Fort Walton Beach

The white sands, waving sea oats and blue-green waters of the Gulf of Mexico appeal every bit as much to newcomers as they do to tourists visiting the area's deluxe resorts, which is probably why so many former visitors and military personnel return to the Destin/Fort Walton Beach area to live. Created in 1915 from parts of two adjoining counties, by 1930 Okaloosa County had grown: 90 residents were scattered over its 998 square miles. The pace changed when Eglin Field, now Eglin Air Force Base, was established in 1937. The base currently occupies nearly half of the county's land and plays a dominant role in the region's economy. Population increased dramatically during the 1940s; then growth went ballistic--700 percent in the city of Fort Walton Beach between 1950-1970. The growth curve stabilized for a while, but the area is currently attracting substantial in-migration, fostered in large part by the natural beauty of the Gulf Coast area and Choctawhatchee Bay.

Home Sweet Home

The Emerald Coast Association of Realtors reports that there's a strong real estate market in the area--in both condominiums and single-family housing. Eastern Okaloosa County--starting at about Destin--and the beach communities of south Walton County offer new construction. Anywhere that there's beachfront, there's new construction. The beach areas--especially Destin and eastward--offer lots of condominiums units, but prices vary greatly depending upon location and the availability of resort amenities. The median sales price of an existing single-family home in the Fort Walton Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) was $114,400 during 1999, up 5 percent from 1998. Many resales throughout the region are in like-new condition; some have been updated in the past year. Condominium resales average approximately $100 per square foot, while newly built condo units go for about $185 per square foot. Most condos range between $150,000 and $400,000, but a handful are valued at over $1 million, while some resale units may be priced below $100,000.

West of Destin on Okaloosa Island (Fort Walton Beach) resale condos start at $70,000 for a one-bedroom and move up. New condos in Fort Walton Beach start at $125,000 and climb to $400,000, depending on size, location and amenities. Single-family homes in the same western region average about $87,000, while an 1,800-square-foot existing home in the same section would cost $100,000. Destin and eastward, the same 1,800-square-foot house would be priced at about $160,000.

New single-family homes of 1,800 square feet in north Okaloosa County near the community of Crestview, the county seat, list for about $90,000 to $95,000. This region's real estate market is hot, with subdivision after subdivision of new construction, says the North Okaloosa Association of Realtors. "We keep asking ourselves why [the market is so hot]." Crestview is probably the fastest growing community in the Panhandle. The rate of growth is tremendous." Home buyers include Eglin AFB personnel and people coming to the area from all over the country, some moving in from more congested areas of south and central Florida. "They're discovering that the Panhandle is a nice place to live. Prices are less." says the North Okaloosa Association. For example, a new three-bedroom, two-bath home of 1,250 square feet costs approximately $70,000; a brand-new, three-bedroom, two-bath 1,500-square-feet house sells for about $80,000. Single-family homes dominate the market; there are a few rentals, some townhouses and virtually no condos.

Vital Stats

(Fort Walton Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA): Okaloosa County)

Population: 169,289
Median age: 34.4
New citizens: 3,340 a year
New job creation: 4.3 percent per year (1999)
Unemployment rate: 3.0 percent in August, 1999
Cost of living: 96.38 percent (U.S. average: 100 percent)
Per capita income: $21,218
Median household effective buying income: $33,467

Rain & Shine

The sun shines 343 days a year over the region's 24 miles of beautiful beaches. The subtropical climate brings with it mild winters, warm summers with temperatures typically ranging between 70 and 92 degrees Fahrenheit and an average annual rainfall of 64.2 inches. Fortunately, the rain often arrives late in the afternoon on hot summer days, just in time to cool things down a bit.

Job Market

One of the area's main employers is the federal government. Hurlburt AFB employs almost 7,000 people, and with Eglin Air Force Base employs 15,000 civilians and military personnel. Together, the U.S. Department of Defense employs 23,000 people in the Fort Walton Beach area.

