Florida I10wb CR268 Overpass, 2016
Midway’s story
Midway in pictures
The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 2016 and 5 maps from 1921 on.
Explore the history →MidwayFL
A town of 21,317. Public schools that outperform most of Florida.
Population
21,317
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$382K
Census ACS
Household income
$96K
median
Median age
42.7
years
Jobs based here
4,187
A commuter town
TownGrade
B−
#168 of 634 in FL
Is Midway a good place to live?
Midway grades B− overall, 168th of 634 graded towns in Florida, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Its schools rank ahead of 80% of Florida towns and residents are healthier than 75% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. On the other side, FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 84% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. On the outdoors, just 55 of Florida’s 779 towns do worse. Midway’s January low is 44°F, against 51°F in Florida’s towns and 22°F across U.S. towns. Homes are expensive, about $382K for a typical one and 5 times the Pensacola metro’s $76K median household income.
What makes Midway stand out
Where Midway beats most towns.
A growing town
Midway has grown 21% from 2010 to 2020
16,115 counted in 2010 and 19,567 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Midway grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Midway is from typical.
Hazard riskhurricanes tops the listDOpen →Cost of livingC−Open →SchoolsA−Open →HealthGulf Breeze Hospital 9.3 miles awayA−Open →Jobs & incomeB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.9 of 20; 5.9% of households have no car; 0.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 19 attractions →Gulf Islands National Seashore and 13 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Midway. Close and well known come first.
2 mi National SeashoreGulf Islands National Seashore7.6M visitors a year
18 mi LandmarkFort Pickens
20 mi Ancient siteUSS Massachusetts
18 mi MuseumNational Naval Aviation Museum
18 mi LandmarkFort Barrancasin town Zoo & aquariumGulf Breeze ZooSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Gulf Islands National Seashore: National Park Service, Public domain · Fort Pickens: Notneb82, CC BY-SA 3.0 · USS Massachusetts: Unknown authorUnknown author or not provided, Public domain · National Naval Aviation Museum: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Barrancas: National Park Service, Public domain
._Starboard_bow_at_wharf,_06-1901_-_NARA_-_535432.jpg){kind=link}
Getting set up
Moving to Midway: who provides what
Midway is unincorporated, so Santa Rosa County and regional agencies provide most services.
WaterMidway Water System, Inc.No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesSanta Rosa CountySanta Rosa County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Florida you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereSanta Rosa Supervisor of ElectionsSanta Rosa County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2023
ZIP code3256332563 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 17, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Midway.
Midway has less no health insurance than most of Florida and has a longer frost-free season than most of the country, though not than most of Florida; it also has little public open land.
SchoolsA−
Midway’s grade for schools is an A−
That grade comes with a C− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $382K.
The public schools here belong to the Santa Rosa school district. One of its 2 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. 1,100 students attend Midway’s public school.
80%of FL districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Bay K-8 SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 1,100 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
The biggest natural risk in Midway is hurricanes, at a very high overall level
65% of Midway’s expected losses from natural hazards come from hurricanes, followed by inland flooding at 14%. This Florida town has had 1,406 paid flood insurance claims since 1979.
84risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesInland floodingTornadoes
1,406
paid flood claims since 1979
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthA−
Midway’s grade for health is an A−
Its widest gap with Florida is no health insurance: 9.3% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 15.9% statewide.
Nearly one in ten adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Midway. This Florida town does better than the Florida average on 11 of 31 CDC measures and worse on 1. Two figures for adults here: 19% have been diagnosed with depression, 10% worry about having enough food.
75%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Midway | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 25% | 25% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 23% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 15% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 20% | 19% |
31 measures vs. Florida
11 better19 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Midway | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 9.3% | 15.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.2% | 16.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.3% | 9.1% |
Gulf Breeze Hospital
9.3 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
74th
percentile among FL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
Midway has 0.5 jobs per working resident, so most workers leave town for work
Jobs based here grew from 2,939 in 2013 to 4,187.
In Midway, the median household income is $96,000. Commuting out is the norm in the town: 8% of working residents work locally. The town had 4,187 jobs in 2023, up 1,248 from 2013. Among residents here, 6.9% live below the poverty line.
8%work in town
| Midway | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $96,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 17% | 14% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.9% | 11% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Midway8%
Pensacola20%
Gulf Breeze5%
Milton5%
Ferry Pass5%
14 mi
median commute distance
4,187
jobs based in Midway
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 40% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Midway
The Pensacola Forest Sherman Nas weather station, 19 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 277 days: longer than most of the country, but shorter than 77% of Florida places with climate records. The Pensacola Forest Sherman Nas weather station, 19 miles away, records that about 56 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 85% of Florida places with climate records.
July afternoons reach 90°, January nights drop to 44° and snow is almost unheard of.
90°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter46–64°
Spring60–76°
Summer75–89°
Fall62–79°
Dec 9
typical first frost
Feb 14
typical last frost
+0.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
90°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
More middle-aged adults than Florida overall
Adults 35 to 64 are 45% of residents (38% statewide); people 65 and older are 17% of residents (21% statewide). For adults 25 and older in Midway, the share who hold a bachelor’s degree or more is 37%. In Midway, the midpoint age is 42.7 years.
42.7median age · FL 42.6
| Midway | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 37% | 31% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 17% | 20% | 18% |
| Median age | 42.7 years | 42.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 21% | 20% | 22% |
MidwayFloridaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
16%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma4%
High school20%
Some college23%
Associate’s15%
Bachelor’s24%
Graduate13%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.3 points. Across Florida, 50.9% of residents are women.
| Midway | FL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.2% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.2% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.5% | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.7% | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.3% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 16.4% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.8% | 13.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.2% | 11.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.5% | 9.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.4% | 10.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 19.8% | 27.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.4% | 18.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 15.4% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24.3% | 21.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.8% | 12.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
OutdoorsD
0% of Midway is conserved land
Just 2 of its 22,243 acres are conserved, so there is little public open land in Midway itself; its outdoors grade is D.
0.6 miles of trail wind through 2 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Soundside Reserve, at 36 acres. Parks and preserves in Midway: 2, covering 37 acres.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 2 of 22,243 acres
0.6 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Soundside Reserve | — | 36 |
| 2. Gulf Islands National Seashore | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Midway
17pages on Midway
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Midway
About 5 of every 100 Midway residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Florida.
A commuter town
92% of working residents leave Midway for work
Where Midway’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
4,187jobs based in Midway
8%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Midway’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Midway.
All 4 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its B−; Woodlawn Beach (B−) is closest.
Woodlawn BeachOriole BeachTiger PointNavarreGulf BreezeMidway
How the neighbors grade
| Town | FL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midway | #168 | B− | C− | — | A− | A− |
| Woodlawn Beach | #163 | B− | D | — | A− | A |
| Oriole Beach | — | — | B− | — | A− | A− |
| Tiger Point | #20 | A− | C | — | A− | A |
| Navarre | #157 | B− | C− | — | A− | A− |
| Gulf Breeze | #23 | A− | D | A | A− | A |
Oriole Beach has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Midway, Woodlawn Beach, Oriole Beach, Tiger Point and Navarre report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Midway with a neighbor →
Questions about Midway
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Midway, FL a good place to live?
Midway grades B− overall, better than 50% of U.S. towns and #168 of 634 in Florida. It grades A− for health and A− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Midway, FL expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.