Palm Bay and DeLand receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Palm Bay
DeLand
Opportunity
47 · Bottom 30%
vs51 · Bottom 39%
Growth
72 · Top 15%
vs65 · Top 25%
Climate
83 · Top 10%
vs79 · Top 18%
Physical resilience
19 · Bottom 12%
vs26 · Bottom 21%
Housing affordability
70 · Bottom 35%
vs71 · Bottom 36%
Schools
43 · Bottom 39%
vs30 · Bottom 23%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs94 · Top 41%
Economic stability
50 · Bottom 31%
vs43 · Bottom 21%
Measured values
| Metric | Palm Bay | DeLand | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 130,132 | 41,611 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $72,614 | $71,863 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,813 | $35,865 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,501/sq mi | 2,133/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $283,200 | $330,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,601 | $1,355 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 79.7% | 64.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 5.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.7% | -0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.0% | 33.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.7% | 11.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 2,451 | 192 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 18.8 | 4.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -16.1% | 0.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 52°F | 50°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 50.8" | 49.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 10 mi | 17 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.9 min | 30.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.0 | 39.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 20 | 11 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.95 | 18.57 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 51.6% | 44.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 52.8% | 50.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 51.9% | 53.3% | 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
Palm Bay
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
DeLand
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: Palm Bay, FL · DeLand, FL · How this is calculated: methodology