Census-designated place · Bay County, Florida

Upper Grand Lagoon, Florida

Upper Grand Lagoon is a census-designated place in Bay County, Florida, part of the Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL metro area. It has 17,232 residents. Upper Grand Lagoon, Florida has a quality-of-life score of 43 out of 100 (moderate), ranking #8,900 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Florida it ranks #406 of 780 cities and towns. It ranks best on restaurants and bars (high), comfortable days (high) and new business applications (high). It ranks worst on suicide rate (high), rent-burdened households (high) and distance to an Amtrak station (high).

43Moderate

Quality-of-life score: #8,900 of 15,651 cities and towns
Florida: #406 of 780 in FL
Population: 17,232 (2020-2024)
Land area: 8 mi²
Density: 2,126.0 /mi²
FIPS code: 1273312

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 74 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety28#11,258/15,637
Economy68#4,996/15,631
Housing8#13,758/14,977
Health52#7,471/15,609
Healthcare24#11,822/15,650
Environment39#9,379/15,453
Education79#3,274/15,649
Infrastructure76#3,752/15,650
Community18#12,762/15,651
Leisure & amenities77#3,613/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Upper Grand Lagoon, Florida ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Bay County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Restaurants and bars · high14.0 /10k
93/100Florida 9.6 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBay County value
Comfortable days · high33.9%
93/100Florida 32.4%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationBay County value
New business applications · high20.9 /1k
92/100Florida 27.6 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauBay County value
Days with unhealthy air · low0.0%
84/100Florida 0.2%2025U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyBay County value
Reading scores · high3.24
82/100Florida 3.17United States 3.052019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteBay County value
Arts, entertainment and recreation · high6.2 /10k
82/100Florida 5.9 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBay County value

Weaknesses

Suicide rate · high28.3 /100k
5/100Florida 15.6 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataBay County value
Rent-burdened households · high56.8%
5/100Florida 60.1%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Distance to an Amtrak station · high145 mi
5/100Florida 27 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauBay County value
Natural hazard risk · high94.5
6/100Florida 75.92025Federal Emergency Management AgencyBay County value
Public libraries · low0.2 /10k
7/100Florida 0.2 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesBay County value
Uninsured residents (under 65) · high18.9%
8/100Florida 13.7%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Child poverty rateImproving
30.0% (2015-2019) → 11.8% (2020-2024)
−18 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Median household incomeImproving
$59,698 (2015-2019) → $82,157 (2020-2024)
+38%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Poverty rateImproving
15.1% (2015-2019) → 8.1% (2020-2024)
−7.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
90.2% (2015-2019) → 94.3% (2020-2024)
+4.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
52.8% (2015-2019) → 56.8% (2020-2024)
+3.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
3.8× (2015-2019) → 4.5× (2020-2024)
+18%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Upper Grand Lagoon, Florida improved on 5 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 8 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved5

Child poverty−18 points30.0% → 11.8%
Inequality−0.0680.490 → 0.422
Poverty−7.1 points15.1% → 8.1%
Household income+38%$59,698 → $82,157
Broadband+4.1 points90.2% → 94.3%

Declined1

Price / income+0.7×3.8× → 4.5×

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Upper Grand Lagoon, Florida between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	19.6 min2015-2019	20.8 min2020-2024	+1.1 min	Within the margin of error	35%
Bachelor's degree or higher	34.3%2015-2019	37.0%2020-2024	+2.7 points	Within the margin of error	49%
Broadband subscriptions	90.2%2015-2019	94.3%2020-2024	+4.1 points	Improved	26%
Child poverty rate	30.0%2015-2019	11.8%2020-2024	−18 points	Improved	92%
Effective property tax rate	0.68%2015-2019	0.59%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	33%
High school diploma or higher	93.9%2015-2019	96.5%2020-2024	+2.6 points	Within the margin of error	65%
Home price to income ratio	3.8×2015-2019	4.5×2020-2024	+0.7×	Declined	35%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4902015-2019	0.4222020-2024	−0.068	Improved	90%
Median household income	$59,6982015-2019	$82,1572020-2024	+38%	Improved	70%
Poverty rate	15.1%2015-2019	8.1%2020-2024	−7.1 points	Improved	87%
Rent as share of income	31.0%2015-2019	33.9%2020-2024	+2.9 points	Within the margin of error	34%
Rent-burdened households	52.8%2015-2019	56.8%2020-2024	+3.9 points	Within the margin of error	41%
Unemployment rate	4.5%2015-2019	2.6%2020-2024	−1.9 points	Within the margin of error	81%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	17.6%2015-2019	18.9%2020-2024	+1.3 points	Within the margin of error	31%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Upper Grand Lagoon, Florida five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Upper Grand Lagoon, Florida in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Upper Grand Lagoon, Florida itself moved +2.2 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

17,232 residents (±1,292)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

7,859 households (±567)

Upper Grand Lagoon, Florida
Florida share

Under $25k8.4%†658
$25k–50k17%1,337
$50k–75k20%1,584

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

7,859 households (±567)

Upper Grand Lagoon, Florida
Florida share

Own62%4,893
Rent38%2,966

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

8,954 workers (±907)

Upper Grand Lagoon, Florida
Florida share

Drive alone76%6,844
Carpool9.6%†859
Public transit0.0%0

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Bay County, the county holding most of Upper Grand Lagoon's residents.

