Gulf County, Florida: commercial real estate data.
Gulf County, Florida has a population of 15,131 across 564 square miles, up 11.8 percent since the 2020 census base. 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.
122 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Gulf County
How many people live in Gulf County
- Population15,131
- 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-equivalents2154th
Gulf County is the 60th largest of 67 Florida counties by population. A median home costs 4.1 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market 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 storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Gulf County
Is Gulf County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base11.84 percent
- Census 2020 base population14,195
- 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
The county has grown 11.84 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone 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 people moving to Gulf County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving628
- People arriving, from those returns1,172
- Adjusted gross income arriving$82.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$131,600
- Largest single originGulf County Non-migrants (4,742 households)
- Largest single destination (4,742 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gulf County Non-migrants | 4,742 | 9,241 | $369.3 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 346 | 695 | $66.0 m |
| Other flows - South | 225 | 454 | $45.7 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 133 | 225 | $10.0 m |
| Bay County | 117 | 218 | $5.8 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 56 | 119 | $9.5 m |
| Other flows - West | 43 | 88 | $9.0 m |
| Leon County | 32 | 34 | $840,000 |
The largest single source of arrivals is Gulf County Non-migrants, 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 the Gulf County economy runs on
- 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 Florida counties57th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2210th
- 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
Who employs people in Gulf County
- Covered employment, annual average4,562
- Establishments reporting536
- Average annual pay$51,111
- Average weekly wage$983
- Sector 72, employment766
- Sector 72, average annual pay$29,095
- Sector 44-45, employment584
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$34,162
- Sector 23, employment380
- Sector 23, average annual pay$47,606
- Sector 54, employment292
- Sector 54, average annual pay$76,062
- Sector 53, employment180
- Sector 31-33, employment177
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 72 | 766 | 72 | $29,095 |
| Sector 44-45 | 584 | 68 | $34,162 |
| Sector 23 | 380 | 95 | $47,606 |
| Sector 54 | 292 | 51 | $76,062 |
| Sector 53 | 180 | 42 | $47,452 |
| Sector 31-33 | 177 | 11 | $76,601 |
| Sector 52 | 110 | 20 | $62,869 |
| Sector 56 | 101 | 27 | $36,480 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 766 jobs, 16.8 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Gulf County
What businesses operate 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.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Gulf County
What is being built in Gulf County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024302
- Declared construction value permitted$89.7 m
- Single family units authorised302
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$296,887
- Units authorised per 1,000 households50.8
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Gulf County
How much SBA lending happens in Gulf County
- 7(a) approvals recorded9
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$4.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$539,000
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$79,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,977,000
- 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
- Leading industry by approval countElectrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors (2)
- Most active lenderNortheast Bank (2)
- 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)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals64.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$10.9 m
The average approval of $539,000 sits well above the median of $150,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 11.1 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
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
Do SBA loans in Gulf County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure9
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 0 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Gulf County
Which parts of Gulf County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending4
- WEWAHITCHKA, approvals3
- PORT SAINT JOE, approvals3
- Port St Joe, approvals2
- WATKINSVILLE, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| WEWAHITCHKA | 3 | $319,000 |
| PORT SAINT JOE | 3 | $4,052,000 |
| Port St Joe | 2 | $330,000 |
| WATKINSVILLE | 1 | $150,000 |
WEWAHITCHKA accounts for 3 approvals against 3 in PORT SAINT JOE. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Gulf County
How big 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
What hazards affect Gulf County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities 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
The EPA places the county in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The best Community Rating System class in the county is 6, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for properties in the participating community.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
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.
- Population15,131
- 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?
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 growing?
The population has grown 11.84 percent since the 2020 census base. 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 there 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 the average wage in Gulf County?
Average annual pay is $51,111, or $983 a week, across 4,562 covered jobs. 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 totalling $4.9 m since FY2020, across 8 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 5 504 approvals worth $6.1 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Gulf County?
302 housing units were authorised 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 Gulf County Non-migrants, with 4,742 households. Arriving households report an average income of $131,600 against null 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?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.