Owner-Occupied vs Investor Neighborhoods in Okaloosa County
Who owns a neighborhood tells you how it will behave: homesteaded blocks turn over slowly and vote for the HOA budget; investor-heavy ones rent, flip and swing with the market. Florida publishes the answer parcel by parcel on the county property appraiser’s roll, and this page rolls it up for every Okaloosa County community we track — the homestead share (owner-occupancy), the estimated non-owner-occupied share, out-of-state owners and LLC/trust ownership.
Across 672 Okaloosa County communities and 79,408 residential parcels on the 2025 Florida DOR roll, 62% of homes are homesteaded — the owner-occupancy proxy — and 38% are not; 12% are owned from out of state and 13% are held by an LLC, corporation or trust. Swift Creek Plantation is the most owner-occupied community in the county at 95%; Ashton View the most investor-held at 0% homesteaded.
Most owner-occupied communities in Okaloosa County
| Community | City | Homesteaded | Non-owner-occupied | Parcels | Built (median) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swift Creek Plantation | Niceville | 95% | 5% | 64 | 2012 |
| Rocky Bayou | Niceville | 92% | 8% | 38 | 1979 |
| St Andrews West Bluewater Bay | Niceville | 92% | 8% | 50 | 1985 |
| Preserve At Swift Creek | Niceville | 92% | 8% | 37 | 2011 |
| Hawk'S Landing | Niceville | 91% | 9% | 35 | 2013 |
| Ashley Place | Crestview | 91% | 9% | 57 | 2005 |
| Woodridge | Niceville | 91% | 9% | 54 | 2007 |
| Lake Way Villas | Niceville | 90% | 10% | 73 | 1991 |
| Magnolia Plantation At Bluewater Bay | Niceville | 90% | 10% | 62 | 1999 |
| Choctawmar S/D | Shalimar | 90% | 10% | 30 | 1966 |
| Le Chateau | Niceville | 90% | 10% | 50 | 1981 |
| Choctaw | Shalimar | 90% | 10% | 30 | 1966 |
| Swift Creek | Niceville | 90% | 10% | 159 | 2012 |
| Lido Village | Niceville | 90% | 10% | 59 | 1985 |
| Moores Place S/D | Baker | 90% | 10% | 39 | 2004 |
| Mossy Oaks Plantation | Baker | 90% | 10% | 58 | 2014 |
| Mill Creek Farms | Baker | 89% | 11% | 74 | 2014 |
| Brownstone Manor | Crestview | 88% | 12% | 78 | 2013 |
| Raintree Estates | Niceville | 88% | 12% | 279 | 1990 |
| Southwind | Niceville | 88% | 12% | 233 | 1989 |
| Rocky Bayou Country Club Estates | Niceville | 88% | 12% | 93 | 1981 |
| Caribbean Village 1C | Niceville | 88% | 12% | 110 | 1983 |
| Kenwood S/D | Fort Walton Beach | 88% | 12% | 76 | 1973 |
| Caribbean Village West | Niceville | 88% | 12% | 74 | 1988 |
| Village Of Bolton At Bluewater Bay | Niceville | 88% | 12% | 49 | 1992 |
Most investor-held communities
Lowest homestead share — rentals, second homes and flips concentrate here.
