Cocoa Beach, Melbourne & Palm Bay in Brevard County

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BREVARD COUNTY

Real Estate

	2007	2008	4/2009
Median Price* Single Family Home	$193,100	$153,400	$113,600
Median Price* Condominium	$176,300	$146,400	$120,800

* Median Price of 101 homes sold would be that price which is lower than 50 of the prices and also higher than 50 of the prices. In other words, there are homes and condominiums available in every price range in Brevard County. Median prices shown above are for the Melbourne/Titusville/Palm Bay MSA. The statistics are meant to give you a feel for the area as compared to others you may be considering and to show the direction of the market.

Taxes

Visit Buy a Home in Florida for comprehensive property tax information.

Weather

Average High/Low in January 74/62, in July 87/78

Just 35 miles east of Orlando, Brevard County prides itself as the home of Kennedy Space Center, the only facility in the world that launches the Space Shuttle; Port Canaveral, the second-busiest cruise port in the world; 72 miles of beautiful Atlantic Ocean beaches; and the largest collection of endangered wildlife and plants in the continental United States. With its tropical weather, cultural activities, educational opportunities, active and passive recreation options, high-technology industries, and family-friendly atmosphere, the Space Coast offers an exceptional quality of life that residents enjoy year-round. More than 500,000 people call its 16 municipalities and unincorporated areas home.

Melbourne-Palm Bay was ranked the 4th best place in the US to retire & the #1 place in the state of Florida by “Retirement Places Rated” (2004.)

One of the greatest parts of living on Florida's Space Coast is that many of its cultural events and fine dining opportunities can be enjoyed outdoors. It seems that downtown revitalization tends to start with trendy restaurants and quaint nightclubs. The Cocoa, Titusville, and Melbourne historical downtown areas are perfect examples. Viera and Palm Bay are relatively modern areas and offer their own style of upscale dining and entertainment within their master planned community boundaries.

Events

Here’s a small sampling of events to enjoy:

Vivace Society Gone Wild - Summer Saturday Night at the Brevard Zoo, Brevard Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne, http://www.brevardsymphony.com

Space Coast Flute Orchestra Solo & Ensemble Concert, Space Coast Flute Orchestra, Melbourne, www.scfo.org

Swingtime Jazz Band presents the Dawg Daze Dance, Swingtime Jazz Band, Melbourne

Melbourne Municipal Band presents "Tributes", Melbourne Municipal Band Association, Melbourne, www.mmband.org

Valerie Gillespie Jazz Trio, Space Coast Jazz Society, Cocoa Beach, www.spacecoastjazzsociety.com

Brevard Family Salsa Festival and Miss Puerto Rico Pageant, Melbourne, http://www.fprhcc.org

NKF Pro-Am Surf Festival, Cocoa Beach, http://www.nkfsurf.com

Brevard Symphony Orchestra presents a FREE FAMILY CONCERT, Brevard Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne, http://www.brevardsymphony.com

Old Florida Festival, West Melbourne, http://www.brevardparks.com

Melbourne Oktoberfest

Halloween in the Village, Cocoa, http://www.cocoafl.org

Cocoa Village Gallery Walk, www.cocoagalleries.com

Space Coast State Fair, Cocoa, www.cocoaexpo.com

Tree Lighting and Space Coast Boat Parade, City of Cocoa, Cocoa, http://www.cocoafl.org/

Gallery Art Walk in Eau Gallie Arts District, Art and Antique Studio, Melbourne, http://www.artandantiquestudio.com/

Cocoa's Family New Year's Celebration, City of Cocoa, http://www.cocoafl.org/

13th Annual Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival, Brevard Nature Alliance, Titusville, www.natureandspace.com

Arts & Culture

Florida Space Coast has a wonderful arts and cultural scene which draws thousands of visitors from around the state and the country as well. With six different theatre groups, several dozen galleries, seasonal arts festivals, and a full schedule of Broadway shows you are truly entertained.

The mission of the Brevard Cultural Alliance, Inc. (BCA) is to build and sustain a vibrant and dynamic arts and cultural sector integral to Brevard County’s quality of life. By the looks of the list below, they are succeeding!

