PaceWelcomeSign, 2018
Pace’s story
117 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,776 in 1970, 24,684 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2018 and 5 maps from 1920 on.
- 1909Pace is settled
PaceFL
A town of 26,282, settled in 1909. Public schools that outperform most of Florida.
3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: 10593-H · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
26,282
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$326K
+0.9% in a year
Household income
$81K
median
Median age
37.7
years
Jobs based here
5,572
A commuter town
TownGrade
B−
#152 of 634 in FL
Is Pace a good place to live?
Pace is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades B− overall, 152nd of 634 graded towns in Florida, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is schools: its public schools beat 80% of Florida towns on state tests and graduation. It also does better than most on health: it is healthier than 70% of U.S. towns. A typical home there costs about $326K, 4.3 years of the Pensacola metro’s $76K median household income. 12% of the land in Pace is conserved, above both the Florida town median (3%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest park or preserve is Escambia River Wildlife Management Area, at 1,892 acres. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 86% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top.
What makes Pace stand out
Where Pace beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A growing town
Pace has grown 23% from 2010 to 2020
20,039 counted in 2010 and 24,684 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Pace grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Pace is from typical.
Hazard riskhurricanes tops the listDOpen →SchoolsA−Open →HealthSanta Rosa Medical Center 5.9 miles awayB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.5 of 20; 2.3% of households have no car; 0.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Jobs & income$81K median household incomeC+Open →Cost of livingC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 90° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market59 days on market–Open →Who lives here–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Pace: who provides what
Pace is unincorporated, so Santa Rosa County and regional agencies provide most services.
WaterPace Water System, Inc.No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesSanta Rosa CountySanta Rosa County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Florida you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereSanta Rosa Supervisor of ElectionsSanta Rosa County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2023
ZIP code3257132571 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 17, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Pace.
Pace has less no health insurance than most of Florida, has added a third more jobs in ten years and has a longer frost-free season than most of the country, though not than most of Florida.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Pace faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by hurricanes
Since 1993, 42 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Pace.
86risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesInland floodingTornadoes
42
paid flood claims since 1993
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsA−
For schools, Pace earns an A−
Its public schools are run by the Santa Rosa school district. Three of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Pace High School, with 2,316 students.
80%of FL districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas L Sims Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 823 | A |
| Pace High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,316 | A− |
| S. S. Dixon Intermediate SchoolTop results in townGrades 3–5 | Grades 3–5 | 676 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
#253for trails in FL
12%
conserved · 1,882 of 15,634 acres
10 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Escambia River Wildlife Management Area | — | 1,892 |
| 2. Pace Area Recreation Park | — | 23 |
| 3. Benny Russell Park | 0.1 mi | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Most of Pace’s workers commute out: the town has 0.5 jobs for each of them
Jobs based here grew from 4,259 in 2013 to 5,572.
Most working residents leave Pace for work: only 7% work in town. Jobs based in Pace grew to 5,572 in 2023, 1,313 more than in 2013. At 29 minutes, Pace’s average trip to work is against 27 minutes in Florida’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns.
7%work in town
| Pace | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $81,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Pace7%
Pensacola19%
Ferry Pass10%
Milton7%
Brent4%
12 mi
median commute distance
5,572
jobs based in Pace
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 32% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB+
For health, Pace earns a B+
Its widest gap with Florida is no health insurance: 10% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 15.9% statewide.
20% of adults get no exercise outside work in Pace. Pace beats the Florida average on 10 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 40% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Pace.
70%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Pace | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 25% | 25% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 36% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 16% |
31 measures vs. Florida
10 better20 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Pace | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 10% | 15.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11.8% | 16.8% |
| More adults with depression | 20% | 17.1% |
Santa Rosa Medical Center
5.9 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
67th
percentile among FL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Pace has mild winters and hot summers
The Pensacola Forest Sherman Nas weather station, 20 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 277 days: longer than most of the country, but shorter than 80% of Florida places with climate records. January nights average 42.8°: milder than most of the country, but colder than 86% of Florida places with climate records; July afternoons average 90.4°.
