About Bay County
Bay County sits on the Gulf side of the Panhandle and is organized around St. Andrew Bay. Panama City, the county seat, lies on the bay. Lynn Haven, Springfield, Parker and Callaway are the cities to its north and east, Panama City Beach faces the open Gulf to the west, and Mexico Beach is a small Gulf-front city to the southeast. A large share of residents live outside any city, according to the University of Florida's 2025 estimates. Two federal installations anchor the area: Tyndall Air Force Base, which the installation's own guide places 12 miles east of Panama City on Highway 98, and Naval Support Activity Panama City, a consolidated site for Navy diving and salvage research, testing and training. Public land includes Pine Log State Forest, which Bay shares with Washington County, and Camp Helen State Park just west of the Panama City Beach city limits, where the Gulf and a coastal dune lake called Lake Powell meet.
Hurricane Michael came ashore near Mexico Beach and Tyndall in October 2018 as a Category 5 hurricane, and the National Hurricane Center estimated storm surge flooding of 9 to 14 feet above ground level from just southeast of Tyndall to Port St. Joe. Rebuilding has shaped the county since: Tyndall is being rebuilt, and the county has run disaster-recovery grants, including a voluntary buyout of flood-prone homes. Revised FEMA flood maps arrived in 2024: the county applied them to building permits submitted from August 16, 2024, FEMA's flood hazard data lists October 24, 2024 as the effective date of the revised map panels, and the county says the change raised building requirements for some properties. The county's grants page adds Hurricane Sally, Tropical Storm Fred and wildfires to the list since 2018. For a buyer, the useful question about any address is what it has been through, so flood zone, evacuation zone, repair history and insurance belong in the same conversation.
Quick facts
- County seat
- Panama City
- Region
- Northwest Florida
- 2026 conforming loan limit
- $832,750
- One-unit home · FHFA
- 2026 FHA loan limit
- $541,287
- One-unit home · HUD
- Geography
- St. Andrew Bay and the Gulf shoreline
- Pine Log State Forest, shared with Washington County
- Camp Helen State Park and Lake Powell, a coastal dune lake, just west of the Panama City Beach city limits
- St. Andrews State Park, with Gulf and Grand Lagoon beaches and a Panama City Beach address, outside the city limits
- Housing types
- Single-family neighborhoods in Panama City, Lynn Haven, Springfield, Parker and Callaway
- Condominiums, including high-rise units, and apartment complexes
- Duplex to fourplex rental properties
- Homes rebuilt or being rebuilt after Hurricane Michael
Figures show their source and year. Confirm details with the county offices.
Housing in Bay County
Single-family neighborhoods are the usual pattern in the cities along the bay's north and east shores and in the unincorporated areas between them. Condominiums, including high-rise units, and apartment complexes also operate in the unincorporated county, and the county's vacation-rental ordinance lists them separately from one- to four-family buildings. Duplexes through fourplexes fall in that one- to four-family category, so a buyer comparing an owner-occupied house with a small rental building should expect different rules for each.
Newer construction and rebuilding are tied to the 2024 flood maps: the county says permits submitted from August 16, 2024 follow them, and a coastal study raised base flood elevations or changed zones for some properties. Buyers of older homes should ask what Michael-era repairs were done and whether the permits were closed. In flood-prone areas the county's voluntary buyout program acquires and demolishes eligible homes, so gaps along a street may have a recorded reason worth asking the county about.
Financing in Bay County
VA loans
Tyndall and Naval Support Activity Panama City make VA loans a natural topic here, but eligibility rests on a person's service record, shown on a Certificate of Eligibility, and not on the address. The home must still meet VA property standards, which matters for houses with recently repaired roofs or additions. Ask your loan officer how VA appraisers treat repairs and open permits before you choose a house that needs work.
Condominiums
Where a condominium is in the picture, Florida's condominium safety laws matter. For buildings three habitable stories or higher, section 553.899 of the Florida Statutes requires milestone inspections once a building reaches a set age, and section 718.112 requires the association to complete a structural integrity reserve study. Ask for the association's latest inspection report, reserve study and budget before you commit, and ask your loan officer how the project is reviewed, since some condominium projects fall outside standard agency guidelines.
Flood zones and flood insurance
Bay County's FEMA Flood Zones page explains the zone letters. The county applied the revised FEMA maps to building permits submitted from August 16, 2024, and FEMA's flood hazard data lists October 24, 2024 as the effective date of the revised panels. A coastal study raised base flood elevations or changed zones for some properties, so an old elevation certificate may not match today's map. Check the address in FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, ask the seller for any elevation certificate, and remember that federal law requires flood insurance for most mortgages on a building in a high-risk zone.
Homeowners insurance
The county's grants page lists Michael, Sally, Tropical Storm Fred and wildfires since 2018, which is a reason to price coverage before an offer, not after. Florida homeowners policies can carry a separate hurricane deductible, and standard homeowners coverage generally excludes flood. Ask an agent about roof age and about a wind-mitigation inspection, since Florida law requires insurers' rate filings to include discounts, credits or lower deductibles for qualifying wind-mitigation features. Inside the St. Andrew Complex and Phillips Inlet System Units, shown on the CBRS Mapper, federal flood insurance is limited and FHA, VA and USDA loans are barred; a conventional loan may still work.
