ZIP Code 32542 — Valparaiso city, FL Demographics & Data

ZIP code 32542 covers Valparaiso, FL in Okaloosa County with a population of about 3,917.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 22.8 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area codes 448, 850; U.S. House district FL-1; the MOBILE - PENSACOLA (FT WALT) media market.

Valparaiso, FL reads as a military / base-oriented community on US5’s intent model (elevated veteran share (28.8%) and/or base-related place names). Service members and families often look up Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rates, on-base mail (PSC / P.O. Box) addresses, and nearby ZIP demographics when relocating.

US5 shows 2026 DoD BAH locality rates for this ZIP’s Military Housing Area on this page (pay grade × with/without dependents). Treat the table as a planning reference and confirm entitlement with your finance office or the official DTMO BAH lookup.

Median household income in ZIP 32542 is about $69,286 — about 8% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 4.5%; unemployment rate near 3.6%; 34.9% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 1.2 points above the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Public administration, Food services, and Healthcare; about 3.2% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 12.0 points below the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $1,856 (about 60% above the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 0.0% (about 65.4 points below the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Valparaiso city, FL as Relatively Moderate (composite score 92.5), which is among the highest nationally. The strongest component scores on US5 are hurricane (98.1) and flood (80.4). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Valparaiso city, FL show little to no average snow and around 73.4 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 175 for ZIP 32542 (Valparaiso city, FL) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.