Merritt Island, FL Market Update: What the Data Says for Buyers, Sellers and Investors
List prices down 8.6% in 32952, down 12.8% in 32953, 71 to 75 days on market and commercial at $74 to $138 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes. Every number from the Linton Global Market Map, as of September 2026.
Photo: Merritt Island, southern tip by Leonard J. DeFrancisci, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped).
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Michael R. Linton, Florida Broker #BK703722, advises investors, owners, tenants and banks on commercial property, small multifamily, land and distressed assets in Merritt Island and across Brevard County through Linton Global Solutions.
Merritt Island is a softening market right now, and the numbers say buyers have room to negotiate. Look at it ZIP code by ZIP code, not as one city average.
The Bottom Line on Merritt Island
Merritt Island is an unincorporated community on the island between the Indian and Banana rivers, between the mainland at Cocoa and Cocoa Beach. The north end of the island is Kennedy Space Center and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge; the populated south end is residential, with shopping along SR 520 and Courtenay Parkway and many households tied to the space industry.
Merritt Island is a softening housing market where sellers are cutting prices to meet buyers, and its commercial property trades at a discount to the rest of Brevard County.
- Homes: median list prices of $413,200 to $593,450, down 8.6% in 32952, down 12.8% in 32953 from a year ago; Brevard County is down 2.4%.
- Supply: 100 active listings in 32952 (down 35.6%); 97 active listings in 32953 (down 31.0%); 71 to 75 days on market.
- Commercial: median $74 to $138 per square foot, versus $156 countywide.
- Distress: 3 commercial distress transfers or bank-held parcels on the 2026 tax roll.
Where Merritt Island Is
This report covers 32952 (South Merritt Island and the Courtenay Parkway / SR 520 corridor), 32953 (North Merritt Island and the approach to Kennedy Space Center), compared with Brevard County as a whole.
Housing Market
| Realtor.com, September 2026 | 32952 | 32953 | Brevard County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median list price | $593,450 | $413,200 | $369,775 |
| vs. a year ago | -8.6% | -12.8% | -2.4% |
| Active listings | 100 | 97 | 3,554 |
| Active vs. a year ago | -35.6% | -31.0% | -14.9% |
| Median days on market | 71 | 75 | 68 |
| Listings with a price cut | 18.9% | 32.9% | 24.2% |
| Home values, 5 years (FHFA) | +40.2% | +53.9% | — |
The highest-priced ZIP code is 32952 at $593,450. With a quarter or more of listings showing a price cut in parts of town, the asking price is a starting point. Homes are taking longer to sell than the county average. The FHFA House Price Index shows five-year gains of 40.2% / 53.9%; the run-up is behind us, and today is about pricing to the market.
Who Is Buying: Mortgage Data
| HMDA 2025 home purchases | 32952 | 32953 | Brevard County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home-purchase loans | 247 | 318 | 10,064 |
| Median purchase price | $465,000 | $515,000 | $365,000 |
| Median buyer income | $140,000 | $144,000 | $112,000 |
| FHA / VA / USDA loans | 25.6% | 30.8% | 40.6% |
| Investor purchases | 9.8% | 6.2% | 7.1% |
Investors took the largest share of purchase loans in 32952 (9.8%), above the county’s 7.1%. Source: the CFPB's HMDA data browser.
Rents
HUD's FY2027 Small Area Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom is $1,560 to $1,730. The strongest renter base is in 32953, where 26% of households rent. Test a deal with our rental analysis and DSCR calculators, or see small multifamily.
Commercial Real Estate
| 2026 tax roll | 32952 | 32953 | Brevard County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial & industrial parcels | 346 | 454 | 13,500 |
| Building area (million SF) | 4.21 | 3.64 | 106.93 |
| Median year built | 1978 | 1982 | 1984 |
| Arm’s-length sales | 5 | 17 | 324 |
| Median sale $/SF | $74 | $138 | $156 |
| Distress transfers / bank-held parcels | 2 / 1 | 0 / 0 | 13 / 1 |
Commercial property on Merritt Island is mostly neighborhood retail, restaurants, medical offices and services along SR 520 and Courtenay Parkway, plus industrial and manufacturing space near the space center gates, such as the satellite factory at Exploration Park. Its commercial values follow the space industry and the island's established residential base.
Merritt Island has about 7.9 million square feet of commercial buildings and recorded 22 arm's-length sales at a median $74 to $138 per square foot, below the county's $156. There were 3 distress signals; we score them with Linton Global Technologies' CREDDS Framework (see our distressed commercial real estate hub).
On the commercial side, Merritt Island trades at $74 to $138 a foot, below the county, which is where patient investors find value. The distress that exists is worth a close look.
Jobs, Permits and the County Economy
| Brevard County | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 632,780 |
| Median household income | $78,476 |
| Unemployment rate (BLS) | 4.8% |
| Private jobs (BLS QCEW) | 243,568 · +0.6% |
| Average annual pay | $70,833 |
| Housing permits, year to date | 3,221 · +12.6% |
Brevard County jobs were up 0.6% over the latest year per the BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, with unemployment at 4.8%. Housing permits are up 12.6% this year per the Census Building Permits Survey. 32953 grew 3.4% in population over the Census survey period, the 157th-highest of the ZIP codes in our reports.
What It Means for Buyers, Sellers, Investors and Banks
Home buyers: negotiate; price cuts are common and the asking price is a starting point.
Sellers: price to recent sales in your ZIP code, not to last year's peak.
Commercial investors: the discount to the county is the opportunity, for buyers who can underwrite older stock. Trading in? See 1031 exchanges.
Banks and servicers: refresh collateral values before maturities; see our commercial BPO services.