| Community | City | Homesteaded | Non-owner-occupied | LLC / trust | Parcels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashton View | Crestview | 0% | 100% | 63% | 46 |
| Southern Charm | Crestview | 0% | 100% | 0% | 45 |
| Garden Villa Townhomes | Crestview | 0% | 100% | 100% | 40 |
| Charlie Day Estates | Baker | 0% | 100% | 50% | 34 |
| Forest Shore Villas Townhomes | Mary Esther | 0% | 100% | 100% | 76 |
| Capri by the Gulf | Destin | 1% | 99% | 52% | 84 |
| Destiny Shores S/D | Destin | 1% | 99% | 52% | 84 |
| Grand Palms S/D | Destin | 1% | 99% | 52% | 84 |
| Sterling Shores | Destin | 1% | 99% | 52% | 84 |
| Villages Of Crystal Beach | Destin | 3% | 97% | 43% | 116 |
| Destiny By The Sea S/D | Destin | 4% | 96% | 53% | 106 |
| Destin Pointe | Destin | 5% | 95% | 57% | 40 |
| Arbor Lake | Crestview | 6% | 94% | 84% | 73 |
| Arbor Lake | Crestview | 6% | 94% | 84% | 73 |
| Destiny By The Sea | Destin | 6% | 94% | 53% | 108 |
| Skylark Townhomes | Mary Esther | 6% | 94% | 86% | 36 |
| Crystal Shores | Destin | 8% | 92% | 31% | 67 |
| Scottwood | Fort Walton Beach | 9% | 91% | 58% | 45 |
| Young Oaks | Crestview | 9% | 91% | 39% | 33 |
| Tides Of Destin | Destin | 10% | 90% | 34% | 136 |
| Isla Blanca T/H | Destin | 10% | 90% | 34% | 136 |
| SANDPIPER Cove | Destin | 10% | 90% | 34% | 136 |
| Magnolia House | Destin | 10% | 90% | 34% | 136 |
| Harbor Landing | Destin | 10% | 90% | 34% | 136 |
| Shay Lin T/H | Niceville | 10% | 90% | 30% | 50 |
Most out-of-state owners
| Community | City | Out-of-state | Homesteaded | Parcels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Villages Of Crystal Beach | Destin | 91% | 3% | 116 |
| Arbor Lake | Crestview | 89% | 6% | 73 |
| Arbor Lake | Crestview | 89% | 6% | 73 |
| Destiny By The Sea S/D | Destin | 87% | 4% | 106 |
| Capri by the Gulf | Destin | 86% | 1% | 84 |
| Destiny Shores S/D | Destin | 86% | 1% | 84 |
| Grand Palms S/D | Destin | 86% | 1% | 84 |
| Sterling Shores | Destin | 86% | 1% | 84 |
| Destiny By The Sea | Destin | 85% | 6% | 108 |
| Terra Cotta Terrace | Destin | 76% | 16% | 49 |
| Tides Of Destin | Destin | 75% | 10% | 136 |
| Isla Blanca T/H | Destin | 75% | 10% | 136 |
| SANDPIPER Cove | Destin | 75% | 10% | 136 |
| Magnolia House | Destin | 75% | 10% | 136 |
| Harbor Landing | Destin | 75% | 10% | 136 |
Highest LLC, corporate or trust ownership
| Community | City | LLC / trust | Homesteaded | Parcels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garden Villa Townhomes | Crestview | 100% | 0% | 40 |
| Forest Shore Villas Townhomes | Mary Esther | 100% | 0% | 76 |
| Skylark Townhomes | Mary Esther | 86% | 6% | 36 |
| Arbor Lake | Crestview | 84% | 6% | 73 |
| Arbor Lake | Crestview | 84% | 6% | 73 |
| Vicki Leigh T/H | Fort Walton Beach | 73% | 22% | 45 |
| Iron Horse T/H | Crestview | 68% | 12% | 123 |
| Azalea Gardens | Fort Walton Beach | 68% | 12% | 34 |
| Ashton View | Crestview | 63% | 0% | 46 |
| Scottwood | Fort Walton Beach | 58% | 9% | 45 |
| Destin Pointe | Destin | 57% | 5% | 40 |
| Destiny By The Sea | Destin | 53% | 6% | 108 |
| Destiny By The Sea S/D | Destin | 53% | 4% | 106 |
| Capri by the Gulf | Destin | 52% | 1% | 84 |
| Destiny Shores S/D | Destin | 52% | 1% | 84 |
How to read this
Homestead exemption is claimed by owners who live in the home as their primary residence, so the homestead share is a close proxy for owner-occupancy; the non-owner-occupied estimate is its complement adjusted for parcels that cannot claim it. Out-of-state and LLC/trust shares come from the owner mailing address and owner name on the roll. Communities are matched to parcels by subdivision and street; figures are for the parcels matched (n shown), not necessarily every home. Source: Florida Department of Revenue NAL assessment roll, 2025, compiled by Momentum Research, September 2026. Back to homes for sale in Okaloosa County.