Home internet in Okaloosa, Walton, Santa Rosa and Bay: Census numbers before GTA VI
About 93% of households in Okaloosa, Walton, Santa Rosa and Bay counties have a broadband subscription of some kind, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates for 2020-2024. The difference is in the type of connection: Okaloosa County has the highest share of homes on cable, fiber or DSL, at 81.2%, while Walton County is lowest at 73.5%. Bay County has the most homes that rely only on a cellphone data plan, 14.5%, and Walton has the most on satellite, 9.2%.
That matters for big downloads such as Grand Theft Auto VI, which launches Nov. 19, 2026, with preloading from Nov. 12, per Rockstar Games.
Which Emerald Coast county has the best home internet?
| County | Households | Any broadband | Cable, fiber or DSL | Cellular only | Satellite | No internet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Okaloosa County | 85,411 | 93.2% | 81.2% | 9.5% | 4.6% | 4.3% |
| Walton County | 34,362 | 92.5% | 73.5% | 12.8% | 9.2% | 3.9% |
| Santa Rosa County | 72,605 | 93.7% | 79.4% | 9.5% | 7.3% | 5.2% |
| Bay County | 78,778 | 92.8% | 74.4% | 14.5% | 5.4% | 4.7% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimates 2020-2024, table B28002.
Santa Rosa County has the highest share of homes with no internet at all, 5.2%, followed by Bay at 4.7%, Okaloosa at 4.3% and Walton at 3.9%, per the same Census table.
Where do homes rely on cellphone data or satellite?
Bay County leads in cellular-only homes at 14.5%, about 1 in 7 households, followed by Walton at 12.8%. Okaloosa and Santa Rosa are both at 9.5%. Satellite is most common in Walton County, at 9.2% of households, and in Santa Rosa, at 7.3%, per the Census estimates. Satellite and cellphone plans often carry data limits, which matter for game downloads.
How long does a big game download take?
Rockstar Games launches Grand Theft Auto VI on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2026, and opens preloading Nov. 12, according to the Rockstar Store, which sells the boxed copy as a Code-in-Box with a download code instead of a disc. Rockstar had not published the download size as of Nov. 3, 2026.
At full speed, every 100 gigabytes takes:
| Speed | Time per 100 GB |
|---|---|
| 25 Mbps | about 8 hours 53 minutes |
| 100 Mbps | about 2 hours 13 minutes |
| 300 Mbps | about 44 minutes |
| 1,000 Mbps | about 13 minutes |
The math is size in gigabytes times 8,000, divided by speed in megabits per second, which gives seconds. Real downloads are usually slower, because Wi-Fi, other devices in the house and the store’s servers all take a share. On a cellphone-only plan, check your plan’s data limit first: a download that size can use a month’s data or more.
How were these internet numbers measured?
The figures are from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 5-year estimates for 2020-2024, table B28002, which asks households what kind of internet subscription they have. Five-year estimates average answers collected over those years, so they describe the typical picture, not a single month. A household can have more than one type of service, so the columns do not add up to 100%. The Census Bureau publishes a margin of error with every estimate, and it is wider in small towns than in whole counties.
“Cable, fiber or DSL” means a wired home connection. “Cellular only” means the household’s only subscription is a cellphone data plan. “No internet” means no subscription and no access at home.
Is your internet different from these numbers?
Census estimates cover years of answers, and service changes street by street. If your town’s internet is faster, slower or newly available, tell us your town and provider through the Gaming page’s reader form. We publish what readers report under Reader reports, apart from the official figures, and never with your name or address.
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Questions and answers
- What share of Okaloosa County homes have cable, fiber or DSL internet?
- 81.2% of Okaloosa County's 85,411 households, according to U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020-2024.
- How long does a 100 GB game download take at 100 Mbps?
- About 2 hours 13 minutes at full speed: 100 gigabytes times 8,000, divided by 100 megabits per second, is 8,000 seconds. Real downloads are often slower.
- When can I preload GTA VI?
- Preloading opens Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026, a week before the Nov. 19 launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, according to Rockstar Games.
- Where do these internet numbers come from?
- From the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020-2024, table B28002, which counts households by type of internet subscription.