Melbourne, FL

Melbourne sits in Florida, so there is no state personal income tax, and Florida's general state sales tax is 6% with Brevard County adding a 0.5% local option surtax for most taxable purchases (Florida DOR^[1], Florida DOR^[2]). The U.S. Census Bureau reports Melbourne's median household income at $66,356 and median gross rent at $1,411, while the city's population was 86,960 in July 2023 (QuickFacts^[3]). A current city-specific groceries index and a city-level property-tax rate for Melbourne are not given here.

The official Medicare Care Compare portal shows that Medicare-certified hospitals can be compared by quality, and it is the right agency source for hospital quality checks (Medicare.gov^[4]). Holmes Regional Medical Center is at 1350 S Hickory St in Melbourne, and Orlando Health Melbourne Hospital is at 250 N Wickham Rd, so residents have local acute-care access before needing to travel farther for tertiary care. SeniorHealthDatabase^[5], Orlando Health^[6] The local hospital network includes cardiology, spine, orthopedics, digestive health, and emergency care, but drive times and Medicare Advantage plan availability are not given here.

Melbourne's annual precipitation is 51 inches, average summer highs are near 91°F, average winter lows are near 53°F, and annual snowfall is 0 inches. Homes.com local guide^[7] That same source describes the area as subtropical and usable for outdoor activity much of the year, which matches the Space Coast's generally mild winter pattern (Homes.com local guide^[7]). Official NOAA climate normals for Melbourne are not given here, so the local guide data is used instead.

FBI city violent- and property-crime rates for Melbourne, Florida, and a 3-year trend, are not given here. The safe next step is to use the Brevard County or Florida figures once confirmed on the FBI Crime Data Explorer, rather than substituting a third-party crime-score estimate. Because agency reporting after 2021 can be incomplete, any final crime comparison should explicitly note whether Melbourne's reporting agency appears in the FBI dataset.

Melbourne city’s median listing price is about $399,000, and the city’s median days on market is 61 days on Realtor.com, while a local MLS-based source puts the median list price at $398,000 and median days to go under contract at 44 days (Realtor.com^[8], Momentum MLS^[9]). Year over year, Realtor.com shows the median listing price down 2.33% and days on market down 11.77%, which suggests price softening but not a stagnant market (Realtor.com^[8]). FHFA’s metro series for Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville shows home prices up 2.17% over the past year, so the broader metro is still appreciating even if some city-level listing metrics have eased (FHFA^[10]). The market includes retirement-friendly active-adult options, including Suntree and Baytree area product, and one local guide explicitly notes 55-plus communities such as Bridgewater at Viera, Trasona, Capron Ridge, and Baytree in the Melbourne market (Homes.com^[11], Momentum MLS^[12]).

Melbourne Orlando International Airport serves the city, and one result notes flights to several Southeast and Midwest cities as well as the United Kingdom. Orlando Health Melbourne^[6], Homes.com local guide^[7] That makes Melbourne unusually convenient for a smaller coastal city, especially for people who want to avoid the drive to Orlando for every trip (Homes.com local guide^[7]). Drive-time maps and a current direct-route list from Melbourne's airport are not given here.

The region offers year-round water recreation, including kayaking, boating, fishing, surfing, and manatee watching along the Indian River Lagoon. Orlando Health Melbourne^[6] They also describe Wickham Park as a major local outdoor amenity with a 5-mile paved trail, an 18-hole disc golf course, and an archery range (Homes.com local guide^[7]). The number of public golf courses within 30 minutes and typical greens fees for Melbourne are not given here.

The U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts page shows Melbourne's population at 86,960 in July 2023, and the Census Reporter profile puts the city's median age at 42.6 years (QuickFacts^[3], Census Reporter^{[13?] (unconfirmed source)}). Census Reporter also reports a population of 87,572, which is consistent with a modestly growing city rather than a large metro core (Census Reporter^{[13?] (unconfirmed source)}). A city-specific retiree-share figure and walkability score for Melbourne are not given here.

Brevard County's FEMA National Risk Index rating is relatively high, and hurricane risk is a major issue for the county. Annuities.net summary of FEMA NRI^[14], Homes.com local guide^[7] EPA AirNow annual good-air-day counts and a wildfire-smoke severity metric for Melbourne are not given here. The practical takeaway is that Melbourne buyers should assume hurricane, wind, and flood exposure first, then verify the exact parcel's flood status and insurance pricing before buying.