Thinking of Moving to Pensacola?
Discover what living in the Panhandle is like.
If you're thinking about relocating to Pensacola and in the process of researching various cities around Florida, you're in the right place. This page has been assembled to help you gain a better understanding of Pensacola and the Emerald Coast of Florida, what the area offers residents in terms of lifestyle, amenities, employment and healthcare. We also encourage you to reach out to Natalie Carmichael, our Pensacola relocation expert as she is glad to answer any questions you may have about the area, including the Pensacola real estate market, housing and living costs.About Pensacola, FL
Pensacola is the most northwestern city in the Florida panhandle and is only 13 miles from the Alabama state border. The waterfront city, known for its white sand beaches and rich historical past, offers year-round residents a high-quality of life with endless outdoor activities, a strong employment market and top-rated healthcare. Pensacola’s population is approximately 54,000 (total Escambia County population is 321,905 persons).Experience Pensacola and our beautiful white-sand beaches in the below video. Make sure your volume is on.
Pensacola Awards and Accolades
Pensacola commonly receives awards and accolades each year for it Gulf beaches, top-rated healthcare and area attractions. View recent awards below.- 2022
Pensacola Ranks as a TOP 10 "Best Place to Retire" - US News & World Report Pensacola Beach Recognized as a "Top White Sand Beach" in Florida - Trips to Discover - 2021
Pensacola is Named the 5th "Best Place to Live" in Florida - US News & World Report Pensacola Ranks as a Top 10 City To Retire In Florida - Investment U - 2020
Pensacola Named as 1 of 12 Best Cities to Visit in Florida - Trips To Discover Pensacola Beach Ranks as the #4 Top Beach in the USA - Trip Advisor Pensacola Named as a Top 100 "Best Small City in America" - Resonance Consultancy
Top 10 Reasons to Relocate to Pensacola
- Pensacola is a Top-Rated City to Live In
With its small-town charm, rich historic heritage, emerald-colored gulf waters and attractive real estate prices, Pensacola is commonly ranked as a top Florida city to call home. In 2021, Penscola was offically ranked as the #5 "Best Place to Live" in all of Florida by US News & World Report (see rankings below).
# City Name Average Home Price Average Age 1 Naples, FL $592,152 66.0 2 Sarasota, FL $482,283 49.2 3 Melbourne, FL $366,047 42.6 4 Jacksonville, FL $302,678 35.9 5 Pensacola, FL $242,741 36.9 Source: US News & World Report - Pensacola Has Beautiful White Sand Beaches
Pensacola's gulf beaches rank among the most beautiful in all of Florida and regularly receive top ratings each year by popular review sites such as Trip Advisor, Dr. Beach and USA Today. In 2020, Pensacola Beach officially ranked as the #4 "Best Beach in America" by Trip Advisor. The sugar like white powder sand, which stays cool on a hot summer's day, is located along the barrier islands of Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key. See the coastline from the Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier. - Pensacola Offers Affordable Real Estate
The Pensacola real estate market offers some of the most attractive housing prices in all of Florida as compared to the larger, more poluated metropolitan areas of the state. In early June of 2022, the median Pensacola home price is $242,741 and this represents a 31% year-over-year increase. Living gulf side or on the Intracoastal waterway will cost you more for the amazing water views. For exact housing prices and a list of current homes matching your criteria, contact Natalie Carmichael, our Pensacola relocation expert listed on this page. - Florida Does Not Have a State Income Tax
One of the biggest benefits of being a Florida resident is the lack of a state income tax. This allows you to keep more of your income. In place of the state tax, Florida earns revenues from the millions of tourists that vacation in our state each year through a 7% sales tax (state level) and a 5% tourist tax (county level) on revenues from rental properties and hotel stays that are for a term of six month or less. Once you become a Florida resident, you will be thankful for the tourists as they pay your share of the state taxes. - Pensacola is a Year-Round Playground for Outdoor Activities
With 224 sunny days each year and average temperature of 68' year-round, Pensacola is a the ideal city to enjoy outdoor activities by land, sea and air. If you enjoy playing on the water, experience stand-up paddle boarding, kayak through our mangroves or go for a boat ride. By land, play a round of golf or explore our many recreational parks and nature trails. If you're feeling more adventurous, try parasailing or paragliding over the gulf. - Pensacola Has Great Cuisine & Dining Options
Downtown Pensacola area and the surrounding keys offering many great dining choices. The quaint, historic downtown area offers a full mix of cuisines from casual eateries to 5-star, fine dining restaurants. Pensacola also offers hip and trendy craft beers establishments that have live entertainment, many on a daily basis. If you preference is dining with a water view, there are lots of popular places near Pensacola Bay and Seville Harbor. - Pensacola Has Top-Rated Healthcare
