Navarre

Home Sweet Home

Navarre is both a residential and beach community and housing is widely available with prices ranging from $50,000 to $500,000, and Gulf-front beach properties sell for as much as $1.5 million, according to the Navarre Beach Board of Realtors. Home selections cover the entire rainbow of housing choices -- from contemporary condominiums and apartments to single family homes and manufactured housing. Any family or individual can find a home that meets their dreams at a price to fit their budget.

Santa Rosa County is the second-fastest growing area in Florida. The growing population has been supported by many new community facilities, including a family sports complex, new library, YMCA, additional retail plazas, a new elementary school, new high school, new post office, apartment complexes and medical clinics.

Florida has no personal income tax, but Navarre has a 6.5 percent retail sales tax. Some foods, medicines and personal services are tax exempt. Ad valorem (real estate) taxes are a combination of county and school district levies, plus special assessments. Taxes are based on 100 percent value of real property and are due November 1 of each year. Under the Florida Homestead Rule, $25,000 is subtracted from the assessed value. Apply for the homestead exemption at the Property Appraiser's office between January and March 1 for this exemption.

Vital Stats

The following includes both Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties

Population: 291,135
Median age: 34.1
New citizens: 3,020 yearly
Unemployment rate: 3.4 percent in August, 1999
Cost of living: 91.55 percent (U.S. average: 100 percent)
Per capita income: $19,527
Median household income: $42,937

Rain & Shine

Navarre's average annual temperature is 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Warm summers and mild winters predominate. Although a few flakes of snow may fall on rare occasion, the average monthly temperature in January registers in the low 50s; in July, it's almost 82 degrees Fahrenheit. An average year in Navarre boasts 343 days of sunshine and southern breezes from the Gulf of Mexico help keep things cool in the summer. Rainfall averages 64.2 inches annually.

Job Market

A skilled work force, in part an educational legacy from the many high-tech military bases nearby, makes the Navarre area attractive to businesses. The area's largest employers include the federal, state and local government. The largest private employers include Baptist Health Systems (850), Raytheon Aerospace (424), Santa Rosa Medical Center (350), Sterling fibers (275), Mold-Ex Rubber/Southland Technologies (241), TRX Fulfillment Services (200), Specialty Windows (200) and Air Products and Chemicals (198).

Military Presence

Navarre is a community perfectly suited to both active duty and retired military personnel. Eglin Air Force Base, Hurlburt Field, and other U.S. Air Force facilities are located in nearby Ft. Walton Beach, while Pensacola Naval Air Station and Whiting Field are nearby U.S. Navy facilities. Veteran’s services, including a VA clinic, are also available in nearby Pensacola.

Class Notes

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

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

Interstate 10, a major east-west highway, crosses Florida just north of Navarre, an easy drive via U.S. Highway 87. Two major north-south roads, Interstates 65 and 75, are several miles farther north, but easily accessible via I-10. There are two airports within thirty minutes of Navarre, with a variety of major airline carriers that make direct connections to major hubs in Atlanta, Orlando, Tampa, Miami, Jacksonville, Dallas, Memphis and Charlotte. Rail service is available via the Amtrak Station in Pensacola, and bus service is also available.

Great Outdoors

If the beauty of natural coastal habitat appeals to you, make Navarre and Navarre Beach your first stop. Snow-white sand and year-round sunshine have become trademarks. Boating enthusiasts can board nearby charter boats for a guided tour or fishing. Visitors can launch their own vessel from the public park at the foot of the Navarre Beach bridge, and the protected waters of Santa Rosa Sound provide safe boating for novices and pros. Public boat launches and great boating/fishing are also available on nearby East Bay and scenic East Bay River.

Land-lovers will also find many opportunities in the area. Navarre attracts mostly families looking for a quiet beach retreat where they can escape the crowds and traffic. Navarre Beach has been rated one of the best beaches in America by the University of Maryland's Laboratory for Coastal Research for softness of sand, water and air temperatures, number of sunny days and gentle currents. Navarre is distinctly different than Florida's heavily populated tourist destinations -- and area leaders plan to keep it that way.

In the area surrounding Navarre, thousands of acres of natural Florida land are protected in the Gulf Islands National Seashore. Inland, 590 tranquil acres comprise the Blackwater River State Park with its famous sandy-bottom river and clean, dark tannin waters. With open canopy forests accented by diverse flora and fauna, the river attracts canoe aficionados and environmentalists.

Good Sports

Naturally, water sports enthrall local enthusiasts. Windsurfing and jet skiing attract some, while the nearby USS Massachusetts beckons divers to its underwater archeological preserve.