Parks & Recreation

The Brevard County Parks and Recreation Department manages 110 parks, 1 aquatic center, 1 cultural center, 3 campgrounds, 3 golf courses, 8 recreation sanctuaries, and 13 school athletic sites.

If you enjoy getting out of the house, breathing fresh air and playing outside, the County will accommodate you!

Tennis is one of the most popular sports on the Space Coast. There are Men's, Women's, and Mixed Doubles leagues operating throughout the county everyday of the week.

Boating and water sports are family favorites enjoyed all year long. Fishing, water-skiing, sail boarding and crew teams can be found on any given day on the intra-coastal waterway or the Banana River.

Crew teams, surfers, sailboarders, kite surfers, kayakers and the like are living life to their fullest every weekend - and all during the week. The Yacht Club and other sailing clubs take advantage of the huge fetches of water for racing and practicing for the Gulf Stream cross to the Bahamas. It's about a two-day sail with favorable winds.

Florida's Space Coast is Florida fishing at its best! Whether you're a salt water enthusiast or fresh water, you'll love the fact that you can fish year round and that our area is the home to an excellent fleet of sport fishing charter boats and Port Canaveral is considered to be one of the safest ocean inlets on the east coast.

If you want to go it on your own, The county has more than half a dozen public boat ramps, 72 miles of public beaches, several public piers, several places to rent a boat for the day, week or even month and free permits for deep sea and fresh water fishing.

Here’s what you can catch:

Deep Sea

Year Round: dolphin, grouper, king mackerel, wahoo, blue and white marlin, sailfish, tuna, snapper
Spring: amberjack, crevalle jack
Summer: crevalle jack, red snapper, grouper, dolphin (fish)

Pier

Year Round: flounder, king and Spanish mackerel, sheepshead, snapper, trout, weakfish, whiting
Spring and Fall: bluefish, Spanish makerel
Late Summer/Early Fall: sea bass, tarpon

Surf

Year Round: channel bass, flounder, pompano, Spanish mackerel, whiting
Spring: bluefish, snook, whiting, crevalle jack
Fall: redfish, bluefish, pompano, sea bass, snook
Winter: bluefish, pompano

Rivers (Indian River, Banana River, and St. John's)

Year Round: redfish, black drum, sea bass, sheepshead, spotted sea trout, weakfish, whiting
Spring/Early Summer: redfish, spotted sea trout, mangrove snapper, snook, tarpon

Visit Your Florida Lifestyle for more information on fishing and our Guide to Establishing Florida Residency for Florida fishing license information.

Beaches

Brevard County boasts three of "Florida's Ten Best Beaches," as declared by Southern Living, along with six others.

For comprehensive information on all Florida beaches along with gift certificates to the best Florida restaurants on or near them, check out The Florida Beach Book!

Over 100 of the best surfing spots on the East Coast can be found here. Whether you are a pro or a grommet, you’ll be able to find a killer spot.

Golf

There are over 37 private, semi-private and public courses in Brevard County. The County operates 3 courses:

The Savannahs
Spessard Holland
The Habitat

The Savannahs is listed by Golf Digest in Places to Play as a great value and rewarding to a game well played. The epitome of southern style golf courses and situated in a natural Florida savannah – this course is aptly named.

Visit Your Florida Lifestyle for additional golf information.

Sports

The Washington Nationals call Viera home for Spring Training, so you can catch major leaguers in the spring and up-and-comers all summer. Our home team is the Manatees. The Viera Stadium is a new facility with great family activities like fireworks, concerts and special events held during, after, and between games. If you like to play more than watch, softball, baseball, football, soccer, volleyball, and basketball leagues run all year to keep weekend warriors living the good old days.

