Palm Bay vs West Melbourne
Palm Bay, 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.
West Melbourne edges out Palm Bay on overall objective livability (58 vs 54 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Palm Bay | West Melbourne |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $63k | $86k |
| Cost of Living | $51k | $50k |
| Home Value | $226k | $306k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.64% | 0.71% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 4.63% | 4.81% |
| Unemployment | 5.7% | 4.9% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 62°F | 62°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 82°F | 82°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 57.2 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 | 145 days | 149 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 86.2 | 84.2 |
| Air Quality | 39 AQI | 40 AQI |
| School Quality | 33.0 | 33.0 |
| Violent Crime | 1857/100k | 746/100k |
| Property Crime | 985/100k | 1338/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 121,513 | 26,762 |
| Median Age | 41.8 | 40.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.55 | 0.40 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.97 | 1.00 |
| Political Leaning | R+22 | R+17 |
| White (%) | 55.4% | 70.7% |
| Black (%) | 17.0% | 3.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 18.2% | 14.4% |
| Asian (%) | 2.1% | 5.8% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 7.2% | 5.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 27 min | 23 min |
| Walkability | 7.0/20 | 9.3/20 |
| Airport Distance | 53 mi | 46 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 91.0% | 91.1% |
| Amenities Nearby | 4.11 | 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 Palm Bay or West Melbourne more affordable?
- West Melbourne has the lower cost of living: its index is $50k, compared with Palm Bay's $51k and West Melbourne's $50k. Median rent is $1k in Palm Bay versus $2k in West Melbourne.
- Is Palm Bay or West Melbourne safer?
- West Melbourne has the lower violent crime rate. Palm Bay reports 1857/100k and West Melbourne reports 746/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Palm Bay or West Melbourne?
- The median home value is $226k in Palm Bay and $306k in West Melbourne, so homes are more affordable in Palm Bay.