Best Places to Live in The Florida Panhandle

Ranked by the numbers, the top 10 are DeFuniak Springs ($230,000 median), Freeport ($393,668 median), Milton ($319,900 median), Navarre ($439,900 median), Miramar Beach ($705,000 median), Tallahassee ($199,950 median), Pace ($374,902 median), Gulf Breeze ($427,000 median), Cantonment ($326,250 median), Crestview ($321,973 median). 19 places qualified with at least 60 homes for sale; the score blends what it costs to own the median home against local income, five-year appreciation, county population growth, market balance, inventory depth and the own-versus-rent gap, all printed in the table.

19 cities in the Florida Panhandle, ranked

Place	Score	Median price	Cost to own / mo	Share of income	5-yr appreciation / yr	County pop. growth	Months supply	Homes for sale
1. DeFuniak Springs Walton	55.7	$230,000	$1,582	37%	+5.3%	+21.2%	6.9	202
2. Freeport Walton	55.5	$393,668	$2,622	41%	+3.2%	+21.2%	4.7	353
3. Milton Santa Rosa	55.2	$319,900	$2,264	32%	+4.6%	+13.7%	6.5	369
4. Navarre Santa Rosa	54.3	$439,900	$3,056	37%	+6.7%	+13.7%	2.8	104
5. Miramar Beach Walton	53.5	$705,000	$4,599	57%	+9.0%	+21.2%	10.8	667
6. Tallahassee Leon · list-based	53.5	$199,950	$1,299	25%	—	—	0% pending	328
7. Pace Santa Rosa	53.5	$374,902	$2,627	35%	+4.6%	+13.7%	8.2	242
8. Gulf Breeze Santa Rosa	53.2	$427,000	$2,971	37%	+4.5%	+13.7%	2.6	177
9. Cantonment Escambia	52.9	$326,250	$2,408	34%	+7.3%	+3.8%	2.8	150
10. Crestview Okaloosa	52.2	$321,973	$2,296	38%	+4.6%	+6.7%	7.3	417
11. Niceville Okaloosa	52.1	$530,000	$3,672	42%	+6.7%	+6.7%	5.7	169
12. Mary Esther Okaloosa	51.7	$325,000	$2,316	38%	+3.7%	+6.7%	3.1	69
13. Pensacola Escambia	50.5	$330,500	$2,438	43%	+5.9%	+3.8%	10.8	957
14. Panama City Bay	50.3	$304,400	$2,107	35%	+5.0%	-0.6%	42% pending	237
15. Panama City Beach Bay	49.9	$425,000	$2,898	46%	+4.6%	-0.6%	22% pending	697
16. Fort Walton Beach Okaloosa	48.1	$357,612	$2,532	48%	+4.4%	+6.7%	14.3	417
17. Inlet Beach Walton	45.8	$1,468,250	$9,448	77%	+3.8%	+21.2%	7.2	287
18. Santa Rosa Beach Walton	45.2	$975,000	$6,315	75%	+4.1%	+21.2%	15.0	834
19. Destin Okaloosa	43.1	$730,000	$4,995	64%	+2.7%	+6.7%	14.3	589

How to read it: median price is the recorded MLS sale median for the past 12 months where our feeds carry sold records (at least 120 sales), otherwise the median asking price of current listings (rows marked list-based; appreciation and price change then come from the county Zillow index); cost to own is principal and interest on 80% of that median at the county’s current rate, plus non-homestead property tax at the county’s verified millage (less the $50,000 homestead exemption) and the county’s average Citizens premium; share of income is that annual cost against the Census median household income pooled over the ZIPs where the city’s homes are listed; 5-yr appreciation is the compound annual change in recorded medians; county pop. growth is the county’s five-year Census change.

Score = 50 + 10 × (0.35 affordability + 0.15 appreciation + 0.15 population growth + 0.10 market balance + 0.10 inventory depth + 0.15 own-versus-rent), each as a capped z-score across the ranked set. Inputs are prices, costs, incomes, growth and supply only; nothing about the people who live there. Data as of 2026-11-05; deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Counties covered: Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Leon, Liberty, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Wakulla, Walton, Washington.

