Living in Pensacola, FL

What is the Cost of Living in Pensacola?

We can look on “Sperling’s Best Places”: for data about the cost of living in Pensacola, Florida.

Sperling’s uses a scale where the US average cost of living is 100. Values above 100 represent a higher than average cost of living. Values below 100 represent a cost of living that is below the nationwide average.

On that scale, the cost of living for Florida as a whole is 102.8, which is just above the US average. You will be delighted to learn that the rating for Pensacola, on the other hand, is 87.3. That means it is well below average.

In fact, in almost every category it is less expensive to live in Pensacola than it is across the country on average. That includes savings in the areas of transportation, healthcare, groceries, and housing.

What is the Cost of Housing in Pensacola?

In fact, the most dramatic savings are in housing. Using the same scale where the US average is 100, housing in Pensacola receives a rating of just 62.5.

To give you an even better idea what that means financially, let’s take a look at the dollar amounts. Sperling’s lists a median home cost nationwide of $291,700. The median home cost for Pensacola is just $183,800.

So, you can expect to potentially save big on housing in Pensacola. You can either buy a modest home and put that money you save toward investments or other purposes, or you can purchase a larger home than you might be able to afford elsewhere.

Employment Opportunities in Pensacola

What is it like working in Pensacola? Let’s take a look at what you can earn and where you might find employment.

According to the US Census, the median household income in Pensacola in 2016 through 2020 was $56,199.

You may know there is a big aerospace presence in the Pensacola area, earning the city the moniker “The Cradle of Naval Aviation.” Tourism is another big industry.

Top employers in Pensacola include the Navy Federal Credit Union, Baptist Health Care, Sacred Heart Health Systems, Gulf Power Company, West Florida Healthcare, Ascend Performance Materials, Alorica, Innisfree Hotels, Santa Rose Medical Center and Medical Center Clinic.

Pensacola Education

Most students in Pensacola attend public schools as part of the Escambia County School District. There are also private schools in Pensacola such as East Hill Academy, Pensacola Catholic High School, and Episcopal Day School of Christ Church.

For higher education, students may attend the University of West Florida or Pensacola State College. A few additional options include Pensacola Christian College and Fortis Institute.

Getting Around Pensacola

If you want to get around the Pensacola area using public transportation, Escambia County Area Transit operates a bus service. Greyhound Lines and Greyhound Bus also serve the area.

Not surprisingly, driving is a more common way to navigate the Pensacola area than public transportation.

Sperling’s reports that 77.4% of people drive their own vehicle to work, 12.7% carpool, 5.1% work from home, and 1.2% use mass transportation.

But what is really exciting is that the average time to commute one-way in Pensacola is a mere 19.9 minutes.

or reference, the average one-way commute time nationwide is 26.4 minutes.

In short, many people spend significantly less time driving to and from work in Pensacola than others do across the country.

How is the Weather in Pensacola?

Pensacola boasts a warm, sunny climate. You can look forward to around 224 days of sunlight each year compared to the US average of 205. It is also a wet climate. Every year, there are around 64 inches of rain. That is much higher than the 38 inches of rain that is the average for the country.

During summer, it can get to be pretty hot. Highs in July soar up to around 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Lows in winter are very mild, however, dropping down in January to around 42 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sperling’s uses a scale for climate comfort where 10 is the most comfortable climate possible. On that scale, the US average is 7, which is also the score Pensacola receives. The score specifically for winter is 8, which is more pleasant than average.

Leisure and Entertainment in Pensacola

While you are living in Pensacola, you can visit attractions such as the Pensacola Museum of Art, the Pensacola Children’s Museum, Fort Pickens, the National Naval Aviation Museum, and the Pensacola Lighthouse & Maritime Museum.

Enjoy performances? You can take in shows at Saenger Theater and the Pensacola Bay Center.

Sports teams based locally include the Pensacola Ice Flyers, the Gulf Coast Riptide, Pensacola Blue Wahoos, Pensacola FC, West Florida Argonauts and Pensacola Roller Gurlz.

Naturally, another big draw on the weekends in Pensacola is the water. You can head to spots like Opal Beach, Ocean Springs Beach or Langdon Beach for swimming and other water-based activities.