Chevron, 2025
Wright’s story
115 years in pictures
Census counts: 18,945 in 1990, 26,277 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2025 and 5 maps from 1938 on.
- 1911Wright is settled
WrightFL
A town of 27,927, settled in 1911. Public schools that outperform most of Florida.
Population
27,927
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$306K
Census ACS
Household income
$70K
median
Median age
34.4
years
Jobs based here
8,338
Balanced
TownGrade
C+
#258 of 634 in FL
Is Wright a good place to live?
0% of its land is conserved. Overall it grades C+, 258th among Florida's 634 graded towns. Its schools rank ahead of 76% of Florida towns. Its weakest subject is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 87% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. Wright’s January low is 43°F, where Florida’s towns sit at 51°F and U.S. towns at 22°F. Wright is more walkable than 73% of U.S. towns.
What makes Wright stand out
Where Wright beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
OKALOOSA schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Wright Elementary School | PK–5 | 609 |
| Lotus Learning & Arts Center | 2–11 | 27 |
SchoolsA−
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
WalkabilityB+
More walkable than 73% of U.S. towns
2.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
Worth knowing · Natural hazardsD
Hurricanes and inland flooding at the top
FEMA National Risk Index.
A growing town
Wright has grown 14% from 2010 to 2020
23,127 counted in 2010 and 26,277 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Wright grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Wright is from typical.
Hazard riskhurricanes tops the listDOpen →SchoolsA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.6 of 20; 6.2% of households have no carB+Open →Cost of livingTypical home $306K, 3.7 years of the Crestview metro’s $82K median household incomeCOpen →Jobs & income$70K median household incomeC+Open →HealthHCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital 0.9 miles awayC+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 18 attractions →Gulf Islands National Seashore and 12 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Wright. Close and well known come first.
3 mi National SeashoreGulf Islands National Seashore7.6M visitors a year
5 mi MuseumAir Force Armament Museum
40 mi LandmarkFort Pickens
40 mi MuseumNational Naval Aviation Museum
40 mi LandmarkFort Barrancas21 mi 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 · Air Force Armament Museum: Greg Goebel, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Fort Pickens: Notneb82, CC BY-SA 3.0 · National Naval Aviation Museum: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Barrancas: National Park Service, Public domain
Getting set up
Moving to Wright: who provides what
Wright is unincorporated, so Okaloosa County and regional agencies provide most services.
WaterOkaloosa Co.wtr.; Swr.systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesOkaloosa CountyOkaloosa 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 hereOkaloosa Supervisor of ElectionsOkaloosa County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2023
ZIP codes32547, 3254832547 92% · 32548 8%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 Wright.
Wright has a longer frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns and trades workers with Fort Walton Beach and other neighbors, but it has little public open land.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Top of a very high hazard risk in Wright: hurricanes
Paid flood insurance claims in Wright since 1979: 153. Expected losses in Wright break down as 62% from hurricanes and 18% from inland flooding.
87risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesInland floodingTornadoes
153
paid flood claims since 1979
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsA−
For schools, Wright earns an A−
Its two schools are below. The public schools here belong to the Okaloosa school district. Wright’s only public school teaches 609 students.
76%of FL districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wright Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 609 | B− |
| Lotus Learning & Arts Center PrivateLargest high schoolGrades 2–11 | Grades 2–11 | 27 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Wright
The Niceville weather station, 11 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 253 days, longer than in 96% of U.S. towns. The Niceville weather station, 11 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.
July afternoons reach 90°, January nights drop to 43° and snow is almost unheard of.
90°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter45–63°
Spring59–76°
Summer74–89°
Fall61–79°
Dec 28
typical first frost
Feb 5
typical last frost
+0.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
90°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Younger than Florida overall
People 65 and older are 14% of residents (21% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 27% of residents (21% statewide). In Wright, the midpoint age is 34.4 years. Here, 28% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree, against 34% in Florida as a whole. The share of residents in Wright who are under 18: 24%.
34.4median age · FL 42.6
| Wright | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.4 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 14% | 20% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 24% | 20% | 22% |
WrightFloridaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
18%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma13%
High school25%
Some college20%
Associate’s14%
Bachelor’s20%
Graduate9%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.4 points. Across Florida, 50.9% of residents are women. Median age: women 33.8, men 35.0.
| Wright | FL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.7% | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 18.1% | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.7% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.6% | 13.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.5% | 11.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.3% | 9.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 12.8% | 10.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.3% | 27.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.7% | 18.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.9% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.7% | 21.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.6% | 12.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
About one in eight working residents works right in Wright
Wright has about as many jobs (8,338) as working residents, but only 1,249 people both live and work here.
17% of residents live below the poverty line in Wright. Commuting out is the norm in the town: 13% of working residents work locally. Jobs based in Wright grew to 8,338 in 2023, 1,505 more than in 2013. The median commute is under 10 miles.
13%work in town
| Wright | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 5% | 14% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 5% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Wright13%
Fort Walton Beach19%
Destin8%
Pensacola3%
Miramar Beach3%
10 mi
median commute distance
8,338
jobs based in Wright
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 73% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthC+
On CDC estimates, Wright is less healthy than 55% of U.S. towns
In Wright, 75% of adults had a checkup this year, and 17% binge drink. Of 31 CDC measures, Wright beats the Florida average on 6 and trails it on 8. Wright: nearly a fifth of adults report frequent mental distress.
45%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Wright | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 79% | 79% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 8.1% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 16% |
31 measures vs. Florida
6 better17 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Wright | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.1% | 9.1% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 6.2% | 7.5% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16.3% | 12.7% |
HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital
0.9 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
40th
percentile among FL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade C
A home in Wright sells for about $329K at the median
The going rate for rent for Wright comes to $1,621 a month. Among households in the town, 54% own their home. On the market here: a median 47 days to sell.
$329Kmedian sale price
| Wright | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 54% | 72% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,621 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
Market temperature
47
days on market
99.7%
sale-to-list price
23
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
OutdoorsD−
For the outdoors, Wright earns a D−
Just 1 of its 3,544 acres are conserved, so there is little public open land in Wright itself; its outdoors grade is D−.
Wright has one park or preserve, 1 acres in all.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 1 of 3,544 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sunset Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Wright
17pages on Wright
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Wright
About 6 of every 100 Wright residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Florida.
About Wright
Census-designated place in Florida, United States
Wright is a census-designated place (CDP) in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 26,277 at the 2020 United States census, up from 23,127 at the 2010 United States census. It is part of the Crestview–Fort Walton Beach–Destin, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 5.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 43 ft
- Area code
- 850
Wright’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Wright.
Fort Walton BeachOcean CityHurlburt FieldWright
How the neighbors grade
| Town | FL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wright | #258 | C+ | C | — | A− | C+ |
| Fort Walton Beach | #332 | C | C | C− | A− | B− |
| Ocean City | #260 | C+ | C | — | A− | B |
| Hurlburt Field | #250 | C+ | D− | — | A− | A− |
Wright, Ocean City and Hurlburt Field report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Wright with a neighbor →
Questions about Wright
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Wright, FL a good place to live?
Wright grades C+ overall, better than 39% of U.S. towns and #258 of 634 in Florida. It grades C+ for health and A− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Wright, FL expensive?
The typical home is worth about $306,000, 18% below the Florida typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.