Santa Rosa County, Florida: commercial real estate data.
Santa Rosa County, Florida had an estimated 207,653 residents on July 1, 2024, up 10.5 percent since the 2020 census base of 187,998, across 1,012 square miles. County output reached $7.90 bn in 2024, 3,442 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 128 7(a) approvals worth $82.6 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Santa Rosa County
How many people live in Santa Rosa County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024198,472
- Households72,605
- Average household size2.73
- Median household income$91,922
- Median age40.1
- Median gross rent$1,544 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$329,800
- Home value to household income3.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher32.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree11.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over140,549
- Population under 1843,250
- Share under 1821.8 percent
- Population 65 and over33,229
- Share 65 and over16.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64121,993
- Civilian labor force90,657
- Unemployment rate4.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over58.4 percent
- Rank by population among Florida counties29th of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included350th of 3,222
Santa Rosa County is the 29th largest of 67 Florida counties by population. A median home costs 3.6 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.8 percent against 16.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Santa Rosa County
Is Santa Rosa County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024207,653
- Census 2020 base population187,998
- Population change since the 2020 census base10.45 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20244,084
- Births, 20241,986
- Deaths, 20242,002
- Natural change, 2024-16
- Net domestic migration, 20243,578
- Net international migration, 2024525
- Total net migration, 20244,103
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202417,612
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents138th of 3,144
The county has grown 10.45 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Santa Rosa County
Where are people moving to Santa Rosa County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving8,602
- People arriving, from those returns17,220
- Tax returns filed by households leaving6,557
- Net household movement2,045
- Adjusted gross income arriving$661.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$215.4 m
- Average income of an arriving household$76,882
- Average income of a leaving household$68,006
- Largest single originEscambia County (1,732 households)
- Largest single destinationEscambia County (1,514 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Escambia County | 1,732 | 3,161 | $110.9 m |
| Okaloosa County | 849 | 1,519 | $46.5 m |
| Foreign - APO/FPO ZIPs | 195 | 542 | $14.0 m |
| San Diego County | 97 | 221 | $10.5 m |
| Leon County | 96 | 124 | $2.5 m |
| Baldwin County | 83 | 155 | $4.2 m |
| Nueces County | 64 | 79 | $3.7 m |
| El Paso County | 59 | 138 | $4.6 m |
Households arriving report $8,876 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Escambia County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Santa Rosa County
What is the Santa Rosa County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$7.90 bn
- County GDP, 2023$7.41 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.7 percent
- GDP change over five years48.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Florida areas BEA publishes32nd of 67
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes529th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$39,797
Output grew 6.7 percent in the latest year and 48.9 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Santa Rosa County
Employment by industry in Santa Rosa County
- Covered employment, annual average43,548
- Establishments reporting4,629
- Average annual pay$51,217
- Average weekly wage$985
- Retail trade, employment6,909
- Retail trade, average annual pay$32,974
- Accommodation and food services, employment6,388
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$25,529
- Health care and social assistance, employment5,511
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$61,031
- Construction, employment3,887
- Construction, average annual pay$58,799
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment2,876
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment1,911
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 6,909 | 483 | $32,974 |
| Accommodation and food services | 6,388 | 333 | $25,529 |
| Health care and social assistance | 5,511 | 536 | $61,031 |
| Construction | 3,887 | 676 | $58,799 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 2,876 | 340 | $56,065 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 1,911 | 611 | $83,890 |
| Other services, except public administration | 1,409 | 330 | $45,439 |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 1,180 | 340 | $51,738 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 6,909 jobs, 15.9 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Santa Rosa County
How many businesses are in Santa Rosa County?