Bay County has 5,306 employer establishments, 275 for every 10,000 residents (1.11× the US rate of 248; 0.98× Florida's), with 62,282 paid employees at an average annual pay of $48,032. The Census Bureau also counts 21,441 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 5,306; 21,441 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 275; US 248 · Florida 282
Paid employees: 62,282
Average annual pay: $48,032; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Bay County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	454	23.5	1.13×About typical	4,378	$70,896	721
Specialty trade contractors	423	21.9	1.42×More than typical	3,201	$52,053	1,586
Restaurants and other eating places	406	21	1.15×About typical	8,873	$25,396	129
Lessors of real estate	364	18.9	1.53×More than typical	1,088	$46,312	2,802
Construction of buildings	226	11.7	1.55×More than typical	1,144	$63,497	988
Offices of physicians	220	11.4	1.76×More than typical	2,269	$86,108	166
Services to buildings and dwellings	213	11	1.64×More than typical	1,760	$32,774	2,887
Full-service restaurants	197	10.2	1.33×More than typical	5,087	$28,879	68
Limited-service restaurants	166	8.6	1.07×About typical	3,414	$20,318	31
Real estate agents and brokers	163	8.4	1.74×More than typical	253	$49,810	930
Building equipment contractors	147	7.6	1.27×More than typical	1,652	$56,778	242
Building finishing contractors	125	6.5	1.70×More than typical	503	$40,710	646

Rank places for an industry Open Bay County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 192,941 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $32.3M of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Upper Grand Lagoon, Florida: $1,875 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $32.3M; −1.7% vs FY2025
Per resident: $1,875; US $1,994
Sole-source: 39%; US 30%
Single offer: 12%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Navy$27.3M85%
Department of the Air Force$1.6M5.0%
U.S. Coast Guard$1.1M3.4%
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration$822.2K2.5%
Defense Logistics Agency$426.6K1.3%
Department of the Army$419.7K1.3%
Federal Acquisition Service$366.1K1.1%
Internal Revenue Service$206.4K0.6%

Top recipients

INNOVATIVE PROFESSIONAL SOLUTIONS, INC.$12.3M38%
SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION$1.5M4.8%
BEVILACQUA RESEARCH CORPORATION$1.4M4.4%
LEIDOS, INC.$1.4M4.4%
ISPA TECHNOLOGY LLC$1M3.1%

Spending by fiscal year

21.5MFY2017
27.8MFY2018
45.3MFY2019
33MFY2020
28.3MFY2021
83MFY2022
38.2MFY2023
44.1M

Top industries (NAICS)

Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$11.3M35%
Support activities for water transportation · 4883$9.4M29%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$2.4M7.5%
Scientific research and development services · 5417$1.6M5.0%
Other professional, scientific, and technical services · 5419$951.2K2.9%
Communications equipment manufacturing · 3342

Largest awards whose ZIP code lies mostly in Upper Grand Lagoon, Florida

REBUILD STATION PANAMA CITY, PANAMA CITY BEACH FL$40.9M
GILBANE FEDERAL· Bay County, FL· Construction & real property· Feb 14, 2022 – Jul 24, 2026· 70Z04722F43000003
MINESWEEPING WINCHES (AC HOYLE MODEL S-530), ON REPUBLIC OF KOREA NAVY SHIPS.$13.6M
INNOVATIVE PROFESSIONAL SOLUTIONS, INC.· Bay County, FL· Other equipment & supplies· Jan 8, 2026 – Feb 17, 2026· N6133126C0001
MINE WARFARE AND ENVIRONMENTAL DECISION AIDS LIBRARY (MEDAL) SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORT$10.8M
INNOVATIVE PROFESSIONAL SOLUTIONS, INC.· Bay County, FL· Professional services· Jun 26, 2020 – May 13, 2026· N6133120F3007

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Upper Grand Lagoon, Florida, so they do not add up across cities.

Upper Grand Lagoon, Florida's figures are part of those of Bay County, FL ($680.4M in FY2026), never added to them: 4.7% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Upper Grand Lagoon is mostly in Bay County.

See federal money in Bay County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Upper Grand Lagoon, Florida is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Neal P. DunnR-FL-2 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 18.4%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Bay County53100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL41

Other cities and towns in Bay County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/1273312

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends