Population
Sun City West
27,003
Merritt Island
34,718
Median Income
Sun City West
$63,792
Merritt Island
$91,020
Home Value
Sun City West
$350,500
Merritt Island
$379,700
Rent
Sun City West
$1,658
Merritt Island
$1,348
Crime Rate
Sun City West
N/A
Merritt Island
N/A
Cost of Living
Sun City West
125.1
Merritt Island
135.6
Avg Temp
Sun City West
N/A
Merritt Island
N/A
Unemployment
Sun City West
4.1%
Merritt Island
4.2%
How Similar Are Sun City West & Merritt Island?
Merritt Island is Sun City West's #5 most similar city
5 of 8 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Sun City West
27,003
Merritt Island
34,718
Merritt Island has a 22% larger population than Sun City West.
Political Leaning
Sun City West
51.2%
Merritt Island
59.9%
Both cities lean Republican, but Merritt Island has a stronger Republican lean (15% difference).
Unemployment
Sun City West
4.1%
Merritt Island
4.2%
Both cities have similar unemployment — just a 4% difference.
Median Income
Sun City West
$63,792
Merritt Island
$91,020
Merritt Island has a 30% higher median income than Sun City West.
Home Values
Sun City West
$350,500
Merritt Island
$379,700
Both cities have similar home values — just a 8% difference.
Education
Sun City West
35.1%
Merritt Island
31.8%
Both cities have similar education — just a 10% difference.
Demographics
Sun City West
95.0%
Merritt Island
86.8%
Both cities have similar demographics — just a 9% difference.
Cost of Living
Sun City West
125.1
Merritt Island
135.6
Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 8% difference.
5 out of 8 key metrics match within 10%. Sun City West and Merritt Island share several key characteristics.
At a Glance
0
Sun City West
0
Merritt Island
Sun City West leads in 4 of 8 categories
Cost of Living & Affordability — Sun City West leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDSun City West scores 98.8 on the food index (100 = national avg) vs 119.6 in Merritt Island. Sun City West scores 99.0 on the healthcare index (100 = national avg) vs 115.7 in Merritt Island. Sun City West scores 97.5 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 110.5 in Merritt Island.
Overall Cost Index
Housing Index
Food Index
Transportation Index
Healthcare Index
Utilities Index
Living Wage (1 Adult)
Living Wage (Family of 4)
Fair Market Rent (1BR)
Fair Market Rent (2BR)
Housing Market — Sun City West leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSSun City West has a median property tax of $1,656 vs $2,495 in Merritt Island (34% lower). Merritt Island has a median rent of $1,348 vs $1,658 in Sun City West (23% lower). Sun City West has a single-family homes of 91.5% compared to 79.7% in Merritt Island.
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — Sun City West leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSMerritt Island: 16,202 vs Sun City West: 3,499 for labor force. Merritt Island has a median household income of $91,020 vs $63,792 in Sun City West (30% higher). Sun City West has a work from home of 22.1% compared to 17.4% in Merritt Island.
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety
Source: FBI UCRViolent Crime Rate (per 1K)
Property Crime Rate (per 1K)
Murder Rate (per 1K)
Robbery Rate (per 1K)
Assault Rate (per 1K)
Burglary Rate (per 1K)
Larceny Rate (per 1K)
Violent Crime Clearance
Property Crime Clearance
Weather & Climate
Source: NOAA / Open-MeteoAvg Annual Temperature
Avg Annual High
Avg Annual Low
Sunny Days per Year
Annual Rainfall
Annual Snowfall
Avg Humidity
Schools & Education — Sun City West leads
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauSun City West has a high school diploma or higher of 61.5% compared to 47.9% in Merritt Island. Sun City West has a bachelor's degree or higher of 35.1% compared to 31.8% in Merritt Island.
Public Schools
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio
Colleges & Universities
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
High School Diploma or Higher
Demographics & Community
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSMerritt Island has a population of 34,718, about 1.3x the size of Sun City West (27,003). Merritt Island skews younger with a median age of 49.8 vs 74.9.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Sun City West
Merritt Island
Healthcare — Merritt Island leads
Source: CMS Hospital CompareMerritt Island: 5 vs Sun City West: 3 for with emergency services. Merritt Island: 3.8 vs Sun City West: 2.7 for avg cms rating (out of 5).
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSSun City West has a bicycle of 1.0% compared to 0.4% in Merritt Island. Merritt Island has a public transit of 0.2% compared to 0.0% in Sun City West. Sun City West has a work from home of 22.1% compared to 17.4% in Merritt Island.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
Cities Similar to Sun City West, AZ
Compare Sun City West 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.