Since 1990, Space Coast Sports Promotions has actively managed, operated and/or promoted a variety of sporting events throughout the Brevard County area. Here is a sampling of events and their website to learn more: http://www.spacecoastsports.com

Collegiate Surfing Sebastian Inlet
O’Neill Sebastian Inlet Pro Surfing Sebastian Inlet
ISA Winter National Warm Up Adult Slopitch Chain of Lakes
NSA Girls Fast Pitch Iron Woman Girls 10-18 Central
Inaugural State Farm Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon Melb/Melb Beach
Cocoa Expo President's Day Challenge Baseball Tournament Cocoa Expo/Central
Cocoa Expo President's Cup Soccer Tournament Cocoa Expo/Central
Surfet Saltwater Sweetheart Board Fest Coconuts/Cocoa Beach
Challenge Sports Soccer 3x3 Challenge Viera Regional Park
Cocoa Expo Baseball Spring Training Cocoa Expo/Central
Cocoa Expo Softball Spring Training Cocoa Expo/Central/North
NSA Girls Fast Pitch Sweetheart Ball Girls 8-18 Central
PBYS Bazooka Soccer Junior Showcase Palm Bay Regional Park
Florida Flag Football League Open Series Palm Bay Regional Park

For comprehensive sports information visit our Your Florida Lifestyle section on the Hone Page.

Hospitals

Brevard County has six nationally recognized hospitals that deliver advanced medical services using the latest technology and therapies. Three of these, Wuesthoff Health System, Health First and Parrish Medical Center, are among the area’s largest employers. Services offered locally include a level II trauma center, emergency air transport service, quality in and outpatient care, as well as skilled nursing and assisted living facilities throughout the County.

Visit Florida Medical Resources for comprehensive information including Florida hospital ratings.

Colleges

For information on Lifelong Learning, visit Your Florida Lifestyle.

Airports

Shopping

Shopping options for all tastes -- from major department stores to smart boutiques -- can be found in Brevard County. There are four major shopping malls in the County with enough destinations to find rare antiques to the latest in electronics. Cocoa, Titusville and Melbourne's historical downtown areas are perfect for shopping, dining or entertaining. Viera and Palm Bay are relatively modern areas and offer entertainment within their master-planned community boundaries. Open air malls, historic shopping districts, funky out of the way art galleries, one-of-a-kind boutiques, hard to find antique dealers and the world's largest surf shop are all here.

Historic Cocoa Village is definitely worth a visit. The Village is filled with unique shops, galleries and restaurants. Find out more at; http://www.cocoavillage.com

Brevard County, Florida, Cities & Towns

Incorporated

City of Cape Canaveral
City of Cocoa
City of Cocoa Beach
Town of Grant-Valkaria
Town of Indialantic
City of Indian Harbour Beach
Town of Malabar
City of Melbourne
Town of Melbourne Beach
Town of Melbourne Village
City of Palm Bay (formerly Tillman)
Town of Palm Shores
City of Rockledge
City of Satellite Beach
City of Titusville
City of West Melbourne

Unincorporated

Additional Resources

Brevard County Government http://www.brevardcounty.us/
Brevard County Tourism http://www.space-coast.com/

Featured Cities/Towns

Cocoa Beach

Located on a barrier island, nestled between the great Atlantic Ocean and the Banana River Lagoon, Cocoa Beach continues to link the birth of the Space Age with the wonders of the future.

Just six miles long, and mostly less than one mile wide, Cocoa Beach is truly a unique place! Where else can you choose between watching a space launch from the beach or precious animal species in their natural habitat? You can choose between a swim in the ocean, or a quiet kayak exploration off the Banana River islands? Play a round of golf at our 27-holes golf course, surf cast from the beach for dinner, or just enjoy a day at the beach where you will likely see dolphins at play or be lucky enough to see an occasional whale in migration. Widely known as the surfing capital of the East Coast, Cocoa Beach is the hometown of surfing champions.

The primary attraction to Cocoa Beach is the weather. With its coastal location and positioned where two climatic zones (sub-tropic and temperate) meet, the weather usually avoids extremes. This unique location attracts wildlife indigenous to both climatic zones, as well as coastal and migratory species. And, of course, the weather, beaches and local amenities attract human visitors as well! Many residents first experienced Cocoa Beach as visitors and eventually relocated here!

