Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Destin grades B overall, 73rd among Florida's 634 graded towns. It is healthier than 83% of U.S. towns and its schools rank ahead of 76% of Florida towns. The catch is cost: homes are expensive, about $617K for a typical one and 7.5 times the Crestview metro’s $82K median household income. 27% of working residents work locally in Destin, above both the Florida town median (5%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 84% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. Henderson Beach State Park, at 217 acres with 1.2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
Where Destin beats most towns.
12,305 counted in 2010 and 13,931 in 2020; an estimated 14,046 in 2025.
Growth has leveled off: within 1% of 2020, after 13.2% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Destin is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 8,080 in 1990, 13,931 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 5 maps from 1938 on.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Destin. Close and well known come first.
3 mi National SeashoreGulf Islands National Seashore7.6M visitors a year
7 mi MuseumAir Force Armament Museum31 mi Zoo & aquariumGulf Breeze Zoo
36 mi MuseumMan in the Sea Museum
30 mi MuseumBaker Block Museum
7 mi MuseumHeritage Museum of Northwest FloridaGulf Islands National Seashore: National Park Service, Public domain · Air Force Armament Museum: Greg Goebel, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Man in the Sea Museum: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Baker Block Museum: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Destin, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 17, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Destin.
Destin draws workers from Fort Walton Beach and beyond and has a longer frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Florida.
At 7.5 years of the Crestview metro’s $82K median household income, the typical home (about $617K) costs more against local pay than in 87% of Florida towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living. The typical value, about $617K, is 11% below its July 2023 peak.
The median rent in Destin is $1,936 a month. The typical Destin home is worth about $617,000, up 2% in a year, 64% above the Florida typical home.
| Destin | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,936 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 72% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Okaloosa school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Destin Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 910 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
12,250 jobs are based in Destin, 2.1 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
About one in 4 of Destin’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Destin has added 1,523 jobs, to 12,250 in 2023. 7.4% of residents live below the poverty line in Destin.
| Destin | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 16% | 14% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.4% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $89,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its widest gap with Florida is no health insurance: 9.7% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 15.9% statewide.
17% of Destin adults binge drink. Destin beats the Florida average on 17 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 20% of Destin adults get no exercise outside work.
| Destin | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 25% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 13% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 20% | 19% |
| What stands out | Destin | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 9.7% | 15.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.4% | 16.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1,204 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 230 properties have flooded more than once.
Since 1991, 1,204 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Destin.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Destin | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 5.9% | 3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Henderson Beach State Park | 1.2 mi | 217 |
| 2. James Lee Park | 0.3 mi | 7 |
| 3. Dalton G. Threadgill Park | 0.1 mi | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The Niceville weather station, 9 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 253 days, longer than in 96% of U.S. towns. The Niceville weather station, 9 miles away, records that about 52 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 95% of Florida places with climate records.
Destin has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Destin’s July high is 90°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
1 within 15 miles of the center of Destin
About 3 of every 100 Destin residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
Where Destin’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 notable people were born in Destin.
City in Florida, United States
Destin is a city located in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. It is a principal city of the Crestview–Fort Walton Beach–Destin, Florida metropolitan statistical area. Its population was 13,931 at the 2020 census, up from 12,305 at the 2010 census. Located on Florida's Emerald Coast, Destin is known for its white beaches and emerald green waters. Originating as a small fishing village, it is now a popular tourist destination. According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, over 80% of the Emerald Coast's 4.5 million visitors each year visit Destin. The city styles itself "the World's Luckiest Fishing Village" and claims to have the largest fishing vessel fleet in Flor…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Destin.
| Town | FL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Destin | #73 | B | D | — | A− | A− |
| Miramar Beach | #85 | B | D− | — | A | A− |
Destin and Miramar Beach report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Destin with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Destin grades B overall, better than 62% of U.S. towns and #73 of 634 in Florida. It grades A− for health and A− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
3 notable people were born here, including James Uthmeier and Chris Parrish.
