Data Analysis
Central Panhandle MLS closings fell to 498 in October 2026 from 691 in July, a 27.9% drop, while the median sale price held between $324,343 and $339,000.
Our October Market Pulse: 498 Panama City area closings in October vs 691 in July, Bay County 385 at $345,000, the drop spread evenly across price bands.
Home closings across the Central Panhandle MLS fell to 498 in October 2026 from 691 in July, a 27.9% drop over three months, according to the October edition of our Panama City Market Pulse. The median sale price held in a narrow band, $339,000 in July and $328,150 in October, because the decline was spread across every price range. Bay County accounted for 385 of October's closings, 77.3%, at a median $345,000 and 73 days. Sales of homes priced at $400,000 and up fell from 254 in July to 174 in October. All figures come from the Market Pulse report, built by Momentum from Central Panhandle MLS records; information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
The Panama City market data hub carries the monthly figures. This article looks at where October's sales landed by county and by price, and how that compares with the summer months.
How much did Panama City area home sales fall since July?
| Month (2026) | Closings | Median sale price | New construction share |
|---|---|---|---|
| July | 691 | $339,000 | 25.2% |
| August | 606 | $324,343 | 27.2% |
| September | 580 | $324,750 | 27.1% |
| October | 498 | $328,150 | 25.1% |
Source: Momentum Market Pulse, Panama City, October 2026 edition (all residential closings). Deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Closings fell every month from July through October: down 12.3% in August, 4.3% in September and 14.1% in October. Over the same months the median moved by less than $15,000, and October's median was 1.0% above September's. New construction made up about a quarter of closings in each month, between 25.1% and 27.2%. The Market Pulse archive for this feed begins in mid 2026, so the report carries no comparison with October 2025.
Did the drop hit cheaper or pricier homes harder?
| Price range | July closings | October closings | Change | October share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $200,000 | 93 | 64 | -31.2% | 12.9% |
| $200,000 to $399,999 | 344 | 260 | -24.4% | 52.2% |
| $400,000 and up | 254 | 174 | -31.5% | 34.9% |
| All | 691 | 498 | -27.9% | 100% |
Source: Momentum Market Pulse, Panama City, October 2026 edition, price-tier and price-band closings. Deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Sales fell by roughly the same proportion at both ends of the market, about 31%, and by a little less in the middle. The share of closings in each range barely moved: homes from $200,000 to $399,999 were 49.8% of July's sales and 52.2% of October's. That even spread is why the median stayed level while volume fell. When a sales slowdown is concentrated in one price range, the median can swing on mix alone; this one was not.
Where did October's sales land by price?
The single busiest band in October was $300,000 to $399,999, with 118 closings, 23.7% of the month. The $250,000 to $299,999 band followed with 79 and $200,000 to $249,999 with 63. At the top, 72 homes sold between $500,000 and $749,999, 23 between $750,000 and $999,999 and 27 at $1 million or more. Homes at $750,000 and up were 10.0% of October's closings, against 8.0% across July through October combined, so the top tier held its volume slightly better in the latest month. Our homes over $750,000 piece covers that tier in more detail.
Across the four months, the region recorded 2,375 closings. Of those, 542 (22.8%) sold between $300,000 and $399,999, 336 (14.1%) sold under $200,000 and 95 (4.0%) sold for $1 million or more.
How did the counties compare in October?
| County | October closings | Median sale price | Median days on market |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bay | 385 | $345,000 | 73 |
| Washington | 28 | $236,000 | 77.5 |
| Jackson | 25 | $248,990 | 53 |
| Gulf | 20 | $379,950 | 150 |
| Walton | 18 | $595,000 | 69.5 |
| Holmes | 8 | $154,750 | 57 |
| Calhoun | 6 | $181,425 | 153 |
Source: Momentum Market Pulse, Panama City, October 2026 edition (all residential closings recorded in the Central Panhandle MLS). Deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Panama City, Panama City Beach, Lynn Haven and Youngstown are all in Bay County, which carried more than three of every four sales. The inland counties to the north sold at lower medians: Washington County, which includes Chipley, at $236,000, and Jackson County, which includes Marianna, at $248,990 and the fastest pace on the table, 53 days. Gulf County, home to Port St. Joe and Mexico Beach, took a median 150 days on 20 sales. Holmes County, which includes Bonifay, and Calhoun County recorded fewer than 10 sales each, too few to read as a trend. Walton County sales in this feed are a small slice of that county's market; our Destin area county piece covers Walton through the Emerald Coast feed.
What does this mean for buyers and sellers?
Fewer closings at a steady median point to a slower market, with prices holding so far. Our earlier Panama City ZIP code piece shows the same slowdown in pace, with October's median days on market at 74 against about 60 in each summer month. For a specific home, the Bay County listing tax bills piece covers annual carrying costs, and the Florida seller net proceeds calculator runs the math on a sale price.
People also ask
Are home sales slowing in Panama City, Florida? Yes. Central Panhandle MLS closings fell from 691 in July 2026 to 498 in October 2026, a 27.9% decline, according to the Momentum Market Pulse. The median sale price stayed between $324,343 and $339,000 over the same four months.
What is the median home price in Bay County, Florida? Bay County recorded 385 residential closings in October 2026 at a median $345,000 and 73 days on market, according to the Momentum Market Pulse built from Central Panhandle MLS records.
What price range sells most in the Panama City area? The $300,000 to $399,999 range had the most closings in October 2026, 118 of 498, and 542 of 2,375 across July to October 2026.
How many Panama City area homes sold for over $1 million? Twenty-seven Central Panhandle MLS closings in October 2026 were at $1 million or more, and 95 from July to October 2026, 4.0% of all closings in those months.
Limitations
All figures cover every residential property type combined, as recorded in the Central Panhandle MLS; sales listed in other MLS systems are not included. The Market Pulse archive for this feed begins in mid 2026, so there are no year-over-year comparisons. Tier and band counts are closings by sale price. The November 12 edition counts a few more October closings than the November 10 edition quoted in our ZIP code piece (498 against 493), because some sales are recorded after month end. Counties with fewer than 30 sales can swing sharply from month to month. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Sources
- Momentum Market Pulse, Panama City, October 2026 edition, Momentum Research report built from Central Panhandle MLS records (listing information provided by the Central Panhandle Association of REALTORS), updated November 12, 2026; every figure in this article is quoted from that report or computed from its monthly tier and band rows.
- Panama City market data hub, Momentum Research.
Disclosure: Jon Brooks is a co-founder of Momentum Realty, a Florida real estate brokerage that owns and funds Florida Housing Intelligence. Momentum has a financial interest in Florida real estate transactions, including in markets named here. See our editorial standards.
Market statistics in this article are computed from MLS data licensed by Momentum Realty, and are current as of the date shown. Data may be preliminary and subject to revision by its source. This article is general information, not advice about any specific property, transaction, or financial decision, and is not a representation about any specific property, community, builder, or association.
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