Cocoa Beach is a residential community and a tourist destination. Our base population is 12,800, and swells to as high as 30,000 during the peak tourist season when the hotels, motels, timeshares and condominium rentals are filled. In addition, Cocoa Beach is the destination for another 2.4 million day visitors per year; it is the primary tourist destination on the Florida Space Coast. It is also home to an active retiree population, many of whom devoted their careers to our nation's space program.

Manufactured home communities, golf course communities, Florida beach front condos and homes are available in Cocoa Beach.

If you would like to get a feel for home prices in Cocoa Beach, visit www.zillow.com and search for recent homes sold.

If you would prefer personalized assistance, call or email us to take advantage of our free Florida Relocation Services. We’ll introduce you to one of the best real estate agents in Cocoa Beach who can answer all of your questions and provide detailed information and professional assistance.

Melbourne

The City of Melbourne is the business center of the South Brevard County. The city honors its colorful history by bringing the past into the present through activities in three redevelopment areas. The contemporary City of Melbourne is the result of the 1969 merger of the separate communities of Melbourne and Eau Gallie.

While most of Melbourne is located on the Florida mainland, a small portion is located on a barrier island. The Indian River Lagoon separates the mainland from the island. The island is a narrow strip of land that separates the Lagoon from the Atlantic Ocean.

Melbourne is close to 41 square miles in size, with about 75% of that land in use. The population is approximately 78,000 and continues to grow at a modest rate.

Melbourne is an important business center on the Space Coast. The area began developing after business gravitated toward the railroad constructed in 1893 and has evolved into a technological hub attracting major employment providers like Harris Corporation, Collins General Aviation Division, Holmes Regional Hospital and Northrop Grumman Corporation.

Patrick Air Force Base is located directly north. The base has a substantial economic impact on the entire area and there are thousands of military retirees here.

Melbourne served as an official host city for the 1996 Olympic Torch Relay. The Olympic flame was carried across the nation before reaching Atlanta and the Olympic Centennial Games. Thousands of area residents enjoyed seeing the Torch Relay, which symbolized the competitive and unifying spirit of the Olympic Games.

Melbourne has a wide variety of homes and neighborhoods from “Old Florida” modest homes to beachfront homes and condos to Viera, a new enormous master planned community with wonderful amenities all it’s own.

If you would like to get a feel for home prices in Melbourne, visit www.zillow.com and search for recent homes sold.

If you would prefer personalized assistance, call or email us to take advantage of our free Florida Relocation Services. We’ll introduce you to one of the best real estate agents in Melbourne who can answer all of your questions and provide detailed information and professional assistance.

Palm Bay

Palm Bay is the 21st largest city in Florida by population with more than 100,000 residents and is the ninth largest city by size, covering 97 square miles. It encompasses 900 miles of paved roads, and is a haven for high-tech companies. With the recent opening of the Lagoon House, a visitors' center and public information resource for the Indian River Lagoon Scenic Highway, it remains a city focused on the future. Yet in many ways, it still retains the charming characteristics of that original small town situated on a scenic bay of the Indian River Lagoon.

Recreational activities include 29 city parks which include paintball and skateboarding, an aquatic center, a 200 acre regional park, two public / private golf courses, Turkey Creek Sanctuary, and nearby, over the Melbourne Causeway, are the beaches. The Indian River Lagoon and Turkey Creek are the eastern boundaries of the city, so there’s an abundance of water for fishing and boating.

The Greater Palm Bay Senior Center http://www.gpbsc.org/ has over 3300 members and offers many, many activities for the 55+ set.

The Palm Bay Community Center http://www.palmbayflorida.org/parks/center/senior.html also is a very active place.

Tai Chi for Seniors at the Community Center

Housing styles include a wide variety of single family homes, condominiums, town homes and gated subdivisions.

If you would like to get a feel for home prices in Palm Bay, visit www.zillow.com and search for recent homes sold.

If you would prefer personalized assistance, call or email us to take advantage of our free Florida Relocation Services. We’ll introduce you to one of the best real estate agents in Palm Bay who can answer all of your questions and provide detailed information and professional assistance.