What it's like to live in Milton
Milton is a small city in Florida with home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, and a population that has grown fast since 2020. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Milton deals with larger class sizes than the national average, hot summers, very rainy, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Fast-growing population
The not so good
- High student-teacher ratio
- Hot summers
- Very rainy — 66" of rain per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Milton compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Milton
Based on Milton's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,910
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $58,200 a year
- 22% of Milton renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$46,620
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $23,310
- Homes cost 3.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,455/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,455 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $233,100. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $233,100 · 22% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.1% county unemployment
Unemployment in Santa Rosa County is 4.1%, 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.
Santa Rosa County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 57% below US
165 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1678/100k · Milton Police Department · 2023 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 9% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 92°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 44°F. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 30% below US
25% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 25%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Gulf Islands National Seashore (24 miles away).
Bottom line
Milton's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are hot summers and very rainy. A year of median rent ($1,455/mo) equals 23% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Milton
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