Okaloosa County, Florida

Okaloosa County

Okaloosa County is part of the Northwest Florida region, along with Bay, Santa Rosa, Escambia, Walton, Holmes, Jackson, Washington, Calhoun, Liberty, Gulf, Franklin, Gadsden, Leon, Jefferson, and Wakulla counties. Okaloosa has a population over 180,000. The county is part of one of the fastest growing regions in the nation. The county is located in the panhandle, with the southern portion bordering the Gulf of Mexico and the northern portion on the Georgia border.

Top industries in Okaloosa County are government, professional & business services, trade & transportation, leisure and hospitality, and education & health services. Several air force and army facilities are located in Okaloosa County, including Eglin Air Force Base, Hurlburt Field, and Duke Field. By size, Eglin is the largest Air Force base in the country and is responsible for the development, acquisition, testing, and deployment of all air-delivered weapons. Okaloosa county's white sand beaches also attract many tourists to the area. Top private sector employers are Fort Walton Beach Medical Center, L-3 Communications/Crestview Aerospace, DRS Training & Control Systems, InDyne Inc, and ResortQuest. Major public sector employers are US Department of Defense-Eglin AFB, Okaloosa School District, and County of Okaloosa-Sheriff's Department.

Defense is major business in Okaloosa. Of the ten largest defense contractors in the state, six have a presence in Okaloosa. 350 such companies provide 21,000 jobs and contribute over $6.5 billion to the economy.

Okaloosa is a major transportation hub. Indeed, its county seat, Crestview, is nicknamed the "Hub City". With two rivers, a CSX railroad line, and access to multiple highways including Interstate-10, the city is at the center of the region.

Northwest Florida State College has five campuses throughout the county, with its main campus in Niceville. Troy University also has campuses in the county, including one on Eglin AFB.

Sue Goldthorp

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My name is Sue Goldthorp. I am a real estate broker and co-founder of Visulate. Drop me a line if you would like me to help you buy or sell a property in Okaloosa County Florida.

Okaloosa County Florida Cities

There are 13 cities in Okaloosa County Florida. These are listed below. Click on a link for details.

Baker, Crestview, Destin, Eglin Afb, Fort Walton Beach, Holt, Hurlburt Field, Laurel Hill, Mary Esther, Milligan, Niceville, Shalimar, Valparaiso,

Okaloosa County has a population of approximately 190,083 people. The population increased 5.1% from 2010 to 2012. This compared to a 2.7% increase for the State of Florida and a 1.7% increase for the country as a whole. Okaloosa County is 930.25 square miles and had a population density of 194.4 Persons per square mile in 2010. This compared to 350.6 for Florida and 87.4 for the country.

There are 92,394 housing units in Okaloosa County (a housing unit is defined by the US Census Bureau as a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room that is occupied as separate living quarters.) Okaloosa County has a 66.9% homeownership rate compared to Florida's rate of 69.0%. Okaloosa County's medium household income in 2011 was $54,140, which is higher than the medium income for Florida as a whole: $47,827.

Regional Economic Indicators
RegionPopulation
2012
Economic Activity
2007 (Millions)
Population Growth
2010 to 2012
Median Household
Income 2011
Housing
Units
Median Price
2007 to 2011
United States 313,914,040 $14,025,202 1.7% $52,762 132,312,404 $186,200
Florida 19,317,568 $630,738 2.7% $47,827 9,026,965 $188,600
Okaloosa County 190,083 $4,417 5.1% $54,140 92,394 $196,800

11.7% of the population in Okaloosa County lives below the poverty line, compared to 14.7% in Florida and 14.3% nationwide. Additional Information:

Okaloosa County Economic Activity

The U.S. Bureau of the Census, Economic , 2007 calculated the total value manufacturing, merchant wholesaler, retail sales and food service sales in Okaloosa County. The Census measured activity of large and medium-sized firms during calendar year 2007. It does not include every aspect of the economy but can be used as a measure of economic activity.

At $4,417 million, Okaloosa County's economic activity represents 0.70% of the Florida economy.