Leading private employers include BAE Systems (1,250); Abbott Realty Services, Inc. (800); Fort Walton Beach Medical Center (750); Metric Systems Corporation (600); Tybrin Corp. (450); Sverdrup Technology, Inc. (425); Twin Cities Hospital (420); North Okaloosa Medical Center (410); Ramada Beach Resort (400); White Wilson Medical Center (370) and Manufacturing Technology, Inc. (350).

Class Notes

Extensive information about the schools in this area is online at the state's Department of Education (http://www.firn.edu/doe/doehome.htm). There you'll discover everything you'll need to know about Florida schools -- in general and in particular. All you need is the name of your county and the names of the schools students from your neighborhood attend.

Use links from the DOE home page for general information about entrance requirements, immunizations and so forth.

For the nitty-gritty details that really matter, click on the logo for the "Florida School Indicators Report."

Getting Around

Atlantic Southeast operating as the ASE/Delta Connection, Northwest Airlines, USAir Express and AirTran serve the Okaloosa County Air Terminal on State Road 85, about a 25-minute drive north from Destin or Fort Walton Beach. Amtrak stops in Crestview, north of Eglin Air Force Base (AFB), near Interstate 10, the major east-west route across the Panhandle. U.S. Highway 98 serves Fort Walton Beach, Destin and many of the resorts and small beach communities along the Gulf Coast of neighboring rural Walton County. Mass transit doesn't really exist. Residents depend upon their cars to get around; the new bridge over the bay provides convenient beach access from Eglin AFB.

Great Outdoors

This region cradles some of the world best beaches, including Grayton Beach State Park in Walton County, which was listed so many times in the top 10--and at least once, perhaps twice, at No. 1--by Stephen Leatherman, a University of Maryland expert on beaches, that it was retired from consideration for the next 10 years. Panhandle beaches do well in Leatherman's ranking systems because often they've been protected from over-development and all proudly flaunt their snow-white, quartz-based sand.

Nature's bounty reappears underwater. Extraordinary shelling and noteworthy subaquatic views await divers. The 100 fathom curve draws closer to Destin than any spot in Florida and a limestone reef lies a few miles farther out, so impressive shells (some as long as 20 inches) greet the adventurous. Dolphins frolic in the shallows of Santa Rosa Sound and Destin Harbor and give pleasure to both boaters and shore-bound observers. Eglin Reservation and Blackwater State Park offer pristine wilderness areas favored by naturalists and all those who enjoy paddling canoes on dark, unpolluted rivers through sites that look much as they did when Indians lived here.

Good Sports

Pro teams don't play here, but ordinary people do. Diving, snorkeling, fishing, hiking, biking, tennis and golfing appeal to activists. Nine or 10 dive shops dot the shoreline. Destin Harbor is home to 140 vessels, several available to charter for saltwater fishing. The town's nickname--the world's luckiest fishing village--says a lot and isn't all hyperbole. All kinds of game fish and sea creatures--amberjack, angelfish, manta rays, loggerhead sea turtles, basket sponges, colorful sea whips, coral clusters--are part of this vibrant underwater world. Local anglers proudly refer to themselves as Fishheads.

If you count municipal, military and private courses, this small section of Florida sports at least 16 golf courses, maybe more. Three of them appear on Ronnie Ramos' list of Florida's Top 100: Burnt Pine Golf Club and Baytowne, both at the Sandestin Resort, and the Links Course at Sandestin. Tennis courts are plentiful, especially at the resorts. The Sandestin Resort in Walton County delights tennis players with a variety of surfaces to play on--even grass.

Hot Times in the City

Even if you're not part of the sporting life, you'll find things to do. Beachgoers and wilderness seekers find peaceful vistas and pleasant places to daydream. Military buffs should visit the U.S. Air Force Armament Museum on Highway 85 at the west gate to Eglin AFB. Guns, bombs, vintage aircraft, missiles and rockets are on display. There's an Indian Temple Mound Museum in Fort Walton Beach and the Heritage Museum that highlights parts of the Panhandle's past in Valparaiso. Festivals include the Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival held the third weekend in October in Niceville, the month-long Destin Fishing Rodeo in October, the week-long Billy Bowlegs Festival complete with torchlight parade each June in Fort Walton Beach, numerous seafood festivals and an all-day Fourth of July in Valparaiso.

