Brevard County, Florida
Encyclopedia
Brevard County is a county
located in the U.S. state
of Florida
, along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2007 U.S. Census Bureau
estimates, the population is 536,521, making it the 10th most populous county in the state. Influenced by the presence of the John F. Kennedy Space Center
, Brevard County is also known as the Space Coast
. As such, it was designated with the telephone area code 321 as in 3-2-1 liftoff.
The official county seat
has been located in Titusville
since 1894, although most of the county's administration is performed from Viera
. Brevard County has more than one county courthouse and sheriff's
office because of its elongated north-south county lines. Hence, government services are not centralized in one location, as they are in many American counties.
The county is coextensive with the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) designated by the Office of Management and Budget and used for statistical purposes by the Census Bureau and other agencies. Palm Bay
, Melbourne
and Titusville
are designated as the principal cities of the MSA. The Melbourne-Titusville-Cocoa, Florida Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area was first defined in 1973. Cocoa
was removed as a principal city in 1983, and Palm Bay was added, with the name changed to Melbourne-Titusville-Palm Bay, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The MSA name was changed to its present form in 2003.
and the climate of the area was much different than it is now; it was similar to that of Great Britain
today. The area which today is Brevard County was probably not coastal at this period in time. The coast of Florida was about 100 miles (160.9 km) wider and the Indian River was simply a lower point on dry land.
After a few thousand years, perhaps by around 3000 B.C. peninsular Florida resembled the land of today; in shape, climate, fauna, and flora. The ocean had risen enough to flood the Indian River with salt water.
About this time, a new group of settlers appeared known as "the archaic people." These people were primarily fishermen, as opposed to the hunting and gathering way of life which characterized the Paleoindians. It is believed that these were the ancestors of the Native Americans who would come in contact with the Europeans when they arrived.
were the dominant tribes in the area when Ponce De Leon
arrived at the shores near Melbourne Beach in 1513. There were about 10,000 of these natives in the area.
Heavy mosquito infestation and the threat of Indian attacks kept the area from having any permanent white settlements. The Spanish quickly left the area, but left a deadly reminder of their visit: European diseases. In 1763, the Spanish took the last 80 natives to Cuba.
Within 200 years, almost the entire precolumbian population of Florida had died out. Creek Indians from the north quickly swept down from Georgia and the Carolinas to fill the void. These Indians became known as the Seminole
. Their activity in Brevard County was intermittent and usually not permanent.
Throughout the 18th century, the great European powers Spain
, Great Britain
and France
vied for power in Florida. Their interest in the peninsula was more strategic than for building any real settlements. In contrast to today, where living in Florida means comfort and the "good life" to many people, Florida in the 18th century was seen as a hostile place with dangerous fauna such as poisonous snakes, alligators and panthers. Death by malaria was a possibility and death at the hands of angry Indians seemed even more likely. After being under Spanish, French, British, and then Spanish rule again, Florida finally became a United States territory.
In 1837, Fort Ann was established on the eastern shore of the Indian River on a narrow strip of land on Merritt Island. During the construction of the Hernandez-Capron Trail, General Joseph Hernandez and his militiamen encamped near present day Mims. These settlements were short lived and were abandoned shortly thereafter.
The first permanent settlement in present day Brevard was, without a doubt, established near Cape Canaveral in 1848. After the establishment of a lighthouse, a few families moved in and a small, but stable settlement was born. Gradually, as the threat of Seminole Indian attacks was becoming increasingly unlikely, people began to move into the area around the Indian River. In the 1850s a small community developed at Sand Point which eventually became the city of Titusville. Unlike other areas of Florida, the American Civil War
had little effect on Brevard County, other than perhaps slow the movement of settlers to the area.
By the 1880s, the cities along the Indian River included Melbourne, Eau Gallie, Titusville, Rockledge, and Cocoa. Unlike cities further inland in Florida, these cities did not have to rely as heavily on roads. The primary way of transversing the county was by water. In 1877 commercial steamboat transportation became a reality as the steamboat Pioneer was brought to the area.
The first real boom to the area occurred with the extension of Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railroad into the area. The railroad reached Titusville in 1886 and Melbourne in 1894. With the railroad came increased settlement and the first tourists.
The first major land boom began in the 1920s with the end of World War I
. People flooded into the state of Florida as land prices soared, only to bust as the Great Depression
temporarily stopped growth in Florida. Before the start of World War II
, the largest industries in Brevard were commercial fishing, citrus, and tourism.
In 1940, the Naval Air Station Banana River
(now Patrick Air Force Base
) was built. This began a new era in the development of Brevard County. Later, in the late 50s, the Long Range Proving Ground was opened. This later became the Kennedy Space Center. This changed the entire complexion of the county; where Brevard had once been considered a "backwoods" area of Florida, it instantly became the launching pad into outer space. What had once been a primarily low-tech farmer/fisherman economy was transformed into a high-tech engineering and computer economy.
In 1982, Windover Archaeological Site
was discovered.
As a very long, but not very wide county, there had been a lot of complaints from people in the southern, more populous side of the county about being so distant from the county seat. A trip to conduct county business in Titusville was 50 miles (80.5 km) from the most populous city in the county, Palm Bay. There was talk of secession on the southern end of the county, and the county decided to build a new county administration complex at Viera near the geographical center of the county. This complex was started in 1989, and resulted in a counter-threat of secession from the Titusille end of the county. This proposal to form a new county, Playalinda County had some momentum in the early 90s. The county made a few concessions to the people in the northern part of the county, and agreed not to officially move the county seat. Viera; however, is for all intents and purposes the de facto seat of Brevard County.
The summer of 1998 produced some of the worst brush fires on record.70000 acre (283.3 km²; 109.4 sq mi) were burned.
Prior to instituting controlled burn
s, the county forests and pastures burned for months during the dry season. From the 1940s to the 1970s, the state assumed control of burning that prevented uncontrolled fires. In 2006, the state burned a record 72065 acre (291.6 km²; 112.6 sq mi) in the county.
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 1556.95 square miles (4,032.5 km²), of which 1018.19 square miles (2,637.1 km²) (or 65.40%) is land and 538.76 square miles (1,395.4 km²) (or 34.60%) is water., primarily the Atlantic Ocean, the St. Johns River
and the Indian River Lagoon
. The county is larger in area than Samoa and nearly the same size, and population, as Cape Verde. It is one third of the size of Rhode Island.
Located half-way between Jacksonville, Florida
and Miami
, Brevard County is an extra-long county, extending 72 miles (115.9 km) from north to south, but averages 26.5 miles (42.6 km) inland from the seacoast at any point. In marshes in the western part of this county is the source of the St. Johns River. Emphasizing it's position as "halfway" down Florida, is the presence of two roads that are half-way down Florida's numbering system, State Road 50 and State Road 500.
The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway along the eastern edge of Brevard County is the major waterway
route in Brevard County. It includes the Indian River
. Additional waterways include Lake Washington
, Lake Poinsett
, Lake Winder
, Sawgrass Lake
, St. Johns River, and the Banana River
.
Brevard County is the sole county in the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area (formerly the Melbourne-Titusville-Cocoa, Florida Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area and Melbourne-Titusville-Palm Bay, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area).
There is no major urban center. The county is unofficially divided into three section, North County, comprising Titusville, Mims and Port St. John; Central Brevard, which includes Cocoa, Rockledge Merritt Island, and Cocoa Beach; and South County, which includes Melbourne, Palm Bay, Grant, Valkaria, and the South Beaches
. The South Beaches is a term that measure direction south from the dividing line of Patrick Air Force Base, and includes South Patrick Shores, Satellite Beach, Indian Harbour Beach, Indialantic, and Melbourne Beach.
Additionally, the government has historically labeled the beach areas differently. These names are sometimes ambiguous with those in popular use. The North Reach includes 9.4 miles (15.1 km) in Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach. The Patrick Air Force Base beach is 4.1 miles (6.6 km). The Mid Reach includes the 7.6 miles (12.2 km) in Satellite Beach. The South Reach includes the 3.8 miles (6.1 km) in Indialantic and Melbourne Beach. The South Beaches includes 14.5 miles (23.3 km) south of Melbourne Beach to Sebastian.
There are 16 municipalities. The largest, by population is Palm Bay, the smallest Melbourne Village.
The county has seven canals for transportation and drainage:
of Cf with a year-round distribution of rainfall. This means a humid subtropical climate
with hot, humid summers. There are distinct wet and dry seasons. The dry lasts from December through May. The wet from June through November.
Temperature varies noticeably in this 72 miles (115.9 km) long, north-to-south, county, particularly in winter. In north county, northern (temperate climate) flora can thrive, like deciduous trees. In the south county, sub-tropical plants can grow, such as royal palm trees. Progressing from west to east, there is a moderating affect from the ocean and, to a lesser extent, from the Indian River; so eastern low temperatures are higher, and high temperatures are lower, than is measured further west.
January is the coldest month with an average low of 50.7 °F (10.4 °C); average high 71 °F (21.7 °C). The warmest months are July and August with average highs of 90 °F (32.2 °C); average lows 72.2. The driest month is April with 1.6 inches (4.1 cm) rainfall; the wettest September, 6.6 inches (16.8 cm).
Offshore ocean temperatures have averaged: January - 64 °F (17.8 °C), February - 62 °F (16.7 °C), March - 67 °F (19.4 °C) and April - 72 °F (22.2 °C).
Florida is a large subtropical state that experiences hurricanes. Although Brevard county is located along Florida's eastern peninsula, it is less frequently impacted by direct hurricane landfalls than portions of the Panhandle or South Florida. There are two predominant reasons for this. First, westward moving tropical systems often reach an atmospheric ridge weakness in the Bermuda High
by the time they approach Florida at a latitude as northerly as Brevard County. Combined with frontal systems that exit the United States' East Coast, many of these tropical systems are steered northwest and eventually curve northward offshore Florida's East Central Coast. A second reason is that hurricanes landfalling along the Florida peninsular Gulf Coast often weaken to a tropical storm by the time they move northeast to affect Brevard County (with some exceptions, such as 2004's Charley).
Although Brevardians may refer to past storms as "hurricanes", by the time they strike here, some of them may have subsided to tropical storms or depressions. Because of the threat of storm surge
, the beach community on the barrier island is often required to evacuate well in advance of the storm.
The possibility of storm surge is diminished when the storm comes across the state instead of from the Atlantic.
Tornado
-like eddies spinning off from even small storms can result in severe damage in small areas. Generally, summertime tornadoes are brief and are at the EF0
or EF1 level and may not actually touch down. During the dry season
, they can attain a force of EF2 and touch the ground for miles.
Five hurricanes have directly affected Brevard since 1950: David
(September 3, 1979), Hurricane Erin (August 2, 1995) - made landfall near Sebastian Inlet and caused mostly minor wind damage and more extensive flooding countywide, Charley
(August 13, 2004) - Caused damage in Titusville and North Brevard. Frances
(September 3, 2004) - Struck neighboring Vero Beach, Indian River County directly and caused widespread wind damage throughout Brevard, Jeanne
(September 26, 2004) - Struck Vero, directly, following very nearly the same path as Frances. The latter two storms caused widespread damage in South Brevard, and resulted in $2.8 billion in claim payments. Slightly more than half of one percent (0.6%) of houses were lost.
The following storms did not affect Brevard County with hurricane force winds: Floyd
(September 15, 1999), and Irene
(October 16, 1999).
Tropical Storm Fay
dropped a record rainfall of 27.65 inches (70.2 cm) in 2008.
The winter of 2009-2010 was the coldest on record since 1937 when records were first kept. Planting season, which normally starts around February 14, came instead, six weeks later. Some flowers and herbs are planted as early as January. December 2010 was the coldest December on record.
There are 250 mi2 of federally protected wildlife refuges. These lands include Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
, the Canaveral National Seashore
, the St. Johns National Wildlife Refuge
, the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge
, several conservation areas managed by the St. Johns River Water Management District
, Brevard County's Environmentally Endangered Lands Program Sanctuaries, and lands dedicated by the State as conservation areas.
Common mammals include: North American river otters, bobcat
s, whitetail deer, raccoon
s and marsh rabbit
s.
Coyote
s first entered the county in 2011.
Love bug
season occurs twice annually in May and August–September. Motorists, usually, encounter swarms of these while driving during a four week period.
Yellow flies are particularly noticeable from April through June.
There were 596 manatee
s in Brevard in 2009, out of a total of 3,802 in the state. This is a decline from 2007 when there was a total of 859 out of a state total of 2,817.
Wild hogs have become a nuisance in some suburbs..
The poisonous brown recluse spider
is not native to the area but has found the environment congenial.
The Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network has counted species of butterflies monthly for a year since 2007. In 2010, it counted 45 species.
The county's most common winter bird is the lesser scaup
, a diving duck. In 2008, half a million were counted. In 2010, 15,000 were estimated. Local bird counts indicate that there are at least 163 species of birds in the county. Other birds include the Red-shouldered Hawk
, and the loggerhead shrike
.
Peak migration in the fall is from the last week in September through the first week in October. Fall migration tends to be stronger than spring because birds typically take different flyways.
trees, various grasses and juniper
plants were sufficiently common to generate pollen noticeable by some people in February.
Native trees include: fringetree, coral bean
, sweet acacia, and geiger tree
.
Fringetree, Coral bean
, Firebush, Beautyberry
Coral honeysuckle
, and Blanket flower.
Native plants include: Cabbage Palm
, Sea Grape
, Red Mulberry
, Purslane
, Dandelion, Spanish Bayonet
, Blackberry
, Jerusalem Artichoke
, Dogwood
, and Gallberry
.
As of the census
of 2000, there were in the county:
The population grew about 50,000 between 2000 and 2005. From 2005 to 2009, it grew by about 10,000. This helped lead the county to a housing bubble crisis since homes were built to accommodate a larger population. From 2007 through 2010, the population has been essentially static.
The county's population is larger than that of the state of Wyoming
.
The racial makeup of the county was:
There were 198,195 households out of which 26.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.00% were married couples living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.20% were non-families. 26.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.84.
The population was distributed as follows: 22.00% under the age of 18, 6.80% from 18 to 24, 27.10% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 19.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 95.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.30 males. In 2007, 30% of the population was over 55. In 2010, the oldest person in the county was a 110 year old Titusville man. In 2009, there were 5,172 births in the county.
In 2009, two percent of the people in the county are over 85. In 2009, there were 130,508 people 60 and over in the county.
9.50% of the population and 6.80% of families are below the poverty
line. Out of the total population, 13.00% of those under the age of 18 and 6.50% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. In 2010, 10% were living in poverty compared with 13% statewide.
In 2005, the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which consists solely of Brevard County, was estimated to stand 91st in population out of 263 in the country.
In 2006, the county stood 10th in population in the state, out of 67. The increase in population from 2000 was 11.8%, less than the Florida average of 12.7%.
In 2010, 90% of residents had a high school degree, compared with 85% statewide.
In 2009, 25.7% of residents had an undergraduate degree, below the national average of 27.7%, but the same as the rest of Florida. 14.7% of residents over 25 had undergraduate degrees in engineering. This is almost twice the national average.
According to the 2000 census, the county had about 80,000 veterans. 21% of the population older than 18 is a veteran. This had dropped to 74,000 in 2010. This was 21% of the people in the county. An actual count by a local agency in 2010 indicated that 225 of veterans were homeless.
In 2007, a local census by volunteer counted 1,899 homeless residents.
In the 1950s, the county population was just under 24,000. In 1960, just over 111,000. In 1969, at the height of the space program, it was 234,000.
In 2010, about 5% of Brevardians speak Spanish at home.
In 2010, 8% of Brevardians were born outside of the US, compared with 19% for Florida.
, who executes the will of the Commission. The county employed about 2,900 workers in 2009.
There are 16 autonomous municipal governments within the county. The various cities, towns and villages of Brevard have varying reliance on services provided by the Brevard County government.
A centrally located County Government Center in Viera
houses the various county government branches, including Housing and Human Services, Juvenile Justice, Public Safety, Public Works and Solid Waste Management.
The Brevard County government had annual expenditures just over $1 billion in the fiscal year 2009-2010, exclusive of the municipalities. In 2009, real estate taxes for homesteaded property
averaged .83% of the value of the property. Real estate taxes are levied by each authority. They are collected by the County Tax Collector. The total taxable real estate base was $33.7 billion in 2009. County taxes rose 26.5% in total per capita revenue from 2002–2007, and 49.8% in property tax per capita in the same time frame. Delinquent taxes were $36 million in 2008.
Brevard County has two unique election districts. One governs Port Canaveral
; the other, the maintenance of the Sebastian Inlet.
District 1 - Robin Fisher
District 2 - Chuck Nelson
District 3 - Trudie Infantini
District 4 - Mary Bolin
District 5 -Andy Anderson
County Manager - Howard Tipton
Commissioners were paid $58,308 annually in 2011.
The following are considered state officials but are elected and paid by the county:
Sheriff - J.R. "Jack" Parker
Clerk of the Courts - Mitch Needelman. The clerk's office had 323 workers, including subcontractors.
Brevard Property Appraiser
- Jim Ford
Tax Collector - Lisa Cullen
Supervisor of Elections - Lori Scott
State Attorney - Norm Wolfinger
Public Defender - James F. Russo
Brevard County lies within Florida's 24th congressional district
which seat is held by Sandy Adams
and within Florida's 15th congressional district
which seat is held by Bill Posey
.
The county lies within two state senatorial districts, 24 and 25. They are held by Thad Altman
and Mike Haridopolos
.
The county lies within five state representative districts, 29 through 32 and 80. These seats are held by Tom Goodson, Rich Workman, John Tobia
, Steve Crisafulli
, and Debbie Mayfield
.
and circuit courts in Viera which try a variety of cases including felonies, misdemeanors, traffic, and domestic. An elected State's Attorney
prosecutes cases for the public. Defendants can be represented through the auspices of the office of the elected Public Defender
. The 18th Circuit Court
includes Seminole
as well as Brevard and covers not only the court itself but the State's Attorney and the Public Defender.
The County elects a sheriff, directly responsible to the courts but also to the state for the enforcement of state laws. Police chiefs, appointed by their cities or towns, perform the same function locally. There is no overlap in jurisdictions. Some volunteers work alongside paid professionals.
