FLMap-doton-Malabar, 2004
Malabar’s story
143 years in pictures
Census counts: 634 in 1970, 2,949 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1949 on.
- 1883Malabar is settled
Population
3,175
2025 Census estimate · +7.7% since 2020
Typical home
$536K
+2.9% in a year
Household income
$129K
median
Median age
53.1
years
Jobs based here
1,089
Balanced
TownGrade
A−
#16 of 634 in FL
What should you know before moving to Malabar?
Malabar's standout: it has 24 miles of trail. Overall it grades A−, 16th among Florida's 634 graded towns. The median household earns $129K. Its weakest subject is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 91% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. Malabar’s trail density is 1.8 miles per square mile, where Florida’s towns sit at 0.4 and U.S. towns at 0.4. On civic life, just 9 of Florida’s 327 towns do better. Jordan Scrub Sanctuary, at 755 acres with 5.3 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
What makes Malabar stand out
Where Malabar beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Malabar4.7
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical FL town3.3
Civic lifeA−
41% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Florida town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Worth knowing · Natural hazardsD
Hurricanes and inland flooding at the top
FEMA National Risk Index.
Get outside
24 miles of trails in Malabar
16.8% of the town is conserved land, across 7 parks and preserves.
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
How Malabar grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Malabar is from typical.
Hazard riskhurricanes tops the listDOpen →Jobs & incomeAOpen →SchoolsBeat 74% of Florida districts on tests and graduationB+Open →HealthPalm Bay Hospital 1.9 miles awayB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.7 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 0.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $536K, 6.8 years of the Palm Bay metro’s $78K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors17% conserved landA+Open →HistoryDOpen →Civic life4.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 89° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives here40% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Malabar: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Malabar, and how to reach them.
PowerFPL14.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Palm Bay water system2 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpTown’s haulerWaste Pro USA picks up at the curb for every homeTown site
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 code3295032950 100%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 Malabar.
Malabar has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns and is one of Florida’s best towns for the outdoors, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Florida.
OutdoorsA+
Conserved land covers 16.8% of Malabar
Its A+ for the outdoors ranks #18 of 638 in Florida.
#27for trails in FL
16.8%
conserved · 1,426 of 8,476 acres
24 mi
of trails · 1.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Malabar Scrub Sanctuary | 7.8 mi | 399 |
| 2. Jordan Scrub Sanctuary | 5.3 mi | 755 |
| 3. Malabar Scrub Sanctuary West | 4.9 mi | 185 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Malabar faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by hurricanes
Since 2004, 14 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Malabar.
91risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesInland floodingWildfire
14
paid flood claims since 2004
13
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade B−
A larger share of households own their home in Malabar than in most of Florida or the rest of the country
At 6.8 years of the Palm Bay metro’s $78K median household income, the typical home (about $536K) costs more against local pay than in 81% of Florida towns; that ratio is one input to its B− for cost of living.
99% of households own their home in Malabar, above both Florida’s towns (72%) and U.S. towns (73%). The typical Malabar home is worth about $536,000, up 2.9% in a year, 43% above the Florida typical home.
$536KZillow home value
Typical home value
Malabar$536K
Florida$375K
+2.9%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthB+
Malabar ranks healthier than 73% of the country’s towns
Its widest gap with Florida is no health insurance: 8.3% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 15.9% statewide. Against the 4,685 U.S. towns with household incomes like Malabar’s, it is less healthy than 69%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
Malabar beats the Florida average on 10 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 15% of adults report frequent mental distress in Malabar.
73%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Malabar | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 25% | 25% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 9.3% | 15% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 35% |
31 measures vs. Florida
10 better19 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Malabar | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 8.3% | 15.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.3% | 16.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.8% | 9.1% |
Palm Bay Hospital
1.9 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
70th
percentile among FL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Who lives here
More middle-aged adults than Florida overall
The median household earns $128,698, against $74,568 across Florida, one input to its A for jobs and income.
Adults 35 to 64 are 49% of residents (38% statewide); children under 18 are 15% of residents (20% statewide). The median age in Malabar is 53.1 years. Malabar has grown 7.7% since 2020, to 3,175 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
53.1median age · FL 42.6
| Malabar | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 53.1 years | 42.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 40% | 31% | 29% |
MalabarFloridaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
25%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma4%
High school20%
Some college23%
Associate’s13%
Bachelor’s16%
Graduate24%
Women and men · all residents
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.6 points. Across Florida, 50.9% of residents are women.
| Malabar | FL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 5.2% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.8% | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 5.9% | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.9% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.6% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 25.4% | 13.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.9% | 11.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.3% | 9.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.3% | 10.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 20.3% | 27.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.6% | 18.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.8% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.6% | 21.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 24.4% | 12.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,200, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Malabar
January nights average 53.7°, milder than in 99% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 89.1°. The Melbourne Wfo weather station, 10 miles away, records that about 76 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 96% of Florida places with climate records.
Malabar has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Malabar’s January low is 54°F. Only 6 of the 638 Florida towns we compare have a lower July high than Malabar.
89°summer high
| Malabar | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 54°F | 51°F | 22°F |
| July high | 89°F | 91°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter56–72°
Spring65–80°
Summer75–88°
Fall70–83°
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
89°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
Fewer of Malabar’s residents live below the poverty line than in the typical Florida or U.S. town
Jobs based here grew from 362 in 2013 to 1,089.
3% of Malabar residents live below the poverty line. Since 2013, Malabar has added 727 jobs, to 1,089 in 2023. 2.5% of Malabar working residents work locally.
3%work in town
| Malabar | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $129,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 3% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.5% | 5% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Malabar3%
Palm Bay22%
Melbourne19%
Rockledge5%
West Melbourne3%
12 mi
median commute distance
1,089
jobs based in Malabar
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 33% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Nearby attractions
All 33 attractions →Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and 18 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Malabar. Close and well known come first.
38 mi MuseumKennedy Space Center Visitor Complex38 mi Ancient siteUrca de Lima
38 mi LandmarkSpace Mirror Memorial
18 mi Zoo & aquariumBrevard Zoo
38 mi MuseumNational Navy UDT-SEAL Museum
38 mi MuseumUnited States Astronaut Hall of FameSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex: Bill White, Public domain · Space Mirror Memorial: Seth Buckley, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Brevard Zoo: Rusty Clark from merritt usland FLA, CC BY 2.0 · National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0 · United States Astronaut Hall of Fame: Håkan Dahlström from Malmö, Sweden, CC BY 2.0
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Malabar
18pages on Malabar
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Malabar
Florida Institute of TechnologyUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Melbourne6 mi$45,900 tuitionEastern Florida State CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Melbourne13.7 mi$2,496 in-state tuition
About 7 of every 100 Malabar residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Florida.
About Malabar
Town in the state of Florida, United States
Malabar is a town in Brevard County, Florida. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,949 at the 2020 United States census, up from 2,757 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1919
- Area
- 13 sq mi
- Elevation
- 0 ft
- ZIP code
- 32950
- Area code
- 321
Malabar’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Malabar.
Grant-ValkariaPalm BayMalabar
How the neighbors grade
| Town | FL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malabar | #16 | A− | B− | — | B+ | B+ |
| Grant-Valkaria | #201 | B− | C− | — | B+ | B+ |
| Palm Bay | #334 | C | C | C+ | B+ | C+ |
Malabar and Grant-Valkaria report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Malabar with a neighbor →
Questions about Malabar
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Malabar, FL a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Malabar grades A− overall, better than 79% of U.S. towns and #16 of 634 in Florida. It grades B+ for health and B+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Malabar, FL expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.