2026 Compare Cities Economy:
Fort Walton Beach, FL vs Phoenix, AZ

Change Cities
Highlights
- Household income in Phoenix, is 17% more than it is in Fort Walton Beach and is 6% below the National Average.
- Fort Walton Beach unemployment rate is 4.0%.
- Phoenix unemployment rate is 6.6%.
 Fort Walton Beach, FLPhoenix, AZUnited States
 Unemployment Rate  Unlock6.6%6.0%
 Recent Job Growth  Unlock3.3%1.6%
 Future Job Growth46.2%  Unlock33.5%
 Sales Taxes6.5%  Unlock6.2%
 Income Taxes  Unlock3.4%4.6%
 Income per Cap.$32,350  Unlock$37,638
 Household Income  Unlock$64,927$69,021
 Family Median Income$71,000  Unlock$85,028
 space
 Est. Households By Income
 Fort Walton Beach, FLPhoenix, AZUnited States
 Income Less Than 15K  Unlock8.4%9.4%
 Income between 15K and 20K4.0%  Unlock3.8%
 Income between 20K and 30K  Unlock8.3%8.1%
 Income between 30K and 40K9.0%  Unlock8.0%
 Income between 40K and 50K  Unlock9.2%7.6%
 Income between 50K and 60K11.2%  Unlock7.2%
 Income between 60K and 75K  Unlock10.1%9.6%
 Income between 75K and 100K12.2%  Unlock12.8%
 Income between 100K and 150K  Unlock15.3%16.3%
 Income between 150K and 200K5.7%  Unlock7.8%
 Income greater than 200K  Unlock8.0%9.5%
 space1
 Population By Occupation
 Fort Walton Beach, FLPhoenix, AZUnited States
 Management, business, finance11.5%  Unlock16.4%
 Engineering, computers, science  Unlock6.2%6.5%
 Community, social services1.1%  Unlock1.8%
 Legal  Unlock1.2%1.2%
 Education, library4.6%  Unlock6.2%
 Arts, design, media, sports, entertainment  Unlock2.1%2.0%
 Healthcare practitioners and technology5.2%  Unlock6.2%
 Healthcare support  Unlock3.0%3.3%
 Firefighters, law enforcement2.8%  Unlock2.1%
 Food preparation, serving  Unlock5.6%5.4%
 Building maintenance7.4%  Unlock3.6%
 Personal care  Unlock2.4%2.6%
 Sales, office, administrative support20.7%  Unlock20.9%
 Farming, fishing, forestry  Unlock0.3%0.6%
 Construction, extraction, maintenance/repair10.9%  Unlock8.1%
 Production, transportation, material moving  Unlock12.2%13.1%
Reviews for Fort Walton Beach    10 Reviews

Over 4 years ago

Ive lived in Fort Walton for atleast 15yrs.Ive seen the good days(early to late 200's)and now the bad.If you move here,youd better make atleast $10,000 a month.These  More

   |    Reply

I would like to know if Fort Walton Beach is a better place to live rather than busy Clearwater FL. We want to re-locate to a quieter city with all the amenities of a  More

   |    Reply

FWB is great for its beautiful beaches and saltwater fishing. It's also easy to move around town except during rush hour (yes, we have a rush hour - but it literally  More

   |    Reply

Start Your Review of Fort Walton Beach

Reviews for Phoenix    449 Reviews

Over 2 years ago

As someone that has worked in Phoenix for close to 20 years now. There is great areas to eat at, great opportunities for premium small businesses to set up shop and even  More

   |    Reply

Over 2 years ago

Phoenix is a city of potential and definitely has a bad reputation that is not completely deserved all throughout the city itself. There is tons of things to do, places  More

   |    Reply

Phoenix has tons of the best places to shop and eat at bar none due to it being the big city. Downtown is definitely underrated. There also is some nice new developments  More

   |    Reply

Start Your Review of Phoenix


Premium Subscription
Includes Cost of Living compares for child care, utilities, transportation, health, taxes, housing for home owners vs renters, weather, insurance premiums and so much more.


The premier source for comprehensive city data for over 30 years.

© Best Places. All rights reserved.