Most municipalities are located on at least one waterway. This has resulted in the county and seven cities to have a boat or access to one to aid boaters, or enforce the law in the water in their jurisdiction.
The county jail is a 1976 facility which rapidly became overcrowded. Voters rejected expanding the jail on four occasions. The sheriff solved the problem by the construction of a large but less expensive "hardened tent" to house non-violent offenders. Crowding reached its peak in 2007 at 1,988 inmates, 300 over capacity. The budget for the facility was $42 million in 2010. There were 1,585 residents. Costs for feeding and housing was $72 per inmate daily. There were 475 staff members.
The county jail retains prisoners who have been sentenced to a year
or less. Longer sentences must be served in state prisons, such as the facility in Sharpes for young men.
A unit of the Coast Guard
, homeported at Port Canaveral, plays a role in preventing illegal immigration, and is an interdictor of drugs in the area.
The State's Attorney's Office sponsors the Victim/Witness Services. This provides advocates to victims of violent crime and their families. The advocate helps the family understand the legal system as they navigate through it. They also seek out financial assistance
or counseling they might need. In 2005 they helped 8,448 victims in Brevard County.
In 2009, there were 1,200 law enforcement officers working in the county, of which 361 are sheriff's deputies. Of all crime that came to the attention of the sheriff's office in 2007, 80% was drug-related. From January to June 2009, the county reported a total of 10,037 crimes. Of these, a majority, 3.002, were under the jurisdiction of the sheriff's department. In 2009, the crime rate was 3,471.3 property-related crimes per 100,000 residents, slightly above the national average.
Public safety for Port Canaveral is under the direction of the Port Authority. Traditionally, emphasis was placed on monitoring the content of containerized cargo on incoming ships, as well as underwater inspection of arriving ships that could be carrying explosive devices. In 2008, the Canaveral Port Authority Board of Commissioners approved the creation of an independent police department.
In 2004, hurricanes destroyed one in every hundred homes in the South County area. Within two blocks of the beach nearly every building sustained some damage. Barefoot Bay, a mobile housing development, was essentially destroyed. Winds tore off the roof of a shelter for special needs people in an elementary school. Emergency Workers were forced to evacuate these people at the peak of the storm. Evacuation routes were insufficient to handle the resulting heavy traffic westbound when an emergency was declared. A major westbound route (US 192) was expanded in 2008 to four lanes to accommodate the south Brevard population.
In 11 sanctuaries that protect natural ecosystems, the county's Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) Program offers passive recreation opportunities such as hiking, wildlife viewing, biking and paddling.
The Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and the Canaveral National Seashore are 2 national wildlife refuges in the county that offer recreational pursuits such as hiking, wildlife viewing, paddling, and environmental education.
In 2010 and 2011, the Brookings Institution
reported that Brevard ranked in the bottom fifth of the nation's top metro areas, based on unemployment, gross metropolitan product, housing prices and foreclosed properties. Foreclosures reached a monthly high of 963 in March 2009. In December 2010, Forbes magazine rated the area the worst place in America to find a job.
Government purchasing contributed 12%-15% of the county's gross domestic product from 2000 to 2010.
Though the area has a relatively small number of high technology companies, 736, a business journal ranked it eighth in the country as a high tech center in 2009. The area had 23,096 high-tech jobs with a ratio of 124 per 1,000 total jobs.
In December 2010, Forbes magazine ranked the area as the worst in the country for finding a job, for the second time in 2010.
The county ranked 17th for per capita income, out of Florida's 67 counties.
The following were below the poverty line in 2000:
In 2011, almost 70,000 people in the county were receiving food stamps
.
There were 5,600 civilian government workers in the county. They earned an average of $74,000 each in 2009.
38% (84,401) households in the county received social security
payments in 2009 averaging $16,136 for a total of $1.7 billion annually. 24% (53,717) received pension payments averaging $24,327 for a total of $1.3 billion annually.
Monthly foreclosures exceeded 746 from January 2009 through October. Maximum monthly home sales were less than 584 during that time frame, creating an accumulating backlog of unsold homes. In 2010, there were 15,000 more vacant homes than the economy could absorb; the population was not growing.
Nearly 44,943 new houses were built from 2000 through 2009. This was enough to house 112,000 people. However, only 60,000 people moved into the county, leaving the remaining homes vacant and helping to precipitate bursting the United States housing bubble
. In 2000, there were 198,195 households in the county and 222,072 units for a occupancy rate of 89.1%. Between 2000 and 2009, more than twice as many houses were built than were needed. Nearly 47,000 houses were built, but the number of households increased by 22,000, dropping the occupancy rate to 81.9%.
Housing vacancy rate hit a high of 18.8% in 2007. The number of households renting hit a low of 48,528 in 2005. Median monthly rent hit a high of $907 in 2008. In 2009, 73% of Brevard households owned the house they lived in. The national rate was 65.9%.
The county's median home price reached a high in August 2005 at $248,700. New home permits fell in 2007 to 1,894, the lowest since 1982. Sales of existing homes fell 19% in 2007 from the prior year to 373 monthly. The median drop in home prices was 50% from 2005 to 2008, from $248,700 to $125,200. However, when choices for smaller homes was eliminated, prices on individual homes fell 25%; down 33% for individual condos. In 2000, the median sale price of homes in Brevard was $100,000. With the collapse in the housing bubble
, homes now are often about the same price, with median homes in 2009 selling for $89,400. In November 2010, the number of sales and prices of existing homes rose from the previous year. This was the first rise in 4 1/2 years. The average house sold for $87,700 in February 2011.
In a separate study, a consulting firm determined that house prices in the county were 46.1% overvalued in 2005 at $212,000 average. The same firm determined that prices were 19.3% undervalued in 2008 at $129,400. The average price in December 2009, fell to a new recent low of $104,100. In January 2010, sales dropped to 434 monthly, also a recent low.
In 2008, a number of mortgage insurers blackmarked Brevard, along with a quarter of the total nations zip codes. This was intended to thwart potential buyers who wish to pay less than 20% down on a home.
After various insurance companies pulled out of Florida after hurricane losses, property insurance became a major concern for many homeowners. In 2011, 32,000 Brevard policyholders insure with the state-owned Citizens Property Insurance Corporation
.
In 2009 an economist said that the Brevard housing market will not recover until at least 2011. A later analysis in 2009 seemed to agree, saying that the market would fall 41.4% to bottom out by the end of 2010.
The average non-foreclosed house sold for $143,000 in 2010, down from $147,000 in 2009. The average foreclosed house sold for $70,000 down from $81,000 in 2009. 25% of the houses sold in 2010 had been foreclosed. Total foreclosures rose from 2,200 in 2009 to 4,100 in 2010.
In 2008 Brevard expected to have 100,000-300,000 more people by 2020, an increase of 60%.
In 2008, there were 1,550 permits for residential projects valued at $355.45 million. That is the lowest number of filings since 1975. The lowest number of building permits was in 2009, 937. The highest was in 2005, 8,663.
Annual foreclosures rose from a low of 1,144 in 2005 to 9,228 in 2008. From 2007 to March 2010, there were 25,600 foreclosure filings. In 2010, it was found that 1/3 or more of real estate sales were due to foreclosures.
In 2010 Kiplinger.com
rated the county one of five "best" places in America to retire. Factors evaluated included cost-of-living, weather, the number of doctors, taxes, crime rates and recreational opportunities.
electric lines most vulnerable to high winds, underground despite the high cost.
Cape Canaveral and Satellite Beach have declared a moratorium on converting commercially zoned areas to residential.
The company developing West Viera gained state permission and county acquiescence to create a self-governing board that could raise taxes and sell bonds to pay for roads, water lines, pumping stations and other infrastructure needed to support the construction of 16,500 houses, apartments and condominiums. The company proved that development could fund itself.
(18%), Professional and Business Services (17%), Total government (15%), Education and Health (14%), Manufacturing (12%), Leisure and hospitality (10%), Construction (6%), Financial (4%).
In 2005, Inc. Magazine
voted the Space Coast as the best place to do business in Florida and sixth in the country.
In 2004, Brevard County ranked 13th out of 318 largest counties in the US for increase in the number of jobs. The county moved from 70 to 31 out of the top 200 metropolitan areas "Best Performing." This improvement was driven mainly by job growth.
Port Canaveral is the world's busiest cruise port. It is served by seven cruise lines. They have six major cruise terminals. There is 750000 ft2 of covered freight storage capacity. It handled 4000000 short tons (3,571,417.7 LT) of cargo in 2004. The port has boosted Brevard's economy by $500 million annually.
American City Business Journals
rated Brevard 7th for quality of life out of 67.
Two hospitals were among the top five private employers in the county. Together employing 8,850 in 2009.
In 2008, 14,865 workers were employed at the NASA/Kennedy Space Center. The Center directly spent $1.82 billion in the county.
A concern has been the probable re-assignment of thousands of space coast workers when the shuttle is discontinued in 2010. In 2010, 9,000 jobs were expected to be lost from the shuttle and other programs. Each launch contributed $4 million to the county's economy. Annually,$78 million is spent at the Space Center Visitor's Complex, and $5.9 million from space business visitors.
Harris Corporation
, headquarters in the county, has the most employees in the private sector, 6,700 in 2009.
Two locally headquartered builders, Mercedes Homes
and Holiday were among the top 30 in the nation. Mercedes had $1 billion in sales in 2004.
The Cocoa Redevelopment Center has worked on programs to improve housing in the city's older areas.
Inc. magazine selected two local small companies as among the fastest growing in the country over the past 3 years - Applied Global Technology (nearly 100% annually) and Stops (nearly 200% annually).
Though the area has a relatively small number of high technology companies, 736, a business journal ranked it eighth in the country as a high tech center in 2009. The area had 23,096 high-tech jobs with a ratio of 124 per 1,000 total jobs.
The county had 1,050 restaurants in 2007 and nearly that many (1,040) in 2010. There were 22.600 leisure and hospitality workers in the county in 2006. This figures includes hotel workers. That figure had dropped 8.5% to 20,700 in 2010.
, near Satellite Beach
, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
(CCAFS), adjacent to the Kennedy Space Center, and the U.S. Air Force Malabar Test Facility on Minton Road in suburban Palm Bay. In 2009, they employed a total of 2,000 civilian federal workers.
The Navy maintains a Trident turning basin at Port Canaveral for Ballistic Missile Submarine
s. The Naval Ordnance Test Unit (NOTU) tests weapons on these subs which arrive at the rate of one a month. The 2005 Base closures
included realigning NOTU out of state. The community was successful in getting this decision revoked.
CCAFS houses the Air Force Space & Missile Museum
as Launch Complex 26
,
where many unmanned rockets were launched early in the U.S. space program including Explorer 1, the first US spacecraft placed in earth orbit.
The Cape Canaveral Navy League council supports the Sea Services
by adopting ships and units of the Navy and Coast Guard
. It also provides a means for civilians to socialize with the officers and crew of allied Navies when they visit port.
Northrup Grumman develops the military JSTARS
electronics surveillance system used in all major US conflicts since 1990.
The was a World War II Alamosa-class naval cargo ship that was decommissioned shortly after the war.
and Duda Ranches; citrus growers include Victory Groves and Harvey's Indian River Groves.
The county ranked 21 out of 24 Florida counties in the shipment of gift fruit.
In 2009, aquaculture
was a $900,000 business in the county.
The county produces more than 25% of all blue crabs along Florida's East Coast.
There are 40 4-H
related clubs in the county including livestock- and pet-related and after school clubs. As in all Cooperative extension service
, a land grant college, the University of Florida, conducted over 60 courses in 2010 in aid of 4-H programs and other agricultural pursuits.
In February 2010, the USDA declared that Brevard, along with of 59 other Florida counties, was a "primary natural disaster area." This happened when the temperature falls below 28 °F (-2.2 °C)c degrees for 4 hours, where crops are being grown.
1.6 million people visited the Space Center Visitor Complex in 2008. Tourism, measured by the tourist tax, reached a peak in March 2007.
In 2009, there were 2.4 million overnight visitors in the county. There were 1.2 million day visitors.
Brevard competes with other Florida areas for tourists. A number of organizations help promote the area.
The Space Coast Office of Tourism consists of county staff and the Brevard County Tourist Development Council (TDC). They attempt to attract tourists. The TDC serves as an advisory council to the county on the expenditures of revenues received from a tourist tax. This revenue is spent on beach improvements, visitor information centers and website, promotion and advertising, the Brevard Zoo
, additional beach improvements and the Space Coast Stadium.
In 1964, the Colt 45s started spring training at Cocoa Stadium. The team later became the Houston Astros
. The team left the county in 1985. They were succeeded by the Florida Marlins
at Viera in 1993.
$97.7 million has been spent on beach replenishment in the county between 2000-2010. This was funded 58% by the federal government, 27% by the state and 15% by the county.
In 2008 monthly tourist tax revenue slumped from a high of $1,174,742 in March to a seasonal low in September of $432,145.
In 2004, Brevard experienced its best October and November tourism until then, despite widespread hurricane damage and loss of five beachside hotels. Four of these hotels were restored by 2006.
In 2008, the county had 11,000 hotel rooms available. In July 2007, there was a 66.1% occupancy rate. In 2008, the county had a nearly identical 81%+ occupancy rate in March and April. This fell to a seasonal low of 42.3% in September. In January 2010, the average hotel room rate was $88.25.
Cocoa Main Street, a member of the Florida and National Main Street Programs
, works toward restoring business sites in the historic area known as "Cocoa Village." Cocoa Main Street has received six Florida Main Street Awards given by the Secretary of State. The restored area is a tourist attraction and an economic magnet. Melbourne Main Street is another historic business area and tourist attraction restored through the Main Street Programs.
Brevard has five judged art festivals annually attracting tens of thousands of people to art displays. Most festivals are held in the spring or fall when many tourists can attend. Many other annual festivals are held in parks and public sites throughout the year. The Brevard Cultural Alliance (BCA) maintains an event calendar and a map of sites of historic, cultural, and ecological interest.
An annual February Greek Festival had over 8,000 visitors in 2011.
For Brevard County businesses, fishing tournaments, such as the Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series tournament in August, bring more than $2.5 million a year in direct spending and more in indirect spending. Tournaments provide a revenue source for the county and local businesses.
The annual Grant Seafood Festival attracts as many as 50,000 people for the two day February event. It is the Southeast's largest and longest running seafood festival.
The Globe Sebastian Inlet Pro surfing contest, on the county line, draws 16,000 visitors the second weekend in January.
An ice skating rink in Rockledge serves the county's residents and visitors with hockey and figure skating events.
The largest home in Brevard is the 50-room 19000 ft2 mansion in Suntree built in 1991 and once owned by Cecil Fielder
.
In 2009, recreational boat owners generated almost $51 million annually towards the county economy, ranking the industry fifth in the state.
, Colorado Springs, Colorado
, Huntsville, Alabama
, and Raleigh, North Carolina
. It evaluated nine areas: business dynamism/vitality, competitiveness, education, economic growth, economic prosperity, livability, productivity/labor supply, technology and innovation/work force. While the county does well against national figures, and scored high in livability, it usually ranked last against these "peers" in the other eight areas.
In 2009, the county had 13 patents per 1,000 workers, more than double the national average of 6.4 patents per 1,000.
In 2009, Forbes ranked the county 18th out of 100 MSAs
and first out of 8 metros in Florida for affordable housing, and short commute times, among others.
In August 2009, Florida Trend rated two Brevard companies, Harris Corporation and Health First Health Plans, in their rankings of the best places to work in Florida.
In May 2009, the Palm Bay-Melbourne area was ranked as the #8 tech center in the United States by Bizjournals. It overcame its low number of total high-tech companies and jobs by having a high number of jobs per high tech company (#4) and high tech jobs compared to total private-sector jobs (#2).
The Milken institute ranked Brevard number one, out of 200 largest metropolitan areas, in overall job growth for 2005.
Forbes magazine ranked Melbourne 2nd out of 150 metropolitan areas in the US, for the percentage of the population that are engineers,
6.6%, just ahead of Silicon Valley.
Brevard County's unemployment rate fell to a record low 2.8% in December 2005. It reached a maximum employment of 254,514 in 2006.
In 2006, Forbes magazine named Harris Corporation, headquartered in
Brevard, to its "Platinum 400" List.
The Technological Research and Development Authority, based on the Space Coast, delivers technologies to schools and small businesses throughout the State of Florida. They obtain this information through strategic alliances with NASA, the federal government, the aerospace industry and state partners. They also sponsor a business incubator at the Melbourne Airport
.
The National Association of Realtors
reported that existing homes prices in Brevard rose 33% annually the third quarter of 2005,
the sixth highest metropolitan area in the nation (out of 147). There was a slight decrease in existing home prices the last quarter of 2005.
In January 2005, CNN
/Money
ranked the homes in "Palm Bay", perhaps referring to all of the Space Coast, as "49% overvalued" and within 10% of the most overvalued homes in the United States.
In 2005, the Sunrise Bank of Cocoa Beach became the first bank in the state to have a mobile branch.
The largest hotel in Brevard has 284 rooms and 30000 ft2 of meeting space.
In 2009, there were 6,400 federal workers, total, employed in the county. They earned an average of $74,600.
Unions represented at KSC include American Federation of Government Employees
, International Association of Machinists and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
.
Brevard County Teachers are represented by the Brevard Federation of Teachers (AFT
).
In 2009, average annual salaries in the county for engineers was $90,563; registered nurses $53,315; education $49,441; police officers $43,035; cooks $21,569; and cashiers $19,489. The average annual pay for all workers was then $42,411.
In 2011, there were more engineers (48) per thousand workers than any other region in the United States.
In 2005, the Next Generation Consulting for Leadership Brevard, a leadership development organization for local business and civic groups, and Brevard Tomorrow commissioned a survey of people 21-44. Basically, these people often found the area "boring", mainly because it is family-friendly at the expense of being singles-friendly. While this may have labor repercussions later, currently business is having no problems hiring.
The county had an unemployment rate of 12.7% in January 2010, a 20-year record high. In March 2010, there were 33, 500 people out of work. The county experienced a record low unemployment in 2005 of 2.8%. There were 32,608 people unemployed in the county in January 2011.
In early 2005, Forbes ranked the area 27th in job growth out of 150 metropolitan areas in the country. The county ranked 18th in the nation for mid-sized areas in 2006.
