Bay County is located along Florida’s beautiful Gulf of Mexico coast, centrally positioned in the state’s northwest region between Pensacola and Tallahassee. The county is well connected by major transportation routes, including State Highways 20, 22, 77, and 79, as well as U.S. Highways 98 and 231. Highways 77, 79, and 231 provide direct access to Interstate 10, linking Bay County eastward to Jacksonville, FL and westward through Mobile, AL and New Orleans, LA, ultimately reaching Santa Monica, CA.

• 1,033.3 Square Miles
  
  
• 763.7 Square Miles of Land
  
  
• 269.6 Square Miles of Inland and Territorial Waters
  
  
• 27 Miles of Coastline
  
  
• 13 to 200+ Feet Above Sea Level
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320 Days of Sunshine Each Year

• Average Air Temperature
  67.49° F; Summer - 89° F; Winter - 39° F
  
  
• Average Water Temperature
  71.57° F
  
  
• Average Yearly Rainfall
  67.21 Inches

• 80 Miles S of Dothan, AL
• 100 Miles SW of Tallahassee, FL – Florida’s Capital
• 105 Miles E of Pensacola, FL
• 265 Miles W of Jacksonville, FL
• 300 Miles S of Atlanta, GA
• 310 Miles E of New Orleans, LA

*Miles calculated from county seat.

While Bay County is a great place to vacation, more and more people are realizing what a great place it is to live. It’s no surprise that Bay County has enjoyed steady growth since 1990, adding 40,400 people, an average of almost 2,020 per year. The population of the Panama City-Lynn Haven-Panama City Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is over 180,000, and the University of Florida’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research expects it to reach 200,000 by the year 2025. 

2026 Quarter 1 Demographic Snapshot

• Population: 199,950
• Median Age: 42.8
• Labor Force: 103,087
• Average Household Income: $100,348
• Median Household Income: $75,418
• Per Capita Income: $41,179