What is the cost of living in Palm Bay, FL?

Palm Bay indexes at 97 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,495/mo and a acs median home value of $283,200.

How much does a house cost in Palm Bay?

The acs median home value in Palm Bay is $283,200, 23% below the Florida median (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).

How much is rent in Palm Bay?

A two-bedroom in Palm Bay rents for about $1,495/mo.

City data & comparisons

Brevard County · Florida · South · 130k residents

Palm Bay, FL: cost of living, taxes & quality of life

Residential facts for Palm Bay: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the Florida median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.

Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.

The acs median home value in Palm Bay is $283,200, 23% below the Florida median. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,495/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 97 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $72,614 a year.

What the numbers show

Source-confirmed findings

Housing value: The ACS median home value in Palm Bay is $283,200, 22.7% below the median for ACS-covered places in Florida.
Household income: Median household income is $72,614, 1.7% below the median for ACS-covered places in Florida.
Adult education: 24% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, 27.8% below the median for ACS-covered places in Florida.
Home value to income: The ACS median home value is about 3.9 times median household income. This is a comparison measure, not a mortgage qualification or affordability promise.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.

What makes this place distinctive

A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.

A Space Coast city with wetlands, aerospace access, and room to spread out.

Known for: Space Coast proximity, Turkey Creek Sanctuary, waterways, and outdoor life.

Calendar note: Palm Bay Fair and seasonal community festivals are annual anchors.

Story source: City of Palm Bay

Scale: A mid-sized city with a population between 50,000 and 250,000 in the profile data.
Setting: The profile places Palm Bay about 5 miles from the nearest tracked ocean.
Climate signal: The profile records 240 sunny days.
Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 38 and an average commute of 28 minutes.

WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.

Compare Palm Bay for residents

Compare Palm Bay side by side

Cost of living index

≈ US median

ACS median home value

$283,200

−23% vs state mediancheaper than 65% of US cities

2-bedroom rent

$1,495/mo

≈ US median

Median household income

$72,614

−1.7% vs state medianhigher than 38% of US cities

Housing momentum

How fast Palm Bay's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.

20/100

Cooling

Home prices YoY: -2.9% (bottom 10%)Rents YoY: +0.2% (bottom 20%)Rents MoM: 0.0% (bottom 37%)

Momentum rising · +9 over 2 yr

Ranks Palm Bay's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.

What does your salary buy in Palm Bay?

$a year

Adjusted by Palm Bay's cost-of-living index versus the US average.

All facets · Palm Bay

Housing — Buy
ACS median home value	$283,200
Price per sq. ft.	$260
Property tax rate	0.8%

Housing — Rent
1-bedroom rent	$1,269/mo
2-bedroom rent	$1,495/mo

Taxes
State & local income tax	0%
Sales tax	7%

Monthly Costs
Cost of living index	97
Groceries index	103
Utilities	$180/mo
Transit pass	$65/mo
Gas price	$3.25/gal
Healthcare index	100
Childcare (per child)	$1,000/mo

Economy & Jobs
Median household income	$72,614
Unemployment rate	3.3%
Population	130k

Quality of Life
Crime index	45/100
School rating	5.8/10
Walkability	38/100
Disaster risk	98/100
Avg. commute	28 min

Climate
Sunny days / year	240 days
July high	90°F
January low	54°F
Annual snowfall	—

Market Trends
Home price YoY	-2.9%
Home price MoM	-0.1%
Rent YoY	+0.2%
Rent MoM	0.0%

Location & Access
Ocean coast	5 mi
Big lake	75 mi
Mountains	489 mi
Major airport	52 mi
Ski resort	547 mi

Compare & explore

Popular comparisons

Nearby

Similar size

Real listings in Palm Bay

Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗

Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.

Questions & answers

What is the cost of living in Palm Bay, FL?: Palm Bay indexes at 97 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,495/mo and a acs median home value of $283,200.
How much does a house cost in Palm Bay?: The acs median home value in Palm Bay is $283,200, 23% below the Florida median (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
How much is rent in Palm Bay?: A two-bedroom in Palm Bay rents for about $1,495/mo.