Fort Walton Beach, FL

Census Place

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2021 Population

20,805

6.05% 1-year decline

US Senator

Marco Rubio

Republican Party

US Senator

Rick Scott

Republican Party

2021 Median Age

39.5

4.59% 1-year decrease

2021 Poverty Rate

14.1%

1.17% 1-year increase

2021 Median Household Income

$55,623

2.42% 1-year growth

2021 Median Property Value

$223,100

10.4% 1-year growth

About

In 2021, Fort Walton Beach, FL had a population of 20.8k people with a median age of 39.5 and a median household income of $55,623. Between 2020 and 2021 the population of Fort Walton Beach, FL declined from 22,144 to 20,805, a −6.05% decrease and its median household income grew from $54,311 to $55,623, a 2.42% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Fort Walton Beach, FL are White (Non-Hispanic) (66.8%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (11%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (4.93%), White (Hispanic) (4.71%), and Other (Hispanic) (4.65%).

None of the households in Fort Walton Beach, FL reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

94.5% of the residents in Fort Walton Beach, FL are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Fort Walton Beach, FL are Okaloosa Technical College (197 degrees awarded in 2021).

In 2021, the median property value in Fort Walton Beach, FL was $223,100, and the homeownership rate was 59.1%.

Most people in Fort Walton Beach, FL drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Fort Walton Beach, FL was 2 cars per household.

United States Florida Okaloosa County, FL Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL Okaloosa County PUMA, FL

Population & Diversity

Fort Walton Beach, FL is home to a population of 20.8k people, from which 94.5% are citizens. As of 2021, 9.85% of Fort Walton Beach, FL residents were born outside of the country (2.05k people).

In 2021, there were 6.08 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (13.9k people) in Fort Walton Beach, FL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.29k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 1.03k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Citizenship

94.5%

2021 Citizenship

95.9%

2020 Citizenship

As of 2021, 94.5% of Fort Walton Beach, FL residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2020, the percentage of US citizens in Fort Walton Beach, FL was 95.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Fort Walton Beach, FL compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Fort Walton Beach, FL

White (Non-Hispanic)
13.9k ± 659
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
2.29k ± 461
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
1.03k ± 342

12.1%

Hispanic Population

2.51k people

12.1% of the people in Fort Walton Beach, FL are hispanic (2.51k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Fort Walton Beach, FL as a share of the total population.

Foreign-Born Population

9.85%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

2.05k people

8.33%

2020 Foreign-Born Population

1.84k people

As of 2021, 9.85% of Fort Walton Beach, FL residents (2.05k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.6%. In 2020, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Fort Walton Beach, FL was 8.33%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Fort Walton Beach, FL compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
1,077 ± 229
Vietnam
728 ± 199
Gulf War (1990s)
566 ± 149

Fort Walton Beach, FL has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.48 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Fort Walton Beach, FL employs 9.62k people. The largest industries in Fort Walton Beach, FL are Accommodation & Food Services (1,738 people), Retail Trade (1,274 people), and Construction (871 people), and the highest paying industries are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($69,512), Utilities ($47,339), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($46,196).

Employment

Occupations

9.62k

2021 Value

± 679

−6.46%

1 Year decline

± 10.5%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Fort Walton Beach, FL declined at a rate of −6.46%, from 10.3k employees to 9.62k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Fort Walton Beach, FL, are Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (1,142 people), Sales & Related Occupations (1,120 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (873 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Fort Walton Beach, FL.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Florida (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

9.62k

2021 Value

± 679

−6.46%

1 Year decline

± 10.5%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Fort Walton Beach, FL declined at a rate of −6.46%, from 10.3k employees to 9.62k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Fort Walton Beach, FL, are Accommodation & Food Services (1,738 people), Retail Trade (1,274 people), and Construction (871 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Fort Walton Beach, FL, though some of these residents may live in Fort Walton Beach, FL and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$33,684

Median earning men ± $5,048

$26,880

Median earning women ± $1,846

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2021 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($65,250), Manufacturing ($59,722), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($52,736).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2021 are Wholesale Trade ($66,250), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($53,359), and Public Administration ($35,625).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

Y-Axis

2.75%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 155M people employed in Florida. This represents a 2.75% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Florida.

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Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Florida to other states, or from other states to Florida.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

In 2020, the top outbound Florida product (by dollars) was Mixed freight with $93.7B, followed by Electronics ($57.8B) and Pharmaceuticals ($56.4B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Florida products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Florida.

$640B

2020 Value in Florida

$1.41T

Projected 2050 Value in Florida

121% growth

In 2020, total outbound Florida trade was $640B. This is expected to increase 121% to $1.41T by 2050.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Florida trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Florida to other states, or from other states to Florida.

Most Common Trade Partners

Georgia
$22.9B
Texas
$17.8B
California
$14.6B

In 2020, the top outbound Florida domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Georgia with $22.9B, followed by Texas with $17.8B and California and $14.6B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Florida shares with each state (excluding itself).

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Florida went to Donald J. Trump with 51.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (47.9%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (0.635%).

