Escambia County today
| Typical value | |
|---|---|
| Single family house | $272,000 |
| Condo or townhome | $484,000 |
What this means
Values in Escambia County are about flat (+1.4% in a year).
Run the calculator below with the real numbers.
Permits January to September 2026: 1,327 homes, 24% more than 2025.
A specific house can rent above or below these figures, so pull rental comps for the address. Sources and method: how these figures are built.
Quick facts
| Escambia County | Compared with Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Population, 2025 estimate | 333,834 | 1.4% of Florida |
| Growth since 2020 | 3.7% | -5.2 pts |
| Median home value | $257,200 | 28% lower |
| Median gross rent | $1,321 | 21% lower |
| Median household income | $67,500 | 9% lower |
| Owner occupied homes | 64.8% | -2.8 pts |
| Residents 65 and older | 17.9% | -3.4 pts |
| Average commute | 24 min | 16% lower |
| Homes built 2010 or later | 12.8% | -1.4 pts |
| Housing units permitted in 2025 per 1,000 residents | 4.2 | 45% lower |
| Veterans, share of adults | 13.6% | +6.2 pts |
| Median property tax paid | $1,495 | 45% lower |
| Average homeowners insurance with wind | $3,702 |
Census figures are 2020 to 2024 averages; see sources and methods.
Living in Escambia County
Three things set apart Escambia County: a large veteran community (13.6% of adults); a median home value of $257,200, far less than the $359,000 state figure; and rents below the state median ($1,321 vs $1,669).
Westernmost and oldest county in the Panhandle, about 875 square miles around Pensacola, bordering Alabama. Pensacola is the county seat, and the county dates to 1821.
Largest communities: Pensacola, Ferry Pass and Bellview. Pensacola alone has about 54,036 residents.
What anchors the area
- Colleges: University of West Florida (Pensacola); Pensacola State College (Pensacola)
- Commercial airports: Pensacola International Airport (PNS)
- Military: Naval Air Station Pensacola; Corry Station; Saufley Field
Most people work close to home (average commute 24 minutes). Newcomers are common: 5.9% of residents arrived from another state in the past year.
Growth and where it is heading
The Census counts 333,834 residents as of July 2025, versus 321,905 in 2020, a 3.7% change. The 2024 to 2025 change was +0.44%.
| 2025 building permits | Units |
|---|---|
| Single family | 1,366 |
| 2 to 4 units | 0 |
| 5 or more units | 32 |
| Total | 1,398 |
| Per 1,000 residents | 4.2 (well below Florida, 7.6) |
More on corridors and rents: Panhandle and Big Bend investor guide.
Risks to price in
No direct landfalls here since 2000; inland wind and flood damage from passing storms is the main exposure.
Budget around $3,702 a year for a homeowners policy with wind; that is the county average reported to state regulators.
On the coast, flood zone and elevation can matter as much as the price.
43.7% of homes predate 1980, so expect four point inspections and roof questions from insurers. Insurance and inspections
Flood, storms and jobs
| Escambia County | Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Homes in a FEMA high risk flood zone | 7,909 (6.5%) | 13.3% |
| Homes with federal flood insurance | 10,067 (8.3%) | 13.7% |
| Insured share inside high risk zones | 62% | |
| Flood insurance claims since 2000 | 10,951, $641,649,385 paid | |
| Costliest flood events for insured homes | Hurricane Ivan ($426,637,312); Hurricane Sally ($97,925,338); Mid spring storms ($75,112,435) | |
| Major federal disasters declared since 2000 | 17 (11 hurricane, 3 severe storm, 2 tropical storm) |
Good news for flood premiums: the county (unincorporated areas) earned CRS class 6, so policies in high risk zones get 20% off. Flood map date: 08/19/25.
Escambia County counted 120,709 private jobs in 2023; the largest sectors were health care and social assistance (19%), retail (14%), hotels and restaurants (13%). Tourism signal: 13% work in hotels and restaurants, close to the state's 13%.
Buying a home in Escambia County
| 2026 loan limit, one unit | Amount |
|---|---|
| FHA | $541,287 |
| Conforming (above this is jumbo) | $832,750 |
The median priced home fits under the FHA limit with room to spare. FHA limits
The median home equals 3.8 years of median household income (4.8 for the state). Monthly payments are more manageable relative to local incomes.