Golf courses have challenging greens with more than forty courses to choose from between Gulf Shores, Alabama and Destin, Florida. Golf writer Ronnie Ramos ranks Navarre’s Hidden Creek Golf Course as one of Florida's Top 100. Three other courses within easy driving distance also made the list: the Moors in Milton (site of the Emerald Coast Golf Classic in early November), Marcus Pointe in Pensacola, and the East Course at the Tiger Point Golf and County Club in Gulf Breeze.

Tennis courts, swimming pools and parks -- both public and private – abound in Navarre. The area has no professional sports teams… yet.

Hot Times in the City

Navarre exists for relaxation and fun in Florida's natural environment. The area, however, offers plenty of action for those seeking a good boutique, a classic play or a fine oil painting. Opera, ballet or community theater and variety shows can be found within a short drive at the local colleges and cultural centers.

Kids of all ages love the 700 animals located nearby at "The Zoo." At the Pensacola Naval Air Station, the National Museum of Naval Aviation's 27 acres and 250,000-square-feet of interior display area packs a potent entertainment punch. Kids love to pretend, and what better way than to strap into a cockpit trainer for an imaginary flight! More than 100 planes await visitors of all ages, including four A-4 Skyhawks suspended in Blue-Angel dive formation in the impressive seven-story atrium.

Festivals crowd the calendar. In January, runners enjoy the Navarre Beach Half Marathon, and in February, the town celebrates Mardi Gras. May welcomes the Navarre Chamber of Commerce Fun Fest, and October's celebration -- Juana's Good Time Regatta -- is fun for all ages.

Other festivals held in the area throughout the year celebrate wine tasting, jazz, seafood and the arts. For the truly unusual, pencil in the Scratch Ankle Festival in Milton, the Billy Bowlegs Festival in Ft. Walton Beach, or the Mullett Festival in Niceville. Other big events include the Fiesta of Five Flags (Pensacola), Blue Angels Air Show (Pensacola Beach), International Billfish Tournament, Interstate Fair (Pensacola) and Blackwater Heritage Tour (Milton). The Great Gulf Coast Arts Festival attracts around 200,000 people the first weekend in November, the Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival draws songwriters about the same time, and the Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show over Pensacola Beach in mid-November wraps up the Fall excitement.

Shop 'til You Drop

In Navarre, dozens of antique shops and flea markets please vacationers interested in bargain hunting, and area art galleries showcase traditional and contemporary art. Other nearby places to shop includes numerous malls and factory outlet centers.

Nightlife

Navarre is not known for its nightlife, and that's the way the locals like it. For those who enjoy an occasional night out, however, the area has a number of fun spots within easy driving distance. Local restaurants include traditional Florida cuisine, such as Barracuda's Bar & Grill, Coffee Grind Café, Cowboy's Steakhouse, East River SmokeHouse, Toby's Seafood Restaurant, Gator’s Seafood and Rick's Crab Trap.

In nearby Pensacola, the Seville Quarter sports a bustling complex complete with seven themed entertainment areas and fine food. For dining with a view, look out over Escambia Bay while enjoying local seafood and continental cuisine at Skopelos; or try Jubilee Restaurant & Beachside Cafe or Chan's Gulfside on Pensacola Beach. Jamie's is a popular Pensacola eatery surrounded by 19th century ambience in its quaint cottage setting. Michael Crook, a Miami Herald travel writer mentions "a pair of legendary bars" -- Trader Jon's and McGuire's Irish Pub -- the latter known for its microbrewery and juicy steaks.

College Scene

The University of West Florida, with nearly 8,000 students -- roughly 6,000 undergraduates and 2,000 graduates -- is one of the state's 10 major publicly supported four-year educational institutions. It's small by state college standards, but innovative and affordable. Classes average 25 students, giving each person individual attention. The campus, located on a 1,000-acre preserve, even has its own nature trail. Not far away, the private Pensacola Christian College enrolls 3,700 students; and Pensacola Junior College, a two-year school, serves 32,000 students yearly. In Ft. Walton Beach, Okaloosa-Walton Community College serves the educational needs of the community.

Just for Seniors

The Northwest Florida Area Agency on Aging, headquartered in Pensacola, oversees the many senior services in the area, via the Escambia Council on Aging and the Santa Rosa Council on Aging. In Escambia County, adult day care, respite care, case management, homemaker services, home-delivered meals, personal care and medical transportation are available free to the needy or at a marginal cost for those who can afford it. In Santa Rosa County, case management, home-delivered meals and homemaker services are
available for the needy. The state’s Community Care for the Elderly program funds these programs.

Programs funded by the Older Americans Act (OAA) are also available without cost to anyone -- rich or poor -- over 60. Services include congregate meals (often at church or community-sponsored senior centers), recreation opportunities, transportation, home-delivered meals (if no waiting list), homemakers and social services counseling in Escambia County. In Santa Rosa County, services include counseling, recreation, transportation, congregate meals, health screening, nutrition screening, home-delivered meals and telephone reassurance.