Manpower Employment Outlook Survey said the hiring outlook in Brevard for the last quarter of 2005 was the 19th-best in the nation among the 470 communities participating in the survey.
2004 Hurricane recovery helped the area achieve high employment.
There were 168,500 private sector jobs in the county in 2009. The Bureau of Labor Statistics
counted the following workers in Brevard along with average annual pay ($): Retail 25,900 ($23,361), Manufacturing 21,700 ($65,521), Local government 20,100 ($42,517) and Hospitality 19,600 ($15,857). The largest local employer is Brevard Public Schools with 9,500 of whom 5,000 are teachers.
In 2011, Wells Fargo
with $1.9 billion in local deposits, had 26% share of the business; SunTrust $1.3 billion, 17%; Bank of America
$1.2 billion, 16%; Regions Bank $408 million, 5%; JPMorgan Chase $379 million, 5%.
The Space Coast Early Intervention Center is a nationally recognized not-for-profit pre-school and therapeutic center that offers care and aids with the development of small children with special needs. Children are treated and educated with the specific goal of mainstreaming children diagnosed with the following into public school: Down syndrome
, William's syndrome, Cerebral palsy
, Deletion syndrome, PDD
s including Rett syndrome
, Autism
, and Apert syndrome
, as well as children with visual, speech and hearing delays.
Health Outreach Prevention & Education (HOPE) is a network of community partners working together to provide care for people without insurance, and for children with special needs. This network includes hospitals.
Brevard introduced (2005-6) a Federally approved experimental Medicaid program which puts volunteering 60+ years olds in an HMO-like organization in order to save money.
The non-profit Circles of Care provides mental health programs to Brevard.
Dialing 2-1-1
in the county gives response to people in crisis and/or needing information about community resources.
Space Coast Center for Independent Living offers over-all services for individuals with all types of disabilities: Peer support, advocacy, skills training, accessibility surveys, support groups, transportation, specialized equipment and sign language interpreter coordination services. Additional program for high school students for career development.
There are ten hospitals in the county, with 1,734 beds total. Health First is the largest healthcare provider in the county consisting of three not-for-profit hospitals—Cape Canaveral Hospital in Cocoa Beach, Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne, and Palm Bay Community Hospital in Palm Bay. Besides hospitalization, services include outpatient centers; the county's only trauma center; home care; specialized programs for cancer, diabetes, heart, stroke, and rehabilitative services; central Brevard's largest medical group; three fitness centers; and Medicare Advantage, commercial POS, and commercial HMO health plans. Health First tries to integrate quality healthcare services with state-of-the-art technology.
Harmony Farms runs "Horses and the Handicapped
", a therapeutic riding program
located on the Duda Ranch
in Viera.
Parrish Medical Center
, a 210-bed hospital, has been named America's No. 1 Healing Hospital for the third straight year by the Baptist Healing Trust
.
Health care services tend to cost more in Brevard than Orlando or the statistical average in Florida. A nursing home private room averaged $79,023 annually, semi-private $74,643, private one-bedroom assisted living $39,000. A home health aide, medicare-certified was $88,660 was substantially higher than the Florida average of $51,480. Adult day care (44 hours) was cheaper at $12,870 annually as was a home health aide "licensed-only" $38,896.
According to 2007 health risk data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
, Brevard County (Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville MSA) is tied for fourth highest among all Micro- and Metropolitan Statistical Areas in percentage of heavy drinkers.
. Several of these disappeared when Kennedy Space Center took over their area.
(BCC), and Florida Institute of Technology
. There are satellite campuses for the University of Central Florida
, Barry University
, Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Keiser University
, and Webster University
.
Elementary and secondary education is provided by the Brevard Public Schools and private education.
Brevard County is the home of the Brevard County Manatees
, the Class-A Affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers
.
In 2009, the Space Coast Surge, a member of the Florida Winter Baseball League has the Cocoa Stadium as their home stadium.
Major league baseball
The Washington Nationals
hold their spring training
at Space Coast Stadium
in Viera
.They play about 14 games against other professional teams locally in March as part of the "Grapefruit" League.
Professional Basketball
The Brevard Blue Ducks, members of the USBL, played their home schedule at the Clemente Center at Florida Tech. They have changed their home city more times than any other USBL team. They have been in Brevard since 2002. In 2007 the Clemente Center opted not to extend the team a lease of its facilities, prompting a cancellation of the season.
Minor League Football
Brevard County is home to the Brevard Warriors, a minor league football team whose first season was 2008-2009 and in that first year climbed the Minor League Football ranks to #2 in the country, and won its Southeast Football League Championship 45-10 over the Central Florida Thoroughbreds while finishing the season 14-1.
The Brevard Rams and Space Coast Predators are scheduled to play as members of the Florida Football Alliance in 2010.
Amateur sports
Aside from school-sponsored sports, there are youth leagues for basketball, football, soccer, lacrosse, gymnastics, and baseball.
Public transportation is provided by Space Coast Area Transit
.
; it generates 800 megawatts, supplying most of the requirements for the county. In 2008 the company announced plans to replace the plant with a more efficient natural gas-powered plant in 2013 with a 1,250 megawatt capacity which can supply 250,000 homes or businesses. Nearby FPL's plant is the Indian River Power Plant; formerly owned by the Orlando Utilities Commission
, it is now owned and operated by RRI Energy.
Florida City Gas furnishes natural gas to various areas of the county.
" in 1999, as in the "3...2...1... lift-off!" countdown sequence. A small portion of the county along the southern border, including the communities of Micco and Barefoot Bay, share a 772 area code
with Indian River County
to the south.
is the major daily newspaper serving Melbourne, Brevard County and the Space Coast region of Florida. It is owned by the media conglomerate Gannett. The monthly newspaper, El Playero, serves the Spanish-speaking population of the Space Coast. The weekly Home Town News is a free newspaper, supported by advertising, that has versions in other Florida counties. It presents local news.
The Brevard Technical Journal is the industry monthly newspaper for business management, engineering, purchasing, manufacturing, and staff. It features news & features about the business and the science of technology in Brevard County - Florida's Space & Technology Coast.
from Bright House Networks
. Comcast
serves the Micco and Palm Bay areas in southern Brevard County.
Local stations licensed to or located in Brevard County include:
TV series included:
, seating 2000, features locally produced and former Broadway shows, ballet, and symphony. Several different performances are scheduled each week.
The Brevard Symphony Orchestra
and the Space Coast Ballet offer shows performed by professionals. There are two other professional symphony orchestras, plus a community orchestra and band in Melbourne.
The Brevard Zoo
is a 56 acres (22.7 ha) facility. There are 51 tigers, cougars, lions and leopards, on a 2 acre (0.809372 ha) reserve in Canaveral Groves.
Ballet
The Space Coast Ballet incorporates professional principal dancers and instructors together with many roles for local senior talent as well as roles for students. They annually stage the The Nutcracker
.
Classical music
The Brevard Symphony Orchestra has been bringing the classics, performed by professionals, to the Space Coast for over fifty years.
The Brevard Symphony Youth Orchestra (BSYO) was founded in 1984 to provide a musical experience for youth. They are the only non-profit organization in Brevard devoted solely to the orchestral training of young musicians.
Traditional Music
The City of Melbourne Pipes and Drums
is a teaching band.
Museums and attractions
The Space Coast has a number of museums from the rocket exhibitions at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and the Air Force Space & Missile Museum
, to local museums and others of unique character such as the American Police Hall of Fame & Museum
, and the East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame Museum.
The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex offers an educational look at the accomplishments of America's space program. The Observation Gantry near Launch Complex 39 offers a view of the Space Shuttle launch pads (first built for the Apollo missions), the Vehicle Assembly Building
, and the crawlerway over which rockets are taken to the pad. The Apollo/Saturn V Center displays an example of the largest rocket ever launched.
The US Astronaut Hall of Fame is the only facility in the nation dedicated to telling the stories of American astronauts and features the world's largest collection of astronauts' personal effects.
The US Space Walk of Fame
in Titusville commemorates the manned space program's history with museum and monuments.
The Brevard Museum of History & Natural Science
features the remains of the "Windover Man", the oldest human remains found on the North American continent and a re-creation of the Windover Dig, a 'wet' archaeological site. A visitor may see how Native Americans lived and Florida pioneers survived.
Honor America runs the Liberty Bell Memorial Museum
. This houses a replica of the Liberty Bell, historical documents, and patriotic memorabilia. Items are permanent reminders of our nation's history, as well as a memorial to military veterans.
The Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore Memorial Park and Cultural Center features a museum with artifacts and time line of the civil rights movement and the story of the Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore, civil rights leaders who were killed when their home was bombed.
Other
During the December holiday season, each of four yacht club parades during the evening in the Indian River/Banana River with holiday lighting on each boat.
Special districts
Education
Judicial branch
Local references
County (United States)
In the United States, a county is a geographic subdivision of a state , usually assigned some governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 of the 50 states; Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. Parishes and boroughs are called "county-equivalents" by the U.S...
located in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2007 U.S. Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
estimates, the population is 536,521, making it the 10th most populous county in the state. Influenced by the presence of the John F. Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...
, Brevard County is also known as the Space Coast
Space Coast
The Space Coast is a region in the U.S. state of Florida around Kennedy Space Center , where NASA launched space shuttles until the last one on July 8th, 2011 at 11:29am; and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, site of unmanned civilian and military space launches...
. As such, it was designated with the telephone area code 321 as in 3-2-1 liftoff.
The official county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
has been located in Titusville
Titusville, Florida
Titusville is a city in Brevard County, Florida in the United States. It is the county seat of Brevard County. Nicknamed Space City, USA, Titusville is on the Indian River, west of Merritt Island and the Kennedy Space Center and south-southwest of the Canaveral National Seashore...
since 1894, although most of the county's administration is performed from Viera
Viera, Florida
Viera is a master planned community located in the central coastal region of Brevard County, Florida. It is part of an unincorporated section adjacent to the Melbourne, Florida area.-Geography:...
. Brevard County has more than one county courthouse and sheriff's
County sheriff (Florida)
The County sheriff is a Florida constitutional officer and a part of the state judicial branch.The Sheriff has a duty to enforce both the Florida Constitution and Florida state laws and statutes, and to provide for the security, safety and well being of its citizens...
office because of its elongated north-south county lines. Hence, government services are not centralized in one location, as they are in many American counties.
The county is coextensive with the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) designated by the Office of Management and Budget and used for statistical purposes by the Census Bureau and other agencies. Palm Bay
Palm Bay, Florida
Palm Bay is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population as 100,786 on 1 July 2008; it is the most populous city in the county...
, Melbourne
Melbourne, Florida
Melbourne is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. As of 2009, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 78,323. The municipal area is the second largest by size and by population in the county. Melbourne is a principal city of the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida...
and Titusville
Titusville, Florida
Titusville is a city in Brevard County, Florida in the United States. It is the county seat of Brevard County. Nicknamed Space City, USA, Titusville is on the Indian River, west of Merritt Island and the Kennedy Space Center and south-southwest of the Canaveral National Seashore...
are designated as the principal cities of the MSA. The Melbourne-Titusville-Cocoa, Florida Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area was first defined in 1973. Cocoa
Cocoa, Florida
Cocoa is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 16,412 at the 2000 census. As of 2008, the estimated population according to the U.S. Census Bureau was 16,478. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:Cocoa was...
was removed as a principal city in 1983, and Palm Bay was added, with the name changed to Melbourne-Titusville-Palm Bay, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The MSA name was changed to its present form in 2003.
Precolumbian
The first Paleoindians arrived in the area near Brevard county between 12,000 and 10,000 years ago. The Paleoindians were semi-nomadic people who lived in smaller groups. At the time, the earth was going through its most recent ice ageIce age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
and the climate of the area was much different than it is now; it was similar to that of Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
today. The area which today is Brevard County was probably not coastal at this period in time. The coast of Florida was about 100 miles (160.9 km) wider and the Indian River was simply a lower point on dry land.
After a few thousand years, perhaps by around 3000 B.C. peninsular Florida resembled the land of today; in shape, climate, fauna, and flora. The ocean had risen enough to flood the Indian River with salt water.
About this time, a new group of settlers appeared known as "the archaic people." These people were primarily fishermen, as opposed to the hunting and gathering way of life which characterized the Paleoindians. It is believed that these were the ancestors of the Native Americans who would come in contact with the Europeans when they arrived.
From Spanish rule to statehood
The Ais and the JaegaJaega
The Jaegas were a tribe of Native Americans living along the coast of present-day Martin County and Palm Beach County, Florida at the time of initial European contact, and until sometime in the 18th Century...
were the dominant tribes in the area when Ponce De Leon
Ponce de León
-People:* Juan Ponce de León, a Spanish explorer of the Americas and first Governor of Puerto Rico* Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the son of Juan Ponce de León II, and early settler of Ponce, Puerto Rico...
arrived at the shores near Melbourne Beach in 1513. There were about 10,000 of these natives in the area.
Heavy mosquito infestation and the threat of Indian attacks kept the area from having any permanent white settlements. The Spanish quickly left the area, but left a deadly reminder of their visit: European diseases. In 1763, the Spanish took the last 80 natives to Cuba.
Within 200 years, almost the entire precolumbian population of Florida had died out. Creek Indians from the north quickly swept down from Georgia and the Carolinas to fill the void. These Indians became known as the Seminole
Seminole
The Seminole are a Native American people originally of Florida, who now reside primarily in that state and Oklahoma. The Seminole nation emerged in a process of ethnogenesis out of groups of Native Americans, most significantly Creeks from what is now Georgia and Alabama, who settled in Florida in...
. Their activity in Brevard County was intermittent and usually not permanent.
Throughout the 18th century, the great European powers Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
vied for power in Florida. Their interest in the peninsula was more strategic than for building any real settlements. In contrast to today, where living in Florida means comfort and the "good life" to many people, Florida in the 18th century was seen as a hostile place with dangerous fauna such as poisonous snakes, alligators and panthers. Death by malaria was a possibility and death at the hands of angry Indians seemed even more likely. After being under Spanish, French, British, and then Spanish rule again, Florida finally became a United States territory.
In 1837, Fort Ann was established on the eastern shore of the Indian River on a narrow strip of land on Merritt Island. During the construction of the Hernandez-Capron Trail, General Joseph Hernandez and his militiamen encamped near present day Mims. These settlements were short lived and were abandoned shortly thereafter.
Statehood to 1900
In 1845, Florida became the 27th state of the Union. How and when Brevard County was founded and its history in the 19th century is much more complicated. During the 19th century, the state of Florida was constantly changing the names and borders of counties. Indeed, St. Lucia County was split off from Mosquito (later Orange) County in 1844. St. Lucia County was renamed Brevard County in 1856, but this "Brevard County" contained very little of present day Brevard County. Most of present day Brevard north of Melbourne was part of either Volusia or Orange counties. Brevard County in 1856 extended as far west as Polk County and as far south as coastal Broward County. Complicating the discussion of Brevard County in the 19th century is that an early county seat was located at (Port) St. Lucie, which took its name from the original county name and was eventually split off from Brevard to form a new county, St. Lucie County in 1905. Gradually, the borders of Brevard County were shifted northward while the county got "pinched" eastward. The portions of Brevard County in present day Broward and Palm Beach counties were given to Dade County, western areas of the county were given to Polk and Osceola County, and parts of Volusia and Orange Counties were given to Brevard including the eventual county seat of Titusville. Later, the southern portion of the county was cut off to form St. Lucie County, which in turn spawned Martin and Indian River County.The first permanent settlement in present day Brevard was, without a doubt, established near Cape Canaveral in 1848. After the establishment of a lighthouse, a few families moved in and a small, but stable settlement was born. Gradually, as the threat of Seminole Indian attacks was becoming increasingly unlikely, people began to move into the area around the Indian River. In the 1850s a small community developed at Sand Point which eventually became the city of Titusville. Unlike other areas of Florida, the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
had little effect on Brevard County, other than perhaps slow the movement of settlers to the area.
By the 1880s, the cities along the Indian River included Melbourne, Eau Gallie, Titusville, Rockledge, and Cocoa. Unlike cities further inland in Florida, these cities did not have to rely as heavily on roads. The primary way of transversing the county was by water. In 1877 commercial steamboat transportation became a reality as the steamboat Pioneer was brought to the area.
The first real boom to the area occurred with the extension of Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railroad into the area. The railroad reached Titusville in 1886 and Melbourne in 1894. With the railroad came increased settlement and the first tourists.
20th century to present
The advent of the automobile age brought even more growth to Brevard County as resorts and hotels popped up all around the county. As the automobile became increasingly important as a means of transportation, roads connecting Brevard County to the rest of Florida and ultimately the rest of the nation were built.The first major land boom began in the 1920s with the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. People flooded into the state of Florida as land prices soared, only to bust as the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
temporarily stopped growth in Florida. Before the start of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the largest industries in Brevard were commercial fishing, citrus, and tourism.
In 1940, the Naval Air Station Banana River
Naval Air Station Banana River
Naval Air Station Banana River was a U.S. Navy airfield and seaplane base located just north of Satellite Beach, Florida along the Banana River prior to and during World War II...
(now Patrick Air Force Base
Patrick Air Force Base
Patrick Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base located between Satellite Beach and Cocoa Beach, in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It was named in honor of Major General Mason Patrick. An Air Force Space Command base, it is home to the 45th Space Wing...
) was built. This began a new era in the development of Brevard County. Later, in the late 50s, the Long Range Proving Ground was opened. This later became the Kennedy Space Center. This changed the entire complexion of the county; where Brevard had once been considered a "backwoods" area of Florida, it instantly became the launching pad into outer space. What had once been a primarily low-tech farmer/fisherman economy was transformed into a high-tech engineering and computer economy.
In 1982, Windover Archaeological Site
Windover archaeological site
The Windover Archaeological Site is an Early Archaic archaeological site found in Brevard County near Titusville, Florida, USA, on the central east coast of the state. Windover is a muck pond where skeletal remains of 168 individuals were found buried in the peat at the bottom of the pond. The...
was discovered.
