Melbourne, FL
What Melbourne is actually like
Melbourne grew up along Crane Creek and the Indian River starting around 1867 and was incorporated as a village on December 22, 1888. Local histories attribute the name to the city's first postmaster, Cornthwaite John Hector, an Englishman who had lived for years in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia before settling on Florida's east coast. The city later consolidated with the neighboring community of Eau Gallie on July 15, 1969, forming the boundaries of modern Melbourne.
Melbourne's civic character was set by two institutions built around the nearby Cape Canaveral missile and space program. In 1958, physicist Jerome P. Keuper founded Brevard Engineering College -- renamed Florida Institute of Technology in 1966 -- as a night school for engineers working on the early U.S. missile program at Cape Canaveral. On the defense-industry side, Radiation Inc., a Melbourne-based electronics firm, merged with the Cleveland-based Harris Corporation in 1967, and Harris relocated its corporate headquarters from Cleveland to Melbourne in 1978; Harris Corporation later merged with L3 Technologies on June 29, 2019, to form L3Harris Technologies, which remains headquartered in Melbourne as one of the largest U.S. defense contractors.
The U.S. Census Bureau estimated Melbourne's population at 87,561 as of July 1, 2024, up from 84,678 recorded in the 2020 Census. The city's economy remains anchored by aerospace and defense employers -- L3Harris Technologies, along with Northrop Grumman and other firms operating out of the Florida Institute of Technology research park at Melbourne Orlando International Airport -- alongside Florida Tech itself as a major local employer.
Home values in Melbourne
Zillow tracks home values city-by-city, not for every neighborhood within a city — Melbourne is one of the pockets that doesn't get its own figure. Rather than publish a citywide number that might not reflect this specific part of town, we're leaving pricing out of this particular guide for now.
Melbourne FAQ
Is Melbourne, FL close enough to Orlando to commute daily?
It's possible but long: downtown Melbourne is about 72 miles from downtown Orlando via I-95 and SR 528, typically a 75-90 minute drive each way. Most Melbourne residents work locally in the area's aerospace, defense, and healthcare sectors rather than commuting into Orlando.
What's the flood and hurricane risk for homes in Melbourne?
Melbourne sits along the Indian River Lagoon with a barrier-island section near Melbourne Beach, so parts of the city have coastal flood exposure in addition to inland stormwater risk. The area has taken direct hits from tropical rainfall (Hurricane Erin's 9.06 inches in 1995, Tropical Storm Fay's 17.54 inches in 2008) and more recent storms -- Hurricane Ian in 2022 and Hurricane Milton's tornado outbreak in 2024 -- but flood risk varies significantly by specific block and elevation, so check FEMA flood zone maps for any address you're considering.
Who provides electric, water, and sewer service in Melbourne?
Florida Power & Light (FPL) provides electric service citywide. Water and sewer generally come from the City of Melbourne's Public Works & Utilities Department, though some nearby incorporated areas, like West Melbourne, run their own separate utilities.
What school district serves Melbourne, and how big is it?
Melbourne is in Brevard Public Schools, a countywide district of 71,198 students across 109 schools as of the 2024-2025 school year. Melbourne High School serves part of the city, but attendance zones vary block by block, so confirm assigned schools through the district's boundary tool.
Is Melbourne really an aerospace town, or is that overstated?
It's not overstated: L3Harris Technologies, a Fortune 500 defense contractor, has been headquartered in Melbourne since 1978, and Florida Institute of Technology was founded in 1958 specifically to train engineers for the nearby Cape Canaveral missile program. Northrop Grumman and other aerospace firms also operate out of the research park at Melbourne Orlando International Airport, making aerospace and defense the city's dominant industry.