Homestead exemption
For a tax year, the home must be yours and your permanent residence on January 1, and the Bay County Property Appraiser must receive the application by March 1. Homestead lowers taxable value, and Florida also limits how quickly a homestead's assessed value can rise. A rental or a home you do not live in generally does not qualify, so plan the move-in date around that January 1 test.
Local homebuyer assistance
The Bay County Housing Division runs SHIP from 840 W. 11th Street, and its guide asks buyers to complete a homebuyer class and bring a lender's letter before applying. Panama City lists its own SHIP contact, so check both offices. Funds open and close, and no one is promised a benefit. Ask your loan officer how the loan type you want fits SHIP's rules and in what order to schedule the class and the letter.
Short-term rentals
Unincorporated Bay County requires annual registration of vacation rentals in one- to four-family buildings under Ordinance 23-18: a tourist development tax account with the Clerk of Court, a state license from the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, a fire-safety inspection and a notarized affidavit. High-rise condominium units and apartment complexes are exempt from that ordinance, and a property inside a city follows the city's rules. If rental income is part of the plan, ask your loan officer about investment financing early.
Cities, towns and communities
- Panama CityCityCounty seatCounty seat on St. Andrew Bay; the city's website lists a downtown marina and boat ramp.
- Lynn HavenCityCity about five miles north-northeast of Panama City on North Bay; its history page describes a founding in 1911 as a Union veterans' colony.
- Panama City BeachCityGulf-side city about 13 miles west-northwest of Panama City. St. Andrews and Camp Helen state parks have Panama City Beach addresses but lie outside the city limits.
- CallawayCityCity about eight miles east-southeast of Panama City, near Tyndall Air Force Base.
- SpringfieldCityCity about four miles east of Panama City; its website links to the AlertBay notice system and a community redevelopment agency.
- ParkerCitySmall city about five miles east-southeast of Panama City; its website lists a water department and a flooding page.
- Mexico BeachCitySmall Gulf-front city about 22 miles southeast of Panama City, near where Hurricane Michael came ashore in October 2018.
Official local resources
- Bay County Property Appraiser
- Bay County Tax Collector
- Bay County Clerk of Court (official records)
- Bay County Emergency Management
- Bay County Housing Division (SHIP) department page
- Bay County FEMA Flood Zones and Maps
- Bay County Evacuation Zones map (lookup)
Links go to government offices, not to Mortgage by Ruben.
Bay County: common questions
6 questions
Do the 2024 flood map changes in Bay County affect a purchase?
They can. Building permits submitted from August 16, 2024 follow the revised FEMA maps under the county's ordinance, and FEMA lists October 24, 2024 as the date the revised map panels took effect. A FEMA coastal study led to higher base flood elevations or zone changes for some properties, so new structures may need to be raised more. Check a property's current zone before you buy or rebuild, and ask an insurance agent how it affects coverage.
What is Bay County's voluntary home buyout program?
It is a disaster-recovery program funded through HUD that buys and demolishes eligible homes in Special Flood Hazard Areas and other high-risk flood areas. It is aimed at current owners who want to relocate. As a buyer, ask whether a property or its street has been in the program, since eligible homes are acquired and demolished.
Can I use a Bay County duplex or condo as a short-term rental?
It depends on where the property is. In unincorporated areas the county requires annual registration for one- to four-family buildings, while high-rise condominium units and apartment complexes are exempt from the county ordinance. Cities set their own rules, and a condominium association can restrict rentals. Confirm all three before you count on rental income.
What storm history should I ask a Bay County seller about?
Start with Hurricane Michael in 2018, then ask about Hurricane Sally, Tropical Storm Fred and wildfires, which the county's grants page lists since 2018. Ask what was damaged, who repaired it, whether permits were closed and whether an insurance claim was paid. An inspector and an insurance agent can then review the repairs themselves.
What does Bay County's SHIP office ask for before I apply?
The county's application guide asks buyers to take a homebuyer class and send a lender's letter first. Panama City also lists its own SHIP contact, so a buyer inside the city should check with both offices. Funding opens and closes, so call before you plan around it, and ask which loan types the program accepts.
How do I find my evacuation zone in Bay County?
Type the address into the county's Evacuation Zones map. The county warns that zones may differ from what you remember, so look again after you choose a property. The county also runs AlertBay for emergency notices. An evacuation zone is not the same as a FEMA flood zone, so check the flood map separately.
Loan programs to explore
- VA LoansFor eligible veterans and service members. No monthly mortgage insurance.
- Condotel and Non-Warrantable Condo LoansFor condos and condo-hotels outside Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac project rules.
- Short-Term Rental LoansFinance vacation rentals using short-term rental income.
- FHA 203(k) Renovation LoansBuy or refinance and fund repairs in one FHA loan.
- Down Payment Assistance ProgramsGrants and second loans that help with funds to close.
Not sure which program fits? Try the program finder or run your own numbers in the calculators.
Browse all loan programsNeighboring counties
All 67 countiesLocal information on this page is general, comes from public sources and can change. Loan programs and eligibility do not depend on the county alone, and this page does not determine them. For current facts about a property, check official sources such as the county property appraiser or assessor and FEMA flood maps. This is not a commitment to lend, and program availability varies by lender.