As a very long, but not very wide county, there had been a lot of complaints from people in the southern, more populous side of the county about being so distant from the county seat. A trip to conduct county business in Titusville was 50 miles (80.5 km) from the most populous city in the county, Palm Bay. There was talk of secession on the southern end of the county, and the county decided to build a new county administration complex at Viera near the geographical center of the county. This complex was started in 1989, and resulted in a counter-threat of secession from the Titusille end of the county. This proposal to form a new county, Playalinda County had some momentum in the early 90s. The county made a few concessions to the people in the northern part of the county, and agreed not to officially move the county seat. Viera; however, is for all intents and purposes the de facto seat of Brevard County.
The summer of 1998 produced some of the worst brush fires on record.70000 acre (283.3 km²; 109.4 sq mi) were burned.
Prior to instituting controlled burn
Controlled burn
Controlled or prescribed burning, also known as hazard reduction burning or Swailing is a technique sometimes used in forest management, farming, prairie restoration or greenhouse gas abatement. Fire is a natural part of both forest and grassland ecology and controlled fire can be a tool for...
s, the county forests and pastures burned for months during the dry season. From the 1940s to the 1970s, the state assumed control of burning that prevented uncontrolled fires. In 2006, the state burned a record 72065 acre (291.6 km²; 112.6 sq mi) in the county.
Geographic features
St. Johns River
The St. Johns River is the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida and its most significant for commercial and recreational use. At long, it winds through or borders twelve counties, three of which are the state's largest. The drop in elevation from the headwaters to the mouth is less than ;...
and the Indian River Lagoon
Indian River Lagoon
The Indian River Lagoon is a grouping of three lagoons: Mosquito Lagoon, Banana River, and the Indian River, on the Atlantic Coast of Florida. It was originally named Rio de Ais after the Ais Indian tribe, who lived along the east coast of Florida....
. The county is larger in area than Samoa and nearly the same size, and population, as Cape Verde. It is one third of the size of Rhode Island.
Located half-way between Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
and Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, Brevard County is an extra-long county, extending 72 miles (115.9 km) from north to south, but averages 26.5 miles (42.6 km) inland from the seacoast at any point. In marshes in the western part of this county is the source of the St. Johns River. Emphasizing it's position as "halfway" down Florida, is the presence of two roads that are half-way down Florida's numbering system, State Road 50 and State Road 500.
The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway along the eastern edge of Brevard County is the major waterway
Waterway
A waterway is any navigable body of water. Waterways can include rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, and canals. In order for a waterway to be navigable, it must meet several criteria:...
route in Brevard County. It includes the Indian River
Indian River (Florida)
The Indian River is a waterway in Florida, a part of the Indian River Lagoon system which forms the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. It extends southward from the Ponce de Leon inlet in New Smyrna Beach, Florida [Volusia County] southward and across the "Haulover Canal" and along the western shore...
. Additional waterways include Lake Washington
Lake Washington (Florida)
Lake Washington is the largest lake in Brevard County, Florida at . The lake may have been named for the U.S. Deputy Surveyor Colonel Henry Washington, after he surveyed the area in 1844.- Hydrology :It is the 41st largest lake in the state of Florida...
, Lake Poinsett
Lake Poinsett
Lake Poinsett is a lake in Brevard County, Florida near Rockledge and Cocoa, with small portions in Orange County, and Osceola County. It is the second largest lake in Brevard County, after Lake Washington, though it is actually the smallest lake in Osceola County. It is the widest lake in Brevard...
, Lake Winder
Lake Winder
Lake Winder is a lake in Brevard County and a small portion lies in Osceola County. The lake was named after U.S. Army Captain Edward Winder. Early in 1838 Winder was assigned to scout the area for Seminoles. He discovered Lake Poinsett. The smaller lake to the south was named after Winder. Lake...
, Sawgrass Lake
Sawgrass Lake
Sawgrass Lake is a lake in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is one of the lakes that form the St. Johns River. The lake is difficult to get to without the boat ramp on the west shore of the St. Johns River, located immediately on your left after you cross the river on U.S. Route 192...
, St. Johns River, and the Banana River
Banana River
The Banana River is a lagoon that lies between Cape Canaveral and Merritt Island in Brevard County, Florida in the United States. It is part of the Indian River Lagoon system, and connects at its south end to the Indian River; it is the only part of the lagoon system not in the Intracoastal...
.
Brevard County is the sole county in the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area (formerly the Melbourne-Titusville-Cocoa, Florida Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area and Melbourne-Titusville-Palm Bay, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area).
There is no major urban center. The county is unofficially divided into three section, North County, comprising Titusville, Mims and Port St. John; Central Brevard, which includes Cocoa, Rockledge Merritt Island, and Cocoa Beach; and South County, which includes Melbourne, Palm Bay, Grant, Valkaria, and the South Beaches
South Beaches
South Beaches is an unofficial area in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It includes cities, towns and unincorporated area on the barrier island south of Patrick Air Force Base...
. The South Beaches is a term that measure direction south from the dividing line of Patrick Air Force Base, and includes South Patrick Shores, Satellite Beach, Indian Harbour Beach, Indialantic, and Melbourne Beach.
Additionally, the government has historically labeled the beach areas differently. These names are sometimes ambiguous with those in popular use. The North Reach includes 9.4 miles (15.1 km) in Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach. The Patrick Air Force Base beach is 4.1 miles (6.6 km). The Mid Reach includes the 7.6 miles (12.2 km) in Satellite Beach. The South Reach includes the 3.8 miles (6.1 km) in Indialantic and Melbourne Beach. The South Beaches includes 14.5 miles (23.3 km) south of Melbourne Beach to Sebastian.
There are 16 municipalities. The largest, by population is Palm Bay, the smallest Melbourne Village.
The county has seven canals for transportation and drainage:
- Canaveral Barge Canal, Courtenay - transportation
- Faulk Canal, Cocoa
- Grand Canal, Tropic
- Haulover CanalOld Haulover CanalThe Haulover Canal is a waterway north of Merritt Island, Florida, near the former site of Allenhurst, that connects Mosquito Lagoon with the Indian River, and is part of the Intracoastal Waterway....
, Mims - transportation - Melbourne Tillman Canal, Melbourne West - drainage
- Old Canal, Wilson
- C-54 Canal - on the south Brevard County Line - drainage
Climate
The county has a Koppen climate classificationKöppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
of Cf with a year-round distribution of rainfall. This means a humid subtropical climate
Humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
with hot, humid summers. There are distinct wet and dry seasons. The dry lasts from December through May. The wet from June through November.
Temperature varies noticeably in this 72 miles (115.9 km) long, north-to-south, county, particularly in winter. In north county, northern (temperate climate) flora can thrive, like deciduous trees. In the south county, sub-tropical plants can grow, such as royal palm trees. Progressing from west to east, there is a moderating affect from the ocean and, to a lesser extent, from the Indian River; so eastern low temperatures are higher, and high temperatures are lower, than is measured further west.
January is the coldest month with an average low of 50.7 °F (10.4 °C); average high 71 °F (21.7 °C). The warmest months are July and August with average highs of 90 °F (32.2 °C); average lows 72.2. The driest month is April with 1.6 inches (4.1 cm) rainfall; the wettest September, 6.6 inches (16.8 cm).
Offshore ocean temperatures have averaged: January - 64 °F (17.8 °C), February - 62 °F (16.7 °C), March - 67 °F (19.4 °C) and April - 72 °F (22.2 °C).
Florida is a large subtropical state that experiences hurricanes. Although Brevard county is located along Florida's eastern peninsula, it is less frequently impacted by direct hurricane landfalls than portions of the Panhandle or South Florida. There are two predominant reasons for this. First, westward moving tropical systems often reach an atmospheric ridge weakness in the Bermuda High
Azores High
The Azores High is a large subtropical semi-permanent centre of high atmospheric pressure found near the Azores in the Atlantic Ocean, at the Horse latitudes...
by the time they approach Florida at a latitude as northerly as Brevard County. Combined with frontal systems that exit the United States' East Coast, many of these tropical systems are steered northwest and eventually curve northward offshore Florida's East Central Coast. A second reason is that hurricanes landfalling along the Florida peninsular Gulf Coast often weaken to a tropical storm by the time they move northeast to affect Brevard County (with some exceptions, such as 2004's Charley).
Although Brevardians may refer to past storms as "hurricanes", by the time they strike here, some of them may have subsided to tropical storms or depressions. Because of the threat of storm surge
Storm surge
A storm surge is an offshore rise of water associated with a low pressure weather system, typically tropical cyclones and strong extratropical cyclones. Storm surges are caused primarily by high winds pushing on the ocean's surface. The wind causes the water to pile up higher than the ordinary sea...
, the beach community on the barrier island is often required to evacuate well in advance of the storm.
The possibility of storm surge is diminished when the storm comes across the state instead of from the Atlantic.
Tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
-like eddies spinning off from even small storms can result in severe damage in small areas. Generally, summertime tornadoes are brief and are at the EF0
Enhanced Fujita Scale
The Enhanced Fujita Scale rates the strength of tornadoes in the United States based on the damage they cause.Implemented in place of the Fujita scale introduced in 1971 by Ted Fujita, it began operational use on February 1, 2007. The scale has the same basic design as the original Fujita scale:...
or EF1 level and may not actually touch down. During the dry season
Dry season
The dry season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which oscillates from the northern to the southern tropics over the course of the year...
, they can attain a force of EF2 and touch the ground for miles.
Five hurricanes have directly affected Brevard since 1950: David
Hurricane David
Hurricane David was the fourth named tropical cyclone, second hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 1979 Atlantic hurricane season. A Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, David was among the deadliest hurricanes in the latter half of the 20th century, killing...
(September 3, 1979), Hurricane Erin (August 2, 1995) - made landfall near Sebastian Inlet and caused mostly minor wind damage and more extensive flooding countywide, Charley
Hurricane Charley
Hurricane Charley was the third named storm, the second hurricane, and the second major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. Charley lasted from August 9 to August 15, and at its peak intensity it attained 150 mph winds, making it a strong Category 4 hurricane on the...
(August 13, 2004) - Caused damage in Titusville and North Brevard. Frances
Hurricane Frances
Hurricane Frances was the sixth named storm, the fourth hurricane, and the third major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. The system crossing the open Atlantic during mid to late August, moving to the north of the Lesser Antilles while strengthening. Its outer bands affected Puerto...
(September 3, 2004) - Struck neighboring Vero Beach, Indian River County directly and caused widespread wind damage throughout Brevard, Jeanne
Hurricane Jeanne
Hurricane Jeanne was the deadliest hurricane in the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the tenth named storm, the seventh hurricane, and the fifth major hurricane of the season, as well as the third hurricane and fourth named storm of the season to make landfall in Florida...
(September 26, 2004) - Struck Vero, directly, following very nearly the same path as Frances. The latter two storms caused widespread damage in South Brevard, and resulted in $2.8 billion in claim payments. Slightly more than half of one percent (0.6%) of houses were lost.
The following storms did not affect Brevard County with hurricane force winds: Floyd
Hurricane Floyd
Hurricane Floyd was the sixth named storm, fourth hurricane, and third major hurricane in the 1999 Atlantic hurricane season. Floyd triggered the third largest evacuation in US history when 2.6 million coastal residents of five states were ordered from their homes as it approached...
(September 15, 1999), and Irene
Hurricane Irene (1999)
Hurricane Irene was a hurricane that produced somewhat heavy damage across southern Florida during the 1999 Atlantic hurricane season. The ninth tropical storm and the sixth hurricane of the season, Irene developed in the western Caribbean Sea on October 13 from a tropical wave. It moved northward,...
(October 16, 1999).
Tropical Storm Fay
Tropical Storm Fay (2008)
Tropical Storm Fay was a tropical storm and the sixth named storm of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. Fay formed from a vigorous tropical wave on August 15 over the Dominican Republic...
dropped a record rainfall of 27.65 inches (70.2 cm) in 2008.
The winter of 2009-2010 was the coldest on record since 1937 when records were first kept. Planting season, which normally starts around February 14, came instead, six weeks later. Some flowers and herbs are planted as early as January. December 2010 was the coldest December on record.
Environment
Brevard works together with the federal and state government to control pollution and preserve wetlands and coastal areas through lands dedicated to conservation and wildlife protection.There are 250 mi2 of federally protected wildlife refuges. These lands include Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is an important U.S. National Wildlife Refuge on the Atlantic coast of Florida. It is also a 'gateway site' for the Great Florida Birding Trail.-Location and extent:...
, the Canaveral National Seashore
Canaveral National Seashore
The Canaveral National Seashore is a National Seashore located between New Smyrna Beach and Titusville, Florida, in Volusia County and Brevard County, United States. The park, located on a barrier island, is home to more than 1,000 plant species and 310 bird species. CANA occupies 58,000 acres ...
, the St. Johns National Wildlife Refuge
St. Johns National Wildlife Refuge
The St. Johns National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System, located off SR 50 just west of Titusville. The 6,255 acre refuge was established in 1971 to protect the now extinct Dusky Seaside Sparrow, Ammodramus maritimus nigrescens. It is administered as...
, the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge
Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge
The Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System, located along a twenty mile section of coastline from Melbourne Beach to Wabasso Beach, Florida along Florida State Road A1A. The 900 acre refuge was established in 1991, to protect the...
, several conservation areas managed by the St. Johns River Water Management District
St. Johns River Water Management District
The St. Johns River Water Management District is one of five Florida water management districts that is responsible for managing groundwater and surface water resources in Florida. SJRWMD covers an 18-county region in northeast and east-central Florida...
, Brevard County's Environmentally Endangered Lands Program Sanctuaries, and lands dedicated by the State as conservation areas.
Adjacent counties
- Volusia County, FloridaVolusia County, FloridaVolusia County is a county located in the state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2010 official county's population was 494,593 . Its county seat is DeLand, and its most populous city is currently Deltona....
- north - Indian River County, FloridaIndian River County, FloridaIndian River County is a county located in the Treasure Coast region in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 112,947. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 128,594...
- south - Osceola County, FloridaOsceola County, FloridaOsceola County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 172,493. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 244,045, making it the 17th fastest-growing county in the United States. Its county seat is Kissimmee.- History :Osceola County was...
- southwest - Orange County, FloridaOrange County, FloridaOrange County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida and is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 1,145,956....
- west - Seminole County, FloridaSeminole County, FloridaSeminole County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. Located between Orlando to the south and Deland and Daytona Beach to the north, it is part of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. Its county seat and largest city is Sanford...
- northwest
Fauna
There are 4,000 species of animals locally.Common mammals include: North American river otters, bobcat
Bobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
s, whitetail deer, raccoon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
s and marsh rabbit
Marsh Rabbit
The marsh rabbit is a small cottontail rabbit found in marshes and swamps of coastal regions of the Eastern and Southern United States. It is a strong swimmer and found only near regions of water...
s.
Coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
s first entered the county in 2011.
Love bug
Love bug
The lovebug, Plecia nearctica, is a member of the family of march flies. It is also known as the honeymoon fly, kissingbug, or double-headedbug. The adult is a small, flying insect common to parts of Central America and the southeastern United States, especially along the Gulf Coast...
season occurs twice annually in May and August–September. Motorists, usually, encounter swarms of these while driving during a four week period.
Yellow flies are particularly noticeable from April through June.
There were 596 manatee
Manatee
Manatees are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows...
s in Brevard in 2009, out of a total of 3,802 in the state. This is a decline from 2007 when there was a total of 859 out of a state total of 2,817.
Wild hogs have become a nuisance in some suburbs..
The poisonous brown recluse spider
Brown recluse spider
The brown recluse spider or violin spider, Loxosceles reclusa, is a member of the family Sicariidae . The spider has a venomous bite....
is not native to the area but has found the environment congenial.
The Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network has counted species of butterflies monthly for a year since 2007. In 2010, it counted 45 species.
Avian
Turkey vultures, a migrating species, are protected by federal law. They migrate north in the summer and return in September.The county's most common winter bird is the lesser scaup
Lesser Scaup
The Lesser Scaup is a small North American diving duck that migrates south as far as Central America in winter. It is colloquially known as the Little Bluebill or Broadbill because of its distinctive blue bill...
, a diving duck. In 2008, half a million were counted. In 2010, 15,000 were estimated. Local bird counts indicate that there are at least 163 species of birds in the county. Other birds include the Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
The Red-shouldered Hawk is a medium-sized hawk. Its breeding range spans eastern North America and along the coast of California and northern to northeastern-central Mexico.-Description:...
, and the loggerhead shrike
Loggerhead Shrike
The Loggerhead Shrike is a passerine bird. It is the only member of the shrike family endemic to North America; the related Northern Shrike occurs north of its range but also in the Palearctic....
.
Peak migration in the fall is from the last week in September through the first week in October. Fall migration tends to be stronger than spring because birds typically take different flyways.
Flora
Live oakLive oak
Live oak , also known as the southern live oak, is a normally evergreen oak tree native to the southeastern United States...
trees, various grasses and juniper
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...
plants were sufficiently common to generate pollen noticeable by some people in February.
Native trees include: fringetree, coral bean
Coral bean
Erythrina herbacea, commonly known as the Coral Bean, Cherokee Bean, Red Cardinal or Cardinal Spear, is a flowering shrub or small tree found throughout the southeastern United States and northeastern Mexico; it has also been reported from parts of Central America and, as an introduced species,...
, sweet acacia, and geiger tree
Geiger tree
Cordia sebestena is a species of flowering plant in the borage family, Boraginaceae.It is native to the American tropics, from southern Florida in the United States and The Bahamas southwards throughout Central America and the Greater Antilles...
.
Fringetree, Coral bean
Coral bean
Erythrina herbacea, commonly known as the Coral Bean, Cherokee Bean, Red Cardinal or Cardinal Spear, is a flowering shrub or small tree found throughout the southeastern United States and northeastern Mexico; it has also been reported from parts of Central America and, as an introduced species,...
, Firebush, Beautyberry
Beautyberry
Beautyberry is a genus of shrubs and small trees in the family Verbenaceae; between 40-150 species are accepted by different botanists. They are native to east and southeast Asia , Australia, southeast North America and Central America.-Growth:The temperate species are deciduous, the tropical...
Coral honeysuckle
Honeysuckle
Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the family Caprifoliaceae, native to the Northern Hemisphere. There are about 180 species of honeysuckle, 100 of which occur in China; Europe, India and North America have only about 20 native species each...
, and Blanket flower.
