Overview
Brevard County stretches along Florida's Space Coast, from Titusville in the north to Palm Bay in the south. With 620,533 residents (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), it's a mid-sized county with a distinctive economic identity shaped by aerospace, defense, and the Kennedy Space Center. Median household income of $75,817 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023) sits above the national median. The median age of 46.8 years reflects a largely settled, older population.
The county's disaster record is one of the longest in this data set. Forty-five declared disasters since 1965, with 15 since 2018 alone, is not background noise. It's a defining feature of life on the Atlantic coast.
Demographics
At a median age of 46.8 years (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023). Brevard ranks older than about 85% of U.S. counties. Retirees and aerospace workers who arrived in the industry's growth decades make up much of the county's demographic core.
The population is 71.3% white, 11.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Black, 2.4% Asian, and 0.1% Native American (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023). The Asian share of 2.4% ranks above about 86% of counties, consistent with the engineering and technology workforce drawn to the Space Coast.
Educational attainment reaches 33.5% with a bachelor's degree or higher (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), above about 84% of counties nationally and above Florida's state average.
Education
Brevard County's schools enrolled 70,996 students (Education Data Portal, 2021). Per-pupil spending of $10,991 (Education Data Portal, 2020) falls in the bottom 7% of counties nationally, well below the national average. That's one of the lowest per-pupil spending figures among Florida's larger school districts.
The graduation rate of 88.3% (Education Data Portal, 2019) clears the national average, ranking in the top 45% of counties. The student-teacher ratio of 16.4:1 (Education Data Portal, 2021) is better than 83% of counties. The county achieves above-average graduation outcomes while spending significantly less per student than most comparable counties.
Economy & Employment
Median household income of $75,817 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023) places Brevard in the top 21% nationally. Per capita income is $42,738 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), above 86% of U.S. counties. IRS data shows 311,980 tax returns with an average adjusted gross income of $79,743 (IRS Statistics of Income, 2021).
The labor force totals 305,547, with 290,781 employed and an unemployment rate of 4.8% (BLS LAUS, Annual 2025). That's higher than about 77% of U.S. counties. Brevard's aerospace sector carries significant federal contract dependency, which creates periodic employment volatility when programs are delayed or canceled.
Poverty at 9.8% (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023) is below the national average. Average commute time is 22 minutes (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), near the national midpoint.
Housing & Cost of Living
Median home value is $304,400 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), higher than 85% of U.S. counties. Median gross rent runs $1,456 per month (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), above 93% of counties nationally.
HUD Fair Market Rent data is not available for Brevard County in the 2026 dataset.
The county has 294,461 total housing units with 42,572 vacant, a vacancy rate of 14.5% (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023). That's near the national midpoint, providing reasonable availability compared to Florida's tighter coastal markets. Rent consumes roughly 23% of median monthly household income (derived). The home value-to-income ratio of 4.0 (derived) is more moderate than many Florida coastal counties.
Health & Wellness
Brevard County's health profile is mixed. Obesity is 34.2% (CDC PLACES, 2023), lower than about 81% of U.S. counties. Diabetes affects 10% of adults (CDC PLACES, 2023), above roughly 66% of counties. High blood pressure is 31.5% (CDC PLACES, 2023), above about 62% of counties nationally.
Poor physical health days affect 12.6% of adults (CDC PLACES, 2023). The uninsured rate of 12.4% (CDC PLACES, 2023) is higher than about 68% of counties. Annual checkup rates of 75.8% (CDC PLACES, 2023) are near the national average.
Depression prevalence is 20% (CDC PLACES, 2023). Poor mental health days affect 17.9% of adults (CDC PLACES, 2023).
Social Security beneficiaries total 181,935 (SSA OASDI, 2024), about 29.3% of the population. Nearly three in ten residents are Social Security recipients, consistent with the older age profile.
Climate & Natural Disasters
Brevard County averages 73.2°F annually, with highs around 82°F and lows near 64.3°F (NOAA Climate Data Online, 2025). It's warmer than about 98% of U.S. counties. Annual precipitation totals 55.7 inches (NOAA Climate Data Online, 2025), wetter than about 90% of counties. No measurable snowfall has been recorded (NOAA Climate Data Online, 2025).
FEMA records show 45 declared disasters (FEMA OpenFEMA, 2026), with 15 since 2018. The disaster history breaks down as: hurricane (24), tropical storm (4), severe storm (4), fire (6), biological (2), freezing (4), and coastal storm (1). Hurricane declarations alone number 24.
The most recent declaration was Hurricane Milton in October 2024. The pace of recent activity is notable. Thirteen disaster declarations since 2020 ranks among the highest in the country. The Atlantic-facing coastline puts Brevard in a near-direct exposure zone for tropical systems forming in the Bahamas and tracking northwest.
Financial Profile
Total adjusted gross income across Brevard County reached $24.9 billion from 311,980 tax returns (IRS Statistics of Income, 2021). Average AGI of $79,743 per return ranks above 82% of U.S. counties.
The county has 6 FDIC-insured bank branches holding $351.7 million in deposits (FDIC Summary of Deposits, 2023). The branch count ranks near the bottom of similarly sized counties nationally, suggesting most banking activity flows through institutions with primary branches elsewhere.
Key Comparisons
Brevard's core strength is its income profile relative to home costs. A home value-to-income ratio of 4.0 is reasonable by current Florida standards, where coastal counties routinely run above 6.0. The aerospace and defense employment base supports incomes above the national median while home prices remain below many comparable coastal markets.
The risk profile is the counter-weight. Forty-five total disaster declarations, including 24 hurricanes, put Brevard among the most hazard-exposed counties in the country. Insurance costs, which aren't captured in this data set, have risen sharply in response. The real carrying cost of homeownership here has moved significantly in the last several years for reasons that don't show up in the home value figure.
Within Florida, Brevard ranks above the state median on income but below on educational attainment and per-pupil spending. The 88.3% graduation rate outperforms the spending level, which suggests the school system is working with what it has.
Data Sources
- Census ACS 5-Year, 2023: Population, income, housing, demographics, education attainment, commute times, poverty
- BLS LAUS, Annual 2025: Employment and unemployment
- CDC PLACES, 2023: Health outcomes and preventive care
- FEMA OpenFEMA, 2026: Disaster declarations
- IRS Statistics of Income, 2021: Tax return data and income
- FDIC Summary of Deposits, 2023: Bank branches and deposits
- NOAA Climate Data Online, 2025: Temperature and precipitation
- SSA OASDI, 2024: Social Security beneficiaries
- Education Data Portal, 2019/2020/2021: School enrollment, spending, staffing, graduation rates