Population

Palm Bay

125,273

Lakeland

117,030

Median Income

Palm Bay

$67,521

Lakeland

$60,947

Home Value

Palm Bay

$248,000

Lakeland

$229,100

Rent

Palm Bay

$1,487

Lakeland

$1,299

Crime Rate

Palm Bay

3.48

Lakeland

3.55

Cost of Living

Palm Bay

118.1

Lakeland

107.5

Avg Temp

Palm Bay

N/A

Lakeland

N/A

Unemployment

Palm Bay

5.9%

Lakeland

5.1%

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How Similar Are Palm Bay & Lakeland?

Lakeland is Palm Bay's #1 most similar city

7/10

7 of 10 key metrics match within 10%

Population

👥

Palm Bay

125,273

vs

Lakeland

117,030

Match · 7% difference

Both cities have similar populations — Palm Bay at 125,273 and Lakeland at 117,030.

Violent Crime

Palm Bay

3.48

vs

Lakeland

3.55

Match · 2% difference
🚨

Both cities have similar violent crime — just a 2% difference.

Property Crime

🔒

Palm Bay

10.17

vs

Lakeland

24.70

Different · 59% difference

Lakeland's property crime is significantly higher than Palm Bay's — 59% difference.

Political Leaning

Palm Bay

59.9%

vs

Lakeland

59.9%

Match · 0% difference
🗳️

Both cities lean Republican with similar vote shares — 0% difference.

Unemployment

💼

Palm Bay

5.9%

vs

Lakeland

5.1%

Different · 15% difference

Palm Bay has a 15% higher unemployment than Lakeland.

Median Income

Palm Bay

$67,521

vs

Lakeland

$60,947

Match · 10% difference
💰

Both cities have similar median income — just a 10% difference.

Home Values

🏠

Palm Bay

$248,000

vs

Lakeland

$229,100

Match · 8% difference

Both cities have similar home values — just a 8% difference.

Education

Palm Bay

16.0%

vs

Lakeland

19.1%

Different · 16% difference
🎓

Lakeland has a 16% higher education than Palm Bay.

Demographics

🌍

Palm Bay

59.2%

vs

Lakeland

62.7%

Match · 6% difference

Both cities have similar demographics — just a 6% difference.

Cost of Living

Palm Bay

118.1

vs

Lakeland

107.5

Match · 9% difference
💵

Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 9% difference.

7 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Palm Bay and Lakeland are remarkably similar cities.

At a Glance

0

Palm Bay

vsof 8

0

Lakeland

Lakeland leads in 4 of 8 categories

Cost of Living & Affordability — Lakeland leads

Source: City Stats Index / HUD

Lakeland has a fair market rent (1br) of $1,230 vs $1,478 in Palm Bay (20% lower). Lakeland scores 93.5 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 108.9 in Palm Bay. Lakeland has a fair market rent (2br) of $1,497 vs $1,709 in Palm Bay (14% lower).

Overall Cost Index

Palm Bay118.1
Lakeland107.5

Housing Index

Palm Bay142.7
Lakeland128.4

Food Index

Palm Bay101.6
Lakeland96.6

Transportation Index

Palm Bay108.9
Lakeland93.5

Healthcare Index

Palm Bay101.3
Lakeland97.3

Utilities Index

Palm Bay109.5
Lakeland103.6

Living Wage (1 Adult)

Palm Bay$51,947
Lakeland$47,311

Living Wage (Family of 4)

Palm Bay$122,784
Lakeland$111,826

Fair Market Rent (1BR)

Palm Bay$1,478
Lakeland$1,230

Fair Market Rent (2BR)

Palm Bay$1,709
Lakeland$1,497

Housing Market — Palm Bay leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Palm Bay has a single-family homes of 84.9% compared to 54.5% in Lakeland. Palm Bay has a owner-occupied of 79.3% compared to 56.1% in Lakeland. Palm Bay has a vacancy rate of 9.0% compared to 14.1% in Lakeland.

Median Home Value

Palm Bay$248,000
Lakeland$229,100

Median Rent

Palm Bay$1,487
Lakeland$1,299

Median Property Tax

Palm Bay$1,539
Lakeland$1,669

Owner-Occupied

Palm Bay79.3%
Lakeland56.1%

Vacancy Rate

Palm Bay9.0%
Lakeland14.1%

Single-Family Homes

Palm Bay84.9%
Lakeland54.5%

Jobs & Economy — Lakeland leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Palm Bay has a poverty rate of 11.6% compared to 14.5% in Lakeland. Lakeland: 21 min vs Palm Bay: 25 min for mean commute. Lakeland has a work from home of 11.6% compared to 9.4% in Palm Bay.

