North Port vs Palm Bay
The short version
- Palm Bay is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 2% lower than in the North Port area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $283,200 in Palm Bay and $362,500 in North Port.
- Households earn more in North Port ($84,049 vs $72,614 median).
- North Port has more scorching days: 124 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 63.
- North Port is growing faster: +28.7% since 2020 vs +23.7%.
Side by side
| North Port, FL | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 96,551 | 148,092 |
| Growth since 2020 | +28.7% | +23.7% |
| People per square mile | 971 | 1,709 |
| Median age | 49.3 | 41.0 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30% | 24% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $84,049 | $72,614 |
| Median home value | $362,500 | $283,200 |
| Home value to income | 4.3× | 3.9× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,894 | $1,601 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 102.4 | 100.0 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 128.0 | 111.7 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $76,800 | $75,000 |
| Homeowners | 81% | 80% |
| Top state income tax | None | None |
| Combined sales tax | 6.98% | 6.98% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 29.4 | 27.8 |
| Work from home | 12% | 11% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.9% | 6.1% |
| Poverty rate | 6.7% | 11.7% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 75° / 51° | 72° / 52° |
| July high / low | 93° / 74° | 90° / 74° |
| Precipitation per year | 53 in | 51 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 124 | 63 |
| Nights below freezing | 2 | 2 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 7 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 98.2 | 98.4 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 63% | 91% |
| Home prices, past year | -0.5% | +2.2% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +37.5% | +40.5% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: North Port: November to April. Palm Bay: November to May.
Full monthly tables: North Port weather by month and Palm Bay weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $76,800 in North Port and $75,000 in Palm Bay. Moving from North Port to Palm Bay, you would need about $73,200 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between North Port and Palm Bay
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from North Port and Palm Bay.
Which would you pick?
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