What percentage of people rent in Fort Walton Beach, FL?

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

38.2% (±3.7 points) of the occupied homes in Fort Walton Beach, FL are rented (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is 3,366 renting households against 5,451 that own their home.

In Fort Walton Beach, the share of households that rent went from 40.9% in 2015–2019 to 38.2% in 2020–2024 (−2.7 percentage points), not a measurable change.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Households that rent: 38.2% (±3.7 points)
Renting households: 3,366 (±343)
Median renter income: $51,485 (±$7,344)

Who rents and who owns in Fort Walton Beach

Tenure, estimate (90% margin of error)
	Fort Walton Beach	Okaloosa County	Florida	United States
Renter-occupied share	38.2% (±3.7 points)	31.6% (±1.1 points)	32.4% (±0.2 points)	34.8%
Renting households	3,366 (±343)	26,994 (±1,055)	2,834,163 (±17,461)	45,017,354
Owning households	5,451 (±441)	58,417 (±1,038)	5,918,647 (±31,594)	84,210,142
Average renter household size	2.4 (±0.2)	2.5 (±0.1)	2.5 (±0.0)	2.3
Average owner household size	2.3 (±0.1)	2.5 (±0.0)	2.5 (±0.0)	2.6
Median renter household income	$51,485 (±$7,344)	$58,571 (±$2,096)	$53,617 (±$353)	$52,966
Median owner household income	$78,872 (±$9,288)	$100,135 (±$3,540)	$88,144 (±$469)	$100,009

In Fort Walton Beach, the renter share is higher than in Okaloosa County (31.6%).

It is also higher than in Florida (32.4%).

It is not measurably different from the national figure (34.8%).

In Okaloosa County, Fort Walton Beach ranks 6 of 14 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest renter share.

Statewide, it ranks 231 of 857.

Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.

How renting in Fort Walton Beach has changed since 2015–2019

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
	2015–2019	2020–2024	Amount of change	Verdict
Households that rent	40.9% (±2.8 points)	38.2% (±3.7 points)	−2.7 percentage points	Not a measurable change
Median gross rent	$988 (±$38)	$1,307 (±$70)	+32.3%	Up after inflation
Median household income	$54,330 (±$3,160)	$68,538 (±$5,185)	+26.2%	No measurable change after inflation

The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.

Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.

The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.

Households that rent in places near Fort Walton Beach

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Fort Walton Beach
Place	Distance	Households that rent	Compared with this place
Fort Walton Beach	—	38.2% (±3.7 points)	—
Cinco Bayou	0.8 mi	34.7% (±14.3 points)	Not measurably different
Ocean City	1.3 mi	42.3% (±7.5 points)	Not measurably different
Wright	1.8 mi	45.9% (±3.9 points)	Higher
Mary Esther	2.4 mi	30.2% (±7.6 points)	Not measurably different
Shalimar	2.6 mi	30.0% (±15.3 points)	Not measurably different
Lake Lorraine	3.5 mi	26.8% (±6.3 points)	Lower
Eglin AFB	4.9 mi	100.0% (±6.1 points)	Higher
Hurlburt Field	5.8 mi	100.0% (±6.6 points)	Higher

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Lake Lorraine, FL (26.8%).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Wright, FL (45.9%), Eglin AFB, FL (100.0%), Hurlburt Field, FL (100.0%).

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

Households that rent across Okaloosa County, place by place

Rank	Place	Households that rent
1 (tie)	Eglin AFB	100.0% (±6.1 points)
1 (tie)	Hurlburt Field	100.0% (±6.6 points)
3	Wright	45.9% (±3.9 points)
4	Ocean City	42.3% (±7.5 points)
5	Crestview	38.7% (±4.1 points)
6	Fort Walton Beach	38.2% (±3.7 points)
7	Valparaiso	35.8% (±9.1 points)
8	Cinco Bayou	34.7% (±14.3 points)
9	Destin	30.3% (±4.4 points)
10	Mary Esther	30.2% (±7.6 points)
11	Shalimar	30.0% (±15.3 points)
12	Lake Lorraine	26.8% (±6.3 points)

Showing 12 of 14 places in Okaloosa County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Fort Walton Beach

How many renters are there in Fort Walton Beach?

Fort Walton Beach has an estimated 3,366 (±343) renting households, 38.2% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Is renting growing in Fort Walton Beach?

In Fort Walton Beach, the share of households that rent went from 40.9% in 2015–2019 to 38.2% in 2020–2024 (−2.7 percentage points), not a measurable change.

How big are renting households in Fort Walton Beach?

A renting household in Fort Walton Beach has 2.4 people on average, against 2.3 in an owned home.

How much do renters earn in Fort Walton Beach?

The median renting household in Fort Walton Beach, FL has an income of $51,485 (±$7,344) a year, against $78,872 for households that own their home.

Sources

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) and detailed tables (acs/acs5) 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 2015–2019 figures are DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, B25064_001E, B25064_001M, B19013_001E, B19013_001M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0047E, DP04_0047M, DP04_0046E, DP04_0046M, DP04_0049E, DP04_0049M, DP04_0048E, DP04_0048M, B25119_003E, B25119_003M, B25119_002E, B25119_002M

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.