[Navymichael]

What are the best and worst aspects of living in the Panama City, Fla. area?

My family (wife and 5 kids aged 10, 8, 6, 3 & 3) is moving there for at least 2 years this summer.

Thanks so much in advance for your thoughtful reply!!!

[GreggT]

Best:
Beach,
Great places to eat
Fishing
Lots to do for the kids
Worst:
Trying to find a place to live and its cost
Traffic during the tourist season
Area still recovering from the hurricane, Panama City

[Navymichael]

Gregg,

Thank you for responding! What is the climate in the Panama City area as compared to Key West, Miami or Ft. Lauderdale (these are the only places in Fla. that I've visited.

[GreggT]

It is much cooler in the Winter months, you can check the average temperatures. Summer it is actually quite similar.

[OptimusPrime69]

Best aspects,
Nice beach.

Worst aspect:
The people. Very Wal-Mart. The people don't strike me as very educated, progressive, or sophisticated. But oh well. That's the FL panhandle for you.

[Navymichael]

How about Mosquitoes, Alligators and rats etc. in the area?

[GreggT]

Originally Posted by OptimusPrime69

Best aspects,
Nice beach.

Worst aspect:
The people. Very Wal-Mart. The people don't strike me as very educated, progressive, or sophisticated. But oh well. That's the FL panhandle for you.

Gee It sort strikes me as a positive, nice, polite, not stuck up fill with their own importance.......and Yes that's the Florida Panhandle for you.

[beachmouse]

Do not underestimate how much of a mess the housing market remains post-hurricane. (The Lynn Haven area, where some of the best schools were, was particularly hard hit) A military housing stipend really helps, but rebuilding is slow, and start doing some talking to realtors and future co-workers as soon as you can so you don't have to settle.

There is newer construction in Panama City Beach north of US 98 that is modern and would have more space for a family your size.

Not too many gators, though they are present and you'll occasionally hear of a dog getting chomped when being walked by murky waterways. Urban and suburban areas are pretty good about spraying for mosquitos. Not too many visible rats- I think the snakes, of which there are many both poisonous and non-poisonous, feral cats, foxes, and coyotes keep the rodent population relatively in check. I live just down the road from Eglin Reservation land about an hour west of PC and my neighborhood also gets the occasional black bear and feral hog.

Tourists- 97% of them are pleasant enough in casual contact but you also get the arrogant, the clueless, the minorly malignant and the ones who think that a vacation means they can take a vacation from parenting and will let their kids play dodge ball in the frozen foods aisle of Publix. They also make local roads far exceed reasonable carrying capacity and yes, many people celebrate Labor Day as the end of tourism season and the chance to get our own beaches back until Spring Break.

[Navymichael]

Thanks for the in depth reply!

Sadly, I won't have a military housing stipend when we move. I retire from the military before we move to PC. My wife's going to a medical training program there that lasts 2 years.

We home school, so the school district won't matter that much. Are things like gasoline, groceries, electricity, water etc. expensive there?

[Hollarena]

Well I think it's a wonderful place! The con is, sadly some areas, my neighborhood especially, has not recovered much from hurricane Michael. The items in question aren’t any more expensive, a lot of times they are less expensive than surrounding cities.
I’m speaking of Panama City though, not Panama City beach.......