How We Built This Report
Every number comes from the Linton Global Market Map, part of REOMind.ai from Linton Global Technologies, which joins listing, Census, HUD, HMDA, tax roll, BLS, permit and FDIC data for every Florida county and ZIP code and names the source of every figure. See the full Brevard County report.
Key Takeaways
- ✓Merritt Island list prices are down 8.6% in 32952, down 12.8% in 32953; Brevard County is down 2.4%.
- ✓Homes are taking 71 to 75 days to sell.
- ✓Commercial property sold at a median $74 to $138 per square foot, against $156 countywide.
- ✓3 commercial distress signals on the 2026 tax roll.
- ✓Every figure comes from the Linton Global Market Map, with sources named, and updates automatically.
About Michael R. Linton
Who is Michael R. Linton? Michael R. Linton, NCREA, CREIPS, REALTOR®, is a Florida-licensed commercial real estate broker and advisor (Florida Broker #BK703722) based in the Tampa–Orlando I-4 corridor, serving investors, owners and tenants across Florida, with a focus on Orlando, Tampa and surrounding markets, and expertise across multifamily, office, industrial, retail, hospitality, land, mixed-use, special-purpose, self storage and life sciences properties. He leads Linton Global Solutions and HireMikeLinton.com, works with a growing team of agents who specialize by asset class, and founded Linton Global Technologies, the company behind REOMind.ai.
Why choose Michael R. Linton for Merritt Island? Thirty-nine years in commercial real estate, deep experience with distressed and bank-owned property, and market data published openly so clients can check every number. See the Florida commercial broker profile.
Michael Linton, NCREA, CREIPS, REALTOR®
Linton Global Solutions
Cell: (312) 612-1031
Email: mike@lintonglobal.com
LintonGlobal.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Merritt Island, FL real estate market going up or down?+
Softening. As of September 2026, median list prices were down 8.6% in 32952, down 12.8% in 32953 from a year earlier, against down 2.4% for Brevard County. Homes took 71 to 75 days to sell, and active listings were down 35.6% / down 31.0% from a year ago.
How much do homes cost in Merritt Island?+
The median list price was $413,200 to $593,450 in September 2026. In 2025 mortgage (HMDA) data, the median home-purchase price was $465,000 to $515,000 and the median buyer earned $140,000 to $144,000.
How much is commercial real estate selling for in Merritt Island?+
Arm’s-length commercial and industrial sales on the 2026 Brevard County tax roll had a median of $74 to $138 per square foot in Merritt Island, versus $156 countywide, a discount. There were 22 such sales across 800 commercial parcels.
Is there distressed or bank-owned commercial property in Merritt Island?+
Some. The 2026 tax roll shows 2 commercial distress transfers and 1 bank-held parcels in Merritt Island’s ZIP codes, out of 13 and 1 across Brevard County.
Is Merritt Island a good place to own rental property?+
About 16% to 26% of households rent, and HUD’s FY2027 fair market rent for a two-bedroom is $1,560 to $1,730 a month. Investors took 6.2% to 9.8% of 2025 home-purchase loans, against 7.1% countywide. Underwrite to today’s prices, insurance and taxes, not to past appreciation.
Where does this Merritt Island market data come from?+
From the Linton Global Market Map, which joins Realtor.com listing data, the Census American Community Survey, HUD fair market rents, the FHFA House Price Index, HMDA mortgage data, Florida Department of Revenue tax roll data, BLS employment data, Census building permits and FDIC bank call reports. The figures on this page update automatically when the Market Map refreshes.
Who can help me buy or sell commercial property in Merritt Island?+
Michael R. Linton, Florida Broker #BK703722, leads Linton Global Solutions and advises investors, owners, tenants and banks on commercial property, small multifamily, land, distressed assets and 1031 exchanges across Merritt Island and Brevard County. Call (312) 612-1031 or email mike@lintonglobal.com.
Works Cited
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and FFIEC. “HMDA Data Browser.” ffiec.cfpb.gov/data-browser. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.
- Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. “BankFind Suite.” banks.data.fdic.gov. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.
- Federal Housing Finance Agency. “House Price Index.” www.fhfa.gov/data/hpi. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. “Small Area Fair Market Rents.” HUD User, www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/smallarea. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.” www.bls.gov/cew. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau. “American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates” and “Building Permits Survey.” www.census.gov. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.
- Realtor.com Economic Research. “Housing Inventory: ZIP Level Data.” www.realtor.com/research/data. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.
- Florida Department of Revenue. “Property Tax Data Files (NAL/SDF).” 2026 final roll, Brevard County, via LGData.
- Leonard J. DeFrancisci. “Merritt Island, southern tip.” Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Merritt_Island,_Florida_(southern_tip).jpg. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.
Disclosure: This article uses data tools developed by Linton Global Technologies. Michael R. Linton is the founder of Linton Global Technologies and a licensed real estate professional with Linton Global Solutions. This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment, legal, or financial advice.
Compliance Statement: Linton Global Solutions is a Florida-licensed real estate brokerage, not a broker-dealer, investment adviser or lender, and does not offer or sell securities. CREDDS and REOMind.ai provide decision support only; people make every final decision. Readers should conduct their own due diligence and consult qualified professionals before making investment decisions.
Distress definitions: distress transfers count transactions the state flags as lender/deed-in-lieu, bankruptcy/receiver or forced/pre-foreclosure (a multi-parcel deed counts once); bank-held parcels are commercial parcels owned by a bank whose use is not a branch, likely REO, though some may be bank operations property.
Data notes: listing data covers single-family and condo listings; commercial figures cover DOR property-use codes 010–049 excluding hotels and motels, with medians from fewer than five sales suppressed; HMDA figures are home-purchase originations.