Lower Grand Lagoon: Intriguing Tourist Attraction

Intriguing tourist attractions will have plenty of things to offer for an overall beneficial living experience. When traveling through the Florida Panhandle you will realize just how valuable Lower Grand Lagoon is in this regard. While this is a small, quiet town that is tucked away behind larger communities, Lower Grand Lagoon has its own fair share of benefits that will make potential future residents feel right at home.

General Summary

Recognized as a census-designated place (CDP) in Bay County, Florida, Lower Grand Lagoon is a small town with an estimated population of 4,074 residents. According to Niche, Lower Grand Lagoon receives a B overall grade, and it ranks as the 6th best place to live in all of Bay County. According to Areavibes, it has an overall Livability Score of 77 and a modest C+ grade in the Cost of Living category.

The median home value in Lower Grand Lagoon is $218,300, which is $11,500 below the national average. The median rent price for a home in this town is $971 which is only $125 below the national average. When it comes to either renting or owning a property, most of Lower Grand Lagoon residents own their homes outright, making up 64% of the population. The remaining 36% pay rent for their property.

Diversity

When reviewing the statistics for the population of this small town, it should be of no surprise that Lower Grand Lagoon predominantly consists of older citizens who are enjoying their time in retirement. Niche gives Lower Grand Lagoon a B+ grade in the Diversity category, which is based on both ethnic and economic diversity. The combined age demographic of citizens from the ages of 45 to 65 years and older make up 60% of the population. Adults in the age range between 25 and 44 years make up a combined 25% of the population.

What To Do in Lower Grand Lagoon

Located along the outskirts of Panama City Beach, Lower Grand Lagoon is an ideal place to go if you plan on doing fun activities. In particular, one of the best activities you could be doing in an area that gives you access to the Gulf of Mexico would be taking a fishing trip on the open seas. Thomas Drive is one of the premier streets in Lower Grand Lagoon, and this street has a fishing charter that you can’t miss, which is called Jubilee Deep Sea Fishing.

Jubilee will take you and your family on a spacious double-deck party boat for either a half or full day of fishing on the gulf. You can schedule trips at a minimum of 4 to 5 hours per person, and there are plenty of hours to choose from during the day. Jubilee’s charter boat rides are available from 7:00 am to 12:00 Noon, 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm, and 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. All boats managed by Jubilee will allow you to bring small coolers on board, and an on-deck snack bar will be provided, so you can take breakfast, lunch, and brunch snack breaks.

Staying on Thomas Drive would be ideal as you will also discover a way to train underwater for diving adventures. Panama City Diving gives you the chance to learn how to properly be a scuba diver as classes will be provided for those who love snorkeling and want to take it to the next level. Panama City Diving also teaches Technical Scuba Diving, which involves deeper, longer, and more overhead forms of scuba diving. Charter boat rides are also offered, giving you the chance to learn how to spearfish. Basic tips are given on how to spearfish like a pro while you will be closely supervised.

Also located on Thomas Drive is a restaurant that lets you relax and enjoy the beach environment while you sit and dine. That restaurant would be Finns Island Style Grub. Established in 2009, Finns has been dedicated to keeping the dining experience small, fresh and simple. Finns serves breakfast and brunch and provides special accommodations for coffee enthusiasts with a barista bar.

The Breakfast Burrito contains eggs, cheese, rice, black beans, pico, valentina and white sauce. Another great breakfast meal at Finns would be Banana Pancakes, which are three pancakes cooked with bananas and maple syrup on the side.  Meals on the main menu include the Fish Taco, Chop Burrito, and the Burrito Bowl.

One of the main staples Lower Grand Lagoon has when it comes to attractions would be St. Andrews State Park, which serves as one connecting point between Lower and Upper Grand Lagoon. Turning off Thomas Drive, you will encounter an abundance of beach and forest terrain that is beautiful to behold. St. Andrews State Park is kid-friendly and features amenities that are accessible for the whole family. The park has a 2-mile paved road that is perfect for a leisure bike ride.

You can also go to this park to go birding, take shuttle boat tours, and make reservations to go camping. You can also go fishing along the shores of the gulf, but a Florida saltwater fishing license is required. With the help of a GPS device, you can even go geocaching throughout St. Andrews State Park.

Education

When it comes to education levels, Lower Grand Lagoon remains on par with the rest of the state of Florida and the country. The majority of the town’s citizens have completed 8th grade, which amounts to 89.2%. This figure is 5.2% above the Florida state average and 4.9% above the national average. The majority of Lower Grand Lagoon have also completed all of high school, which amounts to 88.8%. This figure is 5.8% above both the Florida state average and the national average.