Loans made here in 2025
| Loan type | Loans | Share | Florida share | Average loan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional | 4,313 | 60.2% | 72.2% | $251,253 |
| FHA | 1,145 | 16% | 17.8% | $247,035 |
| VA | 1,679 | 23.4% | 9.9% | $331,266 |
| USDA | 30 | 0.4% | 0.2% | $241,667 |
| Purpose | Share of 2025 loans |
|---|---|
| Home purchase | 61.5% |
| Cash out refinance | 13.5% |
| Rate and term refinance | 11% |
| Home improvement | 6.1% |
That is up 1.7% from 7,050 loans in 2024. VA loans are unusually common here.
Loans that fit the local numbers
- Conventional: the default choice here (60.2% of 2025 loans).
- FHA: median price $257,200 vs limit $541,287.
- VA: veterans are 13.6% of adults (Florida 7.4%).
Down payment help and taxes
Statewide help is available through the Florida Housing Finance Corporation. Owners paid a median $1,495 in property tax (0.58% of value). Homestead and tax caps
Investing in Escambia County
DSCR loans often price above this rate. Method. DSCR loans
Run your own numbers
Long term rentals
| Escambia County | vs Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Renter occupied homes | 35.2% | +2.8 pts |
| Rent as share of renter income | 33.2% | -2.0 pts |
| Rental vacancy | 5.6% | -2.0 pts |
Few rentals sit empty.
Short term rentals
| Item | Here |
|---|---|
| County tourist tax | 5% |
| Plus state sales tax | 6% (plus any county surtax) |
| Homes held for seasonal use | 4% (-3.8 pts vs Florida) |
| Commercial airport | Pensacola International Airport (PNS) |
Zoning, registration and HOA rules decide if a home can rent nightly. State rules
Property types
| Housing stock | Share |
|---|---|
| Single family detached | 67.9% |
| Buildings with 5+ units | 15.4% |
| Manufactured homes | 5.6% |
| 2025 loans on 2 to 4 unit properties | 1.88% |
Largest cities and towns in Escambia County
Among places with at least 1,000 residents, Pensacola has the highest median value ($314,400) and West Pensacola the lowest ($116,100); West Pensacola shows the best rent to price ratio (11.76% gross).
| Place | Population | Median value | Median rent | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pensacola | 54,036 | $314,400 | $1,322 | $74,212 |
| Ferry Pass | 30,053 | $260,100 | $1,383 | $61,689 |
| Bellview | 26,488 | $205,300 | $1,344 | $69,890 |
| Brent | 23,813 | $159,900 | $1,161 | $49,167 |
| Ensley | 23,760 | $222,000 | $1,378 | $59,084 |
| West Pensacola | 20,665 | $116,100 | $1,138 | $40,511 |
| Warrington | 15,918 | $212,000 | $1,160 | $61,861 |
| Myrtle Grove | 15,595 | $186,100 | $1,391 | $67,647 |
| Gonzalez | 14,458 | $278,300 | $1,250 | $82,062 |
| Pensacola Station | 5,281 | Not reported | $1,797 | $71,607 |
Census places, including unincorporated communities. Linked places have their own guide.
Compare with neighboring counties
| County | Median value | Median rent | Growth since 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Escambia County | $257,200 | $1,321 | 3.7% |
| Santa Rosa County | $329,800 | $1,544 | 12.3% |
Other Florida markets
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5 year estimates. 2020 to 2024.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates, Vintage 2025. July 1, 2025.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025 annual. 2025.
- FFIEC HMDA Data Browser, originated loans. 2025 and 2024.
- LendingTree: 2026 FHA loan limits in Florida by county (HUD figures). 2026.
- Florida Realtors: FHFA sets 2026 conforming loan limits. 2026.
- Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research: 2026 local option tourist tax rates. 2026.
- Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, July 2026 Insurance Stability Unit report (average homeowners premium with wind, as of March 31, 2026). March 31, 2026.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey. week of October 22, 2026.
- Wikipedia: List of counties in Florida. checked October 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file. 2024.
- Wikipedia county article and statewide lists (colleges, teams, airports); Florida Defense Support Task Force installation map. checked October 2026.
- Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), all homes, middle tier, smoothed and seasonally adjusted. September 2026.
- Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (county annual, metro and state quarterly, all transactions). through Q2 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, January to September 2026 and 2025. September 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Residential Penetration Rates. as of August 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims (2000 to 2026). as of September 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book (Community Rating System class). August 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries (2000 to 2026). October 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023. 2023.
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020 to 2024, median gross rent by bedrooms (B25031). 2020 to 2024.
- Hurricane landfalls: Wikipedia, List of Florida hurricanes (2000 to present). checked October 2026.
Estimates from public data; they change over time. General information, not investment, tax or legal advice, and not a loan offer. Methods and assumptions.