One of the biggest and newest things in the Panhandle is also one of the smallest and oldest. The little town of Seaside occupies 80 oceanside acres in a quiet section of Walton County. Although architecturally nostalgic--the vintage-looking pastel cottages, many with tin roofs, harken back to a bygone era--construction started from scratch in 1981. Locals and visitors enjoy visiting this unusual community--part village, part rental resort--developed with style and environmental sensitivity by Robert Davis, who inherited the land from his grandfather. Cultural activities like a fall concert series provide pleasure for both residents and renters. Nearly 250 locals from Okaloosa, Bay and Walton counties appeared as extras (some even said a few lines) in "The Truman Show," starring Jim Carrey, which was filmed in Seaside during 1997 and released in 1998.

Shop 'til You Drop

Actually, you won't exhaust yourself shopping in Okaloosa County-unless you're easily exhausted. But what is lost in sheer numbers is made up in originality. If it's malls you want, consider the 40 mile drive to Pensacola. But for that one-of-a-kind shop, look around Fort Walton Beach, Destin or take a short drive to Seaside where Per-spi-cas-ity, a fascinating open-air market or bazaar awaits you. Seaside's shops specialize in lots of things, including clever names like Peepers & Timekeepers, Surfer Girl and Sundog Books. At Modica Market & Deli, gourmet sophistication dominates; the willing and well-heeled shopper can purchase smoked salmon, imported wine or tempting international desserts. Ruskin Place, with its artists' studios and galleries, caters to art lovers.

Nightlife

Not surprisingly, seafood occupies a place of honor on restaurant menus, whether the bill of fare is pricey or moderate and whether the structure where it's served is an original beachside shack or an elegantly appointed eatery. The area's oldest restaurant, Staff's, is still feeding local folks homemade wheat bread and famous seafood skillet beneath its pressed tin ceilings. Sam's Oyster House leads the list for oyster-shucking; Scampi's amazes with its enormous seafood buffet. Chargrilled amberjack headlines the menu at the Back Porch. Casual describes AJ's tiki decor, Harry T's circus memorabilia and Hoser's firefighting paraphernalia. For fine dining, chose the Marina Cafe with its tuxedo-glad servers or the award-winning Bud & Alley's in nearby Seaside.

Several Emerald Coast nightspots stay open late and offer entertainment. Among the party places are several with colorful names: Cash's Road Kill Café, Fudpucker's Beachside Bar & Grill, Harry T's Boathouse, Hog's Breath Saloon, Kangaroo Jack's Outback Pub and Texas.

College Scene

When area students go away to college, many consider nearby and high-profile Auburn University in the neighboring state of Alabama or Florida State University in Tallahassee. Both big schools have lots of loyal alumni here. But the best news for newcomers is that good schools already exist in the immediate vicinity. A branch campus of the four-year, coed Western Florida University is located in Fort Walton Beach, and the main campus is only 40 miles away in Pensacola. Niceville is the main campus of the Okaloosa-Walton Community College, which has six campuses; the others are at DeFuniak Springs in rural north Walton County, Crestview, Fort Walton Beach, Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Air Force Base. The state-supported community college enrolls 5,820 regular undergraduates and more occasional students.

Just for Seniors

Respite care, personal care, case management, medical transportation, homemaker services and home-delivered meals are available to the needy from the state's Community Care for the Elderly (CCE) via Elder Services of Okaloosa. Federal monies from the Older Americans Act (OAA) also fund numerous county-based services, including information and referral, outreach, congregate meals and nutrition education for those over 60, regardless of income level. In Walton County, similar services funded by CCE and OAA are offered through the Walton County Council on Aging. The Northwest Area Agency on Aging oversees governmentally funded senior services in both counties, but local community centers, private organizations and church groups sponsor or facilitate numerous activities and events especially for senior citizens.