Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Melbourne Beach grades B+ overall, ranked 55th of 634 in Florida. It is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns and the median household earns $103K. The catch is cost: homes are expensive, about $616K for a typical one and 7.9 times the Palm Bay metro’s $78K median household income. 70% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Melbourne Beach, above both the Florida town median (31%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Only 22 of Florida’s 327 towns score higher on civic life. Melbourne Beach is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 83% of U.S. towns.
Where Melbourne Beach beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Where Melbourne Beach’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Melbourne Beach is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 72 in 1930, 3,231 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1913 and 4 maps from 1949 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Melbourne Beach, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 17, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Melbourne Beach.
Melbourne Beach has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns and has less no health insurance than most of Florida, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Florida.
2.0 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Melbourne Beach’s trail density is 1.4 miles per square mile.
| Melbourne Beach | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.4 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.6% | 3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ryckman Park | 0.4 mi | 4 |
| 2. Ocean Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Brevard school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 410 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
At 7.9 years of the Palm Bay metro’s $78K median household income, the typical home (about $616K) costs more against local pay than in 89% of Florida towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $4,171, against $2,730 across Florida, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
82% of Melbourne Beach households own their home. The typical Melbourne Beach home is worth about $616,000, up 0.7% in a year, 64% above the Florida typical home. The median rent in Melbourne Beach is $1,307 a month.
| Melbourne Beach | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 82% | 72% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,307 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its widest gap with Florida is no health insurance: 7.2% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 15.9% statewide.
14% of adults report frequent mental distress in Melbourne Beach. Melbourne Beach beats the Florida average on 16 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 18% of adults get no exercise outside work in Melbourne Beach.
| Melbourne Beach | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 25% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 9.5% | 13% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 20% | 19% |
| What stands out | Melbourne Beach | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.2% | 15.9% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.3% | 13.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.4% | 9.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 87% of U.S. communities. Since 1984, 50 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Melbourne Beach.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Jobs based here grew from 374 in 2013 to 621. 31.3% of workers work from home, against 15.7% across Florida.
Most working residents leave Melbourne Beach for work: only 8% work in town. Since 2013, Melbourne Beach has added 247 jobs, to 621 in 2023. The top destinations are Melbourne (23%), Palm Bay (11%) and Orlando (4%).
| Melbourne Beach | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $103,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 7.1% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
January nights average 53.7°, milder than in 99% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 89.1°. The Melbourne Wfo weather station, 7 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.
Melbourne Beach has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Only 6 of the 638 Florida towns we compare have a lower July high than Melbourne Beach. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Melbourne Beach | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 54°F | 51°F | 22°F |
| July high | 89°F | 91°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Melbourne Beach's reported crime rate is well below Florida's. Only 9 of the 105 Florida towns we compare have a lower violent crime rate than Melbourne Beach. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Melbourne Beach | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2022) | 0.6 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.9 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2022) | 7.7 per 1,000 residents | 18.1 | 14.1 |
FBI crime data, 2022 · crimes reported to police
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Melbourne Beach. Close and well known come first.
37 mi Ancient siteWindover Archaeological Site
32 mi MuseumKennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
33 mi LandmarkSpace Mirror Memorial
14 mi Zoo & aquariumBrevard Zoo
32 mi MuseumUnited States Astronaut Hall of Fame
40 mi National SeashoreCanaveral National Seashore2.5M visitors a yearWindover Archaeological Site: ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0 · 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 · United States Astronaut Hall of Fame: Håkan Dahlström from Malmö, Sweden, CC BY 2.0 · Canaveral National Seashore: Joneboi at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Melbourne Beach
About 2 of every 100 Melbourne Beach residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
2 places in Melbourne Beach on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in the state of Florida, United States
Melbourne Beach is a town in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population had 3,231 residents at the 2020 United States Census, up from 3,101 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Melbourne Beach.
| Town | FL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne Beach | #55 | B+ | D | — | B+ | A |
| Indialantic | #129 | B | D− | — | B+ | A |
Melbourne Beach and Indialantic report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Melbourne Beach with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Melbourne Beach grades B+ overall, better than 68% of U.S. towns and #55 of 634 in Florida. It grades A for health and B+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
2 notable people were born here, including Josh Miller and Kate Chastain.
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