NORTH BREVARD: The Kennedy Space Center, and its accompanying jobs, visitors and history, highlight the North Brevard area. As well as being a major tourist destination (over 2.5 million visitors per year), it ‘fuels’ the North Brevard economy (no pun intended) with jobs, which fuel needed services, which fuel a vast infrastructure of homes, shopping, medical facilities and recreational areas. The Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, famous for its vast acres of unspoiled Florida fauna, flora and wildlife, originally served as a buffer zone between ‘Space/Technology’ and ‘Nature’. It still serves that purpose; but now, the refuge has become famous on its own merits for being an ecological sanctuary and a destination for nature hobbiests from around the globe.

CENTRAL BREVARD:

The Big Boom is in Cape Canaveral. Wow! New construction beachside and riverfront condos are everywhere…serving the needs of both Northerners and Floridians alike. This area is set to go…Port Canaveral continues to add new Cruise Ships to its ‘flotilla’, adding jobs..but infrastructure and amenities are still not there. Something to watch.

Rockledge: Although it is the oldest community in the County, it is just adjacent to Brevard’s newest community of Viera…and is therefore enjoying the new development boom prevalent in the county. Rockledge is also the home of one of our major hospitals, Wuesthoff Medical Center, and boasts a championship high school football team, the Rockledge Raiders. Population is around 20,000 and homes range from $100,000-$400,000.

Port St. John: Another older community with a population of around 12,000, set to boom with a healthy flurry of new construction. This is a younger community with mostly two-income households and is perfect for the first-time home buyer with affordable homes in the $90,000 - $150,000 range.

Merritt Island: Ideally situated between the Indian and Banana Rivers, Merritt Island offers something for everyone. Miles and miles of riverfront acreage, lavish riverfront estates, both newer and older subdivisions, canal homes, condos and townhomes dot the miles of Brevard’s island community. The population of about 45,000 residents are mostly middle-aged with above-average incomes and single family homes range from $175,000 to $1,000,000 and more. Merritt Island also boasts the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, a 140,000 acre sanctuary, and at its northern end, the giant Kennedy Space Center complex.

SOUTH BREVARD:

Melbourne: The city of Melbourne is about 35 square miles in size with a population of around 73,000 and growing by 2% per year. Cultural and recreational opportunities abound, including the King Center for the Performing Arts, Brevard Community College, and the Brevard Art Center & Museum. Historic Downtown Melbourne offers a variety of quaint antique shops, galleries, designer shops and some of the areas best restaurants.
Communities within Melbourne’s borders include the master developments of Viera and Suntree with a combined population of 18,000, as well as countless other subdivisions built in the mid to late 90’s and new developments now under construction all along Wickham Road, one of Melbourne’s main arteries.

West Melbourne: The most explosive growth in our area is taking place in this city of 8.5 square miles with a population of around 12,000. Originally home to mainly retirees, the burst of new construction and proximity to major shopping areas has attracted young families with children into a host of new subdivisions. The city’s 10-year plan calls for and eventual 18% increase in population.

Palm Bay: With its population of over 80,000, Palm Bay ranks as Brevard’s largest and most continually growing community, adding nearly 1,000 residents per month! It is geographically huge, over 65 square miles, and currently still contains approximately 45,000 vacant ¼ acre lots which are buildable! Property values in this fast-growing area are zooming, as South Floridians scramble to invest in their future here. Aiding in Palm Bay’s growth was the establishment of Bayside Lakes, a master planned community similar to Suntree, anchored by the challenging Majors Golf Course designed by Arnold Palmer. Homes in Bayside Lakes start at $150,000 and the average home is in the $200,000-$300,000 range, with ½ acre lots available in some communities. Existing homes in Palm Bay are still a bargain…you can start at around $70,000…with an average 5-year old 3-bedroom, 2-bath home selling for around $150,000. It helps that our area’s largest employer, Harris Corporation, is based in Palm Bay!

Grant/Valkaria/Malabar: These three cities adjacently east of Palm Bay are a rural paradise! One, two, three acre lots…horses…farms…this is where you can really get away from urban life and do your own thing! As in Palm Bay, lots are aplenty, but many of them unreachable as the planned roads have not yet been constructed. This hasn’t seemed to deter persistent investors, however, and sales of vacant land in these areas are brisk! Existing homes, farms and ranches in these areas generally start in the mid $250,000’s…but all of that land makes it worth the price! The Town of Grant, nestled against the Indian River, is home to Florida’s oldest and longest continuous seafood festival each February, and attracts over 50,000 visitors.