Walton County, Florida: commercial real estate data.
Walton County, Florida has a population of 82,948 across 1,038 square miles, up 19.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $6.43 bn in 2024, 3,348 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 153 7(a) approvals worth $93.9 m.
128 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Walton County
How many people live in Walton County
- Population82,948
- Households34,362
- Average household size2.41
- Median household income$81,986
- Median age43.9
- Median gross rent$1,741 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$425,100
- Home value to household income5.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income25.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher35.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree12.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over60,359
- Population under 1817,350
- Share under 1820.9 percent
- Population 65 and over16,658
- Share 65 and over20.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6448,940
- Civilian labor force39,845
- Unemployment rate4.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.7 percent
- Rank by population among Florida counties38th of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents709th
Walton County is the 38th largest of 67 Florida counties by population. A median home costs 5.2 times median household income, which is a stretched ownership market and usually shows up as rental demand. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 20.9 percent against 20.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Walton County
Is Walton County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base19.06 percent
- Census 2020 base population75,309
- Births, 2024977
- Deaths, 2024867
- Natural change, 2024110
- Net domestic migration, 20242,881
- Net international migration, 2024356
- Total net migration, 20243,237
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202412,728
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents21st
The county has grown 19.06 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Walton County
Where people moving to Walton County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving4,056
- People arriving, from those returns7,744
- Adjusted gross income arriving$926.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$228,435
- Largest single originWalton County Non-migrants (27,923 households)
- Largest single destination (27,923 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walton County Non-migrants | 27,923 | 56,693 | $5.57 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,897 | 3,819 | $515.1 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,053 | 2,107 | $275.2 m |
| Okaloosa County | 808 | 1,449 | $63.5 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 352 | 755 | $89.0 m |
| Other flows - West | 307 | 624 | $91.3 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 264 | 482 | $32.0 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 185 | 333 | $59.6 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Walton County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Walton County
What the Walton County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$6.43 bn
- County GDP, 2023$5.90 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20249.0 percent
- GDP change over five years69.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among Florida counties36th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents617th
- GDP per resident$77,522
Output grew 9.0 percent in the latest year and 69.1 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Walton County
Who employs people in Walton County
- Covered employment, annual average34,785
- Establishments reporting4,125
- Average annual pay$56,144
- Average weekly wage$1,080
- Sector 72, employment8,081
- Sector 72, average annual pay$39,010
- Sector 44-45, employment5,404
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$37,670
- Sector 23, employment3,702
- Sector 23, average annual pay$63,723
- Sector 62, employment2,462
- Sector 62, average annual pay$67,958
- Sector 54, employment2,139
- Sector 56, employment1,947
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 72 | 8,081 | 402 | $39,010 |
| Sector 44-45 | 5,404 | 493 | $37,670 |
| Sector 23 | 3,702 | 577 | $63,723 |
| Sector 62 | 2,462 | 239 | $67,958 |
| Sector 54 | 2,139 | 565 | $87,388 |
| Sector 56 | 1,947 | 292 | $56,435 |
| Sector 53 | 1,908 | 520 | $58,994 |
| Sector 81 | 1,127 | 226 | $43,086 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 8,081 jobs, 23.2 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Walton County
What businesses operate in Walton County
- Establishments, all industries3,348
- Employment at those establishments26,994
- Annual payroll$1.36 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents40.4
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Walton County
What is being built in Walton County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20242,883
- Declared construction value permitted$1.25 bn
- Single family units authorised1,549
- Multifamily units authorised1,334
- Multifamily share of units46.3 percent
- Average declared value per unit$435,058
- Units authorised per 1,000 households83.9
Multifamily is 46.3 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Walton County
How much SBA lending happens in Walton County
- 7(a) approvals recorded153
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$93.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$613,712
- Median 7(a) approval$350,000
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,361,300
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)2,258
- Jobs per approval14.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active47
- Distinct industries receiving approvals83
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer13.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms20
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter125
- Franchise loans17
- Franchise share of approvals11.1 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (18)
- Most active lenderHancock Whitney Bank (18)
- 504 approvals recorded66
- 504 gross approval dollars$54.2 m
- Average 504 approval$820,924
- Median 504 approval$551,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval6.2
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved7.5
- Most active CDCFlorida Business Development Corporation (39)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals69.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$148.1 m
The average approval of $613,712 sits well above the median of $350,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 13.1 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Walton County
Do SBA loans in Walton County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded34
- Paid in full34
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Paid in full34
- Status: Cancelled28
- Status: Exempt from disclosure84
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed7
Of the 34 loans that have reached a final outcome, 0.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Walton County
Which parts of Walton County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending8
- SANTA ROSA BEACH, approvals71
- MIRAMAR BEACH, approvals24
- Freeport, approvals22
- INLET BEACH, approvals18
- DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, approvals15
- San Rose Beach, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| SANTA ROSA BEACH | 71 | $39,454,800 |
| MIRAMAR BEACH | 24 | $15,575,700 |
| Freeport | 22 | $17,177,100 |
| INLET BEACH | 18 | $12,404,200 |
| DEFUNIAK SPRINGS | 15 | $7,411,100 |
| San Rose Beach | 1 | $390,000 |
| CRESTVIEW | 1 | $545,000 |
| ROSEMARY BEACH | 1 | $940,000 |
SANTA ROSA BEACH accounts for 71 approvals against 24 in MIRAMAR BEACH. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Walton County
How big is Walton County
- Land area1,038 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Florida counties12th of 67
- Width, east to west32.9 mi
- Height, north to south50.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land80
- Establishments per square mile3.23
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Walton County
What hazards affect Walton County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book4
- Of those, participating in the NFIP4
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 6
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
The EPA places the county in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The best Community Rating System class in the county is 6, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for properties in the participating community.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Walton County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Walton County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population82,948
- Households34,362
- Average household size2.41
- Median household income$81,986
- Median age43.9
Common questions
Walton County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Walton County, Florida?
82,948, in 34,362 households, ranking 38th of 67 Florida counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Walton County growing?
The population has grown 19.06 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 977 births against 867 deaths, with net migration of 3,237. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Walton County?
$81,986. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $425,100, which is 5.2 times income, and median gross rent is $1,741 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Walton County?
3,348 establishments, employing 26,994 people with an annual payroll of $1.36 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Walton County?
Average annual pay is $56,144, or $1,080 a week, across 34,785 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Walton County?
153 7(a) approvals totalling $93.9 m since FY2020, across 47 lenders, with a median approval of $350,000, plus 66 504 approvals worth $54.2 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Walton County get paid back?
Of the 34 loans that have reached a final outcome, 34 were paid in full and 0 charged off, a charge off rate of 0.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Walton County?
2,883 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.25 bn. Multifamily was 46.3 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Walton County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Walton County come from?
The largest single origin is Walton County Non-migrants, with 27,923 households. Arriving households report an average income of $228,435 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Walton County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Walton County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.