i checked house prices, lot size and what basic online info i could find:
tell me what i'm missing from online searches.  

also, after checking flood plain maps, i have an idea of where not to look; what else impacts selecting
a neighborhood for minimizing hurricane damage (type of construction of house?)
i know it goes where it goes, and you can't avoid the wind & drenching rain at that point

moving would be in 2-3 years after retirement (in Tx); looking for opportunities to fish (fresh & salt), beach life
and as a jump off point for traveling east coast in RV; am retired married vet if that matters.
also may be looking for places to hunt.

thanks in advance

Milton is in Santa Rosa county.  Chicago politicians aspire to reach the level of corruption that Santa Rosa county has.
People are friendly, property is reasonable, has pretty much everything you will need, short drive to Pensacola, you can hunt on Eglin AFB along 87, short drive to the beach, easy access to I-10.

I live between Milton  and FWB.  I spend a lot of time in each.

I lived in Milton for 15 years after moving from Navarre.  I sold the house in Milton last year and moved back to Navarre. I lived off Avalon Blvd and really liked it. Was close to the interstate so I could be in Pensacola in 10 mins. I was also close to everything in Pace, which was nice.
It’s gotten more populated now, as everywhere has, and it shows with new neighborhoods and increased traffic. I prefer the Milton area over Navarre and I’d stil be in Milton if my wife didn’t want to move.

I lived in the Moors and didn’t have any issues with flooding or hurricane problems, other that normal trees down, shingles missing, etc.  With so many new neighborhoods popping up drainage issues have become a problem in some areas.

As stated in the post above me, the county commissioners are a joke and corrupt.  The decisions they make are for personal and political gain, which are usually stupid decisions.  They are clowns.  But overall the county itself is a good place to live.  Low crime, most problems stay in Pensacola.

I currently live in Milton, was in Crestview and then Niceville for a bit. We love Milton,  we live probably in what's considered the hood area, but it's all good country people, no crime issues and everyone talks and helps each other out around here. Location is good working on Pensacola, and you have a few ways to detour around frequent wrecks on 98.

Thanks for the reply’s

Lemme add, and this obviously isn't for everyone, or a moving decision maker, but if your a bar person, or drinkers at all, be aware Santa Rosa was like the last dry county to go wet a few years ago. Outside of one or two bars there's no hard liquor bars besides chains and restaurants in Milton. Almost all bars are malt alcohol and beer only.

Only reason I mention it is when we moved a bunch of friends helped and we were gonna take them out after, had to go to like 5 different locations to find whiskey..,...

We have 4 seasons here. Winter is usually short with a long summer.  Milton is colder in the winter and hotter in the summer than cities on the Gulf, like Navarre, FWB, Destin.  In Milton you can go east or west on I 10 or FL 90.  On the coast your only choice is 98.  One bad accident can close 98 for hours.

Ranked 16th in school districts in FL, Escambia is like 58. Crime is lower, property taxes are lower, property values are lower. I know a ton of people who have moved over there, they are happy.

I like being close to the airport and I don’t feel like moving all my shit, but IMHO Milton is light years better than Pensacola.