Bay County, Florida | |
|---|---|
 TheBay County Courthouse in March 2008 | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofFlorida | |
 Florida's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:30°14′N85°38′W / 30.24°N 85.63°W /30.24; -85.63 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Florida |
| Founded | April 24, 1913 |
| Named after | St. Andrews Bay |
| Seat | Panama City |
| Largest city | Panama City |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,033 sq mi (2,680 km2) |
| • Land | 758 sq mi (1,960 km2) |
| • Water | 275 sq mi (710 km2) 26.6% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 175,216 |
• Estimate (2023) | 190,769 |
| • Density | 231/sq mi (89.2/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Website | www |
Bay County is acounty on theEmerald Coast inNorthwestFlorida. As of the2020 census, the population was 175,216.[1] Itscounty seat isPanama City.[2] Bay County is included in thePanama City, Florida metropolitan area.
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On February 12, 1913, representatives from five towns onSt. Andrews Bay met in Panama City to select a name for a proposed new county. The name Bay was selected because it was satisfactory to the majority of the citizens and descriptive of the territory that would be included. On July 1, 1913, the Legislature created Bay County from portions ofWashington,Calhoun andWalton counties.
Panama City was whereGideon v. Wainwright, a 1963 US Supreme Court decision that gave all persons accused of a crime the right to an attorney paid for by the government, originated.[3]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,467 square miles (3,800 km2), of which 759 square miles (1,970 km2) is land and 708 square miles (1,830 km2) is water.[4]
Bay County is included in thePanama City, Florida metropolitan area along withWashington County.[5]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 11,407 | — | |
| 1930 | 12,091 | 6.0% | |
| 1940 | 20,686 | 71.1% | |
| 1950 | 42,689 | 106.4% | |
| 1960 | 67,131 | 57.3% | |
| 1970 | 75,283 | 12.1% | |
| 1980 | 97,740 | 29.8% | |
| 1990 | 126,994 | 29.9% | |
| 2000 | 148,217 | 16.7% | |
| 2010 | 168,852 | 13.9% | |
| 2020 | 175,216 | 3.8% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 190,769 | [6] | 8.9% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9] 1990-2000[10] 2010-2020[11] 2020[1] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[12] | Pop 2010[13] | Pop 2020[14] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 122,708 | 133,790 | 128,348 | 82.79% | 79.24% | 73.25% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 15,526 | 17,844 | 17,549 | 10.48% | 10.57% | 10.02% |
| Native American orAlaska Native (NH) | 1,096 | 1,033 | 795 | 0.74% | 0.61% | 0.45% |
| Asian (NH) | 2,534 | 3,298 | 4,068 | 1.71% | 1.95% | 2.32% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | 111 | 140 | 194 | 0.07% | 0.08% | 0.11% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 164 | 223 | 720 | 0.11% | 0.13% | 0.41% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 2,487 | 4,417 | 9,696 | 1.68% | 2.62% | 5.53% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3,591 | 8,107 | 13,846 | 2.42% | 4.80% | 7.90% |
| Total | 148,217 | 168,852 | 175,216 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
| Non-Hispanic White 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Black or African American 50–60% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 175,216 people, 73,536 households, and 47,432 families residing in the county.
As of thecensus[15] of 2000, there were 148,217 people, 59,597 households, and 40,466 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 194 people per square mile (75 people/km2). There were 78,435 housing units at an average density of 103 per square mile (40/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 84.17%White, 10.64%Black orAfrican American, 0.78%Native American, 1.73%Asian, 0.08%Pacific Islander, 0.66% fromother races, and 1.94% from two or more races. 2.42% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 59,597 households, out of which 30.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.00% weremarried couples living together, 12.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.10% were non-families. 26.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.00% under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 30.20% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 13.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $36,092, and the median income for a family was $42,729. Males had a median income of $30,116 versus $21,676 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $18,700. About 9.80% of families and 13.00% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 18.30% of those under age 18 and 11.00% of those age 65 or over.
| Bay County Government | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sheriff | Tommy Ford[16] | Republican |
| Tax Collector | Chuck Perdue | Republican |
| Clerk of the Court | Bill Kinsaul | Republican |
| Supervisor of Elections | Mark Anderson | Republican |
| Superintendent of Schools | Mark McQueen (appointed by GovernorRon DeSantis) | Republican |
| Property Appraiser | Dan Sowell | Republican |
5 members, elected from districts (zero Democrats, five Republicans)[17]
| District | Commissioner | Party | Positions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tommy Hamm | Republican | Chair of the County Commission |
| 2 | Robert Carroll | Republican | |
| 3 | Bill Dozier | Republican | |
| 4 | Doug Moore | Republican | Vice Chair of the County Commission |
| 5 | Clair Pease | Republican |
Bay County is highly conservative, along with the Florida panhandle as a whole. The Republican presidential candidate has carried the county in every election since 1976, often by large margins.