Native plants include: Cabbage Palm
Sabal palmetto
Sabal palmetto, also known as cabbage palm, palmetto, cabbage palmetto, palmetto palm, blue palmetto, Carolina palmetto, common palmetto, swamp cabbage and sabal palm, is one of 15 species of palmetto palm . It is native to the southeastern United States, Cuba, and the Bahamas...
, Sea Grape
Sea grape
The name sea grape or seagrape can refer to the tunicates, as well as several different groups of plants:* Coccoloba uvifera, a flowering plant native to North, East, and West America* Seaweeds in the genus Caulerpa, especially:...
, Red Mulberry
Red Mulberry
Morus rubra, commonly known as the Red Mulberry, is a species of mulberry native to eastern North America, from Ontario and Vermont south to southern Florida and west to southeast South Dakota and central Texas...
, Purslane
Purslane
Purslane may refer to:* Portulacaceae, a family of succulent flowering plants, and especially:** Portulaca oleracea, a species of Portulaca eaten as a vegetable and considered a weed, known as summer purslane...
, Dandelion, Spanish Bayonet
Spanish bayonet
Spanish bayonet may refer to these plants:*Hesperoyucca whipplei*Yucca schidigera...
, Blackberry
Blackberry
The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by any of several species in the Rubus genus of the Rosaceae family. The fruit is not a true berry; botanically it is termed an aggregate fruit, composed of small drupelets. The plants typically have biennial canes and perennial roots. Blackberries and...
, Jerusalem Artichoke
Jerusalem artichoke
The Jerusalem artichoke , also called the sunroot, sunchoke, earth apple or topinambour, is a species of sunflower native to eastern North America, and found from Eastern Canada and Maine west to North Dakota, and south to northern Florida and Texas...
, Dogwood
Dogwood
The genus Cornus is a group of about 30-60 species of woody plants in the family Cornaceae, commonly known as dogwoods. Most dogwoods are deciduous trees or shrubs, but a few species are nearly herbaceous perennial subshrubs, and a few of the woody species are evergreen...
, and Gallberry
Gallberry
Gallberry refers to two similar shrubs in the Holly family:* Ilex coriacea* Ilex glabraGallberry refers to two similar shrubs in the Holly family:* Ilex coriacea* Ilex glabra...
.
Demographics
The county grew by 14% between 2000 and 2010 to 543,376 people. West Melbourne grew by78%, unincorporated Suntree/Viera by 81%. Beachside, there was a drop in population. Hispanics doubled during the decade. The black population grew by 37%. Non-Hispanic whites rose by 6%.As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were in the county:
- People - 476,230 people
- Families - 132,394
- population densityPopulation densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
- 181/km² (468/sq mi) - Housing units - 222,072
- Average housing density - 84/km² (218/sq mi)
The population grew about 50,000 between 2000 and 2005. From 2005 to 2009, it grew by about 10,000. This helped lead the county to a housing bubble crisis since homes were built to accommodate a larger population. From 2007 through 2010, the population has been essentially static.
The county's population is larger than that of the state of Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
.
The racial makeup of the county was:
- WhiteRace (United States Census)Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
- 84.81% - BlackRace (United States Census)Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African AmericanRace (United States Census)Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
- 10.40% - HispanicRace (United States Census)Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or LatinoRace (United States Census)Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
- 4.61%. A plurality of Hispanics, 40%, are of Puerto Rican descent. - two or more races - 1.77%
- AsianRace (United States Census)Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
- 1.50% - other racesRace (United States Census)Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
- 1.09% - Native AmericanRace (United States Census)Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
- 0.37% - Pacific IslanderRace (United States Census)Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
- 0.06%
There were 198,195 households out of which 26.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.00% were married couples living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.20% were non-families. 26.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.84.
The population was distributed as follows: 22.00% under the age of 18, 6.80% from 18 to 24, 27.10% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 19.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 95.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.30 males. In 2007, 30% of the population was over 55. In 2010, the oldest person in the county was a 110 year old Titusville man. In 2009, there were 5,172 births in the county.
In 2009, two percent of the people in the county are over 85. In 2009, there were 130,508 people 60 and over in the county.
9.50% of the population and 6.80% of families are below the poverty
line. Out of the total population, 13.00% of those under the age of 18 and 6.50% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. In 2010, 10% were living in poverty compared with 13% statewide.
In 2005, the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which consists solely of Brevard County, was estimated to stand 91st in population out of 263 in the country.
In 2006, the county stood 10th in population in the state, out of 67. The increase in population from 2000 was 11.8%, less than the Florida average of 12.7%.
In 2010, 90% of residents had a high school degree, compared with 85% statewide.
In 2009, 25.7% of residents had an undergraduate degree, below the national average of 27.7%, but the same as the rest of Florida. 14.7% of residents over 25 had undergraduate degrees in engineering. This is almost twice the national average.
According to the 2000 census, the county had about 80,000 veterans. 21% of the population older than 18 is a veteran. This had dropped to 74,000 in 2010. This was 21% of the people in the county. An actual count by a local agency in 2010 indicated that 225 of veterans were homeless.
In 2007, a local census by volunteer counted 1,899 homeless residents.
In the 1950s, the county population was just under 24,000. In 1960, just over 111,000. In 1969, at the height of the space program, it was 234,000.
In 2010, about 5% of Brevardians speak Spanish at home.
In 2010, 8% of Brevardians were born outside of the US, compared with 19% for Florida.
Religion
In 2000, the following were counted by denomination:- Catholics 79,847
- Evangelical Protestant 59,301
- Mainline Protestant 35,901
- Other 8,663
- Orthodox 2,804
- Unclaimed 289,714
Government
Brevard county commissioners are elected by the public to establish ordinances and policies for the county. The Commission appoints a County ManagerCounty manager (United States)
A county manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a county, in a council-manager form of county government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the county executive or chief administrative officer in some counties...
, who executes the will of the Commission. The county employed about 2,900 workers in 2009.
There are 16 autonomous municipal governments within the county. The various cities, towns and villages of Brevard have varying reliance on services provided by the Brevard County government.
A centrally located County Government Center in Viera
Viera, Florida
Viera is a master planned community located in the central coastal region of Brevard County, Florida. It is part of an unincorporated section adjacent to the Melbourne, Florida area.-Geography:...
houses the various county government branches, including Housing and Human Services, Juvenile Justice, Public Safety, Public Works and Solid Waste Management.
The Brevard County government had annual expenditures just over $1 billion in the fiscal year 2009-2010, exclusive of the municipalities. In 2009, real estate taxes for homesteaded property
Homestead exemption
Homestead exemption is a legal regime designed to protect the value of the homes of residents from property taxes, creditors, and circumstances arising from the death of the homeowner spouse...
averaged .83% of the value of the property. Real estate taxes are levied by each authority. They are collected by the County Tax Collector. The total taxable real estate base was $33.7 billion in 2009. County taxes rose 26.5% in total per capita revenue from 2002–2007, and 49.8% in property tax per capita in the same time frame. Delinquent taxes were $36 million in 2008.
Brevard County has two unique election districts. One governs Port Canaveral
Port Canaveral
Port Canaveral is a cruise, cargo and naval port in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is one of the busiest cruise ports in the world with nearly 2.8 million multi-day cruise passengers passing through during 2010. As a deep water cargo port, it has a high volume of traffic. Over of bulk...
; the other, the maintenance of the Sebastian Inlet.
Elected officials
County Commissioners:District 1 - Robin Fisher
District 2 - Chuck Nelson
District 3 - Trudie Infantini
District 4 - Mary Bolin
District 5 -Andy Anderson
County Manager - Howard Tipton
Commissioners were paid $58,308 annually in 2011.
The following are considered state officials but are elected and paid by the county:
Sheriff - J.R. "Jack" Parker
Clerk of the Courts - Mitch Needelman. The clerk's office had 323 workers, including subcontractors.
Brevard Property Appraiser
Brevard Property Appraiser
The property appraiser's primary job is to prepare an annual tax roll which complies with Constitutional and specific State mandated standards in order for it to be approved each year by the Florida Department of Revenue...
- Jim Ford
Tax Collector - Lisa Cullen
Supervisor of Elections - Lori Scott
State Attorney - Norm Wolfinger
Public Defender - James F. Russo
Brevard County lies within Florida's 24th congressional district
Florida's 24th congressional district
Florida's 24th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Florida. Created after the 2000 U.S. Census, the district includes portions of Brevard County and parts of Orange, Seminole, and Volusia counties...
which seat is held by Sandy Adams
Sandy Adams
Sandra "Sandy" Adams is the U.S. Representative for . She is a member of the Republican Party. She is also a former law enforcement professional who represented District 33 in the Florida House of Representatives....
and within Florida's 15th congressional district
Florida's 15th congressional district
Florida's 15th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Florida. The district contains most of Brevard County south of the city of Cocoa, all of Indian River County, most of Osceola County, and a very small portion of Polk County...
which seat is held by Bill Posey
Bill Posey
William "Bill" Posey is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. He formerly served in the Florida Senate and the Florida House of Representatives....
.
The county lies within two state senatorial districts, 24 and 25. They are held by Thad Altman
Thad Altman
Thad Altman is a member of the Florida Senate representing District 24.At age two, Altman's family moved to Florida where he attended area schools and graduated from Brevard Community College with an Associates of Arts degree in 1975...
and Mike Haridopolos
Mike Haridopolos
Mike Haridopolos is a Republican Party politician from the U.S. state of Florida. He is president of the Florida Senate, a body in which he represents the 26th District. He was a candidate for the United States Senate in the 2012 election until he withdrew on July 18, 2011. His district of almost...
.
The county lies within five state representative districts, 29 through 32 and 80. These seats are held by Tom Goodson, Rich Workman, John Tobia
John Tobia
John Tobia born January 6, 1978 in Honolulu, Hawaii.Tobia is a Representative in the House of Representatives of the U.S. state of Florida. He received his Bachelors degree and Masters degree from the University of Florida....
, Steve Crisafulli
Steve Crisafulli
Steve Crisafulli is a Florida businessman and Republican politician who serves as a Representative in the House of Representatives of the U.S. state of Florida....
, and Debbie Mayfield
Debbie Mayfield
Debbie Mayfield is a Vero Beach, Florida Mortgage Broker and Republican politician who serves as the representative for District 80 of the House of Representatives of the State of Florida. She was first elected to the Florida House in 2008...
.
Courts
The county has centralized most countyCounty Court of the State of Florida
The County Court of the State of Florida is Florida State's trial court, and is of general jurisdiction. There is a county court in each of Florida State's 67 counties....
and circuit courts in Viera which try a variety of cases including felonies, misdemeanors, traffic, and domestic. An elected State's Attorney
State's Attorney
In the United States, the State's Attorney is, most commonly, an elected official who represents the State in criminal prosecutions and is often the chief law enforcement officer of their respective county, circuit...
prosecutes cases for the public. Defendants can be represented through the auspices of the office of the elected Public Defender
Public defender
The term public defender is primarily used to refer to a criminal defense lawyer appointed to represent people charged with a crime but who cannot afford to hire an attorney in the United States and Brazil. The term is also applied to some ombudsman offices, for example in Jamaica, and is one way...
. The 18th Circuit Court
Eighteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida
The Eighteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida is composed of Brevard and Seminole Counties. The Chief Judge is J. Preston Silvernail.There is over between the courthouse in Viera and the Criminal Justice Center in Sanford...
includes Seminole
Seminole County, Florida
Seminole County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. Located between Orlando to the south and Deland and Daytona Beach to the north, it is part of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. Its county seat and largest city is Sanford...
as well as Brevard and covers not only the court itself but the State's Attorney and the Public Defender.
The County elects a sheriff, directly responsible to the courts but also to the state for the enforcement of state laws. Police chiefs, appointed by their cities or towns, perform the same function locally. There is no overlap in jurisdictions. Some volunteers work alongside paid professionals.
Most municipalities are located on at least one waterway. This has resulted in the county and seven cities to have a boat or access to one to aid boaters, or enforce the law in the water in their jurisdiction.
The county jail is a 1976 facility which rapidly became overcrowded. Voters rejected expanding the jail on four occasions. The sheriff solved the problem by the construction of a large but less expensive "hardened tent" to house non-violent offenders. Crowding reached its peak in 2007 at 1,988 inmates, 300 over capacity. The budget for the facility was $42 million in 2010. There were 1,585 residents. Costs for feeding and housing was $72 per inmate daily. There were 475 staff members.
The county jail retains prisoners who have been sentenced to a year
or less. Longer sentences must be served in state prisons, such as the facility in Sharpes for young men.
A unit of the Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
, homeported at Port Canaveral, plays a role in preventing illegal immigration, and is an interdictor of drugs in the area.
The State's Attorney's Office sponsors the Victim/Witness Services. This provides advocates to victims of violent crime and their families. The advocate helps the family understand the legal system as they navigate through it. They also seek out financial assistance
or counseling they might need. In 2005 they helped 8,448 victims in Brevard County.
Public safety
Public safety for unincorporated areas of the county is the responsibility of the Brevard County Sheriff's Office. All but three of the 17 incorporated municipalities, Malabar, Cape Canaveral and Palm Shores, maintain their own law enforcement services. Those three contract that service to the Sheriff's Office.In 2009, there were 1,200 law enforcement officers working in the county, of which 361 are sheriff's deputies. Of all crime that came to the attention of the sheriff's office in 2007, 80% was drug-related. From January to June 2009, the county reported a total of 10,037 crimes. Of these, a majority, 3.002, were under the jurisdiction of the sheriff's department. In 2009, the crime rate was 3,471.3 property-related crimes per 100,000 residents, slightly above the national average.
Public safety for Port Canaveral is under the direction of the Port Authority. Traditionally, emphasis was placed on monitoring the content of containerized cargo on incoming ships, as well as underwater inspection of arriving ships that could be carrying explosive devices. In 2008, the Canaveral Port Authority Board of Commissioners approved the creation of an independent police department.
In 2004, hurricanes destroyed one in every hundred homes in the South County area. Within two blocks of the beach nearly every building sustained some damage. Barefoot Bay, a mobile housing development, was essentially destroyed. Winds tore off the roof of a shelter for special needs people in an elementary school. Emergency Workers were forced to evacuate these people at the peak of the storm. Evacuation routes were insufficient to handle the resulting heavy traffic westbound when an emergency was declared. A major westbound route (US 192) was expanded in 2008 to four lanes to accommodate the south Brevard population.
Public recreation
More than 200 parks, 3 campgrounds, and 6 public golf courses in the county are managed by local government agencies.In 11 sanctuaries that protect natural ecosystems, the county's Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) Program offers passive recreation opportunities such as hiking, wildlife viewing, biking and paddling.
The Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and the Canaveral National Seashore are 2 national wildlife refuges in the county that offer recreational pursuits such as hiking, wildlife viewing, paddling, and environmental education.
Social services
Brevard County tries to provide a number of services to help the aged, juveniles, the physically and mentally handicapped, and minorities.Elections
| Year | Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Other Third party (United States) The term third party is used in the United States for any and all political parties in the United States other than one of the two major parties . The term can also refer to independent politicians not affiliated with any party at all and to write-in candidates.The United States has had a... |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 54.5% | 44.2% | 1.3% |
| 2004 | 57.7% | 41.6% | 0.8% |
| 2000 | 52.8% | 44.6% | 1.8% |
| 1996 | 45.1% | 41.2% | 13.6% |
| 1992 | 43.2% | 31.2% | 25.6% |
| 1988 | 70.3% | 28.8% | 0.9% |
Registration
In 2010, there were 154,057 registered Republicans, 130,214 registered Democrats, and 73,549 other. Voter turnout in 2010 was 55.8%, the second lowest in 28 years.Economy
The county Domestic Product was $14.5 billion in 2009.In 2010 and 2011, the Brookings Institution
Brookings Institution
The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, D.C., in the United States. One of Washington's oldest think tanks, Brookings conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in economics, metropolitan policy, governance, foreign policy, and...
reported that Brevard ranked in the bottom fifth of the nation's top metro areas, based on unemployment, gross metropolitan product, housing prices and foreclosed properties. Foreclosures reached a monthly high of 963 in March 2009. In December 2010, Forbes magazine rated the area the worst place in America to find a job.
Government purchasing contributed 12%-15% of the county's gross domestic product from 2000 to 2010.
Though the area has a relatively small number of high technology companies, 736, a business journal ranked it eighth in the country as a high tech center in 2009. The area had 23,096 high-tech jobs with a ratio of 124 per 1,000 total jobs.
In December 2010, Forbes magazine ranked the area as the worst in the country for finding a job, for the second time in 2010.
Personal income
As of the census of 2000:- Median income for a family - $47,571
- Median income for males - $36,542
- Median income for females - $24,632
- Per capita incomePer capita incomePer capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
- $21,484. The county has the 17th highest per capita income in the stateFlorida locations by per capita incomeFlorida has the eighteenth highest per capita income in the United States of America, at $21,557 . Its personal per capita income is $30,446 .-Florida Counties Ranked by Per Capita Income:...
(out of 67).
- Median income for a household - $40,099
- In 2005, the median income for a household had risen to $43,281
The county ranked 17th for per capita income, out of Florida's 67 counties.
The following were below the poverty line in 2000:
- Families - 6.80%
- Total population - 9.50%
- Under age 18 - 13.00%
- Age 65 or older - 6.50%
In 2011, almost 70,000 people in the county were receiving food stamps
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
The United States Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program , historically and commonly known as the Food Stamp Program, is a federal-assistance program that provides assistance to low- and no-income people and families living in the U.S. Though the program is administered by the U.S. Department of...
.
There were 5,600 civilian government workers in the county. They earned an average of $74,000 each in 2009.
38% (84,401) households in the county received social security
Social security
Social security is primarily a social insurance program providing social protection or protection against socially recognized conditions, including poverty, old age, disability, unemployment and others. Social security may refer to:...
payments in 2009 averaging $16,136 for a total of $1.7 billion annually. 24% (53,717) received pension payments averaging $24,327 for a total of $1.3 billion annually.
Housing
In 2011, the county was rated 6th worst in the country for foreclosures. There were 1,039 for the third quarter of 2010. Nearly half the homes in the county were worth less than their mortgages. The average home has dropped 53.4% since the peak of the boom.Monthly foreclosures exceeded 746 from January 2009 through October. Maximum monthly home sales were less than 584 during that time frame, creating an accumulating backlog of unsold homes. In 2010, there were 15,000 more vacant homes than the economy could absorb; the population was not growing.
