Okaloosa County · Florida · South · 21k residents
Fort Walton Beach, FL: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Fort Walton Beach: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the Florida median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,226/wk. Florida's corporate income tax rate is 5.5%. Commercial electricity averages 11.0¢/kWh.
Compare Fort Walton Beach side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,226/wk
Corporate income tax
5.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher
29.7%
Commercial electricity
11.0¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Fort Walton Beach's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
48/100
Steady
Ranks Fort Walton Beach's residential building-permit and jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| ACS median home value | $321,800 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $260 |
| Property tax rate | 0.8% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,041/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,391/mo |
| State & local income tax | 0% |
| Sales tax | 7% |
| Corporate income tax | 5.5% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,226/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.7% |
| Commercial electricity | 11.0¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 34.0/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $130,640 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $81,260 |
| Wage: General manager | $100,070 |
| Wage: Customer service | $39,240 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $35,770 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $47,940 |
| Wage: Electrician | $57,200 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $33,920 |
| Cost of living index | 98 |
| Groceries index | 103 |
| Utilities | $180/mo |
| Transit pass | $65/mo |
| Gas price | $3.25/gal |
| Healthcare index | 100 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,000/mo |
| Median household income | $68,538 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% |
| Population | 21k |
| Crime index | 45/100 |
| School rating | 5.8/10 |
| Walkability | 30/100 |
| Disaster risk | 93/100 |
| Avg. commute | 28 min |
| Sunny days / year | 240 days |
| July high | 91°F |
| January low | 45°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | +0.4% |
| Home price MoM | -0.1% |
| Rent YoY | +5.7% |
| Rent MoM | +1.2% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | -0.3% |
| Building permits YoY | +25.0% |
| Ocean coast | 9 mi |
| Big lake | 168 mi |
| Mountains | 216 mi |
| Major airport | 215 mi |
| Ski resort | 405 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Wright, FL · 28k
- Navarre, FL · 40k
- Crestview, FL · 29k
- Ferry Pass, FL · 30k
- Pace, FL · 26k
Similar size
- Florida Ridge, FL · 21k
- Midway CDP (Santa Rosa County), FL · 21k
- West Pensacola, FL · 21k
- Lealman, FL · 21k
- Groveland, FL · 22k
Real listings in Fort Walton Beach
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Fort Walton Beach a good place to run a business?
- Florida's corporate income tax rate is 5.5%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,226/wk; commercial electricity averages 11.0¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Fort Walton Beach, FL?
- Fort Walton Beach indexes at 98 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,391/mo and a acs median home value of $321,800.
- How much does a house cost in Fort Walton Beach?
- The acs median home value in Fort Walton Beach is $321,800 (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Fort Walton Beach?
- A two-bedroom in Fort Walton Beach rents for about $1,391/mo.