Should I Move To
Palm Bay, Florida is home to about 121,513 people. On cost of living, it lands in the moderate band — essentially matching the national average. The median renter pays around $1,345 a month against a typical household income of $62,538. Our composite UrbRank Score lands at 57 out of 100 (grade C), putting it at #253 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Palm Bay's composite cost-of-living index lands at 103 (100 = US average), which puts it in the moderate band. At $1,345/mo against $62,538 in median household income, the typical renter spends about 26% of income on housing — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Median home value sits around $226,200.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Climate is warm year-round — summer averages around 91°F, winter averages around 52°F. Precipitation totals about 51 inches a year. Built around the car — walking isn't really an option for daily life. On crime, it scores well — incidents per capita run noticeably under the national average. Air quality reads good (AQI 39).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Palm Bay reads as a moderate fit for families. It earns 57/100 (grade C) on the families profile. Strongest on safety (89/100); weakest on education (17/100).
Palm Bay reads as a moderate fit for retirees. It earns 61/100 (grade C+) on the retirees profile. Strongest on safety (89/100); weakest on education (17/100).
Palm Bay reads as a moderate fit for remote workers. It earns 62/100 (grade C+) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on safety (89/100); weakest on education (17/100).
Palm Bay doesn't obviously fit young professionals. It earns 46/100 (grade D) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on safety (89/100); weakest on education (17/100).
Palm Bay, Florida pulls a 57/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade C), currently ranked #253 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Palm Bay's cost-of-living index is 103 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the moderate band — essentially matching the national average. Median rent runs about $1,345/mo.
Warm year-round — summer averages around 91°F, winter averages around 52°F, with about 51 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 20/100. Built around the car — walking isn't really an option for daily life.
Palm Bay has about 121,513 residents, 22% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 42.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Palm Bay head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Palm Bay stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Palm Bay with other Florida cities scored on UrbRank.
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