2026 Compare Cities Economy:
Melbourne, FL vs Wake Forest, NC

Change Cities
Highlights
- Household income in Wake Forest, is 87% more than it is in Melbourne and is 34% above the National Average.
- Melbourne unemployment rate is 4.7%.
- Wake Forest unemployment rate is 3.6%.
 Melbourne, FLWake Forest, NCUnited States
 Unemployment Rate  Unlock3.6%6.0%
 Recent Job Growth  Unlock3.0%1.6%
 Future Job Growth40.7%  Unlock33.5%
 Sales Taxes7.0%  Unlock6.2%
 Income Taxes  Unlock5.3%4.6%
 Income per Cap.$30,940  Unlock$37,638
 Household Income  Unlock$104,006$69,021
 Family Median Income$67,971  Unlock$85,028
 space
 Est. Households By Income
 Melbourne, FLWake Forest, NCUnited States
 Income Less Than 15K  Unlock2.8%9.4%
 Income between 15K and 20K6.2%  Unlock3.8%
 Income between 20K and 30K  Unlock3.4%8.1%
 Income between 30K and 40K9.7%  Unlock8.0%
 Income between 40K and 50K  Unlock8.8%7.6%
 Income between 50K and 60K7.7%  Unlock7.2%
 Income between 60K and 75K  Unlock6.7%9.6%
 Income between 75K and 100K13.1%  Unlock12.8%
 Income between 100K and 150K  Unlock23.0%16.3%
 Income between 150K and 200K4.2%  Unlock7.8%
 Income greater than 200K  Unlock13.2%9.5%
 space1
 Population By Occupation
 Melbourne, FLWake Forest, NCUnited States
 Management, business, finance12.5%  Unlock16.4%
 Engineering, computers, science  Unlock11.1%6.5%
 Community, social services1.7%  Unlock1.8%
 Legal  Unlock1.3%1.2%
 Education, library5.2%  Unlock6.2%
 Arts, design, media, sports, entertainment  Unlock1.8%2.0%
 Healthcare practitioners and technology7.3%  Unlock6.2%
 Healthcare support  Unlock1.4%3.3%
 Firefighters, law enforcement2.4%  Unlock2.1%
 Food preparation, serving  Unlock3.0%5.4%
 Building maintenance3.7%  Unlock3.6%
 Personal care  Unlock2.4%2.6%
 Sales, office, administrative support21.7%  Unlock20.9%
 Farming, fishing, forestry  Unlock0.4%0.6%
 Construction, extraction, maintenance/repair8.0%  Unlock8.1%
 Production, transportation, material moving  Unlock6.4%13.1%
Reviews for Melbourne    28 Reviews

Over 5 years ago

Moved here from Ohio 3 months ago, trying not to be disappointed, there isn't much to do, its really small and shopping is bad. I wanted out of Cleveland but didn't  More

   |    Reply

I have lived in many areas of this town. It is growing and has a nice selection of older and very new areas. The access to beaches and parks is quick and well kept.   More

   |    Reply

The rating on here is accurate. Crime is rather high. There's shootings and killings constantly. If you're coming from another state, just check floridatoday.com at  More

   |    Reply

Start Your Review of Melbourne

Reviews for Wake Forest    5 Reviews

Im a 22 year old male from Denver Colorado.im looking to relocate and transfer for work . Colorado has high taxes and high cost of living and also to much snow during  More

   |    Reply

Relocating from New York City three years ago took some adjustment and once settled in Wake Forest I was able to breath a little bit easier. The pace is something you  More

   |    Reply

The Triangle is a great place to work and live, more reasonable than the North but more expensive than most places in the South. We live in a beautiful  More

   |    Reply

Start Your Review of Wake Forest


Premium Subscription
Includes Cost of Living compares for child care, utilities, transportation, health, taxes, housing for home owners vs renters, weather, insurance premiums and so much more.


The premier source for comprehensive city data for over 30 years.

© Best Places. All rights reserved.