Home internet town by town on the Emerald Coast: Panama City and Milton have most gaps
Panama City has the highest share of households without internet among 16 Emerald Coast towns, 9.8%, followed by Milton at 8.7% and Fort Walton Beach at 7.5%, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates for 2020-2024. Callaway stands out for a different reason: 20.4% of its households rely only on a cellphone data plan, the highest share in the region. Navarre is the best connected, with 97.8% of homes on broadband and 88.9% on cable, fiber or DSL.
County averages hide these gaps, so this table goes town by town.
Which Emerald Coast towns have the most homes without internet?
| Town | Households | Any broadband | Cable, fiber or DSL | Cellular only | No internet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panama City | 15,169 | 87.9% | 71.9% | 14.2% | 9.8% |
| Milton | 4,722 | 89.2% | 78.8% | 8.5% | 8.7% |
| Fort Walton Beach | 8,817 | 87.7% | 75.4% | 10.8% | 7.5% |
| Springfield | 3,522 | 91.8% | 72.9% | 13.8% | 7.0% |
| Crestview | 10,893 | 93.0% | 81.5% | 9.0% | 5.8% |
| Gulf Breeze | 2,802 | 93.6% | 77.2% | 15.2% | 5.2% |
| Niceville | 6,155 | 93.3% | 85.4% | 7.0% | 3.8% |
| Pace | 9,328 | 95.3% | 85.4% | 6.3% | 3.7% |
| Freeport | 2,534 | 96.4% | 86.9% | 8.5% | 3.6% |
| DeFuniak Springs | 2,371 | 91.6% | 67.6% | 16.1% | 3.2% |
| Callaway | 5,486 | 96.0% | 73.2% | 20.4% | 2.2% |
| Destin | 6,221 | 95.0% | 83.4% | 10.1% | 2.1% |
| Panama City Beach | 8,713 | 94.5% | 79.4% | 12.1% | 2.0% |
| Navarre | 14,449 | 97.8% | 88.9% | 7.9% | 1.9% |
| Lynn Haven | 8,263 | 94.5% | 80.0% | 11.6% | 1.4% |
| Miramar Beach | 4,365 | 93.0% | 81.2% | 11.7% | 0.8% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimates 2020-2024, table B28002. Towns sorted by share of homes with no internet.
Which towns rely most on cellphone data?
Callaway leads at 20.4% of households on a cellphone plan only, followed by DeFuniak Springs at 16.1%, Gulf Breeze at 15.2% and Panama City at 14.2%, per the Census estimates. In Pace, the share is 6.3%, and in Niceville, 7.0%.
Which towns are best connected?
Navarre has the highest share of households with any broadband, 97.8%, and Freeport is next at 96.4%, followed by Callaway at 96.0%. On wired service, Navarre (88.9%), Freeport (86.9%), Niceville (85.4%) and Pace (85.4%) lead.
How were these internet numbers measured?
The figures are from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 5-year estimates for 2020-2024, table B28002, which asks households what kind of internet subscription they have. Five-year estimates average answers collected over those years, so they describe the typical picture, not a single month. A household can have more than one type of service, so the columns do not add up to 100%. The Census Bureau publishes a margin of error with every estimate, and it is wider in small towns than in whole counties.
“Cable, fiber or DSL” means a wired home connection. “Cellular only” means the household’s only subscription is a cellphone data plan. “No internet” means no subscription and no access at home.
Is your internet different from these numbers?
Census estimates cover years of answers, and service changes street by street. If your town’s internet is faster, slower or newly available, tell us your town and provider through the Gaming page’s reader form. We publish what readers report under Reader reports, apart from the official figures, and never with your name or address.
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Questions and answers
- Which Emerald Coast town has the most homes without internet?
- Panama City, where 9.8% of its 15,169 households have no internet, according to U.S. Census Bureau 5-year estimates for 2020-2024.
- What does cellular only mean in the Census internet data?
- It means the household's only internet subscription is a cellphone data plan, with no cable, fiber, DSL or satellite service at home.
- Why do the percentages not add up to 100%?
- A household can have more than one type of internet service, so the Census counts it in each type it has.
- How accurate are internet numbers for small towns?
- The Census Bureau publishes a margin of error with every estimate, and it is wider in small towns than in whole counties, so small-town figures are best read as approximate.