Moving to
Fort Walton Beach.

All Fort Walton Beach data Compare Fort Walton Beach

21,025people live here $68,538median household income▼ 15% below US $1,307median rent per monthNear US average $321,800median home valueNear US average

What it's like to live in Fort Walton Beach

Fort Walton Beach is a small city in Florida with commutes that run shorter than most cities, air quality that stays clean most of the year, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Fort Walton Beach deals with household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, and hot summers.

The good

Short commutes
Clean air
Average class sizes

The not so good

Below-average household incomes
Crime above national average
High rent burden for renters
Hot summers
Above-average rainfall
Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options

How Fort Walton Beach compares

Median household income

Fort Walton Beach$68,538

Florida avg$74,568

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Fort Walton Beach$1,307

Florida avg$1,669

US$1,413

Median home value

Fort Walton Beach$321,800

Florida avg$359,000

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Fort Walton Beach

Based on Fort Walton Beach's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$2,614

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $52,280 a year
53% of Fort Walton Beach renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$64,360

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $32,180
Homes cost 4.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of livingNear US average

$1,307/mo median rent

Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,307 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $321,800. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.

Median home value $321,800 · 53% of renters cost-burdened

Job market

3.8% county unemployment

Unemployment in Okaloosa County is 3.8%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.

Okaloosa County (county-wide)

Safety▲ 61% above US

532 violent crimes per 100k

Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.

Property crime 1670/100k · Fort Walton Beach Police Department · 2025 data

Getting around▼ 13% below US

23 min average commute

Commutes are reasonable, averaging 22.7 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 8% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

81%

Work from home

8.4%

Carpool

5.9%

Other

2.4%

Walk

1.7%

Public transit

0.4%

Climate

Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 90°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 47°F. It's a wet climate overall.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▼ 18% below US

30% bachelor's degree or higher

College degree attainment runs below average at 30%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.

Schools

14 public schools inside the boundary

There are 14 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Gulf Islands National Seashore (37 miles away).

Bottom line

Fort Walton Beach's strongest points are commutes that run shorter than most cities and air quality that stays clean most of the year; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,307/mo) equals 23% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.

See all the data for Fort Walton Beach →·All Florida cities →