Panama City, FL vs Destin, FL

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricPanama City, FLDestin, FL
Population34,97914,077
Median Household Income$62,265$89,011
Median Rent$1,327/mo$1,936/mo
Median Home Value$268,900$490,300
Cost of Living (US = 100)9797
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income60.4%45.7%
Poverty Rate17.6%7.4%
Unemployment Rate4.2%3.8% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k307331*
Property Crime Rate /100k1,3161,337*
Median AQI4436
Good AQI Days /yr239338
Summer Highs90°F90°F
Winter Lows45°F47°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute21.4 min26 min
Hospitals3—
Avg Hospital Rating2.5 / 5—
Students per Teacher16.815.8
College Degree Rate26.4%46.2%
Foreign-Born %10%14.1%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+14.3%+0.1%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.
* Rate of the agency that polices Destin (the city has no police department of its own), so it isn’t scored.