67% of residents have completed some form of college, which is 9% above the Florida state average and 7.6% above the national average. 38.2% of residents have obtained an associate’s degree, which is 0.8% above the Florida state average and just 0.3% below the national average. 29.5% of residents have obtained a bachelor’s degree, which is 1.8% above the Florida state average and just 0.8% below the national average.

According to Niche, there are a total of 17 public schools in the Lower Grand Lagoon area. Out of these 17 schools, 7 have received A- grades. The public school receiving the highest grade would be the North Bay Haven Charter Academy High School, which has received an A grade. North Bay Charter Academy ranks as the 78th best public high school in the state of Florida.

Employment

Opportunities for employment in Lower Grand Lagoon are available and show considerable promise. Combining the averages between Niche and Areavibes, the median household income of Lower Grand Lagoon residents is $52,287, which is $3,387 above the Florida state average and $7,813 below the national average of $60,158. The income per capita for residents is $32,098, which is $4,500 above the Florida state average and $2,269 (8%) above the national average.

If you consider working in Lower Grand Lagoon, you will be pleased to know that its unemployment rate is very low. The local unemployment rate is 3.1%, which is an impressive 33% below the national average. The poverty level in Lower Grand Lagoon is 14.7%, which is 1.4% below the Florida state average and 0.4% below the national average.

Regarding the difference in income between homeowners and renters, owners make a larger income than renters. The median income by a homeowner in Lower Grand Lagoon is $57,147, which is $2,062 below the Florida state average and $13,439 below the national average. The median income made by a renter is $31,726, which is $2,896 below the Florida state average and $3,466 below the national average.

The median earnings by male employees in Lower Grand Lagoon is $28,942, which is $2,502 below the Florida state average and $7,977 below the national average. The median earnings by female employees is $23,542, which is $1,790 below the Florida state average and $2,708 below the national average.

When examining median earnings by income bracket, there appears to be ample opportunities for both male and female employees in Lower Grand Lagoon to make a sufficient living. A combined 53.2% of female employees have an income range between under $10,000 and $25,000. A combined 66.8% of male employees have an income range between $10,000 and $65,000.

When it comes to industry type, there are a few preferences among Lower Grand Lagoon residents. 12.1% of male employees work in the wholesale and retail services industry. 7.4% and 6.9% of male employees work in the construction and manufacturing sector industries respectively. 22.3% of female employees work in the education, health and social services industry, whereas 20.7% of female employees work in the wholesale and retail services industry.

Crime and Safety

One of the main strengths of Lower Grand Lagoon is the town’s ability to fight crime. According to Areavibes, Lower Grand Lagoon receives a decisive A+ grade in the Crime category. The Total Crime rate in Lower Grand Lagoon is 916 per an estimate of 100,000 people, which is 1,237 below the Florida state average and 1,430 (61%) below the national average. The Violent Crime rate in Lower Grand Lagoon is 163, which is 221 below the Florida state average and 225 (58%) below the national average. The Property Crime rate in Lower Grand Lagoon is 752, which is 1,017 below the Florida state average and 1,206 (62%) below the national average.

Real Estate

Being an optimum tourist attraction for visitors, Lower Grand Lagoon also happens to be an ideal place to settle down and call home. The main factor that will play into whether you can have a feasible living experience is if you can afford a home that is available in its local real estate market. Most of the current population in Lower Grand Lagoon are retirees who have saved up enough money to live in the tropical paradise they have dreamed of.

The average amount of space you can acquire in a 2-bedroom home in Lower Grand Lagoon is 1,240 square feet. The average selling price of a 2-bedroom home in this town is $649,500, and the average price per square foot is $523.79. The average amount of space you can acquire in a 3-bedroom home is 1,603 square feet. The average selling price of a 3-bedroom home is $1,423,878, and the average price per square foot is $775.97.

Larger families seeking to acquire a 4-bedroom home in Lower Grand Lagoon can expect an average of 2,243 square feet of space. The average selling price for a 4-bedroom home is $962,000, and the average price per square foot is $428.89.

Conclusion

If you venture past the core of Panama City Beach, you can hang around the shorelines that give you great views of the Gulf of Mexico and let you embrace an intriguing tourist attraction in Lower Grand Lagoon. While it will take some time to save up the money to acquire real estate in the area, Lower Grand Lagoon has proven to be a functional small town that offers plenty of amenities to keep you busy. It has a reliable public school system, and its neighborhoods are generally safe, free from the dangers of crime. Lower Grand Lagoon is a complete package of intrigue and excitement as well as responsible and safe living, a small town worthy of evaluating.