Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Cape Coral-Fort Myers
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville
Opportunity
48 · Bottom 34%
vs50 · Bottom 40%
Growth
70 · Top 19%
vs71 · Top 17%
Climate
81 · Top 5%
vs83 · Top 3%
Physical resilience
5 · Bottom 1%
vs19 · Bottom 8%
Housing affordability
60 · Bottom 5%
vs72 · Bottom 14%
Access
95 · Top 14%
vs96 · Top 13%
Economic stability
32 · Bottom 23%
vs51 · Top 50%
Measured values
| Metric | Cape Coral-Fort Myers | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 817,666 | 632,780 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $76,107 | $78,476 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $44,931 | $44,108 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,047/sq mi | 623/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $362,200 | $339,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,712 | $1,556 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 74.3% | 76.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 4.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.7% | -0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.2% | 34.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.0% | 10.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 11,074 | 4,845 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 13.5 | 7.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -29.5% | 5.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 92°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 54°F | 52°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 57.4" | 50.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 14 mi | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.5 min | 27.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 49.0 | 46.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Cape Coral-Fort Myers
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, coastal flooding.
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Cape Coral-Fort Myers
56
Your Score
52
Area Score
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville
63
Your Score
58
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL Metro Area · Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology