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Place dossier plate
SheetFL-WEST-MELBOURNE-FL · West Melbourne, FL 27,643 pop · income 71st pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around West Melbourne
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest West Melbourne on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Williamsport · lowest
49,363
Williamsport · lowest
49,363 median HH income
43.6% of the leader · rank #1
Pataskala · near
90,513
Pataskala · near
90,513 median HH income
80.0% of the leader · rank #2
Fife · near
90,515
Fife · near
90,515 median HH income
80.0% of the leader · rank #3
West Melbourne · this city
90,521
West Melbourne · this city
90,521 median HH income
80.0% of the leader · rank #4
Sun Prairie · near
90,521
Sun Prairie · near
90,521 median HH income
80.0% of the leader · rank #5
Sunriver · near
90,529
Sunriver · near
90,529 median HH income
80.0% of the leader · rank #6
Apollo Beach · highest
113,130
Apollo Beach · highest
113,130 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for West Melbourne on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 27,643.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
West Melbourne - the verdict
West Melbourne ranks in the 71st percentile for household income and the 51st percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
71st
percentile, household income
71st
percentile, home value
73rd
percentile, median rent
51st
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: West Melbourne, FL
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 27,643 residents in West Melbourne, a small city within Florida. Households in West Melbourne report a median income of $90,521 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 3.7%. Typical homes in West Melbourne are valued around $341,500, and the median resident age is 40.2 years. 40.4% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 58.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 59 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 95% from five years earlier. West Melbourne reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 1350.8 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, below the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Florida carries a cost-of-living premium: the state registers 103.4 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Above Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,526 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $225 across Florida, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Commute times here average 19.9 minutes, with 76.4% driving alone and 13.9% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 75.7 out of 100 (High).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of West Melbourne's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from population change to reported crime to schools and households to comparison shortlist to work and mobility to housing and income; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For West Melbourne, city-specific coverage includes FBI reported-crime rates, matched public-school count, local building permits, commute-mode shares, annual population history.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Population change
Is West Melbourne growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +4,702 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +17.7% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 59 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
What can the FBI record say about safety in West Melbourne?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 1350.8 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 41% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
What does the education layer cover for West Melbourne?
The NCES join finds 7 public schools within the city match. 40.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
Which cities make useful reference points for West Melbourne?
Within Florida, the closest population matches are Silver Springs Shores (27,556 residents, $60,543 income); Crestview (28,046 residents, $69,279 income); Wright (27,233 residents, $67,077 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Drexel Heights, AZ (27,636 residents); Dodge City, KS (27,652 residents); Williamsport, PA (27,629 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Work and mobility
What does the journey to work look like in West Melbourne?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 76.4%. The reported mean trip to work is 19.9 minutes.
Public transit
0.0%
Work from home
13.9%
Drive alone
76.4%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 12,844 workers age 16+.
How far does income reach against housing in West Melbourne?
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.8 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 3.7%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
Household income
$90,521
Home value
$341,500
Value / income
3.8×
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
Above median income · poverty 3.7% (Below-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
103.4 (US=100)
Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Florida average
C+
City profile score · West Melbourne, FL
60/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Bachelor's+ share B+
40.4%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Poverty rate B
3.7%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Household income B
$90,521
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Violent crime C
153 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Cost of living F
103.4 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
West Melbourne profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 75/100 (B+) · 40.4%
Poverty rate: 74/100 (B) · 3.7%
Household income: 70/100 (B) · $90,521
Violent crime: 58/100 (C) · 153 /100k
Cost of living: 25/100 (F) · 103.4 index
Where West Melbourne sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
West Melbourne's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - West Melbourne highlighted among 25 peers.Read the chart values
West Melbourne, FL (this city): home $341,500, crime 1,351/100k
Dodge City, KS : home $122,800, crime 1,341/100k
Mount Pleasant, WI : home $269,900, crime 1,846/100k
Homewood, AL : home $502,300, crime 2,105/100k
Crestview, FL : home $266,500, crime 1,622/100k
New York, NY : home $751,700, crime 3,039/100k
Los Angeles, CA : home $879,500, crime 2,212/100k
Chicago, IL : home $315,200, crime 4,012/100k
Houston, TX : home $253,400, crime 5,442/100k
Phoenix, AZ : home $381,900, crime 3,125/100k
Philadelphia, PA : home $232,400, crime 5,457/100k
San Antonio, TX : home $219,700, crime 5,218/100k
San Diego, CA : home $848,500, crime 2,082/100k
Dallas, TX : home $295,300, crime 4,010/100k
San Jose, CA : home $1,187,800, crime 3,195/100k
Austin, TX : home $512,700, crime 3,709/100k
Fort Worth, TX : home $277,300, crime 3,158/100k
Columbus, OH : home $234,500, crime 3,088/100k
Indianapolis, IN : home $207,000, crime 4,214/100k
San Francisco, CA : home $1,380,500, crime 4,526/100k
Seattle, WA : home $912,100, crime 5,783/100k
Denver, CO : home $586,700, crime 5,755/100k
Oklahoma City, OK : home $215,100, crime 3,570/100k
El Paso, TX : home $171,700, crime 1,772/100k
Washington, DC : home $724,600, crime 4,514/100k
How does West Melbourne compare to other US cities?
Here's how West Melbourne stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income71% higher than other cities
Home value71% pricier than other cities
Median rent73% pricier than other cities
Safety51% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Florida, West Melbourne ranks #44 of 120 Florida cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares West Melbourne against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Florida only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Florida-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places West Melbourne near the bottom of Florida's cities
Among the 930 Florida cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, West Melbourne ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares West Melbourne only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#224 of 903
75th percentile in Florida
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 930
0th percentile in Florida
Median Home Value
#346 of 894
61st percentile in Florida
Poverty Rate
#712 of 930
22nd percentile in Florida
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#237 of 930
74th percentile in Florida
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Florida only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
71st percentile nationally for median household income · 51st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
West Melbourne's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
West Melbourne's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How West Melbourne's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$341,50029th percentilemore affordable than 29% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
West Melbourne's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.8×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#9,965 of 15,516
More affordable than 36% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#1,760 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 3.8×, West Melbourne sits in the moderate band:
national rank #9,965 of 15,516 and #1,760 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$90,521West Melbourne, FL median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context West Melbourne, FL median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for West Melbourne, FL.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)40.4%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)3.7%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)58.6%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
27,643
Median Income
$90,521
Median Home Value
$341,500
Median Age
40.2
Poverty Rate
3.7%
Labor force participation
58.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
40.4%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
1350.8
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
153.0
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1197.7
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
7
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
West Melbourne's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
26,583 residents
2021
27,917 residents
2022
28,888 residents
2023
29,241 residents
2024
31,279 residents
2025
31,285 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
59
housing units authorized
Single-Family
15
detached homes
Multifamily
44
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.1
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
1,218
232
986
$138.1M
2020
637
226
411
$105.0M
2021
399
75
324
$52.3M
2022
107
107
0
$14.8M
2023
1,023
286
737
$170.4M
2024
59
15
44
$11.9M
Permit volume decreased 95% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
19.9 minutes
Drive Alone
76.4%
Carpool
7.3%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.8%
Work from Home
13.9%
Other
1.6%
Based on 12,844 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Florida statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $225
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Florida at $225 (electricity about $145 , water and sewer about $55 ).
These are Florida statewide averages, not a meter reading for West Melbourne. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Florida's BEA cost-of-living index is 103.4 (Above Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around West Melbourne is $1,526/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Florida statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 75.7 / 100 (High).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Florida statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county West Melbourne sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How West Melbourne compares to similar-size Florida cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.