The Town Files

Pensacola, Florida

City in Escambia County · population 54,312 (2020 Census)

Map: where Pensacola is in FloridaPensacola
Median home
$314,400
Household income
$74,212
Jan low / Jul high
44° / 92°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
70
Median age
41.3

Pensacola is a city of 54,312 people in Escambia County, Florida. The median home is worth $314,400, below the typical Florida town ($331,600). It ranks better for cycling than 89% of Florida towns, hipper than 88% of Florida towns, better for young professionals than 84% of Florida towns.

How Pensacola ranks

Percentile among Florida towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Florida towns.

Pensacola lifestyle rankings vs other Florida townsRetirement57th pctFamilies34th pctQuiet33rd pctWalkability73rd pctFirst-time buyers41st pctYoung professionals84th pctVibrancy80th pctHip & trendy88th pctCollege town65th pctUpscale63rd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside character78th pctCycling89th pctTransit71st pctDriving45th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Pensacola is worth $314,400, below the typical Florida town ($331,600). Homes cost about 4.2 times the median household income of $74,212, which is more affordable than 61% of Florida towns. Median rent is $1,322 a month. 64.2% of households own their home.

Pensacola vs Escambia County vs typical Florida townPensacolaEscambia CountyTypical Florida townHome value$314,400$257,200$331,600Household income$74,212$67,500$71,140Monthly rent$1,322$1,321$1,569
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Florida towns with 500+ people.
HousingPensacolaTypical Florida town
Median home value$314,400$331,600
Median rent$1,322$1,569
Median household income$74,212$71,140
Home value ÷ income4.2×4.5×
Homeownership64.2%73.5%
Median year built19721985
Seasonal / vacation homes2.2%—

Who lives in Pensacola

PeoplePensacolaTypical Florida town
Median age41.342.8
Age 65 and over21.3%20.2%
Under 1818.7%—
Bachelor's degree or higher43.0%28.8%
Below the poverty line12.6%11.3%
Veterans12.2%—
Born outside the U.S.5.1%—
Work from home16.7%13.5%
Average commute22.0 min27.5 min
Homes with broadband92.4%92.4%

Weather in Pensacola

July highs average 91.6°F and January lows 43.7°F. About 68.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical Florida town: 0.0 in). Expect about 68 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 11 nights at or below freezing.

Pensacola monthly temperatures and precipitation40°50°60°70°80°90°100°63°44°Jan66°47°Feb72°53°Mar78°59°Apr85°67°May90°74°Jun92°75°Jul91°75°Aug89°72°Sep81°62°Oct72°51°Nov65°46°DecPrecipitation (in)5.04.85.35.53.97.37.97.56.64.74.45.4
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Pensacola Rgnl Ap station (2.6 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 2 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

70 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Pensacola since 1950, compared with 35 for the typical Florida town. 11 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF3, struck on February 23, 2016 about 3.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 10, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Pensacola by decade51950s81960s231970s121980s41990s82000s22010s82020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 34 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on June 6, 2011.

Severe weather in Escambia County since 1996

Storm events in Escambia County since 1996 by typeHail58Tornado30Lightning42Heavy Rain6Waterspout12Flash Flood75Rip Current44Funnel Cloud5
NOAA Storm Events Database, Escambia County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 48 deaths recorded.

Escambia County has been included in 42 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
October 27, 2026HurricaneDR-4955: Hurricane Isaias
October 9, 2026Tropical StormEM-3655: Hurricane Isaias
September 28, 2024HurricaneDR-4828: Hurricane Helene
September 24, 2024Tropical StormEM-3615: Tropical Storm Helene
August 10, 2024Tropical StormDR-4806: Hurricane Debby

Jobs and pay in Escambia County

Escambia County had 145,972 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $60,268 a year. Unemployment was 3.1% in 2023; in Pensacola itself the ACS puts it at 6.3%.

Largest industries in Escambia CountyHealth care & social assistan…23,956 jobs · $66,557Hotels & restaurants17,408 jobs · $28,076Retail17,213 jobs · $38,192Finance & insurance12,047 jobs · $89,839Construction9,339 jobs · $63,693Professional & technical serv…8,125 jobs · $97,719
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Escambia County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Escambia 3.1%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Pensacola

57 public schools with 29,740 students, about 19.8 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
PINE FOREST HIGH SCHOOL9-121,73721.7
WASHINGTON SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL9-121,69125.6
ESCAMBIA HIGH SCHOOL9-121,65429.5
WEST FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL/TECHNICAL9-121,34523.2
PENSACOLA HIGH SCHOOL9-121,20525.1
JIM C. BAILEY MIDDLE SCHOOL6-81,09723.3
BEULAH MIDDLE SCHOOL6-81,00434.6
FERRY PASS MIDDLE SCHOOL6-895920.8
BEULAH ELEMENTARY SCHOOLK-595219.4
BELLVIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL6-881619.9
SCENIC HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOLPK-580422.3
PINE MEADOW ELEMENTARY SCHOOLPK-576118.6

Towns near Pensacola

Pensacola questions

Is Pensacola, Florida a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Pensacola scores better for retirees than 57% of Florida towns and quieter than 33%. 21.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.3).

How much does a house cost in Pensacola?

The median owner-occupied home in Pensacola is valued at $314,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $74,212, so homes cost about 4.2 times income. Median rent is $1,322 a month.

What is the weather like in Pensacola?

July highs average 91.6°F and January lows 43.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 68.3 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does Pensacola get tornadoes?

70 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Pensacola since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF3 on February 23, 2016. The typical Florida town has had 35.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Pensacola's Census boundary (GEOID 1255925). Comparisons use the median of Florida towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.