Fort Walton Beach, Florida Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Fort Walton Beach, FL Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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C
Income Below average
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C
Education Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Fort Walton Beach | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,806 | 22,388,905 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2696.2 | 313.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.71% | 1.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.9 | 40.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 8,698 | 8,743,019 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Fort Walton Beach grew by 13.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 20,806 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Fort Walton Beach is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 21.6% of residents. That is 1.0 points above Florida as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,277 20.6% +1.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,504 21.6% +1.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,082 19.6% -1.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,789 18.2% -1.4 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Florida, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.0% of the people living in Fort Walton Beach and men 50.0%.
- Women 50.0% Florida 51.0%
- Men 50.0% Florida 49.0%
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Economy
Fort Walton Beach has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Fort Walton Beach | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,605 | $74,580 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.06% | 5.42% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Fort Walton Beach is about 9% lower than in Florida.
Housing
| Metric | Fort Walton Beach | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $296,058 | $311,338 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,344 | $1,668 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 59.5% | 67.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Fort Walton Beach is about 18.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,344 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Fort Walton Beach spend about 40 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 167 hours, about 7.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Fort Walton Beach | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.0 | 24.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 40.0 | 47.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 167 | 200 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,173 | $6,189 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.9% | 15.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 9,341 | 14,318 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,091 | 3,068 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Fort Walton Beach is 20 minutes, shorter than the 24 minutes in Florida.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Fort Walton Beach has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Fort Walton Beach | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.9% | 30.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.36 | 2.50 | 2.53 |
Health
Fort Walton Beach has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Fort Walton Beach | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.5 | 77.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.2% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.4% | 21.3% | 19.0% |
Fort Walton Beach, FL Compared With Nearby Cities
How Fort Walton Beach, FL compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Walton Beach, FL | 20,806 | $67,605 #2/2 | $296,058 #1/2 | 20.0 min #2/2 |
| Wright, FL | 25,519 | $68,916 | $278,165 | 18.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
How big is Fort Walton Beach, Florida by population?
About 20,806 people live in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, in 8,698 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 36.9, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Fort Walton Beach, Florida?
Averaged over its land area, Fort Walton Beach, Florida has 2,696 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 31 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Fort Walton Beach, Florida?
The median home costs 4.4 times the median household income ($296,058 against $67,605), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,344 a month takes about 24% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Fort Walton Beach, Florida?
Unemployment in Fort Walton Beach, Florida is only 3.3%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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