Brevard County

Brevard County sits at a gross rent-to-price ratio of 0.0666, or about 6.7 cents of annual rent per dollar of purchase price. That puts it squarely in appreciation territory on the cash-flow vs. appreciation spectrum, though it leans neither strongly one way nor the other. The modeled cap rate of 4.33% is thin but not catastrophic for a Florida coastal market, and the cash-on-cash return of -8.53% at 6.85% financing tells you everything you need to know about leverage right now: the math does not work at a 20% down payment and current rates without either a meaningful rent premium above the median, a below-median purchase price, or a shorter-term rate structure. Home prices are down 3.1% year over year, which softens entry costs at the margin but also signals that appreciation is not doing the heavy lifting it was two or three years ago. The overall score of 53 out of 100, ranked 497th nationally out of 1,000 counties, places Brevard squarely in the middle of the pack, not a screaming buy, not a market to avoid categorically.

The cash-flow score of 67 is the highest sub-score in the dataset, which seems counterintuitive given the negative modeled cash flow. What that score is capturing is that Brevard's rent-to-price ratio, while not exceptional, is better than many comparable Florida coastal counties, and a buyer who pays below median, adds value, or brings more equity to the table can push into positive territory. The appreciation score of 35 reflects the price decline and the affordability index of 58, meaning the market is already stretched for owner-occupants who might otherwise compete with renters, limiting organic price pressure. This market suits a value-add operator or a buyer willing to underwrite conservatively at a lower acquisition price more than it suits a passive appreciation play. A straightforward buy-at-median, finance-at-market-rate, hold-for-appreciation strategy is hard to justify with a -$558 monthly modeled cash flow on a $341,312 purchase.

The monthly tax and insurance burden here deserves attention in any underwrite. At a combined $444 per month, tax and insurance represent a material carry cost that is baked into the $663 estimated expense figure. The property tax rate used is 0.89%, flagged as normal relative to state averages, based on Tax Foundation 2024 data with the honest caveat that actual Brevard county and township rates may differ from that state-level estimate. Insurance at 0.67% annually, or roughly $191 per month, reflects Florida's elevated coastal exposure, and any investor who has been watching the Florida insurance market knows that carrier exits and rate increases have made that line item more volatile than it was five years ago. Neither number is a dealbreaker, but underwriting insurance renewal risk at 10-15% annual increases for the next several years is prudent given the state environment.

Brevard's median income of $71,308 supports a renter base that can absorb a $1,894 median rent, which runs at roughly 32% of gross median income, the outer edge of conventional affordability but not a sign of acute stress. The population of 610,723 gives the county enough scale to sustain tenant demand across multiple property types without the concentration risk that plagues smaller single-employer markets. The stability score of 50 is average, suggesting neither unusual resilience nor notable fragility, and the demographic and economic data provided does not flag a specific concentration risk worth singling out.

Compared to the five neighboring counties in the dataset, Brevard's rent-to-price ratio of 0.0666 is the second lowest, just ahead of Duval at 0.0656 and nearly identical to Okaloosa at 0.0655. Polk County at 0.0741 and Marion County at 0.0713 both offer meaningfully better gross yield starting points, with Polk's $298,028 median price and $1,841 median rent producing a ratio about 11% better than Brevard's, and Marion's $272,403 median price representing a $69,000 lower entry cost at only $275 less in monthly rent. If cash flow is the primary objective, Polk and Marion clear the bar more comfortably than Brevard at current financing rates. Okaloosa matches Brevard's yield almost exactly at a slightly higher price point, so there is no yield advantage there. Madison County's median price of $207,894 is the lowest in the comparison set, but rent data is absent, making it impossible to evaluate yield without additional research.

Choose Brevard over its neighbors when the specific submarket, Brevard's coastal positioning, Space Coast employment base, or a specific below-median acquisition, justifies a yield premium that the median numbers do not show. Choose Polk or Marion when the mandate is straightforward cash flow optimization at current financing rates and the investor has no specific reason to pay Brevard's price premium.