Panama City Beach

History

Panama City Beach was incorporated as a city in 1970 when a number of beachside communities merged, including the original Panama City Beach resort area founded by Gideon Thomas after the US 98 Hathaway Bridge across the west bay out of Panama City opened in 1929. Thomas purchased land along what became Thomas Dr in 1932 and opened for business in 1936. Also Long Beach Resort, created by J. E. Churchwell when he purchased land that was a former defunct beach resort owned by W.T. Sharpless (who was murdered after trying to collect tax from beachgoers in 1931) at the intersection of Thomas Dr and Front Beach Road in 1932 and opened for business in 1935. Other communities and resorts involved in the merger were Edgewater Gulf Beach, West Panama City Beach, Laguna Beach, Dutchville, Playville, and Julia.

Real estate boom

A construction boom in the early to mid-2000s changed the image of the area due to the older homes and motels being replaced with high-rise condominiums and more expansive homes, though this is turning unobstructed, low-rise beach views and affordable waterfront property into rarities. At the peak of the real estate boom, many beachfront properties had quadrupled or more in value since 2000. In November 2006, CNN/Money named Panama City Beach the number-one real-estate market in America for the next five years in.

Beachfront property has sold for upwards of $60,000 per "front foot" (linear foot) at the top of the market. The downturn in the U.S. real estate market in 2007, combined with a surge of new condo construction, brought spiraling prices somewhat under control. With the real estate boom, Panama City Beach became a well-known destination for spring break.

Category 5 Hurricane Michael made landfall near Mexico Beach in Bay County on October 10, 2018, becoming one of the strongest and most-destructive hurricanes in American history as it destroyed a large part of the county, including many structures in Mexico Beach and Panama City.

An EF-0 tornado did minor damage to the northwest part of Panama City Beach on February 15.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 18.6 square miles (48.2 km2), of which 0.23 square miles (0.6 km2) or 1.17% is covered by water.

Panama City Beach is located towards the eastern half of the Florida Panhandle, along the Gulf of Mexico. The main roads through the town are U.S. Route 98 and Florida State Road 30. US 98 runs from northwest to southeast just inland from the coast, leading east 10 mi (16 km) to Panama City and northwest 47 mi (76 km) to Destin. FL-30 runs along the coast from northwest to southeast as Front Beach Rd, leading east to Panama City and northwest 15 mi (24 km) to Rosemary Beach. There are approximately 9 miles (14 km) of shoreline in Panama City Beach fronting the Gulf of Mexico.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Panama City Beach had a population of 18,094. The median age was 45.7 years; 16.6% of residents were under 18 and 20.9% were 65 or older. For every 100 females, there were 96.4 males, and for every 100 females 18 and over, there were 95.0 males 18 and over.

About 98.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 1.6% lived in rural areas.

Of the 8,031 households in Panama City Beach, 22.1% had children under 18 living in them, 47.5% were married-couple households, 20.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older.

The city had 20,052 housing units, of which 5.99% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 18.6%.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, 12,018 people, 5,149 households, and 3,166 families were residing in the city. The population density was 653.2 persons per square mile (252.2 persons/km2). The 17,141 housing units had an average density of 931.6 houses per square mile (359.7 houses/km2).

In 2010, of the 5,149 households, 21.1% had children under 18 living with them, 42.9% were headed by married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.4% were not families. About 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals. 9.5% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22. The average family size was 2.76.

In 2010, 18.0% of the population were under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 or older. The median age was 40.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.

2000 census

In the 2000 census, the median income for a household was $41,198 and for a family was $49,127. Males had a median income of $32,459 versus $22,358 for females. The per capita income for the town was $26,734. About 2.2% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under 18 and 4.5% of those 65 or over.

Government

The City of Panama City Beach has a council–manager government. The mayor sits as a council member-at-large and presides over city council meetings. If the mayor cannot preside over a city council meeting, then the vice mayor is the presiding officer of the meeting until the mayor returns to his seat.

The city manager is responsible for the administration and the day-to-day operation of all of the municipal services and city departments. The city manager also maintains intergovernmental relationships with federal, state, county, and other local governments.

The primary law enforcement agency in the town is the Panama City Beach Police Department. Part of the town is in unincorporated Bay County and is under the jurisdiction of the Bay County Sheriff's Office.

City council

Stuart Tettemer (Republican) – Mayor Term: 2024–2028

Paul Casto (Unknown) – Ward 1 Councilman Term: 2022–2026

Ethan Register (Unknown) – Ward 2 Councilman Term: 2024–2028

Mary Coburn (Unknown) – Ward 3 Council Member Term: 2022–2026

Michael Jarman (Republican) – Vice Mayor Ward 4 Councilman Term: 2024–2028

Eusebio Talamantez Jr. – Chief of Police

Former Mayors

Dan Russell (Unknown) 1970–1980

Aaron Bessant (Unknown) 1980–1982

Philip Griffitts Sr. (Republican) 1982–2000

Lee Sullivan (Republican) 2000–2006

Gayle Oberst (Nonpartisan)2006–2016

Mike Thomas (Republican) 2016–2020

Mark Sheldon (Republican) 2020–2024

Services

Panama City Beach Police Department

Panama City Beach Fire Rescue

Education

Surfside Middle School serves as the main middle school and Arnold High School serves as the main high school for Panama City Beach.

Primary and secondary public education is provided by the Bay District Schools.

Gulf Coast State College is located in Panama City, just across the Hathaway Bridge from Panama City Beach. Florida State University Panama City, a branch campus, is also located in Panama City.

Transportation

The Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) provides commercial flights into the area. The airport serves private aircraft, domestic passenger flights, and freight/cargo flights. It is the first international airport to be constructed after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Other modes of transportation include scooters, which can be rented by the day, as well as taxi and shuttle companies, which are permitted by the local police.

Panama City Beach also has public bus transportation known as Bayway available hourly Monday through Saturday. The Bayway runs throughout the county.

Major highways

US 98 is an east–west highway running along the Gulf Coast. It is the main route to Destin and Panama City.

State Road 79 is a north–south highway that starts in Panama City Beach and heads north to Interstate 10 and on to the Alabama state line.

State Road 30, formerly US 98 Alt, also named Front Beach Road, is an east–west highway that runs mostly along the beach front, beginning and ending at US 98.

State Road 392A, also named Hutichison Boulevard (formerly known as Middle Beach Road), is an east–west highway that runs slightly inland, generally parallel, and beginning and ending at State Road 30/Front Beach Road.

Sports

The town was home to the Panama City Beach Pirates, a fourth-division soccer team from 2007 to 2015.

World Championship Wrestling held its last WCW Nitro event in Panama City Beach. WCW was bought out by its rival, WWF (now WWE).

Recreation

Frank Brown Park is a 100-acre complex with baseball, softball, soccer, and T-ball fields, basketball and tennis courts, several playgrounds, shuffleboard courts, a youth fishing pond, three dog park enclosures, and a 20-acre festival site.

Panama City Acquatics Center is located at Frank Brown Park; the center includes an outdoor Olympic-sized pool and kids' splash pool.

Publix Sports Park is a 160-acre sports complex with 13 fields for soccer, lacrosse, baseball, and more. Nine are synthetic turf fields.

St. Andrews State Park offers a variety of experiences, including swimming, boating, camping, snorkeling, and bicycling.

In popular culture

Panama City Beach is the setting for the 2015 film Dancin': It's On!

Thunder Beach Motorcycle Rally

Gulf Coast Jam, a three-day outdoor concert event, is held annually in May/June and showcases country music performers. The event in 2024 was sold out.

The first two seasons of MTV's Floribama Shore were filmed in the city.