When relocating to a new city, especially in your retirement years, it's important to have quality healthcare available to you for regular check-ups and emergency care. Pensacola's main hospital, West Florida Hospital, has been Named One of the Nation's 100 Top Hospitals for Three Years in a Row by Truven Health Analytics. Truven Health Analytics is a part of IBM Watson Health. - Pensacola Has a Strong Employment Market
Pensacola's job and employment market has been very strong in recent years with an unemployment rate in the low 4% range (below the nation's average). Top sectors of employment in the Pensacola area include military, tourism and hospitality, medical and healthcare services, education, retail and various professional services. The largest non-military employers in Escambia County include the local School District, Baptist Health Care Corporation and The University of West Florida. - Pensacola is Rich with Historical Heritage
Pensacola is said to be the first European settlement in the New World as the city lies claim to the nation's first settlement by Spanish sailor Don Tristan de Luna in 1559. Residents and visitors alike can view popular historical sites contained with an eight-and-a-half acre Historic Pensacola Village district located downtown Pensacola. This area includes many popular historical sites such as the Pensacola Lighthouse, Fort Pickens, Fort Barrancas and Emanual Point just to name a few. - Many Wildlife, Parks & Nature Trails to Explore
The Pensacola area offers miles of natural Florida beauty and wildlife along its protected Gulf Coast, which is part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. On Pensacola Beach, one popular attraction is the 8.5 mile Eco-Trail which allows you to experience the local ecology including wild birds, turtles, crabs and sea life. There are 29 stops total on the eco-trail. Each stop provides you with maps and pictures to guide you in your exploration of the winding trail.
Natalie Carmichael
Realtor®Your Pensacola Relocation Expert
704-678-7075
Please mention Moving to Florida Guide when calling so I can track my marketing efforts. Thanks!
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The Pensacola Market in 2022
Market outlook, trends & relocation advice by Natalie Carmichael
The Pensacola real estate market continues to be very strong as the demand for housing is outpacing the number of properties hitting the market each month. The average price of a Pensacola home is now selling for $243K in early summer of 2022 and this represents a 31% year-over-year increase. For homes that are competitively priced in choice neighborhoods, near good schools, we are commonly experiencing multiple-offer situations taking place. With new construction homes, builders have been affected by supply chain issues limiting the ability for consumers to customize finishes. We are also seeing where builders are now releasing new homes for sale roughly 60 – 90 days before completion with the finishes they have pre-selected.
My Outlook for the 2nd Half of 2022
Based upon the current demand for Pensacola real estate and the number of people relocating here from around the country, I expect prices to continue steadily rising this year. For serious buyers, I don’t see interest rate increases affecting demand much as our real estate prices here in the Panhandle are much more attractive than most of the larger metropolitan areas of Florida.Market Trends I'm Observing
The largest trend taking place is that there are many more cash deals than financed deals. We are seeing lots of investors, of all varieties, seeking to purchase properties for Airbnb rentals as our beaches are some of the most beautiful here in Florida. We are also seeing an uptick in younger buyers purchasing their first home to escape rising rental rates.My Relocation Advice
The best advice I can provide is to talk to a lender and make sure you take the appropriate steps to get pre-approved before you relocate (i.e. get pre-approved while you’re still working and quit your job to move here). I would also mention that the longer you wait to move here, prices are likely to increase due to the strong demand for housing.Pensacola Relocation Reviews:
Read what Natalie's past clients are saying.
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"Natalie Carmichael is phenomenal! She is extremely efficient at her job! The whole process of finding houses, vewing them, going through the process of buying one has been as streamlined as it could be. If I ever had a question or just wanted more info, she was already on it! I can't recommend Natalie enough!"
R. Dean
Home Buyer -
"Natalie was amazing. We were having trouble finding what we were looking for and she didn't stop until we found it. She went well above and beyond to help us out. If you’re looking for the perfect person to find your dream house, your search ends with Natalie!"
John C.
Home Buyer -
"One-of-a-kind, very reliable! Natalie got us 200% from our 1st meeting she gets EACH buyer's tastes and attitude and professionally blends in. RARE TO FIND A REALTOR AS HER! WE definitely will use her services again! One-of-a-kind and fantastic!"
Alma N.
Home Buyer -
"I personally felt that Natalie went above and beyond what I was expecting. She was prompt, always followed through and very professional. I will use her again for my next property and recommend her to other people looking for an amazing realtor!"
JM Cohen
Home Buyer
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