Moving to
Melbourne.

All Melbourne data Compare Melbourne

86,576people live here $66,991median household income▼ 17% below US $1,525median rent per monthNear US average $306,400median home valueNear US average

What it's like to live in Melbourne

Melbourne is a smaller city in Florida with commutes that run shorter than most cities, air quality that stays clean most of the year, several well-rated hospitals, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Melbourne deals with household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, and hot summers.

The good

Short commutes
Clean air
Several well-rated hospitals
Average class sizes

The not so good

Below-average household incomes
Crime above national average
High rent burden for renters
Hot summers
Above-average rainfall

How Melbourne compares

Median household income

Melbourne$66,991

Florida avg$74,568

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Melbourne$1,525

Florida avg$1,669

US$1,413

Median home value

Melbourne$306,400

Florida avg$359,000

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Melbourne

Based on Melbourne's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$3,050

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $61,000 a year
54% of Melbourne renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$61,280

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $30,640
Homes cost 4.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of livingNear US average

$1,525/mo median rent

Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,525 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $306,400. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.

Median home value $306,400 · 54% of renters cost-burdened

Job marketNear US average

4.1% unemployment

Unemployment here is 4.1%, close to the national average of 4.3%.

City-level (BLS)

Safety▲ 37% above US

452 violent crimes per 100k

Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.

Property crime 1830/100k · Melbourne Police Department · 2025 data

Getting around▼ 12% below US

23 min average commute

Commutes are reasonable, averaging 22.8 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 14% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

72%

Work from home

14%

Carpool

7.4%

Walk

3.0%

Other

2.4%

Public transit

1.1%

Climate

Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 90°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 52°F. It's a wet climate overall.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Healthcare

3 hospitals

There are 3 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 3.5 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.

Medicare-certified hospitals

Education & workforceNear US average

35% bachelor's degree or higher

Education levels run about average, with 35% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.

Schools

15 public schools inside the boundary

There are 15 public schools inside the boundary and 13 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, close to the national average of 16:1.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Canaveral National Seashore (47 miles away).

Bottom line

Melbourne's strongest points are commutes that run shorter than most cities and air quality that stays clean most of the year; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,525/mo) equals 27% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. Whether it fits comes down to the specifics: the neighborhood, the job, and what matters most in the move.

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