Bay County, Florida


Bay County is a county on the Gulf coast in northwestern Florida. As of the 2010 census, the population was 168,852. Its county seat is Panama City.
Bay County is included in the Panama City, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county is best known for its white sand beaches and emerald green water, where large pods of dolphins swim year-round. These beaches attract hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world each year.

History

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

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.

Adjacent counties

As of the census 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. There were 78,435 housing units at an average density of 103 per square mile. 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

Elected Officials

Board of Commissioners

5 members, elected from districts

Politics

Voter registration

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 2017Bay County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of 2017Bay County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of 2017Bay County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of 2017Bay County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of 2017Bay County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of 2017
Political PartyPolitical PartyTotal VotersPercentage--

Statewide elections

Education

operates public schools serving all portions of the county except Mexico Beach, which is served by Gulf County Schools.

Schools in Bay County

Pre-K – 12 schools

Deane Bozeman School
North Bay Haven Charter Academy
Palm Bay Preparatory Academy
PreK-8 Schools
Breakfast Point Academy
Bay Haven Charter Academy
University Academy

High schools

Zoned
J. R. Arnold High School
Bay High School
A. Crawford Mosley High School
Rutherford High School
Optional
A.D. Harris High School
Haney Technical High School
New Horizons Learning Center
Rosenwald High School

Middle schools

Everitt Middle Schoo
Jinks Middle School
Merritt Brown Middle School
Mowat Middle School
Surfside Middle School

Elementary schools

Callaway Elementary School
Cedar Grove Elementary School
Hiland Park Elementary School
Hutchison Beach Elementary School
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
Patterson Elementary School
Southport Elementary School
Springfield Elementary School
St. Andrew Elementary School
Tommy Smith Elementary School
Tyndall Elementary School
Waller Elementary School
West Bay Elementary School

Public transportation

Airports

The 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

The county operates the Baytown Trolley, which runs several routes in and around Panama City. The county also have a greyhound in Panama City.

Library

Bay County is part of the Northwest Regional Library System, which serves Gulf and Liberty Counties as well.
Locations:

Cities