Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 17,232.
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 92% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. Overall it grades B−, ranked 199th of 634 in Florida. It is healthier than 81% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $373K, 5.2 years of the Panama City metro’s $72K median household income. Upper Grand Lagoon’s January low is 44°F, against 51°F in Florida’s towns and 22°F across U.S. towns.
Where Upper Grand Lagoon beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
13,963 counted in 2010 and 15,778 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Upper Grand Lagoon is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 3,314 in 1980, 15,778 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1943 on.
Explore the history →Upper Grand Lagoon is unincorporated, so Bay County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 17, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Upper Grand Lagoon.
Upper Grand Lagoon has a longer frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns, trades workers with Panama City and other neighbors and has less tooth loss than most of Florida.
Since 1984, 280 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Upper Grand Lagoon.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Bay school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patronis Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 589 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
9.3 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Upper Grand Lagoon | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.2% | 3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Rick Seltzer Park | 0.1 mi | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its widest gap with Florida is tooth loss: 6.2% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 12.7% statewide.
20% of Upper Grand Lagoon adults get no exercise outside work. Upper Grand Lagoon beats the Florida average on 13 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 17% of Upper Grand Lagoon adults binge drink.
| Upper Grand Lagoon | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 25% | 25% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 16% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 20% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 12% |
| What stands out | Upper Grand Lagoon | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.2% | 12.7% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 9% | 15.9% |
| More adults with depression | 20.1% | 17.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The Panama City 5n weather station, 7 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 301 days, longer than in 96% of U.S. towns. The Panama City 5n weather station, 7 miles away, records that about 67 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 84% of Florida places with climate records.
Upper Grand Lagoon has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Upper Grand Lagoon’s July high is 90°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Upper Grand Lagoon has about as many jobs (5,194) as working residents, but only 796 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 20.8 minutes, against 28 across Florida.
Most working residents leave Upper Grand Lagoon for work: only 13% work in town. The average trip to work in Upper Grand Lagoon is 21 minutes. Since 2013, Upper Grand Lagoon has added 703 jobs, to 5,194 in 2023.
| Upper Grand Lagoon | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 5% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.1% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 11% | 14% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Florida average. 37% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Upper Grand Lagoon.
| Upper Grand Lagoon | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.8 years | 42.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 18% | 20% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 37% | 31% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 22% | 20% | 18% |
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.6 points. Across Florida, 50.9% of residents are women.
| Upper Grand Lagoon | FL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.9% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.5% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.2% | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.6% | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.4% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.1% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.8% | 13.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.5% | 11.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.2% | 9.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.5% | 10.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.4% | 27.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.2% | 18.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.8% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.6% | 21.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.4% | 12.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
1 within 15 miles of the center of Upper Grand Lagoon
About 3 of every 100 Upper Grand Lagoon residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
Census-designated place in Florida, United States
Upper Grand Lagoon is a census-designated place (CDP) in Bay County, Florida, United States. The population was 15,778 at the 2020 census, up from 13,963 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Panama City–Panama City Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Upper Grand Lagoon.
| Town | FL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Grand Lagoon | #199 | B− | D | — | B | A− |
| Lower Grand Lagoon | #269 | C+ | D | — | B | B+ |
Upper Grand Lagoon and Lower Grand Lagoon report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Upper Grand Lagoon with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Upper Grand Lagoon grades B− overall, better than 45% of U.S. towns and #199 of 634 in Florida. It grades A− for health and B for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. The typical home is worth about $373,000, 1% below the Florida typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.