What Cities Are on Florida's Space Coast?

Florida's Space Coast is Brevard County, and it includes 16 incorporated cities and towns: Titusville, Cocoa, Rockledge, Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach, Satellite Beach, Indian Harbour Beach, Indialantic, Melbourne, Melbourne Beach, Melbourne Village, West Melbourne, Palm Bay, Palm Shores, Malabar, and Grant-Valkaria. It also takes in unincorporated communities such as Merritt Island, Viera, Port St. John, and Mims.

Last updated November 4, 2026.

When people start looking at a move here, one of the first searches is simply what counts as the Space Coast. The name comes from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, but the area people mean is the whole county around them. Brevard County Government describes the county as stretching 72 miles from north to south, with 16 municipalities plus Kennedy Space Center and Patrick Space Force Base. Here is how the towns line up and how I help buyers sort through them.

Is the Space Coast the same as Brevard County?

Yes, for practical purposes. The Space Coast is the nickname for Brevard County, and the county's own tourism office, the Space Coast Office of Tourism, markets the county under that name.

That matters when you are searching for Brevard County homes, because listings, property taxes, flood maps, and permits follow the city or county line, not the nickname. A home with a Melbourne mailing address can sit in the City of Melbourne, the City of West Melbourne, or unincorporated Brevard County, and each answer changes who handles permits, garbage pickup, and some utility bills.

What are the incorporated cities and towns on the Space Coast?

The Florida Department of State lists 16 incorporated places in Brevard County. Here they are from north to south, grouped by where they sit.

Area	Cities and towns
North Brevard (mainland)	Titusville
Central Brevard (mainland)	Cocoa, Rockledge, Palm Shores
Central beaches (barrier island)	Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach
South beaches (barrier island)	Satellite Beach, Indian Harbour Beach, Indialantic, Melbourne Beach
South Brevard (mainland)	Melbourne, West Melbourne, Melbourne Village, Palm Bay, Malabar, Grant-Valkaria

The City of Palm Bay describes itself as the largest incorporated area in Brevard County, at about 98 square miles at the south end of the mainland. Titusville faces the launch pads across the Indian River at the north end. The barrier island towns run along the Atlantic between the ocean and the Banana River and Indian River lagoons.

Which Space Coast communities are not cities?

Several of the best known names on the Space Coast are unincorporated, which means Brevard County, not a city, provides local government services there. The Florida Department of State lists Merritt Island, Viera East, Viera West, Port St. John, Mims, Sharpes, Micco, South Patrick Shores, Cocoa West, and June Park as census designated places in the county.

Merritt Island: the island between the Indian River and Banana River, with a lot of canal and riverfront homes. For more on that side of the river, Merritt Island Insider covers it in depth.
Viera: a large planned community in central Brevard, home to the county government center, with newer neighborhoods and HOAs.
Port St. John and Mims: north Brevard communities between Cocoa and Titusville, with more space between homes in many areas.
South Patrick Shores: beachside, just south of Patrick Space Force Base.
Micco: the far south end of the county along the Indian River.

Unincorporated does not mean rural. Merritt Island and Viera have as many shops and services as many cities. It mostly changes which office you call, and the county property tax rate replaces a city rate on your bill. My property tax calculator is a good place to start comparing.

How do the Space Coast towns differ from each other?

The biggest split is beachside versus mainland, and then north county versus south county. Where you need to drive most often usually narrows the list quickly.

The barrier island towns put you near the ocean, with more condos and older beach homes, and the flood and wind insurance picture is a big part of the cost. My beachside lifestyle guide walks through those towns. Mainland towns like Rockledge, Viera, Melbourne, and Palm Bay tend to offer more detached homes and larger lots, and their flood exposure varies street by street. North county sits closest to Kennedy Space Center and the Cape, while south county is closer to the Melbourne airport and the employers around it.

With buyers, I start by marking where they work, fly out of, and spend days off, then we look at drive times from a few towns before touring. That saves a lot of time compared to touring the whole county. The Space Coast communities guide has a page for each of the main towns.

Is the Space Coast part of the Treasure Coast?

No. The Treasure Coast is the stretch south of Brevard County, usually meaning Indian River, St. Lucie, and Martin counties, with cities such as Sebastian, Vero Beach, Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie, and Stuart.

The line between them is the Brevard and Indian River county line just south of Micco and Grant-Valkaria. People often compare the two when they want Atlantic coast living in central or south Florida. If launches, the space industry, or a drive to the Cape matter to you, the Space Coast keeps you closest to them.

Is Orlando on the Space Coast?

No. Orlando is in Orange County, inland and west of Brevard County. Many Space Coast residents drive to Orlando and Orlando International Airport along SR 528, and the drive time depends on which town you start from and traffic.

That drive is a common reason people pick a central or north Brevard town, while others choose south county for the Melbourne airport. If you are planning a move here for work, my Space Coast relocation guide covers first steps, and as a Military Relocation Professional (MRP) I also help with PCS moves to Patrick Space Force Base through my military relocation page.

Frequently asked questions

How many cities are on Florida's Space Coast?

Brevard County has 16 incorporated cities and towns, according to Brevard County Government and the Florida Department of State. Communities like Merritt Island and Viera are unincorporated and are not counted in that 16.

What is the biggest city on the Space Coast?

Palm Bay. The City of Palm Bay describes itself as the largest incorporated area in Brevard County, at about 98 square miles. Melbourne, next to it, is the main hub for shopping, the airport, and many south county employers.

Which Space Coast towns are on the beach?

The beachside cities and towns are Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach, Satellite Beach, Indian Harbour Beach, Indialantic, and Melbourne Beach, along with unincorporated areas like South Patrick Shores and the south beaches near Sebastian Inlet.

Where is the Space Coast in Florida?

The Space Coast is on Florida's Atlantic coast in east central Florida, east of Orlando, between Volusia County to the north and Indian River County to the south.

Is Merritt Island a city?

No. Merritt Island is an unincorporated community in Brevard County, so the county provides its local government services. It is listed as a census designated place by the Florida Department of State.

Sources

For short videos of different towns around the county, visit my Living on Florida's Space Coast YouTube channel.

About the author: Carrie Liotta is a Realtor with Real Broker, LLC and a Military Relocation Professional (MRP) serving Brevard County and Florida's Space Coast.

Trying to decide which Space Coast town fits your move? Email [email protected], call 256.479.2800, or book a 30 minute call.

What Cities Are in the Space Coast of Florida?