- Establishments, all industries3,442
- Employment at those establishments32,335
- Annual payroll$1.34 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents17.3
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Santa Rosa County
Building permits in Santa Rosa County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20241,983
- Declared construction value permitted$554.3 m
- Single family units authorized1,851
- Multifamily units authorized132
- Multifamily share of units6.7 percent
- Average declared value per unit$279,533
- Units authorized per 1,000 households27.3
Single-family homes are 93.3 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Santa Rosa County
SBA loans in Santa Rosa County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded128
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$82.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$645,369
- Median 7(a) approval$257,000
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,882,400
- Largest single approval$4,615,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,326
- Jobs per approval10.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active48
- Distinct industries receiving approvals69
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer16.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms21
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter94
- Franchise loans26
- Franchise share of approvals20.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLimited-Service Restaurants (10)
- Most active lenderHancock Whitney Bank (12)
- 504 approvals recorded44
- 504 gross approval dollars$32.8 m
- Average 504 approval$746,455
- Median 504 approval$415,500
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval12.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved16.1
- Most active CDCFlorida First Capital Finance Corporation, Inc. (30)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$115.5 m
The average approval of $645,369 sits well above the median of $257,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 16.4 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Santa Rosa County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Santa Rosa County
Do SBA loans in Santa Rosa County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded24
- Paid in full24
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure77
- Status: Paid in full24
- Status: Cancelled21
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed6
Only 24 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Santa Rosa County
SBA lending by place in Santa Rosa County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending7
- Gulf Breeze, approvals39
- Milton, approvals37
- Navarre, approvals33
- Pace, approvals15
- Maitland, approvals2
- Pensacola Beach, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Gulf Breeze | 39 | $19,690,700 |
| Milton | 37 | $30,991,900 |
| Navarre | 33 | $22,252,800 |
| Pace | 15 | $9,008,200 |
| Maitland | 2 | $202,600 |
| Pensacola Beach | 1 | $411,000 |
| Jay | 1 | $50,000 |
Gulf Breeze accounts for 39 approvals against 37 in Milton. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Santa Rosa County
How large is Santa Rosa County?
- Land area1,012 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Florida counties16th of 67
- Width, east to west31.4 mi
- Height, north to south44.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land196
- Establishments per square mile3.40
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Santa Rosa County
Flood risk in Santa Rosa County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Santa Rosa County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 120274
- Community Rating System class of the county's own communityClass 5
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book4
- Of those, participating in the NFIP4
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 5
- Communities carrying a CRS class3
- Radon levels in Santa Rosa County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Santa Rosa County (community 120274), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries Community Rating System class 5, a flood insurance premium discount for policies written there. The EPA places Santa Rosa County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 5, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Santa Rosa County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Santa Rosa County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024198,472
- Households72,605
- Average household size2.73
- Median household income$91,922
- Median age40.1
Common questions
Santa Rosa County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Santa Rosa County, Florida?
The Census Bureau estimates 207,653 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 198,472, in 72,605 households, ranking 29th of 67 Florida counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Santa Rosa County's population growing?
The population has grown 10.45 percent since the 2020 census base of 187,998, to 207,653 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 1,986 births against 2,002 deaths, with net migration of 4,103. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Santa Rosa County?
$91,922. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $329,800, which is 3.6 times income, and median gross rent is $1,544 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Santa Rosa County?
3,442 establishments, employing 32,335 people with an annual payroll of $1.34 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Santa Rosa County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 6,909 jobs, 15.9 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 43,548 jobs at an average annual pay of $51,217, or $985 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Santa Rosa County?
128 7(a) approvals totaling $82.6 m since FY2020, across 48 lenders, with a median approval of $257,000, plus 44 504 approvals worth $32.8 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Santa Rosa County?
1,983 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $554.3 m. Multifamily was 6.7 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Santa Rosa County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Santa Rosa County come from?
The largest single origin is Escambia County, with 1,732 households. Arriving households report an average income of $76,882 against $68,006 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Santa Rosa County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Santa Rosa County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Santa Rosa County
Cities and places in Santa Rosa.
35 Census places lie wholly or partly in Santa Rosa County. All 35 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Navarre | CDP | 39,838 | 33 | Wholly in this county |
| Pace | CDP | 26,282 | 15 | Wholly in this county |
| Midway | CDP | 21,317 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| East Milton | CDP | 14,783 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Milton | city | 10,733 | 37 | Wholly in this county |
| Gulf Breeze | city | 6,660 | 39 | Wholly in this county |
| Bagdad | CDP | 4,466 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Wallace | CDP | 4,202 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Point Baker | CDP | 3,976 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Tiger Point | CDP | 3,628 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Pea Ridge | CDP | 3,560 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Woodlawn Beach | CDP | 3,414 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Holley | CDP | 2,487 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Oriole Beach | CDP | 2,005 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Navarre Beach | CDP | 1,558 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Allentown | CDP | 955 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Avalon | CDP | 886 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Jay | town | 796 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Chumuckla | CDP | 681 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Roeville | CDP | 629 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Whitfield | CDP | 599 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Garcon Point | CDP | 563 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Brownsdale | CDP | 378 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Harold | CDP | 368 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Springhill | CDP | 353 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mulat | CDP | 307 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Floridatown | CDP | 293 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Munson | CDP | 292 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mount Carmel | CDP | 280 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Pine Level | CDP | 248 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Berrydale | CDP | 185 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fidelis | CDP | 91 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Dickerson City | CDP | 76 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Dixonville | CDP | 57 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cobbtown | CDP | 26 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 3 of the county's 128 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Santa Rosa County, the largest being Maitland (2), Pensacola Beach (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.
Nearby