Santa Rosa County, Florida

N estled within Florida’s northwest region is gorgeous Santa Rosa County. Known as the state’s ‘Most Relaxing Place,’ it’s a popular tourist destination – whether for a luxurious beach vacation along the Gulf Islands National Seashore or for an adventurous getaway in the Blackwater River State Forest. The county’s close proximity to crystal clear waters, magnificent wilderness, and boutique shopping also makes it the ideal place to call home. The area is currently growing and expanding at an unprecedented pace. County Administrator Dan Schebler reports, “Florida’s population is growing and so is ours. We’re anxiously awaiting the census numbers. We’ve averaged about 3,500 people every year for the last 10 years. Our population projections from the Bureau of Economics & Business Research (BEBR) is about 185,000.” He believes Santa Rosa’s high quality of life is a major contributing factor. “It’s about the cost of living, good schools, and nature. We have 1,100-square-miles of area, everything from Gulf Coast beaches to agricultural farmland on the inland. There are lots of different opportunities. If you want to live in a high-rise beach condo you can, if you want to live on a 10-acre farm, you can do that too.” AT A GLANCE SANTA ROSA COUNTY, FLORIDA WHAT: A modern growing collection of communities; population 185,000 WHERE: Northwestern Florida WEBSITE: www.santarosa.fl.gov unty, Florida Something for everyone