Melbourne receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Cocoa
Melbourne
Opportunity
42 · Bottom 21%
vs44 · Bottom 24%
Growth
70 · Top 16%
vs65 · Top 24%
Climate
92 · Top 4%
vs83 · Top 10%
Physical resilience
19 · Bottom 12%
vs19 · Bottom 12%
Housing affordability
76 · Bottom 42%
vs61 · Bottom 22%
Schools
10 · Bottom 2%
vs52 · Top 49%
Access
92 · Bottom 49%
vs98 · Top 19%
Economic stability
43 · Bottom 22%
vs41 · Bottom 19%
Measured values
| Metric | Cocoa | Melbourne | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,554 | 86,576 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $63,105 | $66,991 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $38,586 | $38,249 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,427/sq mi | 1,959/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $246,100 | $306,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,274 | $1,525 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 63.5% | 59.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.7% | -0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.4% | 34.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.1% | 15.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 58 | 424 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.0 | 4.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 625.0% | 457.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 89°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 50°F | 52°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 48.6" | 50.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 20 mi | 1 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.9 min | 24.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 44.9 | 42.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 16 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.72 | 17.12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 22.6% | 55.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 26.0% | 56.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 68.2% | 44.3% | 2024-25 school 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
Cocoa
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Melbourne
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: Cocoa, FL · Melbourne, FL · How this is calculated: methodology