The Town Files

Fort Walton Beach, Florida

City in Okaloosa County · population 20,922 (2020 Census)

Map: where Fort Walton Beach is in FloridaFort Walton Beach
Median home
$321,800
Household income
$68,538
Jan low / Jul high
45° / 91°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
55
Median age
39.1

Fort Walton Beach is a city of 20,922 people in Okaloosa County, Florida. The median home is worth $321,800, close to the typical Florida town ($331,600). It ranks more vibrant than 92% of Florida towns, better for cycling than 92% of Florida towns, more seaside character than 83% of Florida towns.

How Fort Walton Beach ranks

Percentile among Florida towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Florida towns.

Fort Walton Beach lifestyle rankings vs other Florida townsRetirement30th pctFamilies53rd pctQuiet26th pctWalkability74th pctFirst-time buyers52nd pctYoung professionals58th pctVibrancy92nd pctHip & trendy82nd pctCollege town50th pctUpscale49th pctVacation homes63rd pctSeaside character83rd pctCycling92nd pctTransit78th pctDriving72nd pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Fort Walton Beach is worth $321,800, close to the typical Florida town ($331,600). Homes cost about 4.7 times the median household income of $68,538, which is more affordable than 46% of Florida towns. Median rent is $1,307 a month. 61.8% of households own their home.

Fort Walton Beach vs Okaloosa County vs typical Florida townFort Walton BeachOkaloosa CountyTypical Florida townHome value$321,800$351,200$331,600Household income$68,538$81,998$71,140Monthly rent$1,307$1,612$1,569
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Florida towns with 500+ people.
HousingFort Walton BeachTypical Florida town
Median home value$321,800$331,600
Median rent$1,307$1,569
Median household income$68,538$71,140
Home value ÷ income4.7×4.5×
Homeownership61.8%73.5%
Median year built19721985
Seasonal / vacation homes1.9%—

Who lives in Fort Walton Beach

PeopleFort Walton BeachTypical Florida town
Median age39.142.8
Age 65 and over19.7%20.2%
Under 1822.1%—
Bachelor's degree or higher29.7%28.8%
Below the poverty line13.3%11.3%
Veterans16.9%—
Born outside the U.S.9.4%—
Work from home8.4%13.5%
Average commute22.7 min27.5 min
Homes with broadband87.7%92.4%

Weather in Fort Walton Beach

July highs average 90.9°F and January lows 45.3°F. About 55.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical Florida town: 0.0 in). Expect about 50 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 6 nights at or below freezing.

Fort Walton Beach monthly temperatures and precipitation40°50°60°70°80°90°100°63°45°Jan66°48°Feb71°54°Mar76°60°Apr84°68°May89°74°Jun91°76°Jul91°76°Aug89°72°Sep81°63°Oct72°53°Nov66°48°DecPrecipitation (in)4.55.04.74.53.24.75.86.15.22.84.14.7
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Destin Ft Walton Ap station (9.1 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 1 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

55 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Fort Walton Beach since 1950, compared with 35 for the typical Florida town. 7 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on December 25, 1964 about 3.0 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 70 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on October 29, 2022.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Fort Walton Beach by decade01950s81960s151970s91980s91990s92000s32010s22020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 12 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on July 12, 2000.

Severe weather in Okaloosa County since 1996

Storm events in Okaloosa County since 1996 by typeHail52Flood3Tornado34Lightning46Waterspout9Flash Flood65Rip Current19Funnel Cloud7
NOAA Storm Events Database, Okaloosa County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 21 deaths recorded.

Okaloosa County has been included in 43 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
October 27, 2026HurricaneDR-4955: Hurricane Isaias
October 9, 2026Tropical StormEM-3655: Hurricane Isaias
September 28, 2024HurricaneDR-4828: Hurricane Helene
September 24, 2024Tropical StormEM-3615: Tropical Storm Helene
August 10, 2024Tropical StormDR-4806: Hurricane Debby

Jobs and pay in Okaloosa County

Okaloosa County had 89,705 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $61,616 a year. Unemployment was 2.6% in 2023; in Fort Walton Beach itself the ACS puts it at 3.5%.

Largest industries in Okaloosa CountyHotels & restaurants13,613 jobs · $30,470Retail12,354 jobs · $38,773Professional & technical serv…11,007 jobs · $102,468Health care & social assistan…10,033 jobs · $58,492Administrative & support4,540 jobs · $52,101Construction4,314 jobs · $58,651
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Okaloosa County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Okaloosa 2.6%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Fort Walton Beach

13 public schools with 8,274 students, about 17.8 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
CHOCTAWHATCHEE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL9-121,70120.7
FORT WALTON BEACH HIGH SCHOOL9-121,55820.8
LIZA JACKSON PREPARATORY SCHOOL (charter)K-897716.3
MAX BRUNER JUNIOR MIDDLE SCHOOL6-873918.5
W. C. PRYOR MIDDLE SCHOOL6-867917.0
ELLIOTT POINT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLPK-559818.1
WRIGHT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLPK-559015.9
KENWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOLPK-552515.0
ANNETTE P. EDWINS ELEMENTARY SCHOOLPK-546417.2
OKALOOSA ACADEMY (charter)3-1215752.3
NORTHWEST FLORIDA BALLET ACADEMIE3-1013719.6
SILVER SANDS-EXCEP. CHILDRENPK-121065.3

Towns near Fort Walton Beach

Fort Walton Beach questions

Is Fort Walton Beach, Florida a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Fort Walton Beach scores better for retirees than 30% of Florida towns and quieter than 26%. 19.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 39.1).

How much does a house cost in Fort Walton Beach?

The median owner-occupied home in Fort Walton Beach is valued at $321,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $68,538, so homes cost about 4.7 times income. Median rent is $1,307 a month.

What is the weather like in Fort Walton Beach?

July highs average 90.9°F and January lows 45.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 55.4 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does Fort Walton Beach get tornadoes?

55 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Fort Walton Beach since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on December 25, 1964. The typical Florida town has had 35.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Fort Walton Beach's Census boundary (GEOID 1224475). Comparisons use the median of Florida towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.