Median Household Income

Palm Bay$67,521
Lakeland$60,947

Per Capita Income

Palm Bay$34,474
Lakeland$34,313

Poverty Rate

Palm Bay11.6%
Lakeland14.5%

Unemployment Rate

Palm Bay5.9%
Lakeland5.1%

Labor Force

Palm Bay61,386
Lakeland54,353

Mean Commute

Palm Bay25 min
Lakeland21 min

Work from Home

Palm Bay9.4%
Lakeland11.6%

Private Sector

Palm Bay92.6%
Lakeland94.1%

Government Sector

Palm Bay43.2%
Lakeland45.7%

Crime & Safety — Palm Bay leads

Source: FBI UCR

Palm Bay has a larceny rate (per 1k) of 7.25 compared to 19.98 in Lakeland. Palm Bay has a property crime rate (per 1k) of 10.17 compared to 24.70 in Lakeland. Palm Bay has a violent crime clearance of 51.1% compared to 38.1% in Lakeland.

Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)

Palm Bay3.48
Lakeland3.55

Property Crime Rate (per 1K)

Palm Bay10.17
Lakeland24.70

Murder Rate (per 1K)

Palm Bay0.08
Lakeland0.11

Robbery Rate (per 1K)

Palm Bay0.52
Lakeland0.70

Assault Rate (per 1K)

Palm Bay2.40
Lakeland2.23

Burglary Rate (per 1K)

Palm Bay2.30
Lakeland2.81

Larceny Rate (per 1K)

Palm Bay7.25
Lakeland19.98

Violent Crime Clearance

Palm Bay51.1%
Lakeland38.1%

Property Crime Clearance

Palm Bay15.4%
Lakeland13.4%

Weather & Climate

Source: NOAA / Open-Meteo

Avg Annual Temperature

Palm BayN/A
LakelandN/A

Avg Annual High

Palm BayN/A
LakelandN/A

Avg Annual Low

Palm BayN/A
LakelandN/A

Sunny Days per Year

Palm BayN/A
LakelandN/A

Annual Rainfall

Palm BayN/A
LakelandN/A

Annual Snowfall

Palm BayN/A
LakelandN/A

Avg Humidity

Palm BayN/A
LakelandN/A

Schools & Education — Lakeland leads

Source: NCES / U.S. Census Bureau

Lakeland has a bachelor's degree or higher of 19.1% compared to 16.0% in Palm Bay. Lakeland has a high school diploma or higher of 41.1% compared to 39.1% in Palm Bay.

Public Schools

Palm Bay0
Lakeland0

Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

Palm BayN/A
LakelandN/A

Colleges & Universities

Palm Bay0
Lakeland0

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

Palm Bay16.0%
Lakeland19.1%

High School Diploma or Higher

Palm Bay39.1%
Lakeland41.1%

Demographics & Community

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Palm Bay has a population of 125,273, about 1.1x the size of Lakeland (117,030). Lakeland skews younger with a median age of 39.9 vs 41.3.

Population

Palm Bay125,273
Lakeland117,030

Median Age

Palm Bay41
Lakeland40

Avg Household Size

Palm Bay2.8
Lakeland2.4

Married Population

Palm Bay39.8%
Lakeland36.4%

Foreign Born

Palm Bay15.1%
Lakeland10.7%

White

Palm Bay59.2%
Lakeland62.7%

Black

Palm Bay19.3%
Lakeland18.3%

Hispanic

Palm Bay19.7%
Lakeland19.2%

Asian

Palm Bay2.1%
Lakeland2.2%

Palm Bay

Lakeland

Healthcare

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

Lakeland: 5 vs Palm Bay: 4 for with emergency services. Palm Bay: 3.0 vs Lakeland: 2.8 for avg cms rating (out of 5).

Nearby Hospitals

Palm Bay5
Lakeland5

Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)

Palm Bay3.0
Lakeland2.8

With Emergency Services

Palm Bay4
Lakeland5

Transportation & Commute — Lakeland leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Palm Bay has a public transit of 1.0% compared to 0.5% in Lakeland. Lakeland has a bicycle of 1.2% compared to 0.8% in Palm Bay. Lakeland: 21 min vs Palm Bay: 25 min for mean commute time.

Mean Commute Time

Palm Bay25 min
Lakeland21 min

Drive Alone

Palm Bay76.5%
Lakeland73.7%

Public Transit

Palm Bay1.0%
Lakeland0.5%

Bicycle

Palm Bay0.8%
Lakeland1.2%

Work from Home

Palm Bay9.4%
Lakeland11.6%

Airports

Palm Bay0
Lakeland0

Cities Similar to Palm Bay, FL

Compare Palm Bay against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.

🧬

City Comparison

8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.

PopulationIncomeHome ValueSafetyEducationMedian AgeClimateCost of Living

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