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Panama City vs Wright

68 miles apart. The biggest differences: growth since 2010 (+23.3 pts in Wright) and street grid (2.7× in Wright).

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Panama City, FLA regional job hubFlorida · 34,979 people
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Wright, FLAn outdoors townFlorida · 27,927 people
Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

★ What stands out · Report cards

Wright places higher on 14 of 19 FL lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Florida ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Panama City$1,650/mo
Typical home $284K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.65% · or rent about $1,327/mo · Housing →
Wright$1,740/mo
Typical home $306K (Census) · tax rate 0.54% · or rent about $1,621/mo · Housing →

The difference: $100 a month, about $1,200 a year, between Wright and Panama City.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
Panama CityWright
Snow a year0″0″
January low43°F38°F
July high91°F90°F
Growing season (days)301d253d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)92nd87th
Outdoors & history
Panama CityWright
Trails27 mi0 mi
Conserved land1%0%
Settled1909—
National Register places7—
Archive photos122
Famous people born here55—
Community
Panama CityWright
Library hours a week51 hrs—
Colleges in town1—
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

68 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Panama City ↔ Wright68 miles apart
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Panama CityWright
People
Population 34,979Highest 27,927Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -9.7%Lowest FL: +14.6% +13.6%Highest FL: +14.6%
Median age 39.5±2.2Highest 7% below FL 34.4±2.3Lowest 19% below FL
Kids under 18 21.7%±1.9Lowest FL: 19.5% 24%±2.4Highest FL: 19.5%
Wright and Panama City are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 17.8%±1.6Highest FL: 21.3% 13.8%±1.5Lowest FL: 21.3%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 26.4%Lowest FL: 34.1% 28.3%Highest FL: 34.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.9%±0.9Lowest FL: 6.1% 5.9%±1.7Highest FL: 6.1%
Wright and Panama City are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $62,265±$3kLowest 16% below FL $70,195±$5kHighest 6% below FL
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $268,900±$16kLowest 25% below FL $306,100±$16kHighest 15% below FL
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,327±$53Lowest 20% below FL $1,621±$89Highest about the FL average
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,752Highest 36% below FL $1,657Lowest 39% below FL
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 64.2%±6Highest FL: 60.1% 61.8%±7.1Lowest FL: 60.1%
Panama City and Wright are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 17.6%Highest FL: 12.6% 16.7%Lowest FL: 12.6%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 56.3%Highest FL: 67.6% 54.1%Lowest FL: 67.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1976Lowest 12 yrs older than FL 1989Highest 1 yr newer than FL
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 21 minLowest 24% below FL 25 minHighest 12% below FL
Work from home 10.9%±2.7Highest FL: 15.7% 5%±1.7Lowest FL: 15.7%
Work in townworking residents 39.4%Highest 12.9%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 4.8 miLowest 10.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.31Highest 0.86Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Panama City Beach (8%)Fort Walton Beach (19%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in WrightFew work in Panama City
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 1%Highest 0%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 27.0 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.8 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 14Highest 1Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 52.0Lowest 143Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #299 of 488 in FL#244 of 488 in FL
School district BAY · FSU BAYOKALOOSA
High school in town Bay High SchoolNone in town
Students per teacherat that high school 19.8 —
Florida average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Panama City neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Panama City’s Town Square.

Wright neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Wright’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Panama City and Wright

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Bordering Panama City

Towns like Panama City

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Florida towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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