Gulf County, Florida: commercial real estate data.
Gulf County, Florida had an estimated 15,876 residents on July 1, 2024, up 11.8 percent since the 2020 census base of 14,195, across 564 square miles. County output reached $652.0 m in 2024, 405 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 9 7(a) approvals worth $4.9 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Gulf County
How many people live in Gulf County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202415,131
- Households5,944
- Average household size2.55
- Median household income$61,179
- Median age46.9
- Median gross rent$1,187 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$250,000
- Home value to household income4.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income23.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher23.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over11,974
- Population under 182,282
- Share under 1815.1 percent
- Population 65 and over3,592
- Share 65 and over23.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 649,257
- Civilian labor force5,521
- Unemployment rate2.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over43.0 percent
- Rank by population among Florida counties60th of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2154th of 3,222
Gulf County is the 60th largest of 67 Florida counties by population. A median home costs 4.1 times median household income, which is seriously unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 23.7 percent against 15.1 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Gulf County
Is Gulf County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202415,876
- Census 2020 base population14,195
- Population change since the 2020 census base11.84 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024119
- Births, 202498
- Deaths, 2024236
- Natural change, 2024-138
- Net domestic migration, 2024203
- Net international migration, 202453
- Total net migration, 2024256
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,953
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents111th of 3,144
The county has grown 11.84 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Gulf County
Where are people moving to Gulf County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving628
- People arriving, from those returns1,172
- Tax returns filed by households leaving407
- Net household movement221
- Adjusted gross income arriving$82.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$55.0 m
- Average income of an arriving household$131,600
- Average income of a leaving household$67,872
- Largest single originBay County (117 households)
- Largest single destinationBay County (97 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bay County | 117 | 218 | $5.8 m |
| Leon County | 32 | 34 | $840,000 |
Households arriving report $63,728 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Bay County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Gulf County
What is the Gulf County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$652.0 m
- County GDP, 2023$615.3 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.0 percent
- GDP change over five years42.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Florida areas BEA publishes57th of 67
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2210th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$43,092
Output grew 6.0 percent in the latest year and 42.1 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Gulf County
Employment by industry in Gulf County
- Covered employment, annual average4,562
- Establishments reporting536
- Average annual pay$51,111
- Average weekly wage$983
- Accommodation and food services, employment766
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$29,095
- Retail trade, employment584
- Retail trade, average annual pay$34,162
- Construction, employment380
- Construction, average annual pay$47,606
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment292
- Professional, scientific and technical services, average annual pay$76,062
- Real estate and rental and leasing, employment180
- Manufacturing, employment177
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 766 | 72 | $29,095 |
| Retail trade | 584 | 68 | $34,162 |
| Construction | 380 | 95 | $47,606 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 292 | 51 | $76,062 |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 180 | 42 | $47,452 |
| Manufacturing | 177 | 11 | $76,601 |
| Finance and insurance | 110 | 20 | $62,869 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 101 | 27 | $36,480 |
Accommodation and food services is the largest private sector at 766 jobs, 16.8 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Gulf County
How many businesses are in Gulf County?
- Establishments, all industries405
- Employment at those establishments2,779
- Annual payroll$111.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents26.8
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Gulf County
Building permits in Gulf County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024302
- Declared construction value permitted$89.7 m
- Single family units authorized302
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$296,887
- Units authorized per 1,000 households50.8
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Gulf County
SBA loans in Gulf County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded9
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$4.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$539,000
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- Largest single approval$2,977,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)101
- Jobs per approval11.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active8
- Distinct industries receiving approvals8
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer11.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter7
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- 504 approvals recorded5
- 504 gross approval dollars$6.1 m
- Average 504 approval$1,219,400
- Median 504 approval$253,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval8.6
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved7.1
- Most active CDCFlorida Business Development Corporation (4)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$10.9 m
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Gulf County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Gulf County
Do SBA loans in Gulf County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure9
Only 0 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Gulf County
SBA lending by place in Gulf County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending3
- Port St. Joe, approvals5
- Wewahitchka, approvals3
- Watkinsville, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Port St. Joe | 5 | $4,382,000 |
| Wewahitchka | 3 | $319,000 |
| Watkinsville | 1 | $150,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Gulf County
How large is Gulf County?
- Land area564 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Florida counties51st of 67
- Width, east to west24.4 mi
- Height, north to south37.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land27
- Establishments per square mile0.72
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Gulf County
Flood risk in Gulf County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Gulf County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 120098
- Community Rating System class of the county's own communityClass 6
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book3
- Of those, participating in the NFIP3
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 6
- Communities carrying a CRS class2
- Radon levels in Gulf County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Gulf County (community 120098), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries Community Rating System class 6, a flood insurance premium discount for policies written there. The EPA places Gulf County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 6, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Gulf County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Gulf County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202415,131
- Households5,944
- Average household size2.55
- Median household income$61,179
- Median age46.9
Common questions
Gulf County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Gulf County, Florida?
The Census Bureau estimates 15,876 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 15,131, in 5,944 households, ranking 60th of 67 Florida counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Gulf County's population growing?
The population has grown 11.84 percent since the 2020 census base of 14,195, to 15,876 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 98 births against 236 deaths, with net migration of 256. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Gulf County?
$61,179. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $250,000, which is 4.1 times income, and median gross rent is $1,187 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Gulf County?
405 establishments, employing 2,779 people with an annual payroll of $111.3 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Gulf County?
Accommodation and food services is the largest private sector at 766 jobs, 16.8 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 4,562 jobs at an average annual pay of $51,111, or $983 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Gulf County?
9 7(a) approvals totaling $4.9 m since FY2020, across 8 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 5 504 approvals worth $6.1 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Gulf County?
302 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $89.7 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Gulf County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Gulf County come from?
The largest single origin is Bay County, with 117 households. Arriving households report an average income of $131,600 against $67,872 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Gulf County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Gulf County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Gulf County
Cities and places in Gulf.
2 Census places lie wholly or partly in Gulf County. All 2 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port St. Joe | city | 3,616 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Wewahitchka | city | 1,884 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
A further 1 of the county's 9 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Gulf County, the largest being Watkinsville (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.
Nearby