Population
Wheeling
38,495
Merritt Island
34,718
Median Income
Wheeling
$83,251
Merritt Island
$91,020
Home Value
Wheeling
$244,600
Merritt Island
$379,700
Rent
Wheeling
$1,578
Merritt Island
$1,348
Crime Rate
Wheeling
0.64
Merritt Island
N/A
Cost of Living
Wheeling
138.4
Merritt Island
135.6
Avg Temp
Wheeling
N/A
Merritt Island
N/A
Unemployment
Wheeling
4.4%
Merritt Island
4.2%
How Similar Are Wheeling & Merritt Island?
Merritt Island is Wheeling's #21 most similar city
5 of 8 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Wheeling
38,495
Merritt Island
34,718
Both cities have similar populations — Wheeling at 38,495 and Merritt Island at 34,718.
Political Leaning
Wheeling
28.4%
Merritt Island
59.9%
Wheeling leans Democratic while Merritt Island leans Republican.
Unemployment
Wheeling
4.4%
Merritt Island
4.2%
Both cities have similar unemployment — just a 3% difference.
Median Income
Wheeling
$83,251
Merritt Island
$91,020
Both cities have similar median income — just a 9% difference.
Home Values
Wheeling
$244,600
Merritt Island
$379,700
Merritt Island has a 36% higher home values than Wheeling.
Education
Wheeling
29.4%
Merritt Island
31.8%
Both cities have similar education — just a 7% difference.
Demographics
Wheeling
52.0%
Merritt Island
86.8%
Merritt Island has a 40% higher demographics than Wheeling.
Cost of Living
Wheeling
138.4
Merritt Island
135.6
Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 2% difference.
5 out of 8 key metrics match within 10%. Wheeling and Merritt Island share several key characteristics.
At a Glance
0
Wheeling
0
Merritt Island
Merritt Island leads in 5 of 8 categories
Cost of Living & Affordability — Merritt Island leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDMerritt Island scores 110.5 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 127.3 in Wheeling. Merritt Island has a fair market rent (1br) of $1,478 vs $1,581 in Wheeling (7% lower). Merritt Island scores 160.8 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 171.0 in Wheeling.
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 — Merritt Island leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSMerritt Island has a median property tax of $2,495 vs $5,838 in Wheeling (134% lower). Wheeling has a vacancy rate of 4.7% compared to 17.5% in Merritt Island. Merritt Island has a single-family homes of 79.7% compared to 43.3% in Wheeling.
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — Merritt Island leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSWheeling: 22,725 vs Merritt Island: 16,202 for labor force. Merritt Island has a work from home of 17.4% compared to 11.4% in Wheeling. Merritt Island has a per capita income of $52,695 vs $41,463 in Wheeling (21% higher).
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 — Merritt Island leads
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauMerritt Island has a bachelor's degree or higher of 31.8% compared to 29.4% in Wheeling. Merritt Island has a high school diploma or higher of 47.9% compared to 46.3% in Wheeling.
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 ACSWheeling has a population of 38,495, about 1.1x the size of Merritt Island (34,718). Wheeling skews younger with a median age of 39.2 vs 49.8.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Wheeling
Merritt Island
Healthcare
Source: CMS Hospital CompareMerritt Island: 5 vs Wheeling: 4 for with emergency services. Wheeling: 4.3 vs Merritt Island: 3.8 for avg cms rating (out of 5).
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — Merritt Island leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSWheeling has a public transit of 3.9% compared to 0.2% in Merritt Island. Merritt Island has a bicycle of 0.4% compared to 0.1% in Wheeling. Merritt Island has a work from home of 17.4% compared to 11.4% in Wheeling.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
Cities Similar to Wheeling, IL
Compare Wheeling 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.