How long do people stay in their homes in Fort Walton Beach, FL?

Name: How long people stay in Fort Walton Beach, FL, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

29.6% (±3.5 points) of households in Fort Walton Beach, FL moved into their current home in 2020 or later (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

17.6% have lived in it since before 2000.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Moved in 2020 or later: 29.6% (±3.5 points)
Since before 2000: 17.6%

When households in Fort Walton Beach moved in

Occupied housing units by year the householder moved in, 2020–2024
Moved in	Fort Walton Beach	Okaloosa County	Florida	United States
2023 or later	5.5% (±1.8 points)	6.6%	5.3%	4.6%
2020 to 2022	24.1% (±3.0 points)	24.6%	23.0%	20.2%
2010 to 2019	38.1% (±3.8 points)	40.3%	42.7%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	14.5% (±2.5 points)	13.5%	15.5%	16.4%
1990 to 1999	7.0% (±1.7 points)	8.2%	8.1%	9.6%
1989 or earlier	10.6% (±2.2 points)	6.8%	5.5%	9.5%

A high share of recent movers usually means more renting households and more turnover; a high share of long-time residents usually means more owners who have stayed.

In Fort Walton Beach, the share of households that moved in since 2020 is not measurably different from Okaloosa County (31.2%).

It is not measurably different from Florida (28.3%).

It is higher than the national figure (24.8%).

Households that moved in since 2020 in places near Fort Walton Beach

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Fort Walton Beach
Place	Distance	Households that moved in since 2020	Compared with this place
Fort Walton Beach	—	29.6% (±3.5 points)	—
Cinco Bayou	0.8 mi	29.9% (±14.4 points)	Not measurably different
Ocean City	1.3 mi	39.7% (±8.7 points)	Higher
Wright	1.8 mi	34.3% (±4.4 points)	Not measurably different
Mary Esther	2.4 mi	30.0% (±7.9 points)	Not measurably different
Shalimar	2.6 mi	17.0% (±7.9 points)	Lower
Lake Lorraine	3.5 mi	27.8% (±6.2 points)	Not measurably different
Eglin AFB	4.9 mi	69.2% (±15.3 points)	Higher
Hurlburt Field	5.8 mi	81.0% (±17.4 points)	Higher

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Shalimar, FL (17.0%).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Ocean City, FL (39.7%), Eglin AFB, FL (69.2%), Hurlburt Field, FL (81.0%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Households that moved in since 2020 across Okaloosa County, place by place

Rank	Place	Households that moved in since 2020
4	Wright	34.3% (±4.4 points)
5	Crestview	30.9% (±5.1 points)
6	Destin	30.8% (±4.6 points)
7	Valparaiso	30.3% (±10.3 points)
8	Mary Esther	30.0% (±7.9 points)
9	Cinco Bayou	29.9% (±14.4 points)
10	Fort Walton Beach	29.6% (±3.5 points)
11	Niceville	29.1% (±5.4 points)
12	Lake Lorraine	27.8% (±6.2 points)
13	Laurel Hill	20.3% (±8.8 points)
14	Shalimar	17.0% (±7.9 points)

Showing 11 of 14 places in Okaloosa County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Fort Walton Beach

How often do people move in Fort Walton Beach?

29.6% of households in Fort Walton Beach, FL moved into their home in 2020 or later (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

How many long-time residents does Fort Walton Beach have?

17.6% of households in Fort Walton Beach have lived in their home since 1999 or earlier.

Sources

Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Fort Walton Beach city, Florida

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Fort Walton Beach city, Florida (place:24475, in state:12).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0051PE, DP04_0051PM, DP04_0052PE, DP04_0052PM, DP04_0053PE, DP04_0053PM, DP04_0054PE, DP04_0054PM, DP04_0055PE, DP04_0055PM, DP04_0056PE, DP04_0056PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.