Melbourne vs Palm Bay
Melbourne, Florida versus Palm Bay, Florida: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Melbourne edges out Palm Bay on overall objective livability (62 vs 54 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Melbourne | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $61k | $63k |
| Cost of Living | $50k | $51k |
| Home Value | $247k | $226k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.73% | 0.64% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 5.29% | 4.63% |
| Unemployment | 4.6% | 5.7% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 62°F | 62°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 82°F | 82°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 55.3 in | 57.2 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 272 days | 272 days |
| Summer Humidity | 74°F | 74°F |
| Comfortable Days | 149 days | 145 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 80.8 | 86.2 |
| Air Quality | 40 AQI | 39 AQI |
| School Quality | 33.0 | 33.0 |
| Violent Crime | 0/100k | 1857/100k |
| Property Crime | 0/100k | 985/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 84,982 | 121,513 |
| Median Age | 42.4 | 41.8 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.40 | 0.55 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.96 | 0.97 |
| Political Leaning | R+17 | R+22 |
| White (%) | 69.5% | 55.4% |
| Black (%) | 10.1% | 17.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 12.0% | 18.2% |
| Asian (%) | 3.2% | 2.1% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.2% | 7.2% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 23 min | 27 min |
| Walkability | 12.5/20 | 7.0/20 |
| Airport Distance | 45 mi | 53 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 88.5% | 91.0% |
| Amenities Nearby | 26.24 | 4.11 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Melbourne or Palm Bay more affordable?
- Melbourne has the lower cost of living: its index is $50k, compared with Melbourne's $50k and Palm Bay's $51k. Median rent is $1k in Melbourne versus $1k in Palm Bay.
- Is Melbourne or Palm Bay safer?
- Melbourne has the lower violent crime rate. Melbourne reports 0/100k and Palm Bay reports 1857/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Melbourne or Palm Bay?
- The median home value is $247k in Melbourne and $226k in Palm Bay, so homes are more affordable in Palm Bay.