Pensacola, Florida Population 2024

53,284

Pensacola is a city located in Escambia County Florida. Pensacola has a 2024 population of 53,284. It is also the county seat of Escambia County. Pensacola is currently declining at a rate of -0.55% annually and its population has decreased by -2.17% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 54,468 in 2020.

The average household income in Pensacola is $95,450 with a poverty rate of 14.12%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Pensacola is 39.1 years, 35.7 years for males, and 42.5 years for females.

Pensacola is a seaport located along Pensacola Bay. Pensacola is known as The City of Five Flags because of the five governments that have governed the city throughout history. It is known for its beautiful white sand beaches, which thousands of tourists visit each year.

Pensacola Population and Diversity

A little less than 46% of the population practice a religion, falling below the national average. Almost half of those that practice a religion are Baptist, making up over 22% of the total population. Other faiths include Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, and Methodist, to name a few. The city also has a small community of Jewish residents.

Pensacola has over 24,000 households, with almost 25% having children. The average household size is 2.27. Over 16% of the city’s population lives below the federal poverty line.

Pensacola Population Growth

For the most part, Pensacola has seen significant growth in its population. By 1960, the city had over 50,000 inhabitants. This number fell slightly during the 1980s before climbing again in the 1990s. At the time of the 2000 census, the population had dropped again, and recorded an even higher decline at the time of the 2010 census. This could be due to the effects of Hurricane Ivan which drove up the price of housing and led to a shortage of affordable housing. However, the estimated population reflects an increase of over 3%, indicating that this city is once again becoming an appealing home for many new residents.

The Pensacola people originally inhabited what is now Pensacola upon the arrival of the Europeans. However, the city’s history extends far beyond that. Mounds that served as a ceremonial center were discovered close to the city and were thought to be occupied as far back as 1250 AD. The first Europeans reached Pensacola in the 1500s, with the written history showing that Pensacola Bay was called “Bay of Ochuse” by explorers. It was in 1559 when ships carrying about 1,500 people arrived in the area to establish an outpost during which an area in South Carolina was going to be colonized. However, the colony was hit by a hurricane, leaving survivors struggling to live.

Many of these survivors moved to central Alabama before returning. Another attempt to colonize what is now Parris Island was held up again with another storm. Survivors at this time moved to Cuba before heading back to Florida and eventually back to Spain. It was decided that Florida was too dangerous for settlement.

The French began their exploration of the area during the late 17th century. A fortified town was established in 1698 and was the foundation for settlement in the area. During its earliest years of European settlement, Pensacola served as a trading post. In 1763, the British took control of the area following the French and Indian War. The city was captured by the Spanish and went back under its authority following the American Revolution.

The city began to become a major center for trade in the late 1700s. It was in 1819 when the U.S. purchased Florida for $5 million. At the time, there were over 180 households, primarily consisting of French and Spanish Creole inhabitants. In 1821, Pensacola became part of the U.S. Tensions between the white people and the Indians inhabiting the area grew, leading to discrimination. In 1853, Indians were prohibited from living in the state and were removed from Pensacola.

Over the years, the city has seen its share of major hurricanes, including Hurricane Ivan in 2004 that devastated the area. There was over $6 billion in damage, and tens of thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed. Housing prices went up because of this.

Pensacola is also the site of the Naval Air Station Pensacola, which was the first air station in the U.S. The Blue Angels are also stationed here. Today, the city is known for its beautiful historic neighborhoods, landmarks, and annual events. It is also a popular tourist destination because of its beaches, which have been nicknamed the World’s Whitest Beaches.

Pensacola Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Pensacola was:

  • White: 66.17%
  • Black or African American: 23.22%
  • Two or more races: 6.4%
  • Asian: 2.32%
  • Other race: 1.72%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.11%
  • Native American: 0.06%
State
Florida
Land Area (mi²)
22.6 sq mi
Density (mi²)
2,353.90/sq mi
Growth Since 2020
-2.17% (-1,184)
The current population of Pensacola, Florida is 53,284 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 54,468.