Marco Rubio and Rick Scott are the senators currently representing the state of Florida. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Florida is currently represented by 28 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Fort Walton Beach, FL. Showing the available data for Florida.

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (51.2%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (47.9%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (0.635%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Florida went to Donald J. Trump with 51.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (47.9%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (0.635%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Florida for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Florida

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Florida.

Marco Rubio

Senator from Florida

Assumed office on January 3, 2011

Rick Scott

Senator from Florida

Assumed office on January 8, 2019
Inauguration delayed in order to finish his term as Governor of Florida.

Marco Rubio and Rick Scott are the senators currently representing Florida.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Florida over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Florida

Florida is currently represented by 28 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Florida have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2021, universities in Fort Walton Beach, FL awarded 197 degrees. The student population of Fort Walton Beach, FL in 2021 is skewed towards men, with 278 male students and 176 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Fort Walton Beach, FL are White (147 and 74.6%), followed by Black or African American (34 and 17.3%), Hispanic or Latino (7 and 3.55%), and Asian (5 and 2.54%).

The largest universities in Fort Walton Beach, FL by number of degrees awarded are Okaloosa Technical College (197 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Fort Walton Beach, FL are General Cosmetology (42 and 21.3%), Licensed Practical & Vocational Nurse Training (38 and 19.3%), and Computer & Computer Systems Technology (30 and 15.2%).

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Florida.

Measure

In 2021, 1.12% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1.13% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Florida.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2021 were High School or Equivalent (4.9M), Some college (3.57M), and Bachelors Degree (3.2M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Fort Walton Beach, FL was $223,100 in 2021, which is 0.911 times smaller than the national average of $244,900. Between 2020 and 2021 the median property value increased from $202,100 to $223,100, a 10.4% increase. The homeownership rate in Fort Walton Beach, FL is 59.1%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.6%.

People in Fort Walton Beach, FL have an average commute time of 21.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Fort Walton Beach, FL is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Fort Walton Beach, FL is $55,623. In 2021, the place with the highest median household income in Fort Walton Beach, FL was Census Tract 217 with a value of $87,750, followed by Census Tract 228 and Census Tract 226, with respective values of $39,886 and $37,103.

Property

$223,100

Median Property Value 2021

±$12,123

$5,182

Median Property Taxes

±$481

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Fort Walton Beach, FL the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Fort Walton Beach, FL compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

59.1%

Homeownership

2021

70.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2021

In 2021, 59.1% of the housing units in Fort Walton Beach, FL were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 61.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Fort Walton Beach, FL compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 217
Census Tract 228
Census Tract 226

In 2021, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Fort Walton Beach, FL was Census Tract 217 with a value of $87,750, followed by Census Tract 228 and Census Tract 226, with respective values of $39,886 and $37,103.

The following map shows all of the places in Fort Walton Beach, FL colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$55,623

Median Household Income

± $3,131

8.78k

Number of Households

± 663

In 2021, the median household income of the 8.78k households in Fort Walton Beach, FL grew to $55,623 from the previous year's value of $54,311.

The following chart displays the households in Fort Walton Beach, FL distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Fort Walton Beach, FL is from Florida.

0.473

2021 Wage GINI in Florida

0.472

2020 Wage GINI in Florida

In 2021, the income inequality in Florida was 0.473 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.108% growth from 2020 to 2021, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Florida was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Florida in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Florida across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2021

Drove Alone (78.6%)
Carpooled (9.13%)
Worked At Home (6.18%)

In 2021, 78.6% of workers in Fort Walton Beach, FL drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.13%) and those who worked at home (6.18%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

21.2 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Fort Walton Beach, FL have a shorter commute time (21.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.8 minutes). Additionally, 1.97% of the workforce in Fort Walton Beach, FL have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Fort Walton Beach, FL compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Fort Walton Beach, FL distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Fort Walton Beach, FL have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

14.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Fort Walton Beach, FL (2.89k out of 20.5k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.6%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Fort Walton Beach, FL is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

85.4% of the population of Fort Walton Beach, FL has health coverage, with 28.9% on employee plans, 14.3% on Medicaid, 9.08% on Medicare, 21.3% on non-group plans, and 11.8% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Okaloosa County, FL see 1342 patients per year on average, which represents a 2.29% increase from the previous year (1312 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1223 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 577 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Okaloosa County, FL.

1,342 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Okaloosa County, FL

Primary care physicians in Okaloosa County, FL see an average of 1,342 patients per year. This represents a 2.29% increase from the previous year (1,312 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Okaloosa County, FL in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2021, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.3% under 18 years, 17.1% between 18 and 34 years, 39.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 18.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.5% were men and 51.5% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

14.6%

Uninsured

28.9%

Employer Coverage

14.3%

Medicaid

9.08%

Medicare

21.3%

Non-Group

11.8%

Military or VA

Between 2020 and 2021, the percent of uninsured citizens in Fort Walton Beach, FL grew by 3.33% from 14.1% to 14.6%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Fort Walton Beach, FL changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.