Merritt Island, Florida

Merritt Island is a peninsula in Brevard County, Florida, United States, sitting along the Atlantic Ocean. It is also the name of an unincorporated town in the central and southern parts of the island and a census-designated place.

The population was 34,518 at the 2020 census, down from 34,743 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.

NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center is located on Merritt Island to the north of the town, and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is located north of the space center.

The central part of Merritt Island, previously known as Merritt City, is home to most of the people and includes the local high school, library, and shopping district. The southern area is mostly homes, with some light commercial and industrial areas.

History

Merritt Island gets its name from a gift of land made by the King of Spain to a nobleman named Merritt a long time ago.

Before people lived there, scientists have found fossils of large ancient animals such as mammoths and mastodons. These animals lived in the area until around 11,000 years ago when many of them died out, possibly because of climate change or hunting by early humans.

Later, Native American tribes built structures along the water. In the 1600s, Spanish explorer Álvaro Mexía visited the area and drew a map showing Merritt Island. After that, diseases brought by visitors caused many of the Native Americans to become very sick and pass away.

In the 1760s, a plantation grew sugar cane on the island. In the 1800s, people began growing citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits, which are still famous from this area today. The population grew in the 1950s and 1960s when NASA nearby began its space missions. Some small towns disappeared, but their names remain in street names and churches.

Geography

Merritt Island is a long stretch of land that runs about 46 miles from the line of Volusia County to Dragon Point near Melbourne. It is connected to the main part of Florida where SR 3 meets US 1 in Volusia County. The island is separated from the mainland by the Indian River and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway on one side, and by the Mosquito Lagoon and the Banana River on the other side, with Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach nearby.

The area of Merritt Island is about 122.2 square kilometers, with a lot of it covered by water. In the northern part, there is a protected area called Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which is home to many different kinds of birds and animals like alligators, manatees, dolphins, sea turtles, and bald eagles. There are also many feral pigs that live there.

The island includes many small communities such as Allenhurst, Angel City, Courtenay, Indianola, Lotus, Shiloh, Tropic, and Wilson.

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

In the 2020 census, Merritt Island had a population of 34,518 people. The median age was 52.2 years. About 16.3% of the residents were younger than 18, and 26.1% were 65 years or older. For every 100 females, there were 97.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.5 males in the same age group.

Almost all residents, 99.9%, lived in urban areas, with only a tiny fraction, 0.1%, living in rural areas. There were 15,030 households, and 21.0% of them had children under 18 living in them. Most households, 48.3%, were made up of married couples. About 19.0% had a male householder without a spouse or partner, and 26.0% had a female householder without a spouse or partner. Around 29.5% of households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 or older.

There were 16,439 housing units, with 8.6% of them being empty. The rate of empty homes owned by people was 2.2%, and the rate of empty rental homes was 6.9%.

2010 census

The 2010 United States census recorded 34,743 people living in Merritt Island. There were 14,247 households and 9,385 families.

2000 census

In the year 2000, the census counted 36,090 people living in Merritt Island. There were 14,955 households and 10,049 families. The population density was 2,044.6 people per square mile (789.4/km²). There were 15,813 housing units, with an average density of 895.9 per square mile (345.9/km²).

The racial makeup was 90.22% White, 5.31% African American, 0.41% Native American, 1.65% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.68% from other races, and 1.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people made up 3.83% of the population.

In 2000, 27.1% of households had children under 18, and 52.9% were married couples living together. About 10.7% of households had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. Around 26.8% of households were made up of just one person, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.36, and the average family size was 2.86.

The age spread of the population in 2000 was 21.8% under 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.8% were 65 or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.

Government

Merritt Island is managed by the local county government. The nearby city of Cocoa takes care of the water supply. The county provides important services like the sheriff's office, fire department, emergency medical help, and sewage systems.

Economy

Merritt Island has many different jobs and industries. In the year 2000, the average amount of money a household made was $43,532, and families made $52,388 on average. People living alone made different amounts depending on whether they were male or female.

The island has light factories near the Merritt Island Airport and works that support space launches, like those from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Some companies with offices there make car parts and other products. The island also has a group that helps improve and rebuild the area.

Education

Merritt Island has several schools for children to learn.

The public schools are run by Brevard Public Schools and include MILA Elementary, Tropical Elementary, Audubon Elementary, Robert Louis Stevenson School of the Arts, Lewis Carroll Elementary, Thomas Jefferson Middle School, Edgewood Junior/Senior High School, and Merritt Island High School.

There are also private schools such as Merritt Island Christian, Calvary Chapel Christian School, and Brevard Private Academy.

Library district

The Merritt Island Public Library is part of the Brevard County Library System. Even though Merritt Island is not an official town, in 1965 it became a special library district. This special status was later confirmed by the Florida Legislature in 2005 through a law called HB 1079, supported by the Florida House of Representatives.

Infrastructure

Merritt Island has many roads that connect it to nearby areas. You can travel to the island using causeways and drawbridges. Important roads include SR 520, State Road 404, State Road 405, State Road 406, and SR 528. There is also a bridge called Mathers Bridge that links the southern part of the island to the nearby barrier island. A four-lane highway, SR 3, connects workers to the Kennedy Space Center.

The island has a special station that handles a lot of water every day, but it had trouble after a big storm in 2017. Sometimes trucks are needed to help move the extra water away.

There is also an airport on Merritt Island called Merritt Island Airport, which is open to the public and used for small planes and other aircraft. It is managed by the Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority.

Landmarks

Merritt Island, Florida, has many interesting places to see and visit. Some of these landmarks include the Kennedy Space Center, a famous spot where space missions are launched, and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, a beautiful area for animals and nature lovers. Other notable spots are the Merritt Island Airport, the Pine Island Conservation Area which has Brevard’s oldest standing structure, and the Merritt Square Mall. There are also parks like Kiwanis Island Park and the Merritt Island Rotary Park Nature Trail and Center for outdoor fun.

Notable people

Some well-known people who grew up or lived in Merritt Island include Tim DeMorat, a football player, Arias Deukmedjian, a racing driver, Taylor Jordan, a baseball player, Travis Kittleson, a racing driver, Will Perdue, a professional basketball player, and Clint Hurdle, a professional baseball player and manager.