Among the newest of U.S. towns · #627 of 638 in Florida. What drives it
Most of West Melbourne was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2003. Below: maps from 1949 on and the census since 1960.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, West Melbourne is among the newest of U.S. towns, #627 of 638 in Florida. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
D−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of West Melbourne’s overall grade.
Few Florida towns list much on the Register (a typical Florida town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so West Melbourne’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (33% of Florida towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be D−. The pre-1940 share (±0.1 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1959.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about West Melbourne’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Voters created the city in 1959 to stop the area from being annexed into the City of Melbourne.
Since 2000, the city has experienced the highest population growth percentage of any municipality in Brevard County.
In 2005, the City of West Melbourne started charging property taxes for the first time in its existence (since 1959). Prior to 2005, the city survived on a "fees only" tax revenue system for its $17 million budget.
From 2005 to 2014, home-schooled students, all three children from a West Melbourne family, won the state spelling bee championship a total of seven times, from two to three times each.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of West Melbourne. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1949Melbourne West sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of West Melbourne.
People over time
West Melbourne, census by census
Grew from 2,266 people in 1960 to 25,924 in 2020, more than tenfold.
7 censuses, 1960–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on West Melbourne’s Wikipedia page.
Famous people
Famous people close to West Melbourne
Nobody well known was born in West Melbourne itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
In 1959, according to Wikidata. the census of 1960 counted 2,266 people here.
How does West Melbourne rank for history?
West Melbourne is among the newest of U.S. towns, #627 of 638 in Florida. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in West Melbourne?
0.0% of West Melbourne’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 0.6% for a Florida town; the median home was built in 2003.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (7), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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