Pensacola, Florida Population 2024

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Pensacola Metro Area Population by Year

Population by Race

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Race
Population
Percentage (of total)
White35,76966.17%
Black or African American12,55523.22%
Two or more races3,4616.4%
Asian1,2522.32%
Other race9291.72%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander590.11%
Native American340.06%

White

Black or African American

Two or more races

Asian

Other race

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Native American

Pensacola Population by Race

Pensacola Population Pyramid 2024

Pensacola Median Age

39.1

Total

35.7

Male

42.5

Female

Pensacola Adults

There are 42,841 adults, (10,927 of whom are seniors) in Pensacola.

Pensacola Age Dependency

69.4

Age Dependency Ratio

34.2

Old Age Dependency Ratio

35.2

Child Dependency Ratio

Pensacola Sex Ratio

Female28,33752.42%
Male25,72247.58%

Pensacola Population by Age

Pensacola Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Household Type
Count
Average Size
Owner
Renter
All24,7712.1662.137.9
Non Family11,8501.2349.350.7
Married8,5342.9383.716.3
Female3,1073.2651.148.9
Male1,2802.9363.236.8

2.93

Average Family Size

2.16

Average Household Size

62.1%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Pensacola Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Pensacola Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Pensacola Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among native american people with a rate of 100%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 49.1%.

Pensacola Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$46,260

Average Earnings

$55,573

Average Male

$42,332

Average Female

Pensacola Earnings by Educational Attainment

Pensacola Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Pensacola Language

94.8% of Pensacola residents speak only English, while 5.2% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 2.03% of the population.

Pensacola Language

Pensacola Poverty by Race

rate

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Name
Total
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
Black12,3494,12133.37%
White34,3522,3406.81%
Hispanic2,39959924.97%
Multiple3,46056916.45%
Asian1,25218314.62%
Other875313.54%
Native34514.71%

14.12%

Overall Poverty Rate

12.99%

Male Poverty Rate

15.16%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Pensacola

The race most likely to be in poverty in Pensacola is Black, with 33.37% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Pensacola is Other, with 3.54% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.8%. Among those working part-time, it was 16.63%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 21.69%.

Pensacola Poverty

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Less Than 9th Grade27.31%
High School22.19%
Some College11.88%
Bachelors or Greater3.62%

Pensacola Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Female Unemployed54.01%
Male Unemployed19.22%
Female Employed6.06%
Male Employed5.4%

Pensacola Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Pensacola Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

Pensacola Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

40.2%

Overall Marriage Rate

43.0%

Male Marriage Rate

37.7%

Female Marriage Rate

Pensacola Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Pensacola Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 55-64.

Pensacola Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Pensacola Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

4,991

Number of Veterans

4,220

Male Veterans

771

Female Veterans

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Pensacola Veterans by War

count

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Pensacola Veterans by Age

count

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Pensacola Veterans by Race

Pensacola Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

8.42%

Veteran Poverty Rate

27.09%

Veteran Disability Rate

Pensacola Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

62.7%

Labor Force Participation

57.9%

Employment Rate

5.5%

Unemployment Rate

Pensacola Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Pensacola Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Pensacola Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

47.68%

Born in Pensacola

95.92%

Native Born

4.08%

Foreign Born

1.69%

Non Citizen

2.39%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

95.92% of Pensacola residents were born in the United States, with 47.68% having been born in Florida. 1.69% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.

Pensacola Place of Birth

Note: data after 2022 is projected based on recent change

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Year
Population
Growth
Growth Rate
202951,804-296-0.57%
202852,100-296-0.56%
202752,396-296-0.56%
202652,692-296-0.56%
202552,988-296-0.56%
202453,284-296-0.55%
202353,580-296-0.55%
202253,876-87-0.16%
202153,963-505-0.93%
202054,4681,3332.51%
201953,1353590.68%
201852,7761320.25%
201752,644-113-0.21%
201652,7572230.42%
201552,534490.09%
201452,4851770.34%
201352,3081300.25%
201252,1783100.6%
201151,868-156-0.3%
201052,02400%
200056,255-1,910-3.28%
199058,1655460.95%
198057,619-1,888-3.17%
197059,5072,7554.85%
196056,75213,27330.53%
195043,4796,03016.1%
194037,4495,87018.59%
193031,5795441.75%
192031,0358,05335.04%
191022,9825,23529.5%
190017,7475,99751.04%
189011,7504,90571.66%
18806,8453,498104.51%
18703,34747116.38%
18602,876-48,928-94.45%
showing: 35 rows

Pensacola Population by Year