Fort Walton Beach, Florida
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Fort Walton Beach is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 19,973.
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Geography
FLMap-doton-FortWaltonBeach.PNG
Location of Fort Walton Beach, Florida
Fort Walton Beach is located at 30°25'13" North, 86°37'0" West (30.420199, -86.616727)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 21.3 km² (8.2 mi²). 19.3 km² (7.4 mi²) of it is land and 2.0 km² (0.8 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 9.26% water.
Nearby Okaloosa Regional Airport (airport code VPS) serves Fort Walton Beach, as well as Valparaiso, Florida.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 19,973 people, 8,460 households, and 5,422 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,036.5/km² (2,683.0/mi²). There are 9,007 housing units at an average density of 467.4/km² (1,209.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 78.84% White, 13.34% African American, 0.45% Native American, 2.72% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 1.22% from other races, and 3.36% from two or more races. 4.04% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 8,460 households out of which 26.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% are married couples living together, 12.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% are non-families. 28.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.33 and the average family size is 2.85.
In the city the population is spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 39 years. For every 100 females there are 96.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 94.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $40,153, and the median income for a family is $45,791. Males have a median income of $29,709 versus $21,641 for females. The per capita income for the city is $21,085. 9.9% of the population and 7.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 16.2% of those under the age of 18 and 4.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
The city of Fort Walton Beach is surrounded by a larger urbanized area which includes other incorporated and unincorporated areas. The population for the "Fort Walton Beach County Subdivision" according to the 2000 Census is 84,337.
Economy
The economy of Fort Walton Beach is driven by two primary factors: the military, and tourism. There are two major Air Force bases which border Fort Walton Beach. Hurlburt Field is a major special forces headquarters. Eglin AFB is geographically one of the largest Air Force bases at 724 square miles (1,875 kmē), and thus home to joint exercises, and missile and bomb testing. For example, the 'Mother of All Bombs' (MOAB) was first tested at Eglin AFB on March 11, 2003.
There is support industry in the area that benefits from the presence of the bases, including military contractors and the service industry. In Jan 2005, employment (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics) in the area was as follows (all numbers indicate percentages of civilian labor force):
| Category | FWB | Florida |
| Employment | 84.6 | -- |
| Unemployment | 3.3 | 4.4 |
| Total Nonfarm | 84.0 | 90.1 |
| Construction & Mining | 5.1 | 6.0 |
| Manufacturing | 4.1 | 4.6 |
| Trade, Transportation, and Utilities | 15.7 | 18.0 |
| Information | 2.2 | 2.0 |
| Financial Activities | 6.4 | 6.0 |
| Professional and Business Services | 12.1 | 15.6 |
| Educational and Health Services | 7.7 | 11.0 |
| Leisure and Hospitality | 11.4 | 10.2 |
| Other Services | 3.9 | 3.8 |
| Government | 15.4 | 12.9 |
Note the lower unemployment rate, which is a consistent feature of the local economy.
The tourism industry is seasonal, with summer being the primary season, and a smaller peak season during spring break, though Panama City Beach is currently (2005) the nearest college spring break favorite.
External links
- City of Fort Walton Beach (http://www.fwb.org/) official site