01 · the cities
Melbourne
Palm Bay is part of the Space Coast, which means you can watch SpaceX and NASA rocket launches from the backyard on a clear day. The Indian River Lagoon is right there for fishing, kayaking, and manatee spotting. It's quieter and more affordable than the bigger Florida metros, with quick access to Cocoa Beach and Kennedy Space Center. Suburban in a Florida way.
full dispatch→Cape Coral
Cape Coral has over 400 miles of navigable canals, more than any city in the world, which means many homes literally have boat docks in the backyard. It's a planned community that grew up around water, with easy access to the Caloosahatchee River and the Gulf. The boating, fishing, and manatee-watching are the main events. It's flat, sunny, and built for waterfront life.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,895/mo
$1,859/mo
Median home price
Median home price
$351k
$355k
State income tax
State income tax
0%
0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,438/mo
$6,474/mo
Gross left after rent reflects state income tax but not federal, based on $100k salary. Enter your salary to find your ideal city.
03 · the weather
Pleasant days/yr
Pleasant days/yr
254 days
250 days
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
0 days
days below 20°F per year
Melbourne and Cape Coral have remarkably similar weather profiles overall.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
55 / 100
55 / 100
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
2 routes
33 routes
31 more direct routes than Melbourne
Metro size
Metro size
644k metro
835k metro
the verdict
0
Melbourne
categories won
2
Cape Coral
categories won
Cape Coral wins this comparison, leading on money and lifestyle.
run your numbers
How far does your Melbourne salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works