Bay County is a county on the Emerald Coast in Northwest Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 175,216.[1] Its county seat is Panama City.[2] Bay County is included in the Panama City, Florida metropolitan area.
Bay County | |
|---|---|
 The Bay County Courthouse in March 2008 | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Florida | |
 Florida's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 30°14′N 85°38′W / 30.24°N 85.63°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Florida |
| Founded | April 24, 1913 |
| Named for | 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 | 170/sq mi (65/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Website | www |
History
editOn February 12, 1913, representatives from five towns on St. 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 of Washington, Calhoun and Walton counties.
Panama City was where Gideon 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]
Geography
editAccording to the U.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 the Panama City, Florida metropolitan area along with Washington County.[5]
Adjacent counties
edit- Washington County - north
- Jackson County - northeast
- Calhoun County - east
- Gulf County - southeast
- Walton County - west
National protected area
edit- Apalachicola National Forest (part)
Demographics
edit| 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 | Pop 2010[14] | Pop 2020[15] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 133,790 | 128,348 | 79.24% | 73.25% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 17,844 | 17,549 | 10.57% | 10.02% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 1,033 | 795 | 0.61% | 0.45% |
| Asian (NH) | 3,298 | 4,068 | 1.95% | 2.32% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 140 | 194 | 0.08% | 0.11% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 223 | 720 | 0.13% | 0.41% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 4,417 | 9,696 | 2.62% | 5.53% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8,107 | 13,846 | 4.8% | 7.9% |
| Total | 168,852 | 175,216 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 175,216 people, 73,536 households, and 47,432 families residing in the county.
As of the census[16] of 2000, there were 148,217 people, 59,597 households, and 40,466 families residing in the county. The population 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 or African American, 0.78% Native American, 1.73% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.66% from other races, and 1.94% from two or more races. 2.42% of the population were Hispanic or Latino 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% were married 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. The per capita income for the county was $18,700. About 9.80% of families and 13.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.30% of those under age 18 and 11.00% of those age 65 or over.
Government
editElected Officials
edit| Bay County Government | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sheriff | Tommy Ford [17] | 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 Governor Ron DeSantis) | Republican |
| Property Appraiser | Dan Sowell | Republican |
Board of Commissioners
edit5 members, elected from districts (zero Democrats, five Republicans)[18]
| 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 |
Politics
editVoter registration
editAccording 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][19] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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% | |||
Statewide elections
edit| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 71,497 | 72.84% | 25,201 | 25.67% | 1,459 | 1.49% |
| 2020 | 66,097 | 70.91% | 25,614 | 27.48% | 1,502 | 1.61% |
| 2016 | 62,194 | 70.50% | 21,797 | 24.71% | 4,231 | 4.80% |
| 2012 | 56,876 | 71.01% | 22,051 | 27.53% | 1,174 | 1.47% |
| 2008 | 56,683 | 69.66% | 23,653 | 29.07% | 1,030 | 1.27% |
| 2004 | 53,404 | 71.18% | 21,068 | 28.08% | 552 | 0.74% |
| 2000 | 38,682 | 65.70% | 18,873 | 32.06% | 1,321 | 2.24% |
| 1996 | 28,365 | 54.87% | 17,068 | 33.02% | 6,261 | 12.11% |
| 1992 | 22,842 | 49.99% | 12,846 | 28.12% | 10,001 | 21.89% |
| 1988 | 31,796 | 72.51% | 11,603 | 26.46% | 452 | 1.03% |
| 1984 | 29,356 | 75.77% | 9,384 | 24.22% | 4 | 0.01% |
| 1980 | 20,948 | 60.61% | 12,389 | 35.85% | 1,224 | 3.54% |
| 1976 | 14,208 | 48.19% | 14,858 | 50.39% | 418 | 1.42% |
| 1972 | 20,245 | 83.80% | 3,914 | 16.20% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 5,121 | 21.07% | 4,020 | 16.54% | 15,161 | 62.39% |
| 1964 | 12,849 | 62.09% | 7,846 | 37.91% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 5,435 | 33.94% | 10,579 | 66.06% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 4,971 | 36.51% | 8,645 | 63.49% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 4,812 | 35.38% | 8,789 | 64.62% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 928 | 12.69% | 5,168 | 70.68% | 1,216 | 16.63% |
| 1944 | 1,126 | 15.13% | 6,317 | 84.87% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 684 | 11.72% | 5,153 | 88.28% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 541 | 14.45% | 3,202 | 85.55% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 429 | 13.75% | 2,692 | 86.25% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1928 | 974 | 44.27% | 1,190 | 54.09% | 36 | 1.64% |
| 1924 | 318 | 25.48% | 838 | 67.15% | 92 | 7.37% |
