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Living in
Melbourne.
About
Life in Melbourne
Melbourne offers a more stable, established feel than typical Florida boom towns, thanks to its deep roots in aerospace and defense contracting. Major employers like L3Harris, Northrop Grumman, and Leonardo DRS anchor a job market tilted toward engineering and technical roles, which helps keep unemployment low and median household income reasonably healthy at $66,991. The real trade-off is climate and weather: summers are genuinely hot and wet, with thunderstorms nearly daily from May through October and an annual rainfall average of 51 inches.
Melbourne at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
42.5 yrs
Poverty Rate
15.8%
Foreign-Born
10.4%
Broadband Internet
90.4%
of households
Population Growth
+2.8%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics10.4% foreign-born, most often from Jamaica
Who lives in Melbourne: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Melbourne, the largest foreign-born group is from Jamaica (8.3%), and 7.6% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
17.6%
of residents
65 and Older
22.5%
of residents
Households with Kids
22.1%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
36.7%
of households
Married Couples
36.2%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.24
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent 9% below FL average
Rent, home values, and income in Melbourne
In Melbourne, rent runs 9% below the FL average, and home values are 15% below the FL average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
54.2%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
28.8%
spending 50%+
Cost of Living Index
100.0
metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100
Median Property Tax
$2,075
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
59.7%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1985
median year built
Vacant Homes
10.1%
of housing units
Home Value Trend
Latest: $357,832 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment about average for FL
Unemployment in Melbourne
Unemployment in Melbourne is close to the FL average.
Unemployment rate
City-level rate · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
City-level (BLS) · Annual averages
What Melbourne Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Commute22.8 min avg
How Melbourne residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Melbourne, most residents drive alone to work (72%), and 73% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 3 mi
Melbourne Orlando International Airport (MLB)
Regional airport · few flights313k passengers boarded in 2025
- 49 mi
Orlando International Airport (MCO)
Major hub28.0M passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 37% above national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in Melbourne runs 37% above the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
452.4
per 100,000 residents
Above average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
1,830.1
per 100,000 residents
Above average (1,552 national, 2025)
Melbourne Police Department
Natural DisastersThunderstorm Wind most common — 15 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively High
98.4 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Brevard County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Brevard County, which includes Melbourne, the most common type is thunderstorm wind, with 15 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 15 | Thunderstorm Wind | $10.7M |
| 2024 | 13 | Thunderstorm Wind | $3.4M |
| 2023 | 31 | Thunderstorm Wind | $506,100 |
| 2022 | 23 | Thunderstorm Wind | $7.5M |
| 2021 | 8 | Thunderstorm Wind | $5,000 |
| 2020 | 10 | Thunderstorm Wind | None reported |
| 2019 | 11 | Thunderstorm Wind | $12,000 |
| 2018 | 18 | Thunderstorm Wind | $1,000 |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
1 earthquake of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Brevard County, county-wide
Air Quality38 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Brevard County, which includes Melbourne, is typically good — 333 good-air days per year.
Median AQI
38
Good Days
333
per year
Moderate Days
32
per year
Unhealthy Days
0
per year
Brevard County, county-wide
Climate90°F summers, 52°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Melbourne has hot summers (avg high 90°F) and warm winters (avg low 52°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
82°/62°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
90°/73°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
84°/67°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
74°/52°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
55.3"
Annual Snowfall
0.0"
Hot Days/Year
76
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
2
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
126
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 72°F | 51°F | 2.77" |
| Feb | 75°F | 53°F | 2.28" |
| Mar | 78°F | 56°F | 2.93" |
| Apr | 82°F | 61°F | 2.53" |
| May | 86°F | 67°F | 3.82" |
| Jun | 89°F | 72°F | 7.52" |
| Jul | 91°F | 73°F | 6.81" |
| Aug | 91°F | 73°F | 7.49" |
| Sep | 89°F | 73°F | 8.55" |
| Oct | 84°F | 68°F | 5.28" |
| Nov | 79°F | 60°F | 2.57" |
| Dec | 74°F | 54°F | 2.73" |
Healthcare3 hospitals, avg 3.5/5
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Melbourne
Melbourne has 3 hospitals, averaging 3.5 out of 5 on CMS's quality rating.
Hospitals
3
within city limits
Uninsured
9.8%
of residents
Avg Hospital Rating
3.5 / 5
Holmes Regional Medical Center
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available
Orlando Health Melbourne Hospital
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available
Circles of Care, Inc.
Psychiatric
Nearby hospitals · within 15 miles
Palm Bay Hospital
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 8.2 mi away · Palm Bay
Viera Hospital
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 9.1 mi away · Melbourne
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education16.9:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Melbourne
Melbourne's student/teacher ratio is 16.9:1 (higher than the national average of 16:1), and 34.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
15
within city limits
Private Schools
13
within city limits
College Degree Rate
34.7%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
16.9:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Colleges & Universities in Melbourne
Public · 2-year · 10,490 students · in-state tuition $2,496 · 46% graduate · median earnings $42,223 (10 yrs after entry)
Florida Institute of Technology
Private nonprofit · 4-year · 3,404 students · in-state tuition $46,669 · 58% graduate · median earnings $50,557 (10 yrs after entry)
Degree-granting colleges with 100+ students, placed by campus location (main campuses only — branch campuses are reported under their parent school)
Parks & Recreationclosest: Canaveral National Seashore, 47 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Melbourne
Melbourne has 1 nearby national park or recreation area, closest being Canaveral National Seashore (47 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Canaveral National Seashore
National Seashore
47 mi awayPublic Libraries in Melbourne
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library
955 East University Blvd., Melbourne
Eau Gallie Public Library
1521 Pineapple Avenue, Melbourne
Melbourne Public Library
540 East Fee Avenue, Melbourne
Cities Near Melbourne
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Melbourne?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Melbourne FAQ
Is Melbourne, Florida affordable?⌄
Melbourne's median rent is $1,525/month, which is close to the national average. The median household income is $66,991/year. Median home value is $306,400.
Is Melbourne, Florida safe?⌄
Melbourne's violent crime rate was 452 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is above the national average of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 1830 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Melbourne, Florida?⌄
Melbourne has an unemployment rate of 4.1%, which is close to the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Melbourne, Florida?⌄
The cost of living in Melbourne is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $1,525/month and median household income is $66,991/year. The median home value is $306,400. About 54% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Melbourne, Florida?⌄
The average commute in Melbourne is 23 minutes, which is about average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from