Fore elections to theFlorida state senate, Bay County is part ofDistrict 2.[18]
For elections to theFlorida House of Representatives, Bay County makes upDistrict 6.[19]
According to the Secretary of State's office, Republicans are a majority of the registered voters in Bay County.
| Bay County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of March 31, 2022[update][20] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Political Party | Total Voters | Percentage | |||
| Republican | 66,358 | 53.51% | |||
| Democratic | 27,605 | 22.26% | |||
| Independent | 27,524 | 22.20% | |||
| Other Parties | 2,508 | 2.02% | |||
| Total | 123,995 | 100% | |||
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1916 | 279 | 23.64% | 725 | 61.44% | 176 | 14.92% |
| 1920 | 551 | 36.98% | 818 | 54.90% | 121 | 8.12% |
| 1924 | 318 | 25.48% | 838 | 67.15% | 92 | 7.37% |
| 1928 | 974 | 44.27% | 1,190 | 54.09% | 36 | 1.64% |
| 1932 | 429 | 13.75% | 2,692 | 86.25% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 541 | 14.45% | 3,202 | 85.55% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 684 | 11.72% | 5,153 | 88.28% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 1,126 | 15.13% | 6,317 | 84.87% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 928 | 12.69% | 5,168 | 70.68% | 1,216 | 16.63% |
| 1952 | 4,812 | 35.38% | 8,789 | 64.62% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 4,971 | 36.51% | 8,645 | 63.49% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 5,435 | 33.94% | 10,579 | 66.06% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 12,849 | 62.09% | 7,846 | 37.91% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 5,121 | 21.07% | 4,020 | 16.54% | 15,161 | 62.39% |
| 1972 | 20,245 | 83.80% | 3,914 | 16.20% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1976 | 14,208 | 48.19% | 14,858 | 50.39% | 418 | 1.42% |
| 1980 | 20,948 | 60.61% | 12,389 | 35.85% | 1,224 | 3.54% |
| 1984 | 29,356 | 75.77% | 9,384 | 24.22% | 4 | 0.01% |
| 1988 | 31,796 | 72.51% | 11,603 | 26.46% | 452 | 1.03% |
| 1992 | 22,842 | 49.99% | 12,846 | 28.12% | 10,001 | 21.89% |
| 1996 | 28,365 | 54.87% | 17,068 | 33.02% | 6,261 | 12.11% |
| 2000 | 38,682 | 65.70% | 18,873 | 32.06% | 1,321 | 2.24% |
| 2004 | 53,404 | 71.18% | 21,068 | 28.08% | 552 | 0.74% |
| 2008 | 56,683 | 69.66% | 23,653 | 29.07% | 1,030 | 1.27% |
| 2012 | 56,876 | 71.01% | 22,051 | 27.53% | 1,174 | 1.47% |
| 2016 | 62,194 | 70.50% | 21,797 | 24.71% | 4,231 | 4.80% |
| 2020 | 66,097 | 70.91% | 25,614 | 27.48% | 1,502 | 1.61% |
| 2024 | 71,497 | 72.84% | 25,201 | 25.67% | 1,459 | 1.49% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third parties |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 78.38%52,590 | 21.00%14,091 | 0.61%412 |
| 2018 | 72.17%45,709 | 26.46%16,757 | 1.37%865 |
| 2014 | 71.79%40,956 | 22.77%12,990 | 5.44%3,104 |
| 2010 | 66.39%36,512 | 28.53%15,689 | 5.08%2,796 |
| 2006 | 65.26%31,382 | 30.78%14,802 | 3.96%1,907 |
| 2002 | 70.02%34,107 | 29.27%14,258 | 0.71%344 |
| 1998 | 69.01%26,759 | 30.99%12,017 | 0.00%2 |
| 1994 | 56.87%23,498 | 43.12%17,816 | 0.01%2 |
Bay District Schools operates public schools serving all portions of the county exceptMexico Beach, which is served byGulf County Schools.[22][23][24]
Deane Bozeman School
North Bay Haven Charter Academy
Palm Bay Preparatory Academy
Rising Leaders Academy
Breakfast Point Academy
Bay Haven Charter Academy
University Academy
J. R. Arnold High School (Panama City Beach)
Bay High School (Panama City)
A. Crawford Mosley High School (Lynn Haven)
Rutherford High School (Springfield)
A.D. Harris High School (Panama City)
Haney Technical High School (Panama City)
New Horizons Learning Center (Lynn Haven)
Rosenwald High School (Panama City)
Jinks Middle School
Merritt Brown Middle School
Mowat Middle School
Surfside Middle School (Panama City Beach)
Callaway Elementary School
Cedar Grove Elementary School
Deer Point Elementary School
Hiland Park Elementary School
Hutchison Beach Elementary School (Panama City Beach)
Lucille Moore Elementary School
Lynn Haven Elementary School
M. Cherry Street Elementary School
Millville Elementary School
Northside Elementary School
Oakland Terrace Elementary School
Parker Elementary School
Patronis Elementary School (Panama City Beach)
Patterson Elementary School
Southport Elementary School
St. Andrew Elementary School
Tommy Smith Elementary School
Tyndall Elementary School
Waller Elementary School
West Bay Elementary School
Bay County does not have any interstate connections; the nearest connection is withI-10 at US-231 nearCottondale.
TheNorthwest Florida Beaches International Airport opened for commercial flights in 2010. It connects the region to several major airports in the South and Midwest.
The county operates theBayway (formerly Bay Town Trolley), which runs several routes in and around Panama City. The county also have a greyhound in Panama City.[25]
Bay County is part of theNorthwest Regional Library System[26] (NWRLS), which also servesGulf andLiberty Counties. The Bay County Public Library is the headquarters library for the system. The Bay County Board of Commissioners is the system's governing authority and single administrative unit.[27]
Locations:
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Places adjacent to Bay County, Florida | |
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Municipalities and communities ofBay County, Florida,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Topics |  Map of North Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Counties | ||
| Major cities | ||
| Cities and towns 50k–100k | ||
| Cities and towns 10k–40k | ||
| Metro areas | ||
| Regions | ||
30°14′N85°38′W / 30.24°N 85.63°W /30.24; -85.63
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
