Living in Northwest Florida
Niceville, Florida is a hometown community just north of Destin beaches via the Mid-Bay Bridge, halfway between Pensacola and Panama City, Florida. This area of northwest Florida, referred to as “the Panhandle,” includes freshwater creeks, brackish bays and bayous, and the salty Gulf of Mexico, providing for many outdoor activities in, on, and underwater.
What’s nearby?
- A+ rated elementary, middle, and high schools
- Northwest Florida State College
- Eglin Air Force Base
- Twin Cities Hospital
- Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS)
- White sandy beaches, waterways
- Resort communities
- Shopping and dining
- Interstate 10 (Crestview)
“Best Place to Raise Kids in Florida”
- Bloomberg Businessweek, 2012
#1 of 10 Best Places to Live in Florida
- SmartTravel.Tips, 2016
#2 Best Small Towns to Live in Florida
- Ron Stack, 2020
#14 of Florida’s Safest Cities
- National Council for Home Safety & Security, 2021
Okaloosa County School District was 1 of 38 schools in the world to be named a Cognia System of Distinction for 2022
- Cognia, Schools and Systems of Distinction, 2022
Niceville High School lands in U.S. News' top 50 of Florida's 'best' high schools
- Northwest Florida Daily News, 2021
Arts & Culture
The residents of the greater Niceville area are patrons of many local and regional cultural amenities. These include The Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida, the Mattie Kelly Arts Center at Northwest Florida State College and the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra.
For sports fans, the nearby Northwest Florida State College Raiders compete in the Panhandle Conference of Florida State College Activities Association. The NWFSC baseball and basketball teams have Junior College National Championship titles and have produced multiple MLB and NBA players.