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Living in
Palm Bay.
About
Life in Palm Bay
This is a sprawling, car-dependent city on Florida's Space Coast where you're getting serious growth and affordability compared to most of Florida, but you need to be realistic about what daily life actually looks like. Housing is genuinely reasonable by Florida standards (median home around $283,000, median rent around $1,601), and median household income sits at $72,614, which gives you real breathing room if you're coming from an expensive market. The summers are genuinely brutal—hot, humid, relentless—and you'll spend half the year managing that heat and afternoon thunderstorms; winters are mild and pleasant, but they're short.
Palm Bay at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
41.0 yrs
Poverty Rate
11.7%
Foreign-Born
16.0%
Broadband Internet
92.8%
of households
Population Growth
+23.7%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics16.0% foreign-born, most often from Jamaica
Who lives in Palm Bay: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Palm Bay, the largest foreign-born group is from Jamaica (24.1%), and 12.9% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
22.1%
of residents
65 and Older
19.0%
of residents
Households with Kids
32.1%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
24.4%
of households
Married Couples
49.1%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.82
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 about average for FL
Rent, home values, and income in Palm Bay
In Palm Bay, home values are 21% below the FL average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
55.1%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
35.4%
spending 50%+
Cost of Living Index
100.0
metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100
Median Property Tax
$1,726
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
79.7%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1993
median year built
Vacant Homes
8.6%
of housing units
Home Value Trend
Latest: $303,347 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment 0.4 pts above FL average
Unemployment in Palm Bay
Unemployment in Palm Bay is 0.4 percentage points higher than the FL average.
Unemployment rate
City-level rate · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
City-level (BLS) · Annual averages
What Palm Bay Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Commute27.8 min avg
How Palm Bay residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Palm Bay, most residents drive alone to work (75%), and 56% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 7 mi
Melbourne Orlando International Airport (MLB)
Regional airport · few flights313k passengers boarded in 2025
- 51 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 17% below national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in Palm Bay runs 17% below the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
274.8
per 100,000 residents
Below average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
836
per 100,000 residents
Below average (1,552 national, 2025)
Palm Bay 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 Palm Bay, 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 Palm Bay, 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
Climate91°F summers, 51°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Palm Bay has hot summers (avg high 91°F) and warm winters (avg low 51°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
83°/60°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
91°/72°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
84°/66°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
74°/51°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
60.0"
Annual Snowfall
0.0"
Hot Days/Year
102
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
1
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
145
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 73°F | 49°F | 2.64" |
| Feb | 75°F | 52°F | 2.42" |
| Mar | 79°F | 55°F | 3.04" |
| Apr | 83°F | 60°F | 2.81" |
| May | 87°F | 65°F | 4.37" |
| Jun | 90°F | 71°F | 7.62" |
| Jul | 91°F | 73°F | 6.58" |
| Aug | 92°F | 73°F | 7.11" |
| Sep | 89°F | 72°F | 7.95" |
| Oct | 85°F | 67°F | 5.60" |
| Nov | 79°F | 59°F | 2.95" |
| Dec | 75°F | 52°F | 2.46" |
Healthcare1 hospital, avg 3.0/5
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Palm Bay
Palm Bay has 1 hospital, averaging 3.0 out of 5 on CMS's quality rating.
Hospitals
1
within city limits
Uninsured
12.8%
of residents
Avg Hospital Rating
3.0 / 5
Palm Bay Hospital
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available
Nearby hospitals · within 15 miles
Holmes Regional Medical Center
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 9.2 mi away · Melbourne
Circles of Care, Inc.
Psychiatric · 9.2 mi away · Melbourne
Orlando Health Melbourne Hospital
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 10.2 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.
Education17.6:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Palm Bay
Palm Bay's student/teacher ratio is 17.6:1 (higher than the national average of 16:1), and 24.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
19
within city limits
Private Schools
6
within city limits
College Degree Rate
24.0%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
17.6:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Colleges Near Palm Bay (within 15 miles)
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
7.6 mi awayPrivate 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, 57 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Palm Bay
Palm Bay has 1 nearby national park or recreation area, closest being Canaveral National Seashore (57 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Canaveral National Seashore
National Seashore
57 mi awayPublic Libraries in Palm Bay
Franklin T. Degroodt Memorial Library
6475 Minton Rd. Sw, Palm Bay
Palm Bay Public Library
1520 Port Malabar Blvd. Ne, Palm Bay
Cities Near Palm Bay
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Palm Bay?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Palm Bay FAQ
Is Palm Bay, Florida affordable?⌄
Palm Bay's median rent is $1,601/month, which is close to the national average. The median household income is $72,614/year. Median home value is $283,200.
Is Palm Bay, Florida safe?⌄
Palm Bay's violent crime rate was 275 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is below the national average of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 836 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Palm Bay, Florida?⌄
Palm Bay has an unemployment rate of 4.3%, which is close to the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Palm Bay, Florida?⌄
The cost of living in Palm Bay is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $1,601/month and median household income is $72,614/year. The median home value is $283,200. About 55% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Palm Bay, Florida?⌄
The average commute in Palm Bay is 28 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