Crestview, FL — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Florida·Crestview

Okaloosa County · Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin · population 30,727

First-time buyersGrowing fast
Crestview, FL
Image: Wikipedia · Crestview, Florida
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
64
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Crestview stands

Population growing 3.2% per year.

Median home $290,047
1-year -0.7%
5-yr CAGR +4.4%
vs 5-yr peak -4.0%
Population +3.2%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2024-03$290k$140k$198k$256k$314k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
100/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,807/mo$1,283$1,599$1,915202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent124132100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 13.4
Buy

At a 13.4 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Crestview on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 13.4 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
47 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
62 · w22%
Distance from peak
66 · w18%
Population growth
90 · w16%
Rent YoY
52 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
73 · w10%
Long thesis

Crestview has held up across the cycle: home values at $290,047 with +4.4% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Crestview is in a state where home insurance costs have doubled, climate risk repricing is still in progress, and the buyer pool is constrained by both. The bear case writes itself and is currently winning.

About Crestview

Crestview is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, with an estimated population of 30,727. It anchors the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin metro area. The population has grown 3.2% per year on average between 2020 and 2024 — among the faster-growing communities in the state. The median home value in Crestview is $290,047 as of 2026-04, down 0.7% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +4.4% annual growth (-4.0% from the 5-year peak). Rents in Crestview average $1,807 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+1.0%). The composite momentum score is 64 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●People are voting with their feet: population growing 3.2% per year since 2020 — that’s faster than ~80% of US cities.
○The data is the data: Crestview has at least 5 years of Zillow tracking, full Census identification, and is included in the 2-criteria momentum score on this page.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Crestview (Wikipedia)

Crestview is the largest city and county seat of Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 27,134 at the 2020 census, up from 20,978 at the 2010 census. With an elevation of 236 feet (72 m) above sea level, it is one of the highest points in the state.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Okaloosa County right now.

NWS active alerts (FL)Florida Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Okaloosa County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Crestview

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Run the numbers for Crestview

ToolCan I afford Crestview?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Crestview rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Crestview to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolCrestview cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
70° / 51°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
90° / 73°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
233
~64% of year
Annual precip
54″ rain
0″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very high
Tornado
Moderate
Wildfire
Low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
Very high

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Crestview listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
76%
Very humid climate
Median household income
$67,900
Florida state median
Top industries (state-level)
TourismHealthcareConstruction

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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