The top 10, in detail

1. DeFuniak Springs, Walton County

Recorded median sale $230,000 (+0.4% year over year), 316 sales in 12 months, 6.9 months of supply (buyer's market), median 99 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $1,582 a month, 37% of the local median household income of $51,604. Prices compounded +5.3% a year over five years; the county grew +21.2% in population over five years. moving guide · market data · Walton County property tax

2. Freeport, Walton County

Recorded median sale $393,668 (+0.2% year over year), 802 sales in 12 months, 4.7 months of supply (balanced market), median 70 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,622 a month, 41% of the local median household income of $77,500; typical rent is $1,969. Prices compounded +3.2% a year over five years; the county grew +21.2% in population over five years. moving guide · market data · Walton County property tax

3. Milton, Santa Rosa County

Recorded median sale $319,900 (+2.1% year over year), 651 sales in 12 months, 6.5 months of supply (balanced market), median 63 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,264 a month, 32% of the local median household income of $84,957; typical rent is $1,906. Prices compounded +4.6% a year over five years; the county grew +13.7% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Santa Rosa County property tax

4. Navarre, Santa Rosa County

Recorded median sale $439,900 (+4.7% year over year), 427 sales in 12 months, 2.8 months of supply (strong market), median 40 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $3,056 a month, 37% of the local median household income of $99,501; typical rent is $2,104. Prices compounded +6.7% a year over five years; the county grew +13.7% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Santa Rosa County property tax

5. Miramar Beach, Walton County

Recorded median sale $705,000 (+2.4% year over year), 719 sales in 12 months, 10.8 months of supply (soft market), median 107 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $4,599 a month, 57% of the local median household income of $96,269; typical rent is $3,178. Prices compounded +9.0% a year over five years; the county grew +21.2% in population over five years. moving guide · market data · Walton County property tax

6. Tallahassee, Leon County

Median asking price $199,950 across 328 current listings, 0% of active-plus-pending under contract, median 36 days on market. Owning the median costs about $1,299 a month, 25% of the local median household income of $63,123; typical rent is $1,475. Leon County property tax

7. Pace, Santa Rosa County

Recorded median sale $374,902 (+1.3% year over year), 339 sales in 12 months, 8.2 months of supply (balanced market), median 54 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,627 a month, 35% of the local median household income of $89,137; typical rent is $1,946. Prices compounded +4.6% a year over five years; the county grew +13.7% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Santa Rosa County property tax

8. Gulf Breeze, Santa Rosa County

Recorded median sale $427,000 (+1.4% year over year), 720 sales in 12 months, 2.6 months of supply (healthy market), median 45 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,971 a month, 37% of the local median household income of $97,139; typical rent is $2,010. Prices compounded +4.5% a year over five years; the county grew +13.7% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Santa Rosa County property tax

9. Cantonment, Escambia County

Recorded median sale $326,250 (-0.5% year over year), 810 sales in 12 months, 2.8 months of supply (balanced market), median 82 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,408 a month, 34% of the local median household income of $85,459; typical rent is $1,864. Prices compounded +7.3% a year over five years; the county grew +3.8% in population over five years. moving guide · cost of living · best neighborhoods · market data · Escambia County property tax

10. Crestview, Okaloosa County

Recorded median sale $321,973 (+0.5% year over year), 643 sales in 12 months, 7.3 months of supply (balanced market), median 71 days to contract. Owning the median costs about $2,296 a month, 38% of the local median household income of $72,521; typical rent is $1,886. Prices compounded +4.6% a year over five years; the county grew +6.7% in population over five years. moving guide · market data · Okaloosa County property tax

Questions people ask

What is the best place to live in the Florida Panhandle by the numbers?

DeFuniak Springs ranks first on our composite: $230,000 median, about $1,582 a month to own (37% of local median income), +5.3% a year appreciation over five years. The ranking is housing economics only; the right place for you also depends on commute, lifestyle and budget, which is what an agent narrows.

What is the cheapest place to live in the Florida Panhandle?

Tallahassee has the lowest estimated cost to own on this list at about $1,299 a month on a $199,950 median, including the county's property tax and average insurance.

Where are home prices rising fastest in the Florida Panhandle?

Miramar Beach, at +9.0% a year compounded over five years; over the past twelve months it moved +2.4%.

How is this ranking calculated?

Score = 50 + 10 times a weighted sum of capped z-scores: affordability (annual cost to own the median home divided by median household income, 35%), five-year compound appreciation (15%), county population growth (15%), market balance (distance of months of supply from 5, 10%), sales volume (10%), and the gap between owning and renting (15%). Every input is printed in the table; the inputs are prices, costs, incomes, growth and supply only.

Every ranking in this series

Homes for sale in Florida by city and county · Florida city and relocation guides

Rankings are computed from the published data sources and the formula stated on this page, with no editorial scoring; the inputs are prices, costs, incomes, growth and supply, and the rankings describe housing economics, not the character of any community. Figures are as of 2026-11-05 and change as new sales record. EAB RE Investments LLC dba Momentum Realty is a licensed Florida real estate brokerage. Listing data deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Equal Housing Opportunity.