Merritt Island, Florida Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Merritt Island, FL Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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B
Income Around average
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B
Education Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Merritt Island | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 34,963 | 22,388,905 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 757.5 | 313.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.10% | 1.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 50.0 | 40.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 14,115 | 8,743,019 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Merritt Island grew by 4.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 34,963 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Merritt Island is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 25.3% of residents. That is 4.6 points above Florida as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,535 15.8% -3.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,475 15.7% -4.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 8,837 25.3% +4.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 8,423 24.1% +4.5 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Florida, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.2% of the people living in Merritt Island and men 49.8%.
- Women 50.2% Florida 51.0%
- Men 49.8% Florida 49.0%
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100% of everyone living in Merritt Island
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Economy
Merritt Island has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Merritt Island | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $96,215 | $74,580 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 7.33% | 5.42% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Merritt Island is about 29% higher than in Florida.
Housing
| Metric | Merritt Island | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $356,269 | $311,338 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,430 | $1,668 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 79.6% | 67.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Merritt Island is about 20.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,430 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Merritt Island spend about 40 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 169 hours, about 7.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Merritt Island | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.2 | 24.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 40.5 | 47.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 169 | 200 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,230 | $6,189 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 19.1% | 15.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 13,222 | 14,318 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,727 | 3,068 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Merritt Island is 20 minutes, shorter than the 24 minutes in Florida.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Merritt Island has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Merritt Island | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38.8% | 30.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.43 | 2.50 | 2.53 |
Health
Merritt Island has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Merritt Island | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.0 | 77.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.4% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.2% | 21.3% | 19.0% |
Merritt Island, FL Compared With Nearby Cities
How Merritt Island, FL compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merritt Island, FL | 34,963 | $96,215 #1/2 | $356,269 #1/2 | 20.2 min #1/2 |
| Rockledge, FL | 25,851 | $86,080 | $244,593 | 22.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Merritt Island, Florida.
How big is Merritt Island, Florida by population?
About 34,963 people live in Merritt Island, Florida, in 14,115 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 50.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 13 years.
Is Merritt Island, Florida mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Merritt Island, Florida has 757 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 8.8 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Merritt Island, Florida?
The median home costs 3.7 times the median household income ($356,269 against $96,215), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,430 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Merritt Island, Florida?
Unemployment in Merritt Island, Florida is only 4.1%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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