Population and Demographics

Why does it matter?

Measuring socioeconomic factors is pertinent to the success of the region because it allows policymakers to make choices that best serve their community. Given the fact that the success of the workforce is dependent upon its people, understanding social characteristics can increase productivity and regional growth. Analyzing poverty rates among the different populations can also reveal target groups in need of attention. Reinforcing these factors with other economic indicators, such as income levels and housing characteristics, gives an even more detailed perspective on how to improve the quality of living in Pensacola.

Population by Age

Pensacola Metro Area (Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties)

Where are we now?

Population and demographic indicators focus on the people who make up our community. Overall, our area continues to see population growth. From 2015 to 2022 our population expanded by over 47,000, averaging an annual growth rate of about 1.36 percent. Despite a drop in our birth rate—from 12.3 births per 1,000 people in 2015 to 11.15 births per 1,000 people in 2021—the population grew from other factors, such as incoming migration. During the same period, the percent of the population that is foreign-born has hovered around 4.9 percent, yet the number of non-English-speaking households increased. The median age stayed steady, hovering around 38 years over the whole period. 

In contrast to our growing population, we have experienced a decrease in the childhood poverty rate by 1.5 percentage points from 2015 to 2021. Each poverty indicator increased from 2020 to 2021, this means a larger share of people are experiencing poverty. This increase does not necessarily create a new trend in the data, but three of the five poverty indicators currently have higher values for 2021 than they did in 2015. 

Family structures and other social characteristics were reported for demographic data. The majority of households are married-couple family households, though the number of cohabiting households has increased since 2015. There are larger percentages of single-female householders than there are single-male households, however, the percent of single-male households quadrupled from 2015 to 2021. Single Female households increased as well but at a lower rate. The average family size and average household size both decreased for the estimated period. 

Household incomes grew from a median of $52,842 in 2015 to $68,144 in 2021. While most of the period was defined by growth, median incomes dropped from 2018 to 2019. With respect to housing, our community has seen nearly a 33 percent increase in median home value between 2020 and 2021, with nearly a 8-percent increase in median monthly rent over the same period. From 2020 to 2021, the homeowner vacancy rate decreased, from 2.05 to 1.45. Meanwhile, the rental vacancy rate dropped from 7.55 to 2.85, indicating increased demand for rental spaces, despite the increase in monthly rent. (However, these measures may have been impacted by government policy during 2021 to prevent families and individuals losing their home during the Covid-19 pandemic.)

How do we measure it?

The birth rate indicator is defined as the number of births per 1000 people. Net Migration is measured in two ways—one as the percentage of the population, and the other as a count of inbound and outbound migration. In the percentage of the population that migrated to the area, there are several categories, including those that did not move that year. The Moved from Abroad indicator represents the percentage of the population which moved from a foreign country. The Moved from a Different State indicator represents the percentage of the population which moved from a different state. The Moved from a Different County indicator represents the percentage of the population which moved from a different county in Florida. The Moved within the Same County indicator represents the percentage of the population which moved to a new location in the same county.

The Homeowner Vacancy rate is defined as the percentage of owner-occupied housing units which are both vacant and for sale. The Housing Units indicator represents the total number of housing units within an area. The Median House Value indicator is the median of all house values in the area. Median Monthly Rent is the median of all rents in the area. The Occupied Housing Units indicator represents the total number of housing units which are occupied or not vacant. The Rental Vacancy rate is defined as the percentage of rental units which are unoccupied or vacant. The Vacant Housing Units indicator is defined as the total number of vacant or unoccupied housing units in the area. 

The Median Age is the median of the age distribution of the population in the area. Median Household Income is the median of the household income distribution in the area. Mean Income is the average income for the area. Per capita Income is the mean individual income for the region. 

The ALICE rate (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) is an alternative measure of poverty to the standard federal poverty level and is defined as the number of households falling below the ALICE defined income threshold. These data were taken from United for ALICE. The percentage of children under 18 below the poverty level indicator is the percentage of children who live in a household earning less than the official poverty level of income. The percent below the poverty level indicator is defined as the percentage of the population earning below the official poverty level of income. The percentage of seniors 65 and up below the poverty level indicator is the percentage of the elderly population earning below the official poverty level income. The percentage of households receiving SNAP indicator represents the percentage of households which receive any benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. 

The Adult Civilian Population indicator is defined as the total non-military adult population. The Average Family Size indicator is defined as the mean family size. The Average Household Size indicator is defined as the mean household size. The Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population indicator is the non-military population not currently institutionalized. The Cohabiting-Couple Households indicator is the number of households with two unmarried adults in a relationship living together. The Disabled Population Indicator is the population of people with disabilities. The Female Householders, No Spouse or Partner Present indicator represents the number of single female-headed households. The Foreign-Born Population indicator is the population originally born in a different country.

The Households indicator is the number of households. The Male Householders, No Spouse or Partner Present indicator represents the number of single-male-headed households. The Married Couple Family Households indicator represents the number of married-couple households with families. The People Living in non-English Speaking Households indicator represents the number of people who live in a household where a language other than English is spoken at home. The Total Population indicator is the total number of people living in the area. The Veteran Population is the total number of veterans living in the area.

What call to action is linked to this indicator?

A growing population is typically a good sign of a healthy community. A growing community tends to mean more opportunity, more collaboration, and more skills available to the residents who live there. The number of people who make up our community can continue to grow either through increasing the birthrate or increasing migration to our region. Policies that help families and children could expand the birthrate while policies that make our area’s cost-of-living affordable could increase inward migration.

To properly support a growing population, our region would also need new housing. Policymakers could use tax incentives or loosen land use regulations to promote new development. To grow incomes, policymakers could promote high wage industries, invest in education and infrastructure, and support a healthy labor market. Additionally, rising incomes and greater employment opportunities might help to reduce poverty in our area. Providing resources through local government and our region’s charitable organizations to low-income families could also help reduce poverty.