Nearly 44,943 new houses were built from 2000 through 2009. This was enough to house 112,000 people. However, only 60,000 people moved into the county, leaving the remaining homes vacant and helping to precipitate bursting the United States housing bubble
United States housing bubble
The United States housing bubble is an economic bubble affecting many parts of the United States housing market in over half of American states. Housing prices peaked in early 2006, started to decline in 2006 and 2007, and may not yet have hit bottom as of 2011. On December 30, 2008 the...
. In 2000, there were 198,195 households in the county and 222,072 units for a occupancy rate of 89.1%. Between 2000 and 2009, more than twice as many houses were built than were needed. Nearly 47,000 houses were built, but the number of households increased by 22,000, dropping the occupancy rate to 81.9%.
Housing vacancy rate hit a high of 18.8% in 2007. The number of households renting hit a low of 48,528 in 2005. Median monthly rent hit a high of $907 in 2008. In 2009, 73% of Brevard households owned the house they lived in. The national rate was 65.9%.
The county's median home price reached a high in August 2005 at $248,700. New home permits fell in 2007 to 1,894, the lowest since 1982. Sales of existing homes fell 19% in 2007 from the prior year to 373 monthly. The median drop in home prices was 50% from 2005 to 2008, from $248,700 to $125,200. However, when choices for smaller homes was eliminated, prices on individual homes fell 25%; down 33% for individual condos. In 2000, the median sale price of homes in Brevard was $100,000. With the collapse in the housing bubble
United States housing bubble
The United States housing bubble is an economic bubble affecting many parts of the United States housing market in over half of American states. Housing prices peaked in early 2006, started to decline in 2006 and 2007, and may not yet have hit bottom as of 2011. On December 30, 2008 the...
, homes now are often about the same price, with median homes in 2009 selling for $89,400. In November 2010, the number of sales and prices of existing homes rose from the previous year. This was the first rise in 4 1/2 years. The average house sold for $87,700 in February 2011.
In a separate study, a consulting firm determined that house prices in the county were 46.1% overvalued in 2005 at $212,000 average. The same firm determined that prices were 19.3% undervalued in 2008 at $129,400. The average price in December 2009, fell to a new recent low of $104,100. In January 2010, sales dropped to 434 monthly, also a recent low.
In 2008, a number of mortgage insurers blackmarked Brevard, along with a quarter of the total nations zip codes. This was intended to thwart potential buyers who wish to pay less than 20% down on a home.
After various insurance companies pulled out of Florida after hurricane losses, property insurance became a major concern for many homeowners. In 2011, 32,000 Brevard policyholders insure with the state-owned Citizens Property Insurance Corporation
Citizens Property Insurance Corporation
Citizens Property Insurance Corporation was created in Florida in 2002 to provide property insurance for home-owners who could not obtain insurance elsewhere, an insurer of last resort. It is a government established, not-for-profit insurer in Florida...
.
In 2009 an economist said that the Brevard housing market will not recover until at least 2011. A later analysis in 2009 seemed to agree, saying that the market would fall 41.4% to bottom out by the end of 2010.
The average non-foreclosed house sold for $143,000 in 2010, down from $147,000 in 2009. The average foreclosed house sold for $70,000 down from $81,000 in 2009. 25% of the houses sold in 2010 had been foreclosed. Total foreclosures rose from 2,200 in 2009 to 4,100 in 2010.
In 2008 Brevard expected to have 100,000-300,000 more people by 2020, an increase of 60%.
In 2008, there were 1,550 permits for residential projects valued at $355.45 million. That is the lowest number of filings since 1975. The lowest number of building permits was in 2009, 937. The highest was in 2005, 8,663.
Annual foreclosures rose from a low of 1,144 in 2005 to 9,228 in 2008. From 2007 to March 2010, there were 25,600 foreclosure filings. In 2010, it was found that 1/3 or more of real estate sales were due to foreclosures.
In 2010 Kiplinger.com
Kiplinger
Kiplinger is a Washington, D.C.-based publisher of business forecasts and personal finance advice, available in print, online, audio, video and software products ....
rated the county one of five "best" places in America to retire. Factors evaluated included cost-of-living, weather, the number of doctors, taxes, crime rates and recreational opportunities.
Communities
Three communities have either decided or are considering placingelectric lines most vulnerable to high winds, underground despite the high cost.
Cape Canaveral and Satellite Beach have declared a moratorium on converting commercially zoned areas to residential.
The company developing West Viera gained state permission and county acquiescence to create a self-governing board that could raise taxes and sell bonds to pay for roads, water lines, pumping stations and other infrastructure needed to support the construction of 16,500 houses, apartments and condominiums. The company proved that development could fund itself.
Industry
The Brevard economy has been driven by Trade, Transportation and Utilities(18%), Professional and Business Services (17%), Total government (15%), Education and Health (14%), Manufacturing (12%), Leisure and hospitality (10%), Construction (6%), Financial (4%).
In 2005, Inc. Magazine
Inc. (magazine)
Inc. magazine, founded in 1979 and based in New York City, is a monthly publication focused on growing companies. The magazine publishes an annual list of the 500 fastest-growing private companies in the U.S., the "Inc...
voted the Space Coast as the best place to do business in Florida and sixth in the country.
In 2004, Brevard County ranked 13th out of 318 largest counties in the US for increase in the number of jobs. The county moved from 70 to 31 out of the top 200 metropolitan areas "Best Performing." This improvement was driven mainly by job growth.
Port Canaveral is the world's busiest cruise port. It is served by seven cruise lines. They have six major cruise terminals. There is 750000 ft2 of covered freight storage capacity. It handled 4000000 short tons (3,571,417.7 LT) of cargo in 2004. The port has boosted Brevard's economy by $500 million annually.
American City Business Journals
American City Business Journals
American City Business Journals is an American newspaper chain based in Charlotte, North Carolina owned by Advance Publications. It has a range of media including 41 primary metropolitan weekly publications, which reach 4 million readers with business community related news, and Bizjournals, the...
rated Brevard 7th for quality of life out of 67.
Two hospitals were among the top five private employers in the county. Together employing 8,850 in 2009.
In 2008, 14,865 workers were employed at the NASA/Kennedy Space Center. The Center directly spent $1.82 billion in the county.
A concern has been the probable re-assignment of thousands of space coast workers when the shuttle is discontinued in 2010. In 2010, 9,000 jobs were expected to be lost from the shuttle and other programs. Each launch contributed $4 million to the county's economy. Annually,$78 million is spent at the Space Center Visitor's Complex, and $5.9 million from space business visitors.
Harris Corporation
Harris Corporation
Harris Corporation is a Florida-based international communications equipment company that produces wireless equipment, electronic systems, and both terrestrial and spaceborne antennas for use in the government, defense, and commercial sectors. It is also the largest private-sector employer in...
, headquarters in the county, has the most employees in the private sector, 6,700 in 2009.
Two locally headquartered builders, Mercedes Homes
Mercedes Homes
Mercedes Homes is a home building company headquartered in Melbourne, Florida. Mercedes Homes was founded in 1983 and currently builds new homes and communities throughout Florida, Texas, North Carolina, and South Carolina. It has since built homes for over 40,000 families...
and Holiday were among the top 30 in the nation. Mercedes had $1 billion in sales in 2004.
The Cocoa Redevelopment Center has worked on programs to improve housing in the city's older areas.
Inc. magazine selected two local small companies as among the fastest growing in the country over the past 3 years - Applied Global Technology (nearly 100% annually) and Stops (nearly 200% annually).
Though the area has a relatively small number of high technology companies, 736, a business journal ranked it eighth in the country as a high tech center in 2009. The area had 23,096 high-tech jobs with a ratio of 124 per 1,000 total jobs.
The county had 1,050 restaurants in 2007 and nearly that many (1,040) in 2010. There were 22.600 leisure and hospitality workers in the county in 2006. This figures includes hotel workers. That figure had dropped 8.5% to 20,700 in 2010.
Military
Military installations in Brevard County include Patrick Air Force BasePatrick Air Force Base
Patrick Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base located between Satellite Beach and Cocoa Beach, in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It was named in honor of Major General Mason Patrick. An Air Force Space Command base, it is home to the 45th Space Wing...
, near Satellite Beach
Satellite Beach, Florida
Satellite Beach is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 9,577 at the 2000 census. As of 2005, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 9,811. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is an installation of the United States Air Force Space Command's 45th Space Wing, headquartered at nearby Patrick Air Force Base. Located on Cape Canaveral in the state of Florida, CCAFS is the primary launch head of America's Eastern Range with four launch pads...
(CCAFS), adjacent to the Kennedy Space Center, and the U.S. Air Force Malabar Test Facility on Minton Road in suburban Palm Bay. In 2009, they employed a total of 2,000 civilian federal workers.
The Navy maintains a Trident turning basin at Port Canaveral for Ballistic Missile Submarine
Ballistic missile submarine
A ballistic missile submarine is a submarine equipped to launch ballistic missiles .-Description:Ballistic missile submarines are larger than any other type of submarine, in order to accommodate SLBMs such as the Russian R-29 or the American Trident...
s. The Naval Ordnance Test Unit (NOTU) tests weapons on these subs which arrive at the rate of one a month. The 2005 Base closures
Base Realignment and Closure, 2005
The preliminary 2005 Base Realignment and Closure list was released by the United States Department of Defense on May 13, 2005. It is the fifth Base Realignment and Closure proposal generated since the process was created in 1988. It recommends closing 33 major United States military bases and...
included realigning NOTU out of state. The community was successful in getting this decision revoked.
CCAFS houses the Air Force Space & Missile Museum
Air Force Space & Missile Museum
The Air Force Space & Missile Museum is located at Launch Complex 26 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. It includes artifacts from the early American space program and includes an outdoor rocket garden displaying rockets, missiles and space-related equipment chronicling the US Air...
as Launch Complex 26
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 26
Launch Complex 26 is a deactivated launch site at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. LC-26 consisted of two pads, A and B. Pad A was used for the Jupiter-C and Juno I rockets, and was the launch site for Explorer 1, the United States' first satellite, in 1958. Pad B was used for Juno II...
,
where many unmanned rockets were launched early in the U.S. space program including Explorer 1, the first US spacecraft placed in earth orbit.
The Cape Canaveral Navy League council supports the Sea Services
by adopting ships and units of the Navy and Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
. It also provides a means for civilians to socialize with the officers and crew of allied Navies when they visit port.
Northrup Grumman develops the military JSTARS
E-8 Joint STARS
The Northrop Grumman E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System is a battle management and command and control aircraft of the United States Air Force...
electronics surveillance system used in all major US conflicts since 1990.
The was a World War II Alamosa-class naval cargo ship that was decommissioned shortly after the war.
Agriculture
23% of Brevard County is agricultural-usable for citrus, raising cattle or horses. Cattle ranches include the DeseretDeseret Ranch
Deseret Ranches refers to the ranching operations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Central Florida. The Ranches include several organizations including Deseret Ranches of Florida, Deseret Cattle and Citrus, Taylor Creek Management, East Central Florida Services, Agreserves, and...
and Duda Ranches; citrus growers include Victory Groves and Harvey's Indian River Groves.
The county ranked 21 out of 24 Florida counties in the shipment of gift fruit.
In 2009, aquaculture
Aquaculture
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...
was a $900,000 business in the county.
The county produces more than 25% of all blue crabs along Florida's East Coast.
There are 40 4-H
4-H
4-H in the United States is a youth organization administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture , with the mission of "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development." The name represents...
related clubs in the county including livestock- and pet-related and after school clubs. As in all Cooperative extension service
Cooperative extension service
The Cooperative Extension Service, also known as the Extension Service of the USDA, is a non-formal educational program implemented in the United States designed to help people use research-based knowledge to improve their lives. The service is provided by the state's designated land-grant...
, a land grant college, the University of Florida, conducted over 60 courses in 2010 in aid of 4-H programs and other agricultural pursuits.
In February 2010, the USDA declared that Brevard, along with of 59 other Florida counties, was a "primary natural disaster area." This happened when the temperature falls below 28 °F (-2.2 °C)c degrees for 4 hours, where crops are being grown.
Tourism
In 2008, tourists spent $2.89 billion in the county. This is distributed in several categories: lodging $839 million, eating and drinking $509 million, Kennedy Space Center $597 million, Retail sales $450 million, entertainment $120 million, and Port Canaveral $109 million. Brevard tourists come mainly from ten states: Florida itself is first, followed by Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Virginia, Wisconsin, Georgia, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania. The five primary sources of foreign visitors are: Canada, England, Germany, China and Italy.1.6 million people visited the Space Center Visitor Complex in 2008. Tourism, measured by the tourist tax, reached a peak in March 2007.
In 2009, there were 2.4 million overnight visitors in the county. There were 1.2 million day visitors.
Brevard competes with other Florida areas for tourists. A number of organizations help promote the area.
The Space Coast Office of Tourism consists of county staff and the Brevard County Tourist Development Council (TDC). They attempt to attract tourists. The TDC serves as an advisory council to the county on the expenditures of revenues received from a tourist tax. This revenue is spent on beach improvements, visitor information centers and website, promotion and advertising, the Brevard Zoo
Brevard Zoo
Brevard Zoo is a zoo located in Melbourne, Florida, United States.In 2009, the zoo contained 577 animals representing 165 species from North and South America as well as Australia and Africa. The zoo is a non-profit institution. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.The zoo...
, additional beach improvements and the Space Coast Stadium.
In 1964, the Colt 45s started spring training at Cocoa Stadium. The team later became the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
. The team left the county in 1985. They were succeeded by the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
at Viera in 1993.
$97.7 million has been spent on beach replenishment in the county between 2000-2010. This was funded 58% by the federal government, 27% by the state and 15% by the county.
In 2008 monthly tourist tax revenue slumped from a high of $1,174,742 in March to a seasonal low in September of $432,145.
In 2004, Brevard experienced its best October and November tourism until then, despite widespread hurricane damage and loss of five beachside hotels. Four of these hotels were restored by 2006.
In 2008, the county had 11,000 hotel rooms available. In July 2007, there was a 66.1% occupancy rate. In 2008, the county had a nearly identical 81%+ occupancy rate in March and April. This fell to a seasonal low of 42.3% in September. In January 2010, the average hotel room rate was $88.25.
Cocoa Main Street, a member of the Florida and National Main Street Programs
Main Street Programs in the United States
Over the past several decades a national movement of Main Street Programs has emerged. These may be statewide or regional "coordinating programs" or "local programs." Programs determined to be "Designated" follow best-practices established by the National Main Street Center and/or statewide or...
, works toward restoring business sites in the historic area known as "Cocoa Village." Cocoa Main Street has received six Florida Main Street Awards given by the Secretary of State. The restored area is a tourist attraction and an economic magnet. Melbourne Main Street is another historic business area and tourist attraction restored through the Main Street Programs.
Brevard has five judged art festivals annually attracting tens of thousands of people to art displays. Most festivals are held in the spring or fall when many tourists can attend. Many other annual festivals are held in parks and public sites throughout the year. The Brevard Cultural Alliance (BCA) maintains an event calendar and a map of sites of historic, cultural, and ecological interest.
An annual February Greek Festival had over 8,000 visitors in 2011.
For Brevard County businesses, fishing tournaments, such as the Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series tournament in August, bring more than $2.5 million a year in direct spending and more in indirect spending. Tournaments provide a revenue source for the county and local businesses.
The annual Grant Seafood Festival attracts as many as 50,000 people for the two day February event. It is the Southeast's largest and longest running seafood festival.
The Globe Sebastian Inlet Pro surfing contest, on the county line, draws 16,000 visitors the second weekend in January.
An ice skating rink in Rockledge serves the county's residents and visitors with hockey and figure skating events.
The largest home in Brevard is the 50-room 19000 ft2 mansion in Suntree built in 1991 and once owned by Cecil Fielder
Cecil Fielder
Cecil Grant Fielder is a former professional baseball player who was a noted power hitter in the 1980s and 1990s. He attended college at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas . He played with the Toronto Blue Jays , Detroit Tigers , New York Yankees , Anaheim Angels and Cleveland Indians...
.
In 2009, recreational boat owners generated almost $51 million annually towards the county economy, ranking the industry fifth in the state.
Competitiveness
In 2010 a local group compared the county against four other "peer" cities:Austin, TexasAustin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
, Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
, and Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
. It evaluated nine areas: business dynamism/vitality, competitiveness, education, economic growth, economic prosperity, livability, productivity/labor supply, technology and innovation/work force. While the county does well against national figures, and scored high in livability, it usually ranked last against these "peers" in the other eight areas.
In 2009, the county had 13 patents per 1,000 workers, more than double the national average of 6.4 patents per 1,000.
In 2009, Forbes ranked the county 18th out of 100 MSAs
United States metropolitan area
In the United States a metropolitan statistical area is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are not legally incorporated as a city or town would be, nor are they legal administrative divisions like...
and first out of 8 metros in Florida for affordable housing, and short commute times, among others.
In August 2009, Florida Trend rated two Brevard companies, Harris Corporation and Health First Health Plans, in their rankings of the best places to work in Florida.
In May 2009, the Palm Bay-Melbourne area was ranked as the #8 tech center in the United States by Bizjournals. It overcame its low number of total high-tech companies and jobs by having a high number of jobs per high tech company (#4) and high tech jobs compared to total private-sector jobs (#2).
The Milken institute ranked Brevard number one, out of 200 largest metropolitan areas, in overall job growth for 2005.
Forbes magazine ranked Melbourne 2nd out of 150 metropolitan areas in the US, for the percentage of the population that are engineers,
6.6%, just ahead of Silicon Valley.
Brevard County's unemployment rate fell to a record low 2.8% in December 2005. It reached a maximum employment of 254,514 in 2006.
In 2006, Forbes magazine named Harris Corporation, headquartered in
Brevard, to its "Platinum 400" List.
The Technological Research and Development Authority, based on the Space Coast, delivers technologies to schools and small businesses throughout the State of Florida. They obtain this information through strategic alliances with NASA, the federal government, the aerospace industry and state partners. They also sponsor a business incubator at the Melbourne Airport
Melbourne International Airport
Melbourne International Airport is a public airport located 1 1/2 miles northwest of the downtown business district of Melbourne, a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. Located on central Florida's Space Coast, the airport is accessed via NASA Boulevard...
