Panama City

Panama City is a city in and the county seat of Bay County, Florida, United States. Located along U.S. Highway 98 (US 98), it is the largest city between Tallahassee and Pensacola. Panama City was severely damaged when Hurricane Michael made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane on October 10, 2018. As of the 2020 census, the population was 35,392, down from the figure of 36,484 at the 2010 census. The city is part of the Central Time Zone, which unlike the city of Tallahsee, does not change with the seasons. It is located at 30°1028N 85°3952W (30.174451, 85.664480) within the Florida Panhandle and along the Emerald Coast. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city limits encompass an area of 35.4 square miles (91.8 km²), of which 29.8 square miles is land and 6.2 sq km² is water. In January, the average low is 42.6 °F (5.6°C), and in July the average high is 91.1 °F. In 2018, Hurricane Michael, caused catastrophic damage to the city and surrounding communities, with winds of 160 km/h (260 mph) The city was also heavily damaged by an EF2 tornado on March 18, 2022 (   Panama Time zone 18, 22, 24, 26, 29, 32, 32).

Name

Panama City is the primary city name, but also Callaway, Parker are acceptable city names or spellings. The official name is City of Panama City. In 1906, the development was named Panama City and it was first incorporated as Panama City in 1909. George Mortimer West hoped to spur real estate development in Bay County by changing the town's name from Harrison to Panama City. A straight line between Chicago and the Central American country Panama's national capital intersected the Florida town. Panama City was the closest developed port in the US mainland to the Caribbean entrance of the Panama Canal. Since required meanders around land formations in a seaborne route to the canal added distance when starting at other ports, the city was called Panama City at the time. The city's original city limits were 15th Street (Hwy 98) on the north, Balboa Avenue on the west and Bay Ave on the east. The current city limits of Panama City are 14th Street, 15th Avenue, and 16th Avenue. The Panama City Public Library's A History of Panama city is available at: http://www.panama-city-public-library.org/history-of-panama.html. The town is located in the northwestern part of Bay County, Florida, and was once part of the town of Harrison. It is located on the Gulf of Mexico, just south of the Florida Turnpike. It was once known as Floriopolis, Park Resort, and Harrison, and is now a suburb of Orlando, Florida. It has a population of about 3,000. The City of Panama was founded in 1906 and was incorporated in 1909, when it was the largest city in the state.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 36,484 people, 14,792 households, and 8,613 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city is 71.6% White, 22.0% African American, 1.6%, Asian, 0.5% Native American, 2.9% from two or more races, and 5.1% Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 17,438 housing units at an average density of 595.2 per square mile (229.8/km²) The city's population was 20.7% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 25.9 percent from 25 to 44, 26.9 per cent from 45 to 64, and 16.3 per cent who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.7 years. For every 100 females,there were 96.3 males. For each 100 females age 18 and over, there are 95.2 males. The average household size was 2.28, and the average family size was2.91. The city has a population of 20,000, with a population density of 1,245.2 inhabitants per squaremile (480.8 /km²). The city is located in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Corps of Engineer District of the Pacific. The Army Corps has one of the largest military bases in the United States, with an area of 2,500 square miles (4,500 km²).

Geography

Panama City is part of the Central Time Zone, unlike the city of Tallahassee to its east. The city has a humid subtropical climate, with short, mild winters and long, hot and humid summers. In January, the average low is 42.6 °F (5.9 °C), and in July the average high is 91.1 °C (32.8 °C) Panama City is located at 30°1028N 85°3952W (30.174451, 85.664480) within the Florida Panhandle and along the Emerald Coast. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city limits encompass an area of 35.4 square miles (91.8 km²) of which 29.3 square miles is land and 6.0 km², or 17.39%, is water. In 2018, Panama City was directly hit by Hurricane Michael, which caused catastrophic damage to the city and surrounding communities, with winds of 160 mph (260 km/h) at landfall. It previously suffered significant indirect impacts from Hurricane Ivan (2004) and Hurricane Opal (1995). The city was also heavily damaged by an EF2 tornado on March 18, 2022. It is located on the Gulf Coast, and is susceptible to tropical cyclones due to its location on the gulf coast and its proximity to the Florida panhandle. It has an average annual rainfall of 1,856.7 millimeters (430.2 in).

Economy

As of the 2000 census, the city's median household income was $31,572, and the median income for a family was $40,890. Two military bases make the federal government the largest employer. In 2006, Panama City was named the best place to invest in real estate in the US by CNN's Business 2.0 magazine. The city's main retail center was the Panama City Mall until it was permanently closed after Hurricane Michael. The plans for the mall include a hotel, shops, and restaurants. Other major industrial employers in the Bay County area include Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Gulf Power, WestRock now closed, Trane, L-3 Communications, ARINC, and JENSEN-GROUP. The U.S. Navy's Naval Support Activity Panama City is home to various research and training projects. Tyndall Air Force Base is east of the city. It is part of Florida Army National Guard's 53rd Infantry Brigade. The City is also approximately 100 miles south of Fort Rucker, Alabama, home to the US Army's Aviation Center of Excellence. In August 2020, Panama city Mall released the plans to the mall. The Plans for the Mall includes a hotel and shops. Another local retail center is the Bay City Pointe, on FL 368 (locally known as 23rd St.). Pier Park, on the beach across the Hathaway Bridge spanning St. Andrews Bay, is a third local retail centre. Others retail areas in the Panama city Metro are the 15th Street Shopping Strip (A area between Harrison Ave/US Highway 231 and Beck Ave/ US Bus 98/State Road 390), 23rd Street shopping Strip, Downtown Panama City, Historic St. Andrew's, and Millville Historic District.