Economic Activity
ActivityValue (Millions)Percentage
Manufacturers shipments $657 14.9%
Merchant wholesaler sales $237 5.4%
Retail sales $3,031 68.6%
Accommodation and food services sales $492 11.1%
Total $4,417100%

Okaloosa County Regional Comparisons

Okaloosa County is located in Northwest Florida. This region is responsible for 4.6% of Florida's economic activity. Okaloosa County represents 15.3% of the region's economy.

Regional Economic Indicators
RegionPopulation
2012
Economic Activity
2007 (Millions)
Population Growth
2010 to 2012
Median Household
Income 2011
Housing
Units
Median Price
2007 to 2011
Escambia County 302,715 $8,505 1.7% $43,707 136,551 $145,000
Santa Rosa County 158,512 $1,467 4.7% $55,913 65,728 $173,400
Okaloosa County 190,083 $4,417 5.1% $54,140 92,394 $196,800
Walton County 57,582 $1,223 4.6% $46,926 45,682 $174,000
Holmes County 19,804 $81 -0.6% $33,510 8,649 $86,800
Jackson County 48,968 $836 -1.6% $39,869 21,011 $97,200
Washington County 24,892 $195 0.0% $37,036 10,864 $96,600
Bay County 171,903 $4,852 1.8% $48,225 99,828 $168,400
Calhoun County 14,723 $74 0.7% $31,142 6,069 $80,200
Liberty County 8,276 $28 -1.1% $40,893 3,362 $80,600
Gulf County 15,718 $95 -0.9% $41,291 9,148 $150,600
Franklin County 11,686 $130 1.2% $37,017 8,665 $170,100
Gadsden County 46,528 $1,106 -2.6% $33,453 19,561 $109,000
Leon County 283,769 $5,470 3.0% $45,827 124,701 $195,300
Jefferson County 14,256 $139 -3.4% $42,096 6,727 $125,000
Wakulla County 30,818 $195 0.1% $54,151 12,721 $136,900
Total 1,400,233 $28,814 0.8% $42,825 671,661 $136,619

Okaloosa Real Estate

There are 86,409 properties in Okaloosa County. The following table shows a summary of them based on 2013 sales data.

Okaloosa County Real Estate Sales Summary
Usage TypeProperty Count%Sales CountMedian PriceMedian Price/FtSales FromTo
Commercial Property 0 0.00 120 $331,300 $79January 1st, 2013September 1st, 2013
Government Property 483 0.56 6 $62,500 $11February 1st, 2013July 1st, 2013
Residential Property 0 0.00 3,949 $147,000 $84January 1st, 2013October 1st, 2013

Commercial Real Estate in Okaloosa County, Florida

0( .00%) of the properties in Okaloosa County are classified as Commercial. 120 of them sold between January 1st, 2013 and September 1st, 2013. The total value of these sales was $193,091,035. The median sales price was $331,300. In 2013 the median sales price for A Class Commercial Property in Okaloosa County was $190 per sq ft, B Class properties sold for $79/ft and C Class $37/ft.

Government Real Estate in Okaloosa County, Florida

483( .56%) of the properties in Okaloosa County are classified as Government. 6 of them sold between February 1st, 2013 and July 1st, 2013. The total value of these sales was $1,387,084. The median sales price was $62,500. In 2013 the median sales price for Government Property in Okaloosa County was $11 per sq ft.

Residential Real Estate in Okaloosa County, Florida

0( .00%) of the properties in Okaloosa County are classified as Residential. 3,949 of them sold between January 1st, 2013 and October 1st, 2013. The total value of these sales was $847,983,658. The median sales price was $147,000. In 2013 the median sales price for A Class Residential Property in Okaloosa County was $197 per sq ft, B Class properties sold for $84/ft and C Class $36/ft.

Additional Details:

Okaloosa Market Data

Okaloosa Real Estate
Property UsageProperty CountTotal Sq Ft
Agricultural 1,577 2,744,149
Government Property 505 7,875,364
Health Care 10 710,976
Hotel & Motel 99 2,775,952
Industrial 413 7,346,181
Land 6,493 590,831
Miscellaneous Property 47 165,544
Mobile/Manufactured 3,245 4,891,663
Multifamily 905 7,796,878
Office 1,217 5,919,751
Residential 77,820 150,386,143
Retail 1,596 16,348,098
Senior Housing 18 766,445
Special Purpose 417 4,668,915
Sports & Entertaining 89 866,500