What is the rental vacancy rate in Panama City Beach, FL?

Name: Vacancy rate in Panama City Beach, FL, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

The rental vacancy rate in Panama City Beach, FL is 18.6% (±4.8 points) (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

The homeowner vacancy rate is 1.3% (±1.2 points).

12,491 (±614) homes, 58.9% of all housing units, were vacant, a count that includes seasonal homes and homes being sold or rented.

In Panama City Beach, the rental vacancy rate went from 53.4% in 2015–2019 to 18.6% in 2020–2024 (−34.8 percentage points), a measurable decrease.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Rental vacancy rate: 18.6% (±4.8 points)
Homeowner vacancy rate: 1.3% (±1.2 points)
Vacant homes: 12,491 (±614)

Vacancy in Panama City Beach against Bay County, its state and the nation

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	Panama City Beach	Bay County	Florida	United States
Rental vacancy rate	18.6% (±4.8 points)	11.7% (±2.0 points)	7.6% (±0.2 points)	5.5%
Homeowner vacancy rate	1.3% (±1.2 points)	1.5% (±0.7 points)	1.4% (±0.1 points)	0.9%
Vacant housing units	12,491 (±614)	29,584 (±1,219)	1,503,660 (±20,826)	14,547,859

The rental vacancy rate is the share of rental homes that are vacant and for rent; it leaves out homes already rented but not yet moved into, and seasonal homes.

In Panama City Beach, the rental vacancy rate is higher than in Bay County (11.7%).

It is also higher than in Florida (7.6%).

It is higher than the national figure (5.5%).

Rental vacancy rate in places near Panama City Beach

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Panama City Beach
Place	Distance	Rental vacancy rate	Compared with this place
Panama City Beach	—	18.6% (±4.8 points)	—
Laguna Beach	4.7 mi	31.6% (±15.5 points)	Not measurably different
Upper Grand Lagoon	8.4 mi	10.7% (±6.0 points)	Lower
Lower Grand Lagoon	9.7 mi	43.0% (±8.4 points)	Higher
Pretty Bayou	11 mi	17.8% (±21.5 points)	Not measurably different
Panama City	13 mi	9.2% (±2.8 points)	Lower
Ebro	14 mi	0.0% (±65.6 points)	Not measurably different
Lynn Haven	14 mi	3.1% (±2.7 points)	Lower
Cedar Grove	15 mi	12.1% (±13.2 points)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Upper Grand Lagoon, FL (10.7%), Panama City, FL (9.2%), Lynn Haven, FL (3.1%).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Lower Grand Lagoon, FL (43.0%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Rental vacancy rate across Bay County, place by place

Rank	Place	Rental vacancy rate
1	Lower Grand Lagoon	43.0% (±8.4 points)
2	Mexico Beach	31.9% (±15.2 points)
3	Laguna Beach	31.6% (±15.5 points)
4	Panama City Beach	18.6% (±4.8 points)
5	Pretty Bayou	17.8% (±21.5 points)
6 (tie)	Cedar Grove	12.1% (±13.2 points)
6 (tie)	Parker	12.1% (±10.5 points)
8	Upper Grand Lagoon	10.7% (±6.0 points)
9	Panama City	9.2% (±2.8 points)
10	Callaway	5.1% (±5.0 points)

Showing 10 of 12 places in Bay County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Panama City Beach

Is it hard to find a rental in Panama City Beach?

The rental vacancy rate in Panama City Beach, FL is 18.6% (±4.8 points); a low rate means few rental homes stand empty and for rent at any time, which usually means more competition for each one.

Is the rental market in Panama City Beach tighter than it was?

In Panama City Beach, the rental vacancy rate went from 53.4% in 2015–2019 to 18.6% in 2020–2024 (−34.8 percentage points), a measurable decrease.

How many homes are vacant in Panama City Beach?

An estimated 12,491 (±614) housing units, 58.9% of the total, including seasonal homes and homes waiting to be sold or rented.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Panama City Beach city, Florida (place:54725, in state:12).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M, DP04_0004E, DP04_0004M, DP04_0003E, DP04_0003M, DP04_0003PE, DP04_0003PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.