Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Niceville grades A− overall, ranked 18th of 634 in Florida. It reports less crime per resident than 97% of U.S. towns. Residents are healthier than 77% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates and its schools rank ahead of 76% of Florida towns. What holds it back is price: the typical home is worth about $435K, 5.3 years of the Crestview metro’s $82K median household income. Niceville is home to Northwest Florida State College. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 84% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. Only 1 of the 132 Florida towns we compare have a lower property crime rate than Niceville.
Where Niceville beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
12,749 counted in 2010 and 15,772 in 2020; an estimated 17,948 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 13.6% since 2020, after 23.7% 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 Niceville is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for safety (better than 97% of comparable towns) to D for hazard risk (better than 9%), so the A− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 948 in 1940, 15,772 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 5 maps from 1936 on.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Niceville. Close and well known come first.
36 mi CaveVortex Spring
9 mi National SeashoreGulf Islands National Seashore7.6M visitors a year
7 mi MuseumAir Force Armament Museum32 mi Zoo & aquariumGulf Breeze Zoo
34 mi GardenFlorala City Park
22 mi MuseumBaker Block MuseumVortex Spring: Paul Clark. Edited slightly by Daniel Case prior to upload, CC BY 2.0 · Gulf Islands National Seashore: National Park Service, Public domain · Air Force Armament Museum: Greg Goebel, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Florala City Park: Skye Marthaler, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Baker Block Museum: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Niceville, 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 Niceville.
Niceville trades workers with Fort Walton Beach and other neighbors, 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.
Violent crime is rare: 6 reported in 2025, 0.3 per 1,000 residents.
Niceville’s violent crime rate is 0.3 per 1,000 residents, below both Florida’s towns (2.1) and U.S. towns (1.6).
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Okaloosa school district. Three of its 9 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| C. W. Ruckel Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,061 | A |
| Niceville Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,036 | A |
| Collegiate High School at Northwest Florida State CollegeTop results in townGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 463 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
In the comparison, Niceville comes against 3% in Florida’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. 7.9 miles of trail in 8 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Turkey Creek Park, at 36 acres.
| Niceville | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.6% | 3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Turkey Creek Park | 0.8 mi | 36 |
| 2. Twin Oaks Park | — | 26 |
| 3. Turkey Creek Park - North | 0.2 mi | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
67 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 16 properties have flooded more than once.
Since 1991, 67 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Niceville.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its widest gap with Florida is no health insurance: 9.8% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 15.9% statewide.
17% of adults binge drink in Niceville. Niceville beats the Florida average on 12 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 30% of adults have obesity in Niceville.
| Niceville | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 12% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 23% |
| What stands out | Niceville | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 9.8% | 15.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12.5% | 16.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The Niceville weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 253 days: longer than most of the country, but shorter than 98% of Florida places with climate records. The Niceville weather station 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.
Niceville has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Niceville’s July high is 90°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Niceville has about as many jobs (6,125) as working residents, but only 827 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave Niceville for work: only 14% work in town. The median household income in Niceville is $102,000. Jobs based in Niceville grew to 6,125 in 2023, 1,193 more than in 2013.
| Niceville | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $102,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 5% | 8% |
| Work from home | 10% | 14% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Niceville home is worth about $435,000, up 1% in a year, 16% above the Florida typical home.
| Niceville | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,749 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 74% | 72% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Florida average. 39% of Niceville adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
| Niceville | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 39% | 31% | 29% |
| Median age | 38.4 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 23% | 20% | 22% |
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.4 points. Across Florida, 50.9% of residents are women.
| Niceville | FL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.7% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.5% | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.5% | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.8% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.6% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.6% | 13.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.4% | 11.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.9% | 9.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4% | 10.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 23.4% | 27.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.1% | 18.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.2% | 21.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 19.3% | 12.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
1 within 15 miles of the center of Niceville
About 5 of every 100 Niceville residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Florida.
6 notable people were born in Niceville.
City in Florida, United States
Niceville is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States, located near Eglin Air Force Base on Boggy Bayou that opens into Choctawhatchee Bay. It is part of the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 15,772 at the 2020 census, up from 12,749 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Niceville.
| Town | FL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niceville | #18 | A− | D | A+ | A− | A− |
| Valparaiso | #24 | A− | C | — | A− | A− |
Valparaiso reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Niceville with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Niceville grades A− overall, better than 78% of U.S. towns and #18 of 634 in Florida. It grades A− for health, A+ for safety and A− for schools. Hazard risk 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.
6 notable people were born here, including Anna Banks and Juanyeh Thomas.
