FLMap-doton-CocoaWest, 2004
Cocoa West’s story
Cocoa West in pictures
Census counts: 6,160 in 1990, 5,939 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1953 on.
Explore the history →Cocoa WestFL
A town of 5,923. Public schools that outperform most of Florida.
Population
5,923
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$159K
Census ACS
Household income
$34K
median
Median age
42.2
years
Jobs based here
1,478
A commuter town
TownGrade
C−
#430 of 634 in FL
Is Cocoa West a good place to live?
Cocoa West gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $159K for a typical one, or 2 years of the Palm Bay metro’s $78K median household income. It grades C− overall, 430th of 634 graded towns in Florida. The low prices come with trade-offs. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 98% of the country, and FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 88% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. 34% of residents live below the poverty line in Cocoa West, above both Florida’s towns (11%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 8 of the 638 Florida towns we compare have a lower median household income than Cocoa West.
What makes Cocoa West stand out
Where Cocoa West beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Cocoa West for work
Where Cocoa West’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,478jobs based in Cocoa West
2%of working residents work in town
22 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Cocoa West grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Cocoa West is from typical.
HealthCape Canaveral Hospital 8.3 miles awayD−Open →Hazard riskhurricanes tops the listDOpen →Jobs & income$34K median household incomeC−Open →SchoolsB+Open →Cost of livingBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 10.9 of 20; 6.4% of households have no car; 0.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 90° summer afternoons–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 42.2; 14% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 75 attractions →Windover Archaeological Site and 35 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Cocoa West. Close and well known come first.
13 mi Ancient siteWindover Archaeological Site
13 mi MuseumKennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
39 mi Stadium & arenaKia Center
31 mi Stadium & arenaAcrisure Bounce House
40 mi Stadium & arenaInter&Co Stadium
13 mi LandmarkSpace Mirror MemorialSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Windover Archaeological Site: ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex: Bill White, Public domain · Kia Center: 350z33 (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Acrisure Bounce House: DampFrijoles, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Inter&Co Stadium: Porsche997SBS, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Space Mirror Memorial: Seth Buckley, CC BY-SA 3.0
.jpg){kind=link}
_1.jpg){kind=link}
Getting set up
Moving to Cocoa West: who provides what
Cocoa West is unincorporated, so Brevard County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerFPL14.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Cocoa water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesBrevard CountyBrevard County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Florida you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereBrevard Supervisor of ElectionsBrevard County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2024
ZIP codes32926, 3292232926 72% · 32922 28%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 17, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Cocoa West.
Cocoa West trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns.
HealthD−
More of Cocoa West’s adults smoke cigarettes than in the typical Florida or U.S. town
Against the 1,116 U.S. towns with household incomes like Cocoa West’s, it is less healthy than 78%, so its D− isn’t only a matter of income.
22% of Cocoa West adults smoke cigarettes. Cocoa West beats the Florida average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 22. 36% of Cocoa West adults get no exercise outside work.
2%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
| Cocoa West | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 13% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 20% | 19% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
31 measures vs. Florida
1 better8 too close to call22 worse
| What stands out | Cocoa West | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.3% | 9.1% |
| More smokers | 21.6% | 12.4% |
Cape Canaveral Hospital
8.3 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
2nd
percentile among FL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB+
On state tests, Cocoa West’s schools beat 74% of Florida districts
Its public schools are run by the Brevard school district. Its one school is below.
74%of FL districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturn Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 619 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Very high risk in Cocoa West, with hurricanes at the top
Since 2008, 7 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Cocoa West.
88risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesInland flooding
7
paid flood claims since 2008
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Most of Cocoa West’s workers commute out: the town has 0.7 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Cocoa West for work: only 2% work in town. Since 2013, Cocoa West has added 298 jobs, to 1,478 in 2023. The top destinations are Cocoa (8%), Palm Bay (7%) and Melbourne (7%).
2%work in town
| Cocoa West | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.1% | 5% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Cocoa West2%
Cocoa8%
Palm Bay7%
Melbourne7%
Rockledge6%
22 mi
median commute distance
1,478
jobs based in Cocoa West
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 51% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Cocoa West, expect mild winters and hot summers
January nights average 52.2°, milder than in 99% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 90.3°.
Cocoa West has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The January low in Cocoa West is 52°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
90°summer high
| Cocoa West | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 52°F | 51°F | 22°F |
| July high | 90°F | 91°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter54–72°
Spring63–81°
Summer74–89°
Fall68–83°
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
90°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsD
Cocoa West has set aside 0.8% of its land for conservation
Just 20 of its 2,330 acres are conserved, so there is little public open land in Cocoa West itself; its outdoors grade is D.
0.0 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
0.8%conserved
0.8%
conserved · 20 of 2,330 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cocoa West Recreation Complex | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade B
Homes in Cocoa West sell for about $215K
Homes are within reach (B for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 22 miles. At 2 years of the Palm Bay metro’s $78K median household income, the typical home costs less against local pay than in 98% of Florida towns; that ratio is one input to its B for cost of living.
54% of households own their home in Cocoa West.
$215Kmedian sale price
| Cocoa West | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 54% | 72% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,162 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cocoa West
17pages on Cocoa West
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Cocoa West
About 2 of every 100 Cocoa West residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
About Cocoa West
CDP in Florida, United States
Cocoa West is a census-designated place (CDP) in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,939 at the 2020 census, up from 5,925 at the 2010 census. It is the closest place to Lake Poinsett and Canaveral Groves. Cocoa West is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 18 ft
- Area code
- 321
Cocoa West’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Cocoa West.
CocoaRockledgeCocoa West
How the neighbors grade
| Town | FL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cocoa West | #430 | C− | B | — | B+ | D− |
| Cocoa | #466 | C− | C+ | D | B+ | C |
| Rockledge | #181 | B− | C− | — | B+ | B+ |
Cocoa West and Rockledge report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Cocoa West with a neighbor →
Questions about Cocoa West
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Cocoa West, FL a good place to live?
Cocoa West grades C− overall, better than 23% of U.S. towns and #430 of 634 in Florida. It grades D− for health and B+ for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Cocoa West, FL expensive?
The typical home is worth about $159,000, 58% below the Florida typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.