Pace has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The January low in Pace is 43°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
90°summer high
| Pace | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 43°F | 51°F | 22°F |
| July high | 90°F | 91°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter45–63°
Spring59–77°
Summer74–90°
Fall60–79°
Dec 9
typical first frost
Feb 17
typical last frost
+0.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
90°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
More children than Florida overall
Children under 18 are 25% of residents (20% statewide). Pace’s median age is 37.7 years. 31% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 34% across Florida.
37.7median age · FL 42.6
| Pace | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 25% | 20% | 22% |
| Median age | 37.7 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
PaceFloridaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
14%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma6%
High school28%
Some college21%
Associate’s14%
Bachelor’s19%
Graduate12%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 92 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.9 points). Across Florida, 50.9% of residents are women. Median age: women 36.7, men 38.8.
| Pace | FL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.8% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.5% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.6% | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.8% | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.8% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.2% | 13.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.3% | 11.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.1% | 9.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.7% | 10.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.4% | 27.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.5% | 18.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 14.1% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.1% | 21.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.3% | 12.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
HousingCost of living grade C+
For cost of living, Pace earns a C+
83% of Pace households own their home. The typical Pace home is worth about $326,000, up 0.9% in a year, 13% below the Florida typical home.
$326KZillow home value
| Pace | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 83% | 72% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,282 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Pace$326K
Florida$375K
Market temperature
59
days on market
99.9%
sale-to-list price
+0.9%
value change, 1 year
42
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 34 attractions →Fort Pickens and 15 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Pace. Close and well known come first.
21 mi LandmarkFort Pickens
24 mi Ancient siteUSS Massachusetts
20 mi MuseumNational Naval Aviation Museum
16 mi National SeashoreGulf Islands National Seashore7.6M visitors a year
20 mi LandmarkFort Barrancas30 mi BeachOno IslandSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Fort Pickens: Notneb82, CC BY-SA 3.0 · USS Massachusetts: Unknown authorUnknown author or not provided, Public domain · National Naval Aviation Museum: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Gulf Islands National Seashore: National Park Service, Public domain · Fort Barrancas: National Park Service, Public domain
._Starboard_bow_at_wharf,_06-1901_-_NARA_-_535432.jpg){kind=link}
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Pace
17pages on Pace
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Pace
University of West FloridaUniversity or college · Public · Pensacola5.7 mi$6,360 in-state tuitionPensacola State CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Pensacola9.7 mi$2,361 in-state tuition
About 7 of every 100 Pace residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Florida.
A commuter town
93% of working residents leave Pace for work
Where Pace’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
5,572jobs based in Pace
7%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Pace
Unincorporated Area in Florida, United States
Pace is an unincorporated community in Santa Rosa County, Florida. It is the second largest community in Santa Rosa County, and is a part of the Pensacola Metropolitan Area. Pace has experienced exponential growth, and has evolved from a small, rural community to a thriving bedroom community of Pensacola with growing residential and commercial options. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 24,684, up from 20,093 at the 2010 census. From 2000 to 2010, the Pace CDP population growth percentage was 171.1%, and from 2010 to 2020, the population growth percentage was 22.8%.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 25 sq mi
- Elevation
- 66 ft
- Area code
- 850
Pace’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Pace.
Pea RidgeWallaceFloridatownPace
How the neighbors grade
| Town | FL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pace | #152 | B− | C+ | — | A− | B+ |
| Pea Ridge | #6 | A− | B+ | — | A− | B |
| Wallace | #31 | A− | C+ | — | A− | A |
| Floridatown | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Pace, Pea Ridge and Wallace report no FBI crime data of their own. Floridatown isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Pace with a neighbor →
Questions about Pace
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Pace, FL a good place to live?
Pace grades B− overall, better than 52% of U.S. towns and #152 of 634 in Florida. It grades B+ for health and A− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Pace, FL expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.