Rents are 10% below what Fort Walton Beach's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,828 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
February. Asking rents in Fort Walton Beach usually run 0.9% below trend in February and 1% above it in June, about $35 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Fort Walton Beach is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2015.
Rent in Fort Walton Beach changed +7.1% over the year to September 2026. Across the 270 Florida cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +1.8%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Fort Walton Beach rose 51.2% while median household income rose 26.2% ($54,330 to $68,538). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Fort Walton Beach is 58.5% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 2 months in a row, and rose in 10 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($68,538) is $1,713 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($1,530); a 3-bedroom is $2,125.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Fort Walton Beach. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Fort Walton Beach, FL is majority owner-occupied, 29.7% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Fort Walton Beach, FL has changed in 5 years
Across the past five years, the going rent in Fort Walton Beach, FL has shifted from $1,316 to $1,828, up 38.9% since 2021. Median household income climbed from $55,623 to $68,538 between 2021 and 2024, a 23.2% shift. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. Census counts show Fort Walton Beach, FL adding about 220 residents over the five-year window, up 1.1% on net. The renter share has eased from 40.9% to 38.2%, with owner-occupied housing accounting for the remainder. Bachelor's-degree-or-higher attainment moved from 27.6% to 29.7% across the same window. Taken together, the five-year picture in Fort Walton Beach, FL reflects how housing costs and the people paying them have evolved through a stretch that included a pandemic, a hot rental market, and a recent cooling phase.
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Can you afford rent in Fort Walton Beach on your salary?
At $1,828/mo, how Fort Walton Beach rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Fort Walton Beach rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Fort Walton Beach. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Fort Walton Beach
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Fort Walton Beach is $1,828/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,185/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,530/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,360/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,125/mo.
At 32% of local median household income ($68,538/yr), Fort Walton Beach ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 7.1% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does Fort Walton Beach rent compare to other cities in Florida?
At $1,828/mo, rent takes ~32% of Fort Walton Beach's median household income ($68,538/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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