Fort Walton Beach is a popular place for families looking to live along Florida’s Emerald Coast. “We have an old Florida, small-town feel,” says Ted Corcoran, the President/CEO of the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce who’s lived in the area for 33 years. “There aren’t a lot of high-rise condos," Corcoran says. "There’s miniature golf, older restaurants and mom-and-pop shops.” The city is on Choctawhatchee Bay, with Okaloosa Island and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. Tourism is a big industry here, and in the summer, visitors flock to the beaches of Okaloosa Island and Downtown Fort Walton Beach’s shops and restaurants. The United States Air Force is the area’s biggest employer, with Hurlburt Field to the west and Eglin Air Force Base to the northeast. The city’s population of around 21,000 people is growing slightly each year. “Back 30 years ago, everyone came here for the military," Corcoran says. "Now you have people who visit and want to settle down here.”
The Air Force Armament Museum is adjacent to Eglin Air Force Base near Fort Walton Beach.
Fort Walton Beach has many picturesque beaches, both on the bays and on the Gulf.
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Waterfront parks and beaches
According to the Trust for Public Land, 81% of Fort Walton Beach’s residents are within a 10-minute walk of one of the city’s 35 urban parks. Whether boating, bike riding or just strolling around, “People here like to be outside,” Corcoran says. Many city parks are situated right on the water’s edge. Liza Jackson Park offers 1,000 feet of waterfront with a fishing pier and two boat ramps. Fort Walton Beach Landing Park has a public marina about 2 miles down the road in the downtown district. This bayside park hosts the city’s summer concert series and the annual Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival. A brand-new amphitheater is set to open here in 2025. More waterfront parks and Gulf Coast beaches are right across Brooks Bridge on Okaloosa Island.
Heritage Park and Cultural Center is a cluster of historic sites and museums in Downtown Fort Walton Beach. An Indian Temple Mound sits at the center of it all. The site was built around 850 AD by the Pensacola Culture, ancestors of today’s Apalachee peoples. Its associated museum documents 12,000 years of Native American culture with over 1,000 artifacts. Each April, the city honors this history at the Musical Echoes Native American Flute Festival.
Ross Mariner Park is on Choctawhatchee Bay with a great beach access and boat launch.
Heritage Park and Cultural Center is a cluster of historic sites in Fort Walton Beach.
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Waterfront condos, townhomes and single-family homes
Most houses in Fort Walton Beach were built between the 1970s and ‘90s. They usually feature a similar ranch-style architecture and cost between $300,000 and $450,000. Smaller bungalows on the city’s north and east sides are usually less expensive, starting around $150,000. In the Kenwood neighborhood, homes are within walking distance of the Fort Walton Beach Golf Course. These listings tend to be a bit pricier, with most ranging from $450,000 to $575,000. The city’s most expensive properties have waterfront views. Single family homes range from about $750,000 to $2.5 million. Meanwhile, townhomes and condos can cost anywhere from $175,000 to just over $1 million.
Low-slung ranches are plentiful in Fort Walton Beach.
Waterfront homes line the coast of Fort Walton Beach and the surrounding area.
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Purple Star schools in Okaloosa County
Fort Walton Beach is a part of the Okaloosa County School District, which earns an A-minus on Niche. It serves approximately 29,000 students, with 19 elementary schools, eight middle schools and four high schools. All the schools here are part of Florida’s Purple Star Program, meaning they accommodate the unique needs of military families. Fort Walton Beach High offers the only Project Lead the Way Biomedical Sciences program in the district. Students hoping to get a head start on their career can take specialized classes at the Northwest Florida State College campus in Fort Walton Beach.
Students thrive at Shalimar Elementary School.
Clifford Meigs Middle School is shaping tomorrows leaders.
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Local shops and restaurants in Downtown Fort Walton Beach
To the north, Uptown Station presents a different shopping experience; it’s an outdoor shopping mall with national retailers like Ulta Beauty and Ross Dress for Less. While Okaloosa Island offers the familiar seafood restaurants and surf shops that tourists love, Downtown Fort Walton Beach is a palmetto-lined stretch of Highway 98 with locally owned boutiques, coffee shops, restaurants, bars and nightclubs.
Lots of shopping and dining options along Eglin Parkway in Fort Walton Beach.
Uptown Station is a popular shopping plaza in Fort Walton Beach buzzing with activity.
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'Highway 98 is very busy in the summer'
With few bike lanes, residents typically rely on their cars to get around. The main road through Fort Walton Beach is Highway 98, an east-west route connecting the city to both Pensacola and Panama City Beach. “Highway 98 is very busy in the summer,” Corcoran says, “so residents will shy away from it.” State Routes 85 and 189 head north toward Eglin Air Force Base, 6 miles away, and Crestview, 27 miles away. “Many people live in Crestview and commute here for work, so driving north after work can be busy,” Corcoran says, with a typical rush hour commute to Crestview ranging from 40 minutes to over an hour. Residents can also take the Emerald Coast Rider bus to get around Fort Walton Beach or make the trip to Crestview and other nearby cities. The Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport offers direct flights to 29 major U.S. cities.
Environment
“The one and only negative aspect of living here is the possibility of a hurricane,” Corcoran says. Flooding is the largest risk from hurricanes, and it’s more likely to occur in the southern and northeastern parts of the city. Over half of Fort Walton Beach’s homes are in a Special Flood Hazard Area; homebuyers here must purchase flood insurance and receive special permits for construction. “They don’t happen often, and you often know well in advance if a storm is coming so there’s time to prepare,” Corcoran says.
Homebuyers in Fort Walton Beach purchase flood insurance in case of hurricane storm surge.
The rumble of jets overhead from the Air Base is constant in Fort Walton Beach.
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Crime
According to the FBI’s crime data explorer, Fort Walton Beach had a violent crime rate above the national average in 2023. Property crime rates declined towards the end of the year, falling well below the national average.
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Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
