Population   l   Employment   l   Defense Contractors   l   Workforce

Okaloosa County has the 10th highest job growth rate of the 300 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) across the United States.

High Technology Industry—Cybercity
#3 in Florida, 2007
American Electronics Association

Best Cities for Doing Business
Inc. Magazine, 2007

#2 Business Vitality
The Wall Street Journal, 2007

Best Small Places for Business & Careers
Forbes Magazine, 2002

Top 10 Least Stressed Areas
The Wadley-Donovan Group, 2001

Top Ten Fastest Growing Metro In America
Taimerica Management Company, 2000

Click here to view an occupational wage table providing a sampling of the most requested wage rates for Okaloosa County; the Ft. Walton Beach/Crestview/Destin MSA.  You may contact the EDC for a more comprehensive list or a specific occupation.

Unlike most Florida metropolitan areas Okaloosa County offers a prime working age population.

Source: Census Bureau

Okaloosa County Demographic Profile

Retired or otherwise separated military veterans make up 1/3 of Okaloosa's population.

Source: UWF Haas Center
US = United States, FL = Florida, FWB = Fort Walton Beach MSA, PC = Panama City, PNS = Pensacola, TAL = Tallahassee
 

Defense Contractors

The large military presence draws a great diversity of technology-based firms.  With over 3,000 military men and women separating from the military and staying in the area each year our labor market offers an educated, highly-skilled and highly disciplined work force.  This coveted workforce supplements the defense contractors' needs.

Over 300 local technology-based firms contract with the local military bases.

The EDC created TeCMEN in its commitment to growing its technology industries. The Technology Coast Manufacturing and Engineering Network (TeCMEN) is a collaborative network of high-technology manufacturing and engineering service companies working together to  gain access to larger projects by partnering and teaming. Assisting in this commitment are Okaloosa's learning institutions that offer associate, undergraduate, master's and doctoral degrees, as well as certification programs and technology-transfer services.

The defense contracting in Okaloosa County creates the foundation for growth and expansion in high-technology segments of the economy.  Local defense contractors have increased hiring in response to the increased military spending since September 11, 2001.  Many are obtaining new contracts each year requiring hundreds of new employees.

In 2002 the EDC contracted a study reflecting Okaloosa County as a technology hub with 156 technology-based businesses per 100,000 population.

Okaloosa County is the leading technology center in Northwest Florida and continues to experience unprecedented growth.

With the military being the #1 contributor in Okaloosa's economy the EDC maintains a leading edge through the Defense Support Initiative Committee in order to ensure the retention and continual growth of the Department of Defense in Okaloosa County.  Growth management planning is also an objective of the DSI in preparation for the BRAC realignment personnel.

The EDC established Okaloosa County's first business technology incubator to cultivate and strengthen the development of technology-based start-up companies.

Workforce

The community's work force is supplemented by the spouses and dependents of the active duty military personnel and civilians, and the retired or separated military personnel from Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field.

Retired or otherwise separated military veterans make up 1/3 of Okaloosa's population.

Other factors that contribute to Okaloosa County's great workforce include:

• Little or no union membership activity.
• A constitutional right-to-work provision that requires a public referendum rather than a legislative vote to change it.

A listing of Okaloosa County businesses
may be viewed on the EDC membership page.

Population   l   Employment   l   Defense Contractors   l   Workforce