| 1920 | 551 | 36.98% | 818 | 54.90% | 121 | 8.12% |
| 1916 | 279 | 23.64% | 725 | 61.44% | 176 | 14.92% |
| 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 |
Education
editBay District Schools operates public schools serving all portions of the county except Mexico Beach, which is served by Gulf County Schools.[21][22][23]
Schools in Bay County
editPre-K – 12 schools
editDeane Bozeman School
North Bay Haven Charter Academy
Palm Bay Preparatory Academy
Rising Leaders Academy
PreK-8 Schools
editBreakfast Point Academy
Bay Haven Charter Academy
University Academy
High schools
edit- Zoned
J. R. Arnold High School (Panama City Beach)
Bay High School (Panama City)
A. Crawford Mosley High School (Lynn Haven)
Rutherford High School (Springfield)
- Optional
A.D. Harris High School (Panama City)
Haney Technical High School (Panama City)
New Horizons Learning Center (Lynn Haven)
Rosenwald High School (Panama City)
Middle schools
editJinks Middle School
Merritt Brown Middle School
Mowat Middle School
Surfside Middle School (Panama City Beach)
Elementary schools
editCallaway 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
Public transportation
editMajor highways
editBay County does not have any interstate connections; the nearest connection is with I-10 at US-231 near Cottondale.
Airports
editThe Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport opened for commercial flights in 2010. It connects the region to several major airports in the South and Midwest.
Public surface transportation
editThe county operates the Bayway (formerly Bay Town Trolley), which runs several routes in and around Panama City. The county also have a greyhound in Panama City.[24]
Library
editBay County is part of the Northwest Regional Library System[25] (NWRLS), which also serves Gulf and Liberty 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.[26]
Locations:
- Bay County Public Library
- Panama City Beach Public Library
- Parker Public Library
- Springfield Public Library
- Gulf County Public Library
- Charles Whitehead Public Library
- Harrell Memorial Library of Liberty County
- Jimmy Weaver Memorial Library
- Bay County Law Library (at the Bay County Public Library)[27]
Communities
edit.jpg)
Cities
editCensus-designated places
editUnincorporated communities
editFormer Census-designated places
editSee also
edit
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "2020 Census Data". data.census.gov.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335 (1963)". Justia Law.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2020: Florida Counties Gazeteer File". United States Census Bureau. 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- ^ "Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Guidance on the Uses of the Delineations of These Areas" (PDF). Executive Office of the President. July 21, 2023. p. 66. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
- ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
- ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
- ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population 2018 Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. December 2018. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
- ^ "Census.gov". Census.gov. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
- ^ "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
- ^ Jackson, Tiffany (August 7, 2016). "New era for Bay County: Tommy Ford sworn-in as Sheriff". Archived from the original on August 8, 2016. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
- ^ "Country Commissioners | Bay County, FL". Bay County Florida. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
- ^ "Voter Registration - Current by County - Division of Elections - Florida Department of State". Archived from the original on October 24, 2016.
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
- ^ "Bay District Schools High School Attendance Zones Archived 2009-02-27 at the Wayback Machine." Bay District Schools. Accessed October 10, 2008.
- ^ "Bay District Schools Middle School Attendance Zones Archived 2009-02-27 at the Wayback Machine." Bay District Schools. Accessed October 10, 2008.
- ^ "Bay District Schools Elementary School Attendance Zones Archived 2008-10-31 at the Wayback Machine." Bay District Schools. Accessed October 10, 2008.
- ^ "Routes | Bay Town Trolley". Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on November 1, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Long-Range Plan & Mission" (PDF). Retrieved March 14, 2021.
- ^ "Bay County Law Library". Retrieved March 14, 2021.
External links
edit
Government links/Constitutional offices
edit- Bay County Board of County Commissioners
- Bay County Supervisor of Elections
- Bay County Property Appraiser
- Bay County Sheriff's Office
- Bay County Tax Collector Archived May 8, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
Special districts
edit- Bay District Schools
- Beach Mosquito Control District
- Northwest Florida Water Management District
- Panama City-Bay County Airport and Industrial District
Judicial branch
edit- Bay County Clerk of Courts
- Circuit and County Court for the 14th Judicial Circuit of Florida serving Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson and Washington counties
Tourism links
edit- Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau Archived June 8, 2011, at the Wayback Machine