Hospitals

The city has two hospitals, Ascension Sacred Heart Bay (known as Bay Medical Sacred Heart until Hurricane Michael destroyed a large portion of it) and Gulf Coast Medical Center. The city also has a community center, which was destroyed by Hurricane Michael. The community center was built in the early 1900s and is located in the heart of the city. It is located on the banks of the Gulf of Mexico. The town has a population of about 2,000 people, according to the city's 2010 census. It has a history of being hit hard by natural disasters, such as the Great Depression and World War II, as well as by man-made disasters such as Hurricane Katrina in the 1980s and 9/11. The hospital system was established in the late 1800s and has been in operation ever since. It was named after a local church, which is now a part of the Ascension Catholic Church in Bay City. It also has two other hospitals, one of which is in the town's downtown area. The area also has an elementary school, a high school, and a middle school, all of which were built after the Civil War. The church was built on the site of a former home for the Knights of the Sacred Heart, which has since been destroyed by a tornado. It's also known as the birthplace of the first African-American mayor of Bay City, William "Bill" Smith, who was born in the city in 1881. The village has a large Hispanic population, with about 1,000 residents.

Transportation

The city is located on St. Andrews Bay. The Bay Line Railroad has an 82-mile (132 km) rail line running north to Dothan, Alabama. The city was served by the Panama City-Bay County International Airport until May 22, 2010. It was replaced by the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) with Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines. In June 2018, ECP also added American Airlines. The Port of Panama City is on the city's eastern edge, near St. Andrew's Bay. Local transit is handled by the Baytown Trolley services, which generally runs Monday-Saturday from 6 AM to 7 PM. It is the only direct connection between Panama City and Panama City Beach. The largest of these is the Hathaway Bridge, which is also the only connection between the city and the beach. It has three large bridges to cross parts of the bay: the Bailey Bridge to the north on Hwy 77, the Dupont bridge to the south on H Highway 98, and the Hathaways Bridge for the west. It also has a sleeping car service to Atlanta from Panama City, which used to run between 1955 and 1956. It's the only airport in the state with a direct connection to the U.S. mainland. The airport was closed in 2010 and replaced by ECP, which also has an airport in Panama City. It opened on July 1, 2010, with Southwest and Delta as the two main airlines.

Education

Panama City's public schools are operated by Bay District Schools. A system of charter schools, University Academy and Bay Haven Schools also services the Panama City area. Private schools in the city include, Holy Nativity Episcopal School, St. John Catholic School, Jacob Austin Prep. Academy, Covenant Christian School. Gulf Coast State College, formerly Gulf Coast Community College, is now a 4-year state college. Tom P. Haney Technical College is a local alternative to traditional college, offering a variety of vocational training programs. Florida State University Panama City Campus and a satellite campus of Troy University are located in the City. Embry Riddle Aeronautical University has aatellite campus on Tyndall Air Force Base. Public high schools in Panama City metro-area include Rutherford High School, Bay High School and Mosley High School. Private high schools include Jacob Austin Preparatory Academy and Covenant Christian Schools. The city is home to the Panamanian National Guard and the Florida National Guard Air Force, which has a base in the area. The Panama City Police Department has a station in the downtown area, which is located on the edge of the city. It is also home to a number of other law enforcement agencies, including the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Department of Public Safety. The City of Panama City is also the home of the Florida International University, which was founded in 1855. It was the first U.S. state to admit women to the University of Florida.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Panama City, Bay County, Florida = 65.3. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 101. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 89. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Panama City = 5.5 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 32,939 individuals with a median age of 37.8 age the population dropped by -0.36% in Panama City, Bay County, Florida population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 937.82 residents per square mile of area (362.09/km²). There are average 2.22 people per household in the 15,217 households with an average household income of $41,553 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 9.70% of the available work force and has dropped -4.24% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 21.82%. The number of physicians in Panama City per 100,000 population = 208.9.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Panama City = 64.5 inches and the annual snowfall = 0 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 109. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 237. 90 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 39.8 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 24, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Panama City, Bay County, Florida which are owned by the occupant = 51.88%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 37 years with median home cost = $122,760 and home appreciation of -7.86%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $7.22 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,462 per student. There are 16.1 students for each teacher in the school, 675 students for each Librarian and 351 students for each Counselor. 7.58% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 11.63% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 7.49% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).