Navarre, Santa Rosa County
- 2024 Population: 41,200
- Population Growth (2022-2023): 4.3%
- Average home price: $265,300
- Median rent: $2,198
- Average salary: $38,962
- Median household income: $90,139
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, ZipRecruiter, Zillow
The 16-county region of Northwest Florida, commonly known as the Panhandle, comprises 21% of the state’s total land area, but only 6% of its population.
What’s more, the Panhandle’s population density of 70 people per square mile is a mere fifth of the state’s average.
Despite its persistent “rural” reputation, the Florida Panhandle is a thriving region that’s enjoying a sustained growth spurt.
From Tallahassee to Pensacola, the region is studded with eight major military bases, a burgeoning aerospace industry, large tracts of rural agricultural land, four growing metropolitan centers and eight “saltwater” counties that attract millions of tourists who leave behind an economic impact in the tens of billions of dollars.
All of the above, coupled with an unemployment rate of just under 3%, have Northwest Florida’s population growing at a steady rate and on track to top 2 million-plus within the next five years.
And there’s no better example of this robust growth than the Navarre community in Santa Rosa County. Occupying the majority of south Santa Rosa County, Navarre’s current estimated population of 41,200 has increased by 7.7% since the 2020 U.S. Census.
In fact, if Navarre were to incorporate as a municipality, it would be the third-largest city in Northwest Florida, behind Tallahassee and Pensacola, but well ahead of Panama City and Fort Walton Beach.
What’s more, Navarre’s growth is spilling over into Navarre Beach, a small, four-mile strip of coastline that’s home to condominiums, hotels and restaurants as well as residential neighborhoods.
Santa Rosa County Commissioner Ray Eddington, whose District 4 encompasses Navarre Beach, says he’s concerned about adding more residential developments on the already-crowded island beach community.
“I don’t like it,” Eddington says. “We don’t need to keep building on that beach, but when something (residential building permits) was approved some years ago, there’s nothing you can do.”
Navarre’s spirited growth is mirrored in north Santa Rosa County by Pace, a rapidly growing bedroom community near Pensacola with an estimated 2024 population of 25,657, a 34.3% increase since the 2020 census.
Santa Rosa county commissioners earlier this year approved plans for more than 1,000 new homes in the Navarre and Pace areas, with more to come in 2025.
This rapid growth, at least by Northwest Florida standards, frequently raises the question of whether incorporation of either Navarre or Pace is becoming necessary to better finance and manage essential public services.
A recent incorporation effort dubbed Preserve Navarre, led by Air Force veteran Wes Siler, has gained a number of supporters, but the effort has sputtered recently in the face of vigorous opposition. However, Siler and Preserve Navarre supporters haven’t given up on the incorporation effort.
“Think of it like football,” says Siler. “At halftime, you review tactics, make adjustments, and try to come out with new energy and better effort. That’s what we’ve got to do now.”