Merritt Island vs West Melbourne
Merritt Island, Florida versus West Melbourne, Florida: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Merritt Island and West Melbourne score about the same overall (58 vs 58 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Merritt Island | West Melbourne |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $82k | $86k |
| Cost of Living | $50k | $50k |
| Home Value | $351k | $306k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.70% | 0.71% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 5.29% | 4.81% |
| Unemployment | 4.2% | 4.9% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 61°F | 62°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 82°F | 82°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 55.8 in | 55.1 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 272 days | 272 days |
| Summer Humidity | 74°F | 74°F |
| Comfortable Days | 152 days | 149 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 91.7 | 84.2 |
| Air Quality | 41 AQI | 40 AQI |
| School Quality | 33.0 | 33.0 |
| Violent Crime | — | 746/100k |
| Property Crime | — | 1338/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 34,300 | 26,762 |
| Median Age | 50.2 | 40.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.23 | 0.40 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.01 | 1.00 |
| Political Leaning | R+17 | R+17 |
| White (%) | 82.9% | 70.7% |
| Black (%) | 2.5% | 3.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 7.1% | 14.4% |
| Asian (%) | 3.0% | 5.8% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.5% | 5.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 25 min | 23 min |
| Walkability | 10.8/20 | 9.3/20 |
| Airport Distance | 41 mi | 46 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.8% | 91.1% |
| Amenities Nearby | 44.31 | 82.21 |
| 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 Merritt Island or West Melbourne more affordable?
- West Melbourne has the lower cost of living: its index is $50k, compared with Merritt Island's $50k and West Melbourne's $50k. Median rent is $1k in Merritt Island versus $2k in West Melbourne.
- Are homes cheaper in Merritt Island or West Melbourne?
- The median home value is $351k in Merritt Island and $306k in West Melbourne, so homes are more affordable in West Melbourne.