Gulf County, Florida Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Gulf County is located in Florida with a total population of 15,131. It is the 60th most populous county out of 67 in Florida. The county encompasses 2 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Gulf County is 46.9 years. This is 10% higher than the state median of 42.6 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Gulf County is $61,179. This is 18% lower than the state median of $74,568. It is also 24% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 12.5%. This is about the same as the state poverty rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate is 2.6%. This is 46% lower than the state rate of 4.8%. The median home value is $250,000. Housing costs are 30% lower than the state median of $359,000. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.1x. 80.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 19% higher than the state average of 67.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Gulf County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 76.6% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 13.5%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (76.6% vs 50.4%). The Hispanic or Latino population (4.9%) is well below the state average of 27.4%. The Asian population (0.6%) is well below the state average of 2.9%.

Education

23.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 31% lower than the state rate of 34.2%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 85.0%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Gulf County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Florida and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.