Gulf County, Florida Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Gulf County, FL Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below average
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 71% of counties in Florida
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Gulf County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,130 | 22,388,905 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 19.0 | 313.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.31% | 1.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 47.6 | 40.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 5,944 | 8,743,019 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Gulf County declined by 2.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 15,130 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Gulf County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.9% of residents. That is 2.2 points above Florida as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,598 17.2% -2.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,344 22.1% +1.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,468 22.9% +2.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,367 22.3% +2.6 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Florida, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 41.6% of the people living in Gulf County and men 58.4%.
- Women 41.6% Florida 51.0%
- Men 58.4% Florida 49.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Gulf County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Gulf County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Gulf County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $62,079 | $74,580 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.61% | 5.42% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.6% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Gulf County is about 17% lower than in Florida.
Housing
| Metric | Gulf County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $616,735 | $311,338 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,186 | $1,668 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 80.8% | 67.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Gulf County is about 43.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,186 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Gulf County spend about 38 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 156 hours, about 6.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Gulf County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.8 | 24.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.5 | 47.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 156 | 200 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,846 | $6,189 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.3% | 15.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,089 | 14,318 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 810 | 3,068 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Florida:
Taylor County (13.8 min), Monroe County (16.1 min), Franklin County (16.6 min).
Slowest:
Washington County (32.8 min), Osceola County (32.3 min), Liberty County (32.1 min).
The average commute time in Gulf County is 19 minutes, shorter than the 24 minutes in Florida.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Gulf County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Gulf County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.9% | 30.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.11 | 2.50 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Florida:
St. Johns County (0.4), Leon County (0.4), Alachua County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hamilton County (0.1), Hendry County (0.1), Hardee County (0.1).
Health
Gulf County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Gulf County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.5 | 77.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.3% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.2% | 21.3% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Florida:
St. Johns County (0.8), Seminole County (0.8), Alachua County (0.8).
Lowest:
Glades County (0.8), Putnam County (0.8), Hendry County (0.8).
Gulf County, FL Compared With Nearby Counties
How Gulf County, FL compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gulf County, FL | 15,130 | $62,079 #2/3 | $616,735 #1/3 | 18.8 min #1/3 |
| Bay County, FL | 186,393 | $73,432 | $370,907 | 20.6 min |
| Washington County, FL | 25,529 | $59,460 | $183,231 | 32.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Gulf County, Florida.
What is the population of Gulf County, Florida?
About 15,130 people live in Gulf County, Florida, in 5,944 households of 2.1 people on average. The median age is 47.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 10 years.
Is Gulf County, Florida mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Gulf County, Florida has 19 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 22% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Gulf County, Florida an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 9.9 times the median household income ($616,735 against $62,079), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,186 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Gulf County, Florida?
Unemployment in Gulf County, Florida is only 2.6%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Gulf County, Florida?
19.9% of adults in Gulf County, Florida hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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