Is Pace or Cantonment cheaper?

They're nearly identical. Redfin put Pace at a $324,443 median sale price in June 2026 and Cantonment (zip 32533) at $319,862 in August 2026. Over the trailing 12 months through October 2026, local MLS data showed Pace at about $374,902 and Cantonment at about $360,000. Price usually isn't the tiebreaker between these two.

Which has lower property taxes, Pace or Cantonment?

Pace, on the rate. The 2025 adopted millage for unincorporated Pace was 11.3897, against 13.4035 for unincorporated Escambia County, which covers Cantonment. On a home with a $300,000 taxable value that difference is roughly $600 a year. Special assessments for things like lighting or paving can add to either one, so check the actual tax bill for the property.

Is Pace or Cantonment closer to NAS Whiting Field?

Pace, by a lot. It's roughly a 30-minute drive from central Pace to Whiting Field in normal traffic, compared to about 50 minutes from central Cantonment. Both are roughly the same distance from NAS Pensacola, around 40 minutes without traffic.

Is there new construction in Pace and Cantonment?

Lots of it. New construction made up about 54% of recent Pace sales and about 59% of Cantonment closings, according to local MLS data. Pace builders include D.R. Horton, Lennar and Holiday Builders. Cantonment has D.R. Horton, Lennar, Adams Homes and DSLD Homes, with communities like Reserve at Brookhaven and Iron Rock.

Can you buy land or acreage in Pace or Cantonment?

Yes, in both. Rural north Pace has properties on 1 to 5 acres, and parts of Cantonment north of Highway 29 have 1 to 3 acre lots, some with room for horses. Rural properties are more likely to be on a well and septic system, so check utilities and get a septic inspection before you buy.

Are Pace and Cantonment in a flood zone?

Most of both areas carry low flood risk. First Street data on Redfin rates about 5% of Pace properties and about 4% of 32533 properties at risk of flooding over the next 30 years. Both carry high wind risk like the rest of the Panhandle, so get a real insurance quote during your inspection period.

Pace vs Cantonment, FL: Which Is Better for Your Next Home?

Quick answer, as of October 2026. Pace and Cantonment cost almost exactly the same, so the real question is which side of Pensacola you drive to every morning. Redfin put the Pace median sale price at $324,443 in June 2026 and Cantonment (zip 32533) at $319,862 in August 2026. Pace is in Santa Rosa County, with a lower property tax rate and a much shorter drive to NAS Whiting Field. Cantonment is in Escambia County, closer to the Navy Federal campus and Nine Mile Road, with more rural land out toward the Perdido River.

Reviewed October 2026 by Christina Leavenworth, REALTOR®, The Christina Leavenworth Team at Levin Rinke Realty. Sources: Redfin market data for Pace (June 2026) and zip 32533 (August 2026), Momentum Realty MLS summaries (October 2026), Santa Rosa County Property Appraiser and Escambia County Tax Collector 2025 millage rates, First Street flood data via Redfin. Drive times are estimates without traffic.

The numbers, side by side

	Pace	Cantonment
Median sale price (Redfin)	$324,443 (June 2026)	$319,862 (Aug 2026, zip 32533)
Median days on market (Redfin)	58	85
Trailing 12-month median (MLS, Oct 2026)	about $374,902	about $360,000
New construction share of sales	about 54%	about 59%
2025 property tax rate (unincorporated)	11.3897 mills	13.4035 mills
County	Santa Rosa	Escambia

Two things jump out.

First, prices are basically a tie. Different sources and different months give slightly different medians, but nobody is showing a real gap.

Second, Cantonment homes are sitting longer. Eighty-five days against fifty-eight in Pace. That usually means more room for a buyer to negotiate in Cantonment right now.

The property tax difference is real

This one surprises people. Pace is in Santa Rosa County and Cantonment is in Escambia County, and the 2025 tax rates aren't the same.

Unincorporated Pace came in at 11.3897 mills. Unincorporated Escambia, which covers Cantonment, came in at 13.4035. On a home with a $300,000 taxable value, that's roughly $600 a year more in Cantonment.

