Is Palm Bay, FL a Good Place to Live?
Palm Bay is a mid-sized city of 121,513 in Florida, with a median household income of $62,538 and a 5.7% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 101 (US average = 100), which is 1% above the national average.
Strengths: Palm Bay stands out for below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B-).
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Palm Bay is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Palm Bay city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 100.8Palm Bay's overall cost of living index is 100.8, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Palm Bay costs roughly 1% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Palm Bay, FL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $226,200 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,345 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 79.9% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $62,538 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AveragePalm Bay's violent crime rate is 347.2 per 100,000 residents — 9% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Palm Bay is served primarily by BREVARD. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16.1:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Palm Bay, FL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | BREVARD | — |
| Elementary Schools | 67 | — |
| Middle Schools | 11 | — |
| High Schools | 20 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 16.1:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 22.0% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 90.0% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Palm Bay sees average highs of 72.9°F in January and 91.3°F in July, with 60.0 inches of annual precipitation .
| Metric | Palm Bay, FL |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 72.9°F |
| Average High — July | 91.3°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 60.0" |
| Annual Snowfall | Trace / None |
Demographics
| Metric | Palm Bay, FL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 121,513 | — |
| Median Age | 41.8 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.7% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 27.2 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 62.6% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 18.7% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 10.3% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 2.1% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 21.9% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 19.4% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Palm Bay
Palm Bay, FL is covered by 4 ZIP codes: