Population
315,098
2025
+9.4% since 2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025), 2025. Resident population, July 1 estimate.
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL metro area: population growth, jobs and income
The Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL metro area gained 4,897 residents between 2024 and 2025 (+1.6%).
The Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL metro area had an estimated 315,098 residents in 2025, up 9.4% (27,117 more people) since 2020.
Data as of 2025 · updated
Map, parcel and listing layers cover North and South Carolina only for now.
Headline numbers
Net domestic migration
+3,167
2025
10.1 per 1,000 residents
+17,029 in total, 2021–2025
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025), 2025. People moving in from other U.S. counties minus people moving out.
Unemployment rate
3.8%
2025
+1.0 pts since 2019
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2025. Annual average unemployment rate.
New homes permitted
3,456
2025
−16.7% since 2024
11.0 per 1,000 residents
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025. Housing units authorized by building permits in the year.
Median household income
$81,993
2020–24
+26.0% since 2016–20
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–24. American Community Survey 5-year estimate.
Private-sector employment
91,760
2023
+11.5% since 2018
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023. Paid employees of private employers in mid-March (County Business Patterns).
Net migration (IRS tax returns)
+2,078
2022–23
Source: IRS Statistics of Income, U.S. Population Migration Data, 2022–23. People on tax returns moving in minus moving out, U.S. and abroad; the sum of the member counties (moves between them cancel out).
Population, migration, employment, permits, unemployment and income are the figures each agency publishes for the area itself (OMB Bulletin 23-01 delineation; ACS 2016-20 and CBP 2018 use the delineation of their year). IRS migration is the sum of the member counties.
What the numbers say
Net domestic migration added 3,167 people in 2025: more people moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out.
Private employers had 91,760 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +11.5% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).
Unemployment averaged 3.8% in 2025, 1.0 points higher than in 2019 (before the pandemic).
Builders were authorized to start 3,456 new homes in 2025, or 11.0 per 1,000 residents.
Median household income was $81,993 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +26.0% since 2016–20.
Population growth over five years ranks 15th of 22 Florida metro areas and 35th of 362 U.S. metro areas.
IRS tax-return data for 2022-2023 show a net gain of 2,078 people (the sum of its counties).
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How it ranks
| Measure | Among U.S. metro areas |
|---|---|
| Population growth | 35th of 362 |
| Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents | 33rd of 362 |
| Private-sector job growth | 57th of 352 |
| Median household income | 89th of 362 |
| Lowest unemployment rate | 131st of 362 |
| New homes permitted per 1,000 residents | 14th of 362 |
1st = highest (lowest for unemployment), against areas with a figure for the same period.
Fastest-growing metro areas in Florida · Fastest-growing metro areas in the U.S.
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The County Growth and Demographics Report for Okaloosa County, FL, the principal county of the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL area, as a PDF: population and migration, housing and rents, permits, private employers and jobs, unemployment, ranks in the state and the country, and neighbouring counties, with a source next to every number. Pay once, no subscription.
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Counties in this metro area
Walton County, FL drove the change: of the 27,117 residents the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL metro area gained from 2020 to 2025 (the sum of its counties), it added 17,389 (64%).
| County | Role | Residents2025 | Share of residents2025 | Change2020–2025 | Share of the change2020–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Okaloosa County, FL | Central | 221,810 | 70.4% | +9,728 (+4.6%) | 36% |
| Walton County, FL | Central | 93,288 | 29.6% | +17,389 (+22.9%) | 64% |
Census Bureau population estimates (July 1). Shares are of the member counties' total; a share of the change shows only when every county moved the same way. – means no figure for the common period.
Nearby and similar metro areas
Next to this metro area
- Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FLpop +6.5%
- Panama City-Panama City Beach, FLpop +15.7%
- Dothan, ALpop +3.4%
Similar in size
Questions
Is the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL metro area growing?
Yes. Its population grew 9.4% between 2020 and 2025, about 27,117 more people (Census Bureau population estimates).
Which county in the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL metro area is growing fastest?
Walton County, FL. Its population grew 22.9% between 2020 and 2025, the fastest of the 2 member counties (Census Bureau population estimates).
How many people moved to the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL metro area?
On net, about 3,167 people in 2025: that many more moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate).
What is the unemployment rate in the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL metro area?
It averaged 3.8% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).
What is the population of the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL metro area?
About 315,098 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.
Okaloosa County data alerts
Email me when Okaloosa County gets new Census numbers: population, building permits, jobs and income. About 4 emails a year, one click to stop.
Sources and method
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics
- U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates
- U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns
- IRS Statistics of Income, U.S. Population Migration Data
Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.
Jobs outside North and South Carolina use County Business Patterns (paid private-sector employees in mid-March); wages and government jobs are not included.