Your homestead exemption works the same way in both counties. For the 2026 tax year it's $51,411 in total for a qualifying primary residence. There's also a property tax amendment on the November 3, 2026 ballot that would raise the non-school exemption if it passes, so check where that landed before you run final numbers.

Your commute decides this more than anything

Here are rough drive times from the middle of each town, without traffic.

To	From Pace	From Cantonment
NAS Whiting Field	about 30 min	about 50 min
Navy Federal campus	about 26 min	about 15 min
Downtown Pensacola	about 24 min	about 29 min
Pensacola International Airport	about 23 min	about 31 min
NAS Pensacola	about 40 min	about 40 min

If you're at Whiting Field, Pace wins easily. If you work at Navy Federal or anywhere along Nine Mile Road, Cantonment wins. For NAS Pensacola it's a wash.

One Pace reality to know. Woodbine Road at Highway 90 backs up at rush hour, and there's been road work there since 2024. Drive it at 7:30 in the morning before you buy.

New construction is everywhere in both

More than half of what's selling in each town is brand new.

In Pace, D.R. Horton is building in Lakes of Woodbine and Woodbine Springs Plantation, Holiday Builders is in Jubilee, and Lennar is in Stonechase. Most of the existing homes are 1990s to 2010s suburban subdivisions.

In Cantonment, Reserve at Brookhaven has been the volume leader, Iron Rock by DSLD Homes sits at the higher end, and Adams Homes, Lennar and D.R. Horton all have communities going. If you'd rather not deal with a builder, Cantonment also has plenty of resale homes from the late 1990s and 2000s.

With this much new construction competing, builder incentives are a big part of the conversation in both places. A builder's sales rep works for the builder. Bring your own agent to the first visit, because some builders won't let you add one later. I wrote more about that in our guide to new home communities around Pensacola.

Land and lifestyle

Pace is the more built-up of the two. You've got Target, Walmart and Aldi at Pea Ridge, the Santa Rosa Sports Plex, Benny Russell Park with its splash pad, and Escambia Bay boat ramps close by. If you want a few acres, rural north Pace has properties on 1 to 5 acres.

Cantonment feels more country. The Perdido River runs along its western edge, and the Perdido River Wildlife Management Area has about 6,000 acres with miles of trail and a canoe trail. North of Highway 29 you'll find 1 to 3 acre lots, some set up for horses.

Out on acreage in either town, expect a well and septic system more often than not. Get the septic inspected and pumped as part of your due diligence. It's cheap compared to replacing a drain field.

Flood risk is low in both. First Street data on Redfin rates about 5% of Pace properties and 4% of Cantonment properties at flood risk over 30 years. Wind risk is high everywhere in the Panhandle, so get a real insurance quote on the specific house during your inspection period. If schools are part of your decision, Pace is in the Santa Rosa County School District and Cantonment is in Escambia County's, and zoning goes address by address, so check the exact property with the district.

So which one should you buy?

Pace makes sense if you work at Whiting Field or east toward Milton, you want more shopping close by, and a lower tax rate matters to you.

Cantonment makes sense if you work at Navy Federal or along Nine Mile, you want more negotiating room on price, or you want land out near the Perdido River.

Still deciding between the bigger areas? Our Pace market and neighborhood guide goes deeper on Pace specifically.

Want help choosing?

Tell me where you work and what you want to spend, and I'll tell you honestly which side of the county fits. I've sold more than 1,300 homes across this market since 2017, new construction and resale, Pace and Cantonment both.

Call or text me at (850) 786-3996, or DM me on Instagram @christinaleavenworth.

Christina Leavenworth, licensed in Florida as Christina Brunet-Sabastia. REALTOR®, The Christina Leavenworth Team at Levin Rinke Realty, 823 E Gadsden St, Pensacola, FL 32501. (850) 786-3996. Military Relocation Professional (MRP), Certified Divorce Specialist (CDS), Probate Specialist.