Fort Walton Beach, FL Cost Of Living

Livability

Livability score Score breakdown Commute times City comparison Best nearby cities Livability poll Reviews

Cost of living

Cost of living index Cost of living poll Did you know? City comparison Salary calculator State sales tax Cost of living breakdown Best nearby cities

Crime

Reported annual crime Crime poll Crime heat map Did you know? City comparison Daily crime Year over year crime Best nearby cities

Demographics

Demographics profile Did you know? City comparison Race breakdown Languages spoken Age breakdown Marital status

Employment

Employment information Employment poll Am I middle class? Did you know? City comparison Employment status Median earnings Best nearby cities

Real Estate

Homes for sale Market facts Home affordability Affordability calculator Mortgage calculator Demographics Best nearby cities

Rentals Schools Weather

Current weather Weather poll Average temperature Did you know? City comparison Air quality / pollution Heat index Montly precipitation Best nearby cities

Fort Walton Beach cost of living index

In the event that the cost of living data was unavailable for this city, estimates based upon nearby cities were used. Each cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. If the amount is below 100, it is lower than the national average. If the amount is above 100, it is higher than the national average.
Index	Fort Walton Beach	Florida	National
Cost of living index	97	99	100
Index	Fort Walton Beach	Florida	National
Goods & Services index	96	99	100
Groceries index	102	105	100
Health care index	98	100	100
Housing index	92	96	100
Transportation index	94	98	100
Utilities index	119	102	100

A general overview of the cost of living index for Fort Walton Beach, FL is displayed above. In Fort Walton Beach, FL, the overall cost of living index is 97, which is 2% lower than the Florida average and 3% lower than the U.S. average. The following categories are used to calculate the overall cost of living index: goods/services (33%), housing (30%), groceries (13%), utilities (10%), transportation (9%) and health care (5%). From the list, it is clear that the categories of goods/services and housing are responsible for the largest portions of the overall cost of living index. As a general rule, everyday goods and services provide an accurate measure of the general cost of goods in any given city. In the case of Fort Walton Beach, FL, the city's goods and services are 3% lower than the Florida average and 5% lower than the U.S. average.

Did you know?

The cost of living in Fort Walton Beach is 2% lower than the Florida average.
The cost of living in Fort Walton Beach is 3% lower than the national average.
The cost of housing in Fort Walton Beach is 8% lower than the national average.
Florida general sales tax is 18% higher than the national average.
Florida state income tax is 100% lower than the national average.

The best places in Florida

Here are the best places to live in Florida

Top 10 cities in Florida with the best education system

Check out the 10 safest cities in Florida

See the best places to live in & around Fort Walton Beach

Compare Fort Walton Beach, FL Cost of living To Other Cities

Salary Calculator

This is how much you would need to earn in

Price difference in compared to

Cost of living index
Goods & Services index
Groceries index
Health care index
Housing index
Transportation index
Utilities index

The salary calculator allows you to compare how much your current salary in Fort Walton Beach, FL would be worth in another city. In other words, the salary calculator will adjust the figure you enter for cost of living so that you can determine how much more or much less you would need to earn while maintaining your current quality of living. If you are considering relocating to a more expensive city than Fort Walton Beach, FL, the calculator will tell you how much more you need to earn so you can assess job offers more accurately. The Fort Walton Beach, FL salary calculator is easy to use. All you do is enter the name of another city, then move the slider to your current income. After that, the salary calculator will crunch the numbers for you and give you the information you need about the place you are considering going. Additionally, it will show a detailed breakdown of the cost of living.

Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

Median Income	Per Year	Per Month	Max Budget (28% DTI)	Max Budget (36% DTI)
Owners	$66,830	$5,569	$1,559	$2,005
Renters	$31,710	$2,643	$740	$951

The percent of monthly income spent on housing can be a good indicator of the affordability of housing in Fort Walton Beach, FL as well as the overall cost of living. As a general rule of thumb, the debt-to-income ratio (DTI) for homeowners or renters should be not more than 28 percent of gross income to be spent on housing related costs and not more than 36 percent of income on all expenses, including debts. The median income for Fort Walton Beach, FL homeowners, is $66,830. This would allow for a maximum of $1,559 per month to be spent on housing costs. For renters, the median monthly income is $31,710 which would result in a maximum of $740 to be spent on rental costs.

Florida Sales Tax

State	General Sales Tax	With Max Surtax
Florida	6%	7.5%

Florida Income Tax

State	Income Tax (Low)	Income Tax (High)
Florida	0%	0%

One thing to keep in mind when considering the cost of living in Fort Walton Beach, FL is the Florida sales tax and Florida income tax rates. Sales taxes are taxes that are collected on most goods or services sold. Sales taxes can vary by state and can be as high as 7% and as low as 0% as not every state imposes a sales tax. The Florida sales tax rate is 6% and the maximum surtax that can be charged is 7.5%. Income tax is the tax imposed on income by both the federal and state government. The income tax rates varies by individual state and will also be higher or lower depending on the applicable tax bracket. The rates of state income tax can vary from 0% to more than 9%. The Florida income tax rates range from 0% to 0%.

Goods & Services

Item	Fort Walton Beach	National avg.	Difference
Haircut	$24.25	$17.49	38.7%
Beauty Salon	$36.00	$38.17	5.7%
Toothpaste	$2.72	$2.32	17.2%
Shampoo	$0.89	$1.01	12.0%
Movie	$9.25	$10.72	13.7%
Bowling	$13.20	$13.86	4.8%

Groceries

Item	Fort Walton Beach	National avg.	Difference
Ground Beef	$3.71	$3.90	4.9%
Fried Chicken	$1.49	$1.40	6.8%
Milk	$2.72	$1.96	38.6%
Potatoes	$4.21	$3.18	32.3%
Pizza	$9.78	$10.39	5.9%
Beer	$9.74	$9.23	5.5%

Health Care

Item	Fort Walton Beach	National avg.	Difference
Optometrist	$76.25	$106.34	28.3%
Doctor	$86.00	$115.25	25.4%
Dentist	$101.80	$98.38	3.5%
Ibuprofen	$13.04	$9.26	40.8%
Lipitor	$504.89	$466.47	8.2%

Housing

Item	Fort Walton Beach	National avg.	Difference
Home Price	$164,100.00	$184,700.00	11.2%
Avg. Mortgage Payment	$1,202.55	$1,273.32	5.6%
Apartment Rent	$941.00	$949.00	0.8%

Transportation

Item	Fort Walton Beach	National avg.	Difference
Gasoline	$2.52	$2.59	2.7%
Tire Balancing	$44.22	$48.90	9.6%

Utilities

Item	Fort Walton Beach	National avg.	Difference
All Electricity	$221.13	$167.60	31.9%
Phone	$184.74	$163.42	13.0%

Although the cost of living data is updated regularly, this cost of living information is to be used as estimates only as prices can change on an ongoing basis.

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Ocean City, FL	6,305	97	-3%
Wright, FL	23,382	97	-3%
Mary Esther, FL	4,177	98	-2%
Niceville, FL	14,325	102	2%
Valparaiso, FL	5,084	102	2%
Fort Walton Beach, FL	21,238	97	-3%

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Hutto, TX	21,241	95	-5%
Orchards, WA	21,249	114	14%
Winter Gardens, CA	21,255	130	30%
Charleston, IL	21,257	83	-17%
Decatur, GA	21,210	125	25%
Fort Walton Beach, FL	21,238	97	-3%

Fort Walton Beach, FL Cost of Living