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$243,20046th percentilemore affordable than 46% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Panama City's home-value-to-income ratio: 4.0×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#10,646 of 15,516
More affordable than 31% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#1,970 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 4.0×, Panama City sits in the moderate band:
national rank #10,646 of 15,516 and #1,970 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$61,125Panama City, FL median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Panama City, FL median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Panama City, FL.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)25.5%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)14.2%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)58.4%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
34,211
Median Income
$61,125
Median Home Value
$243,200
Median Age
38.6
Poverty Rate
14.2%
Labor force participation
58.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
25.5%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
2838.0
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
649.5
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2188.5
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Climate
Avg Temperature
69.4°F
Annual Precipitation
61.3"
Annual Snowfall
0.0"
Schools
Total Schools
36
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Panama City's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
32,882 residents
2021
34,218 residents
2022
34,991 residents
2023
36,156 residents
2024
37,224 residents
2025
37,806 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
288
housing units authorized
Single-Family
265
detached homes
Multifamily
23
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
8.4
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
172
168
4
$55.1M
2020
698
134
564
$108.6M
2021
181
145
36
$63.2M
2022
323
297
26
$117.1M
2023
267
244
23
$95.7M
2024
288
265
23
$103.4M
Permit volume increased 67% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
72.9%
Carpool
14.9%
Public Transit
0.3%
Walk
1.2%
Work from Home
9.3%
Other
1.4%
Based on 16,173 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Florida statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $225
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Florida at $225 (electricity about $145 , water and sewer about $55 ).
These are Florida statewide averages, not a meter reading for Panama City. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Florida's BEA cost-of-living index is 103.4 (Above Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Panama City is $1,526/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Florida statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 75.7 / 100 (High).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Florida statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Panama City sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Panama City compares to similar-size Florida cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.