Fort Walton Beach vs Laurel Hill
Fort Walton Beach, Florida versus Laurel Hill, Florida: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Laurel Hill edges out Fort Walton Beach on overall objective livability (53 vs 49 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Fort Walton Beach | Laurel Hill |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $62k | $59k |
| Cost of Living | $52k | $52k |
| Home Value | $272k | $92k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $813 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $5k | $151 |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.55% | 0.58% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 4.75% | 3.21% |
| Unemployment | 3.9% | 3.5% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 53°F | 51°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 83°F | 82°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 63.8 in | 59.8 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.3 in |
| Sunny Days | 243 days | 243 days |
| Summer Humidity | 74°F | 74°F |
| Comfortable Days | 109 days | 81 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 77.5 | 70.2 |
| Air Quality | 43 AQI | 42 AQI |
| School Quality | 36.4 | 36.4 |
| Violent Crime | 1686/100k | 0/100k |
| Property Crime | 1859/100k | 0/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 20,919 | 469 |
| Median Age | 39.7 | 32.6 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.48 | 0.24 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.05 | 0.97 |
| Political Leaning | R+40 | R+40 |
| White (%) | 67.7% | 84.4% |
| Black (%) | 10.9% | 11.3% |
| Hispanic (%) | 11.1% | 3.0% |
| Asian (%) | 4.7% | 0.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.6% | 1.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 21 min | — |
| Walkability | 9.5/20 | 6.0/20 |
| Airport Distance | 216 mi | 181 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 85.0% | 79.2% |
| Amenities Nearby | 66.92 | 21.32 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Limited |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Fort Walton Beach or Laurel Hill more affordable?
- Laurel Hill has the lower cost of living: its index is $52k, compared with Fort Walton Beach's $52k and Laurel Hill's $52k. Median rent is $1k in Fort Walton Beach versus $813 in Laurel Hill.
- Is Fort Walton Beach or Laurel Hill safer?
- Laurel Hill has the lower violent crime rate. Fort Walton Beach reports 1686/100k and Laurel Hill reports 0/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Fort Walton Beach or Laurel Hill?
- The median home value is $272k in Fort Walton Beach and $92k in Laurel Hill, so homes are more affordable in Laurel Hill.