.
The National Association of Realtors
National Association of Realtors
The National Association of Realtors , whose members are known as Realtors, is North America's largest trade association. representing over 1.2 million members , including NAR's institutes, societies, and councils, involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries...
reported that existing homes prices in Brevard rose 33% annually the third quarter of 2005,
the sixth highest metropolitan area in the nation (out of 147). There was a slight decrease in existing home prices the last quarter of 2005.
In January 2005, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
/Money
Money (magazine)
Money is published by Time Inc. Its first issue was published in October 1972. Its articles cover the gamut of personal finance topics ranging from investing, saving, retirement and taxes to family finance issues like paying for college, credit, career and home improvement...
ranked the homes in "Palm Bay", perhaps referring to all of the Space Coast, as "49% overvalued" and within 10% of the most overvalued homes in the United States.
In 2005, the Sunrise Bank of Cocoa Beach became the first bank in the state to have a mobile branch.
The largest hotel in Brevard has 284 rooms and 30000 ft2 of meeting space.
Labor
Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is the largest employer in the county with 15,000 contractors and civil servants. While there is concern about the new generation of space vehicles requiring 1/3 fewer workers, about that number were eligible for retirement by 2011.In 2009, there were 6,400 federal workers, total, employed in the county. They earned an average of $74,600.
Unions represented at KSC include American Federation of Government Employees
American Federation of Government Employees
The American Federation of Government Employees is an American labor union representing over 625,000 employees of the federal government, about 5,000 employees of the District of Columbia, and a few hundred private sector employees, mostly in and around federal facilities...
, International Association of Machinists and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers is a labor union which represents workers in the electrical industry in the United States, Canada, Panama and several Caribbean island nations; particularly electricians, or Inside Wiremen, in the construction industry and linemen and other...
.
Brevard County Teachers are represented by the Brevard Federation of Teachers (AFT
American Federation of Teachers
The American Federation of Teachers is an American labor union founded in 1916 that represents teachers, paraprofessionals and school-related personnel; local, state and federal employees; higher education faculty and staff, and nurses and other healthcare professionals...
).
In 2009, average annual salaries in the county for engineers was $90,563; registered nurses $53,315; education $49,441; police officers $43,035; cooks $21,569; and cashiers $19,489. The average annual pay for all workers was then $42,411.
In 2011, there were more engineers (48) per thousand workers than any other region in the United States.
In 2005, the Next Generation Consulting for Leadership Brevard, a leadership development organization for local business and civic groups, and Brevard Tomorrow commissioned a survey of people 21-44. Basically, these people often found the area "boring", mainly because it is family-friendly at the expense of being singles-friendly. While this may have labor repercussions later, currently business is having no problems hiring.
The county had an unemployment rate of 12.7% in January 2010, a 20-year record high. In March 2010, there were 33, 500 people out of work. The county experienced a record low unemployment in 2005 of 2.8%. There were 32,608 people unemployed in the county in January 2011.
In early 2005, Forbes ranked the area 27th in job growth out of 150 metropolitan areas in the country. The county ranked 18th in the nation for mid-sized areas in 2006.
Manpower Employment Outlook Survey said the hiring outlook in Brevard for the last quarter of 2005 was the 19th-best in the nation among the 470 communities participating in the survey.
2004 Hurricane recovery helped the area achieve high employment.
There were 168,500 private sector jobs in the county in 2009. The Bureau of Labor Statistics
Bureau of Labor Statistics
The Bureau of Labor Statistics is a unit of the United States Department of Labor. It is the principal fact-finding agency for the U.S. government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics. The BLS is a governmental statistical agency that collects, processes, analyzes, and...
counted the following workers in Brevard along with average annual pay ($): Retail 25,900 ($23,361), Manufacturing 21,700 ($65,521), Local government 20,100 ($42,517) and Hospitality 19,600 ($15,857). The largest local employer is Brevard Public Schools with 9,500 of whom 5,000 are teachers.
Banking
In 2007, the Space Coast Credit Union was the largest locally based financial institution in Brevard County and the third largest credit union in the state of Florida with assets of over $3 billion.In 2011, Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational diversified financial services company with operations around the world. Wells Fargo is the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by assets and the largest bank by market capitalization. Wells Fargo is the second largest bank in deposits, home...
with $1.9 billion in local deposits, had 26% share of the business; SunTrust $1.3 billion, 17%; Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
$1.2 billion, 16%; Regions Bank $408 million, 5%; JPMorgan Chase $379 million, 5%.
Health
The Brevard Alzheimer's Foundation is unique for being a local organization only. It has three adult daycare service locations and often provides transportation and funding.The Space Coast Early Intervention Center is a nationally recognized not-for-profit pre-school and therapeutic center that offers care and aids with the development of small children with special needs. Children are treated and educated with the specific goal of mainstreaming children diagnosed with the following into public school: Down syndrome
Down syndrome
Down syndrome, or Down's syndrome, trisomy 21, is a chromosomal condition caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 21st chromosome. It is named after John Langdon Down, the British physician who described the syndrome in 1866. The condition was clinically described earlier in the 19th...
, William's syndrome, Cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
, Deletion syndrome, PDD
Pervasive developmental disorder
Pervasive developmental disorders is a diagnostic category refers to a group of disorders characterized by delays or impairments in communication, social behaviors, and cognitive development.Pervasive developmental disorders include Autism, Asperger's syndrome, Rett's syndrome, Childhood...
s including Rett syndrome
Rett syndrome
Rett syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder of the grey matter of the brain that almost exclusively affects females. The clinical features include small hands and feet and a deceleration of the rate of head growth . Repetitive hand movements, such as wringing and/or repeatedly putting hands into...
, Autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
, and Apert syndrome
Apert syndrome
Apert syndrome is a form of acrocephalosyndactyly, a congenital disorder characterized by malformations of the skull, face, hands and feet. It is classified as a branchial arch syndrome, affecting the first branchial arch, the precursor of the maxilla and mandible...
, as well as children with visual, speech and hearing delays.
Health Outreach Prevention & Education (HOPE) is a network of community partners working together to provide care for people without insurance, and for children with special needs. This network includes hospitals.
Brevard introduced (2005-6) a Federally approved experimental Medicaid program which puts volunteering 60+ years olds in an HMO-like organization in order to save money.
The non-profit Circles of Care provides mental health programs to Brevard.
Dialing 2-1-1
2-1-1
2-1-1 is a special abbreviated telephone number reserved in Canada and the United States as an easy-to-remember three-digit telephone number meant to provide quick information and referrals to health and human service organizations.-United States:...
in the county gives response to people in crisis and/or needing information about community resources.
Space Coast Center for Independent Living offers over-all services for individuals with all types of disabilities: Peer support, advocacy, skills training, accessibility surveys, support groups, transportation, specialized equipment and sign language interpreter coordination services. Additional program for high school students for career development.
There are ten hospitals in the county, with 1,734 beds total. Health First is the largest healthcare provider in the county consisting of three not-for-profit hospitals—Cape Canaveral Hospital in Cocoa Beach, Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne, and Palm Bay Community Hospital in Palm Bay. Besides hospitalization, services include outpatient centers; the county's only trauma center; home care; specialized programs for cancer, diabetes, heart, stroke, and rehabilitative services; central Brevard's largest medical group; three fitness centers; and Medicare Advantage, commercial POS, and commercial HMO health plans. Health First tries to integrate quality healthcare services with state-of-the-art technology.
Harmony Farms runs "Horses and the Handicapped
Horses and the Handicapped
Horses and the Handicapped is a non-profit organization located in South Florida. They own horses that are used in specific classes that are for children and adults with mental or physical disabilities, such as cerebal palsy, or Downs syndrome....
", a therapeutic riding program
Therapeutic horseback riding
Therapeutic horseback riding is used to teach riding skills to people with disabilities...
located on the Duda Ranch
Duda Ranch
A. Duda & Sons refers to various agricultural and real estate development with ranches in Central Florida, Texas, and California.The company grows vegetables, citrus, sugarcane, and other crops, and raises cattle. It is best known as one of the top growers of celery in the United States...
in Viera.
Parrish Medical Center
Parrish Medical Center
Parrish Medical Center is a hospital in Titusville, Florida. It was founded by Jess Parrish in 1958.- History :It was founded in 1958 as North Brevard Hospital. It expanded facilities in 1964, 1981, 1991....
, a 210-bed hospital, has been named America's No. 1 Healing Hospital for the third straight year by the Baptist Healing Trust
Baptist Healing Trust
The Baptist Healing Trust is a religious non-profit foundation in Nashville, Tennessee, created to provide healthcare services to the vulnerable in middle Tennessee. The Trust is required to use the majority of its investment income in support of the Baptist Hospital mission until 2008...
.
Health care services tend to cost more in Brevard than Orlando or the statistical average in Florida. A nursing home private room averaged $79,023 annually, semi-private $74,643, private one-bedroom assisted living $39,000. A home health aide, medicare-certified was $88,660 was substantially higher than the Florida average of $51,480. Adult day care (44 hours) was cheaper at $12,870 annually as was a home health aide "licensed-only" $38,896.
According to 2007 health risk data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services headquartered in Druid Hills, unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, in Greater Atlanta...
, Brevard County (Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville MSA) is tied for fourth highest among all Micro- and Metropolitan Statistical Areas in percentage of heavy drinkers.
Incorporated
- City of Cape CanaveralCape Canaveral, FloridaCape Canaveral is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 8,829 at the 2000 census. As of 2008, the estimated population according to the U.S. Census Bureau was 10,147...
- City of CocoaCocoa, FloridaCocoa is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 16,412 at the 2000 census. As of 2008, the estimated population according to the U.S. Census Bureau was 16,478. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:Cocoa was...
- City of Cocoa BeachCocoa Beach, FloridaCocoa Beach is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 12,482 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau estimates of 2008, the city had a population of 11,920...
- Town of Grant-ValkariaGrant-Valkaria, FloridaGrant-Valkaria is a town in Brevard County, Florida, south of Melbourne between Palm Bay and Sebastian . Grant-Valkaria was incorporated as a town on July 25, 2006 by joining the two previously unincorporated communities of Grant and Valkaria...
- Town of IndialanticIndialantic, FloridaIndialantic is a town in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The name is a portmanteau derived from the town's location between the Indian River Lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean....
- City of Indian Harbour BeachIndian Harbour Beach, FloridaIndian Harbour Beach is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 8,152 at the 2000 census. As of 2005, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 8,441...
- Town of MalabarMalabar, FloridaMalabar is a town in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 2,622 at the 2000 census. As of 2005, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 2,772 . It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Malabar is...
- City of MelbourneMelbourne, FloridaMelbourne is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. As of 2009, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 78,323. The municipal area is the second largest by size and by population in the county. Melbourne is a principal city of the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida...
- Town of Melbourne BeachMelbourne Beach, FloridaMelbourne Beach is a town in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,335 at the 2000 census. As of 2005, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 3,314. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:The Ais Indians resided...
- Town of Melbourne VillageMelbourne Village, FloridaMelbourne Village is a town in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 706 at the 2000 census. As of 2005, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 702...
- City of Palm BayPalm Bay, FloridaPalm Bay is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population as 100,786 on 1 July 2008; it is the most populous city in the county...
(formerly Tillman) - Town of Palm ShoresPalm Shores, FloridaPalm Shores is a town in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 794 at the 2000 census. As of 2005, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 848...
- City of RockledgeRockledge, FloridaRockledge is the oldest city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 20,170 at the 2000 census. As of 2008, the estimated population according to the U.S. Census Bureau is 24,747. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical...
- City of Satellite BeachSatellite Beach, FloridaSatellite Beach is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 9,577 at the 2000 census. As of 2005, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 9,811. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area...
- City of TitusvilleTitusville, FloridaTitusville is a city in Brevard County, Florida in the United States. It is the county seat of Brevard County. Nicknamed Space City, USA, Titusville is on the Indian River, west of Merritt Island and the Kennedy Space Center and south-southwest of the Canaveral National Seashore...
- City of West MelbourneWest Melbourne, FloridaWest Melbourne is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It was created in 1959 to stop the area from being annexed into the City of Melbourne. The population was 9,824 at the 2000 census. In 1970, the city's population was approximately 3,050. As of 2008, the estimated population...
Unincorporated
- Angel CityAngel City, FloridaAngel City is a populated place located on the Horti Point peninsula of Merritt Island, in Brevard County, Florida, United States. Angel City had a post office located on South Banana River Drive between 1927 and 1931. It is believed that the community was named for an early settler, John Angel...
- AurantiaAurantia, FloridaAurantia was an unincorporated community in the north end of Brevard County, Florida, United States at the intersection of Aurantia Road and the Florida East Coast Railway, where it was a station along the Enterprise Branch line.-Geography:...
- Barefoot BayBarefoot Bay, FloridaBarefoot Bay is an unincorporated community and Recreation District in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is located in the southern part of the county, on the Atlantic coast. The population was 8,348 at the 2000 census...
- BellwoodBellwood, FloridaBellwood is a former village in Brevard County, Florida, United States east of U.S. 1 on the mainland by the Indian River. The area of the village is only 1 square mile. The longest road is Matthew Circle, 1/2 mile long in a mobile home subdivision. It is located at ....
- Canaveral GrovesCanaveral Groves, FloridaCanaveral Groves is an unincorporated community in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is a rural area between State Road 520 and Port St. John. The community is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area. There is a lower population density in the...
- Cocoa WestCocoa West, FloridaCocoa West is a census-designated place in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,921 at the 2000 census. It's the closest place to Lake Poinsett and Canaveral Groves....
- Courtenay
- Eau GallieEau Gallie, FloridaEau Gallie was a city in Brevard County, Florida from 1857 until 1969 when citizens voted to merge with neighboring Melbourne, Florida. It is now a small district in the north part of the city, near the Eau Gallie Causeway. William Henry Gleason founded the city. From 1874 to 1878 it served as the...
- Floridana BeachFloridana Beach, FloridaFloridana Beach is an unincorporated community in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is located on a barrier island southeast of the city of Melbourne and east of the town of Grant-Valkaria...
- IndianolaIndianola, FloridaIndianola is a historic unincorporated community on Merritt Island in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is centered on Indianola Drive, which is about half a mile south of where State Road 528, the Bennett Causeway across the Indian River, enters Merritt Island...
- Kennedy Space Center
- June ParkJune Park, FloridaJune Park is a census-designated place in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 4,367 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
- LotusLotus, FloridaLotus is a former village in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is the location of Honeymoon Hill, the highest point on Merritt Island. In some sections of the area, citrus groves grow between the Indian and Banana river lagoons...
- Melbourne ShoresMelbourne Shores, FloridaMelbourne Shores is an unincorporated community in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is located on a barrier island southeast of the city of Melbourne and east of the town of Grant-Valkaria. It is just north of the unincorporated community of Floridana Beach.The community is part of the...
- Merritt IslandMerritt Island, FloridaMerritt Island is a census-designated place in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is located on the east coast of the state on the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2000 census, the population was 36,090. It is part of the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area...
- MiccoMicco, FloridaMicco is a census-designated place in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 9,498 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
- MimsMims, FloridaMims is a census-designated place in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 9,147 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Mims is located at ....
- Patrick Air Force BasePatrick Air Force BasePatrick Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base located between Satellite Beach and Cocoa Beach, in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It was named in honor of Major General Mason Patrick. An Air Force Space Command base, it is home to the 45th Space Wing...
- PinedaPineda, FloridaPineda is a former village in Brevard County, Florida, United States The Pineda Causeway, named after this place, carries 4 lanes of State Road 404 south of the former village. It is located at the intersection of Suntree Boulevard and U.S. Route 1 east of Suntree and the Florida East Coast...
- Port St. JohnPort St. John, FloridaPort St. John is a census-designated place located between Titusville and Cocoa in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 12,112 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area....
- ScottsmoorScottsmoor, FloridaScottsmoor is an unincorporated community in the north end of Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is on U.S. 1, and also the northernmost settlement in the county. It is a farming community east of Interstate 95, similar to Malabar. According to the U.S...
- SharpesSharpes, FloridaSharpes is a census-designated place in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,415 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
- ShilohShiloh, FloridaShiloh was a village in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It's the northernmost place in Brevard County. Scottsmoor also shares the title, across the Indian River. However, Shiloh is uninhabited. During the beginning of the Space Age, the village later annexed to John F...
- South Patrick ShoresSouth Patrick Shores, FloridaSouth Patrick Shores is a census-designated place in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 8,913 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
- SuntreeSuntree, FloridaSuntree is a planned unincorporated community in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is located near the center of the county, off I-95 near Viera between Interstate 95 and the Florida East Coast Railroad. It lies approximately halfway between Rockledge and Melbourne...
- TropicTropic, FloridaTropic is an unincorporated area in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is the southernmost area on Merritt Island, and its identity was absorbed into the census-designated place of Merritt Island during the Space Age of the 1950s and '60s...
- VieraViera, FloridaViera is a master planned community located in the central coastal region of Brevard County, Florida. It is part of an unincorporated section adjacent to the Melbourne, Florida area.-Geography:...
Former place names
There are place names currently used, or used at one time by the USGS. Some are early developments, others are former stations along the main line of the Florida East Coast RailwayFlorida East Coast Railway
The Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida; in the past, it has been a Class I railroad.Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a project of Standard Oil principal Henry Morrison...
. Several of these disappeared when Kennedy Space Center took over their area.
Education
Higher education is provided by Brevard Community CollegeBrevard Community College
Brevard Community College, founded in 1960, is a community college on Florida's Space Coast, in Brevard County, Florida. It has four campuses in Cocoa, Melbourne, Palm Bay, and Titusville, as well as an Aerospace program at Kennedy Space Center and a Virtual Campus...
(BCC), and Florida Institute of Technology
Florida Institute of Technology
Florida Institute of Technology, also known as Florida Tech, is an independent private technical research university located in Melbourne, Florida, United States. Founded in 1958 as Brevard Engineering College, the institute has been known by its present name since 1966. Florida Tech's curriculum...
. There are satellite campuses for the University of Central Florida
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...
, Barry University
Barry University
Barry University is a private, Catholic university, which was founded in 1940 in Miami Shores, Florida, a suburb north of Downtown Miami. It is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami....
, Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Keiser University
Keiser University
Keiser University is a private university that provides educational programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels in traditional and online delivery formats...
, and Webster University
Webster University
Webster University is an American non-profit private university with its main campus in Webster Groves, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Webster University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools...
.
Elementary and secondary education is provided by the Brevard Public Schools and private education.
Sports
Minor league baseballBrevard County is the home of the Brevard County Manatees
Brevard County Manatees
The Brevard County Manatees are a minor league baseball team of the Florida State League, and are the A-Advanced affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers...
, the Class-A Affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
.
In 2009, the Space Coast Surge, a member of the Florida Winter Baseball League has the Cocoa Stadium as their home stadium.
Major league baseball
The Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
hold their spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
at Space Coast Stadium
Space Coast Stadium
Space Coast Stadium is a baseball stadium that was completed prior to the 1994 season as part of a plan to bring spring training for the Florida Marlins to Viera, Florida....
in Viera
Viera, Florida
Viera is a master planned community located in the central coastal region of Brevard County, Florida. It is part of an unincorporated section adjacent to the Melbourne, Florida area.-Geography:...
.They play about 14 games against other professional teams locally in March as part of the "Grapefruit" League.
Professional Basketball
The Brevard Blue Ducks, members of the USBL, played their home schedule at the Clemente Center at Florida Tech. They have changed their home city more times than any other USBL team. They have been in Brevard since 2002. In 2007 the Clemente Center opted not to extend the team a lease of its facilities, prompting a cancellation of the season.
Minor League Football
Brevard County is home to the Brevard Warriors, a minor league football team whose first season was 2008-2009 and in that first year climbed the Minor League Football ranks to #2 in the country, and won its Southeast Football League Championship 45-10 over the Central Florida Thoroughbreds while finishing the season 14-1.
The Brevard Rams and Space Coast Predators are scheduled to play as members of the Florida Football Alliance in 2010.
Amateur sports
Aside from school-sponsored sports, there are youth leagues for basketball, football, soccer, lacrosse, gymnastics, and baseball.
Transportation
While Brevard County has transportation available in the usual modes for a coastal county - highways, shipping, and airlines, it has the addition of space transportation, making it unique in the world.Public transportation is provided by Space Coast Area Transit
Space Coast Area Transit
Space Coast Area Transit is the municipal bus system serving the Brevard County, Florida area. Besides providing routine transportation, low cost service is available to disabled and disadvantaged citizens....
.
Power
Florida Power and Light maintains an oil-fired generating plant at SharpesSharpes, Florida
Sharpes is a census-designated place in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,415 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
; it generates 800 megawatts, supplying most of the requirements for the county. In 2008 the company announced plans to replace the plant with a more efficient natural gas-powered plant in 2013 with a 1,250 megawatt capacity which can supply 250,000 homes or businesses. Nearby FPL's plant is the Indian River Power Plant; formerly owned by the Orlando Utilities Commission
Orlando Utilities Commission
The Orlando Utilities Commission is a municipally-owned public utility providing water and electric service to the citizens of Orlando, Florida and portions of adjacent unincorporated areas of Orange County, as well as St. Cloud, Florida, in Osceola County...
, it is now owned and operated by RRI Energy.
Florida City Gas furnishes natural gas to various areas of the county.
Communication
The area code for most of the county became "321Area code 321
Area code 321 is the area code serving Brevard County, Florida. The area code has been in use since November 1, 1999; it was assigned to the area, instead of suburban Chicago, after a successful petition led by local resident Robert Osband to commemorate the Space Coast's impact on the county. The...
" in 1999, as in the "3...2...1... lift-off!" countdown sequence. A small portion of the county along the southern border, including the communities of Micco and Barefoot Bay, share a 772 area code
Area code 772
Area code 772 serves the Treasure Coast of the state of Florida. It covers Sebastian, Fellsmere, Vero Beach, Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie, Jensen Beach, Stuart, Hobe Sound, Indiantown, and other areas in east central Florida. The area code split from the area code 561 when there was a need for more...
with Indian River County
Indian River County, Florida
Indian River County is a county located in the Treasure Coast region in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 112,947. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 128,594...
to the south.
Solid waste
The county government maintains various landfills for solid waste. There is a 190 acres (76.9 ha) landfill in Cocoa. In 2011, the average homeowner paid $57 annually to fund the maintenance of these sites. Municipalities and that county contract separately for the pickup and transportation of waste for which businesses and homeowners pay a separate monthly fee.Newspapers
Florida TodayFlorida Today
Florida Today is the major daily newspaper serving Brevard County. The Gannett corporation bought the paper in 1966.In addition to its regular daily publication, Florida Today publishes four weekly and eight biweekly community newspapers which are tailored for distinct neighborhoods within Brevard...
is the major daily newspaper serving Melbourne, Brevard County and the Space Coast region of Florida. It is owned by the media conglomerate Gannett. The monthly newspaper, El Playero, serves the Spanish-speaking population of the Space Coast. The weekly Home Town News is a free newspaper, supported by advertising, that has versions in other Florida counties. It presents local news.
The Brevard Technical Journal is the industry monthly newspaper for business management, engineering, purchasing, manufacturing, and staff. It features news & features about the business and the science of technology in Brevard County - Florida's Space & Technology Coast.
Television
Most of Brevard County receive cable televisionCable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
from Bright House Networks
Bright House Networks
Bright House Networks is a cable television company, the seventh largest cable operator and the sixth largest traditional multiple system operator in the United States owned by Advance/Newhouse, headquartered in Syracuse, New York...
. Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
serves the Micco and Palm Bay areas in southern Brevard County.
Local stations licensed to or located in Brevard County include:
- BPS-TVBPS-TVBPS-TV is the Educational-access television network of the Brevard Public Schools in Brevard County, Florida. It is managed as part of the Office of District Communications with programming produced and originating from the facilities of the newly established Media Center at the Brevard Public...
- Channel 43 WOTF-TVWOTF-TVWOTF-DT Channel 43 is the TeleFutura station serving the Orlando/Daytona Beach/Melbourne, Florida television market. It is owned by Univision and managed by Entravision which owns Univision affiliate WVEN-TV and radio station WNUE-FM, and offers a Spanish language entertainment format featuring...
(TelefuturaTeleFuturaTeleFutura is a U.S. Spanish-language broadcast television network owned by Univision with headquarters in Miami, Florida.-Overview:TeleFutura Is America’s #2 Spanish-Language Network in prime time...
) - Channel 52 WHLV-TV (TBNTrinity Broadcasting NetworkThe Trinity Broadcasting Network is a major American Christian television network. TBN is based in Costa Mesa, California, with auxiliary studio facilities in Irving, Texas; Hendersonville, Tennessee; Gadsden, Alabama; Decatur, Georgia; Miami, Florida; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Orlando, Florida; and New...
) - Channel 68 WBCCWBCCWBCC is a PBS member station serving the Orlando television market. It broadcasts a digital signal on UHF channel 30, and serves as the sole PBS affiliate in the Central Florida television market....
(PBSPublic Broadcasting ServiceThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
)
Films and TV
The following films were filmed (in parts) in Brevard County:- MatineeMatinee (film)Matinee is a 1993 period comedy film directed by Joe Dante. It is an ensemble piece about the home front in the Cuban Missile Crisis combined with a tribute to independent filmmaker William Castle. The film stars John Goodman, Cathy Moriarty, Simon Fenton, Omri Katz, Lisa Jakub, and Kellie Martin...
(1993), filmed in Cocoa Village and Cocoa Playhouse - Apollo 13Apollo 13Apollo 13 was the seventh manned mission in the American Apollo space program and the third intended to land on the Moon. The craft was launched on April 11, 1970, at 13:13 CST. The landing was aborted after an oxygen tank exploded two days later, crippling the service module upon which the Command...
(1995), ContactContact (film)Contact is a 1997 American science fiction drama film adapted from the Carl Sagan novel of the same name and directed by Robert Zemeckis. Both Sagan and wife Ann Druyan wrote the story outline for the film adaptation of Contact....
(1997), ArmageddonArmageddonArmageddon is, according to the Bible, the site of a battle during the end times, variously interpreted as either a literal or symbolic location...
(1998), and MoonrakerMoonraker (film)Moonraker is the eleventh spy film in the James Bond series, and the fourth to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The third and final film in the series to be directed by Lewis Gilbert, it co-stars Lois Chiles, Michael Lonsdale, Corinne Clery, and Richard Kiel...
all utilized Cape Canaveral or Kennedy Space Center facilities. - Marvin's Room (1996) was filmed in RockledgeRockledge, FloridaRockledge is the oldest city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 20,170 at the 2000 census. As of 2008, the estimated population according to the U.S. Census Bureau is 24,747. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical...
. - NightmareNightmareA nightmare is an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong negative emotional response from the mind, typically fear or horror, but also despair, anxiety and great sadness. The dream may contain situations of danger, discomfort, psychological or physical terror...
(1981) horror film shot in Merritt Island, CocoaCocoa, FloridaCocoa is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 16,412 at the 2000 census. As of 2008, the estimated population according to the U.S. Census Bureau was 16,478. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:Cocoa was...
, Cocoa Beach and TitusvilleTitusville, FloridaTitusville is a city in Brevard County, Florida in the United States. It is the county seat of Brevard County. Nicknamed Space City, USA, Titusville is on the Indian River, west of Merritt Island and the Kennedy Space Center and south-southwest of the Canaveral National Seashore... - A Night in HeavenA Night in HeavenA Night in Heaven is a 1983 romance film directed by John G. Avildsen, starring Christopher Atkins as a college student and Lesley Ann Warren as his professor. The screenplay is written by Joan Tewkesbury. Film critics widely panned the movie....
was filmed in Titusville - Things Behind the SunThings Behind the SunThings Behind the Sun is a 2001 film starring Kim Dickens and Gabriel Mann and directed by Allison Anders. Its title is taken from a song by Nick Drake....
(2001) by independent filmmakers Allison AndersAllison AndersAllison Anders is an American film and television director. Anders has directed many independent films, on which she frequently collaborates with fellow UCLA film school graduate Kurt Voss.-Biography:...
, raised in Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral, and Kurt Voss - Space CowboysSpace CowboysSpace Cowboys is a 2000 science fiction film directed by Clint Eastwood. Eastwood also stars in the film alongside Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland, and James Garner as four older "ex-test pilots" who are sent into space to repair an old Soviet satellite...
(2000) - Portions of Jaws III were filmed on the Minutemen Causeway
- The Number 23The Number 23The Number 23 is a 2007 American psychological thriller film written by Fernley Phillips and directed by Joel Schumacher. The film starred Jim Carrey, Virginia Madsen, Danny Huston, and Logan Lerman. It was subsequently released on DVD on July 24, 2007 , and premiered on HBO on Saturday April 19,...
(2007) shot scenes on the shore of Cocoa Beach. - I'll Believe YouI'll Believe YouI'll Believe You is a 2007 American comedy film, starring David Alan Basche, Patrick Warburton and Siobhan Fallon.Late-night radio host Dale Sweeney 's usual line up of odd-ball, conspiracy-obsessed callers is interrupted by a panicked phone call in an indecipherable language...
(2007)
TV series included:
- The Cape, 13 episodes (1996 through 1997)
- From the Earth to the Moon, a miniseries (1998)
- I Dream of JeannieI Dream of JeannieI Dream of Jeannie is a 1960s American sitcom with a fantasy premise. The show starred Barbara Eden as a 2,000-year-old genie, and Larry Hagman as an astronaut who becomes her master, with whom she falls in love and eventually marries...
, a 1960s TV comedy series, was set in Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral but filmed in California.
Arts and culture
The Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing ArtsMaxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts
The Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts is a performing arts venue located at 3865 North Wickham Road, Melbourne, Florida. The main theater contains 2,016 seats.-Performances:...
, seating 2000, features locally produced and former Broadway shows, ballet, and symphony. Several different performances are scheduled each week.
The Brevard Symphony Orchestra
Brevard Symphony Orchestra
The Brevard Symphony Orchestra performs in the King Center, Melbourne, Florida. The Center seats 1,880. BSO features an average of 65 paid musicians. The administrative staff of the Brevard Symphony Orchestra is currently headquartered at the historic Winchester Symphony House in Melbourne...
and the Space Coast Ballet offer shows performed by professionals. There are two other professional symphony orchestras, plus a community orchestra and band in Melbourne.
The Brevard Zoo
Brevard Zoo
Brevard Zoo is a zoo located in Melbourne, Florida, United States.In 2009, the zoo contained 577 animals representing 165 species from North and South America as well as Australia and Africa. The zoo is a non-profit institution. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.The zoo...
is a 56 acres (22.7 ha) facility. There are 51 tigers, cougars, lions and leopards, on a 2 acre (0.809372 ha) reserve in Canaveral Groves.
Ballet
The Space Coast Ballet incorporates professional principal dancers and instructors together with many roles for local senior talent as well as roles for students. They annually stage the The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It was given its première at the Mariinsky Theatre in St...
.
Classical music
The Brevard Symphony Orchestra has been bringing the classics, performed by professionals, to the Space Coast for over fifty years.
The Brevard Symphony Youth Orchestra (BSYO) was founded in 1984 to provide a musical experience for youth. They are the only non-profit organization in Brevard devoted solely to the orchestral training of young musicians.
Traditional Music
The City of Melbourne Pipes and Drums
City of Melbourne Pipes and Drums
The City of Melbourne Pipes and Drums is an award winning Grade 5 bagpipe band located in Melbourne, Florida. It was founded in 1992 as Oceanside Pipes and Drums. The band is registered with the Southern United States Pipe Band Association , and was the SUSPBA 2004 grade five Supreme Champion. The...
is a teaching band.
Museums and attractions
The Space Coast has a number of museums from the rocket exhibitions at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and the Air Force Space & Missile Museum
Air Force Space & Missile Museum
The Air Force Space & Missile Museum is located at Launch Complex 26 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. It includes artifacts from the early American space program and includes an outdoor rocket garden displaying rockets, missiles and space-related equipment chronicling the US Air...
, to local museums and others of unique character such as the American Police Hall of Fame & Museum
American Police Hall of Fame & Museum
The American Police Hall of Fame & Museum is located at 6350 Horizon Drive just south of Titusville, Florida. It houses law enforcement exhibits, a memorial and a Hall of Fame. It is the nation's first national police museum and a memorial dedicated to law enforcement officers killed in the line...
, and the East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame Museum.
The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex offers an educational look at the accomplishments of America's space program. The Observation Gantry near Launch Complex 39 offers a view of the Space Shuttle launch pads (first built for the Apollo missions), the Vehicle Assembly Building
Vehicle Assembly Building
The Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center was used to assemble and house American manned launch vehicles from 1968-2011. It is the fourth largest building in the world by volume...
, and the crawlerway over which rockets are taken to the pad. The Apollo/Saturn V Center displays an example of the largest rocket ever launched.
The US Astronaut Hall of Fame is the only facility in the nation dedicated to telling the stories of American astronauts and features the world's largest collection of astronauts' personal effects.
The US Space Walk of Fame
US Space Walk of Fame
The US Space Walk of Fame is an outdoor plaza on the Indian River in Titusville, Florida, honoring both the astronauts and the NASA and contractor personnel who made American manned space exploration possible. Its monuments surrounding a pool are dedicated to the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space...
in Titusville commemorates the manned space program's history with museum and monuments.
The Brevard Museum of History & Natural Science
Brevard Museum of History & Natural Science
The Brevard Museum of History & Natural Science is located at 2201 Michigan Avenue, Cocoa, Florida. It houses a Florida timeline and rotating temporary exhibits.-External links:* *. Museum Info webpage from .*. Museum information from ....
features the remains of the "Windover Man", the oldest human remains found on the North American continent and a re-creation of the Windover Dig, a 'wet' archaeological site. A visitor may see how Native Americans lived and Florida pioneers survived.
Honor America runs the Liberty Bell Memorial Museum
Liberty Bell Memorial Museum
The Liberty Bell Memorial Museum is located at 1601 Hickory Street, Melbourne, Florida in Wells Park. It houses military war exhibits, facsimiles of important documents in U.S. history and a full size replica of the Liberty Bell.-History:Honor America Inc...
. This houses a replica of the Liberty Bell, historical documents, and patriotic memorabilia. Items are permanent reminders of our nation's history, as well as a memorial to military veterans.
The Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore Memorial Park and Cultural Center features a museum with artifacts and time line of the civil rights movement and the story of the Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore, civil rights leaders who were killed when their home was bombed.
Other
During the December holiday season, each of four yacht club parades during the evening in the Indian River/Banana River with holiday lighting on each boat.
See also
- Brevard County Public SchoolsBrevard County School DistrictBrevard Public Schools is a school district serving Brevard County, Florida, and based in Viera, Florida.In 2009, the district had about 72,519 students. 24% attend a school other than the one to which they are assigned. In 2009, the School Board was Brevard's largest local government employer with...
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Brevard County, Florida
Further reading
- Middleton, Sallie. "Space Rush: Local Impact of Federal Aerospace Programs on Brevard and Surrounding Counties," Florida Historical Quarterly, Fall 2008, Vol. 87 Issue 2, pp 258–289
External links
Government links and constitutional offices- Brevard County Government / Board of County Commissioners
- Brevard County Clerk of Courts Public Records
- Brevard County Supervisor of Elections
- Brevard County Property Appraiser
- Brevard County Sheriff's Office
- Brevard County Parks and Recreation
- Water
Special districts
Education
Judicial branch
- Brevard County Clerk of Courts
- Brevard County Public Defender
- Office of the State Attorney, 18th Judicial Circuit serving Brevard and SeminoleSeminole County, FloridaSeminole County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. Located between Orlando to the south and Deland and Daytona Beach to the north, it is part of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. Its county seat and largest city is Sanford...
Counties - Circuit and County Court for the 18th Judicial Circuit of Florida
Local references
- Florida Today "Fact Book" on Brevard County
- USF Maps of Historical Brevard County
- Explanation of "Leigh Read" county
- Brevard County Fact Sheet - Brevard Clerk of Courts
- Old Florida Map Collection
- North Brevard - Titusville, Florida - Community Directory
- Searchable Database of Brevard County Property Records
- Space Coast Wiki - a community wiki for Brevard County
- Brevard Workforce Report 2008-9
- General business statistics