Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL
The numbers that matter most
What an investor checks first when sizing up a new metro — affordability ratio, rent vs income, cap rate proxy, and where the market is moving. Each metric shown vs. state and national medians for instant context.
moderate
Price to income
4.43×
The single most-cited 'is this market still cheap' check. Below 3× and you're in an affordability tailwind.
- vs Florida
- 4.23×
- vs U.S.
- 3.43×
Benchmark
ACS median home value ÷ median HHI
moderate
Rent to income
27.1%
What share of a typical household's income goes to rent. Below 30% means tenants can absorb modest rent increases.
- vs Florida
- 28.1%-1.1
- vs U.S.
- 23.3%
Benchmark
(HUD FMR 2BR × 12) ÷ median HHI
tight
Cap rate proxy
3.98%
Rough first-pass yield assuming a 35% expense ratio. Not an underwriting number — a 'is this even worth modeling' filter.
- vs Florida
- 4.40%
- vs U.S.
- 4.35%
Benchmark
(FMR 2BR × 12 × 0.65) ÷ ACS median home value
steady
Net migration
+1.00%
Forward-looking demand signal. Positive net migration drives rent growth and absorbs new supply.
- vs Florida
- 0.83%+0.17
- vs U.S.
- 0.03%+0.97
Benchmark
IRS net migration ÷ population
tight
Permit pipeline
1.60
permits per 1,000 residents
Forward-supply indicator. Above ~5 means the metro is building meaningfully relative to its size; below 2 means supply is tight.
- vs Florida
- 8.03
- vs U.S.
- 3.52
Benchmark
Census BPS permits TTM ÷ population × 1,000
softening
Unemployment
5.5%
Tighter unemployment means higher wages, more rental demand, lower vacancy.
- vs Florida
- 4.9%
- vs U.S.
- 3.9%
Benchmark
BLS LAUS, latest month
Where prices are and where they've been
5-year price appreciation
+58.0%
homeValues.yearOverYear
-0.3%
Median home value
$314,700
The rent ladder
| Bedroom | Monthly | Annual | % of median HHI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | $1,222 | $14,664 | 20.6% |
| 2 BR | $1,604 | $19,248 | 27.1% |
| 3 BR | $1,956 | $23,472 | 33.0% |
Labor market direction
Unemployment
5.5%
Median household income
$71,049
What's being built
Total TTM
257
Single-family
181
2–4 unit
4
5+ unit
72
All 1 counties, ranked by population
| County | Population | Home value | Median HHI | Permits TTM | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indian River County | 160,986 | $314,700 | $71,049 | 257 |
Similar metros nationally
| Metro | Pop | Med HHI | P/I | Cap proxy | HPI 5y | Permits/1k | Unemp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★Sebastian | 160,986 | $71,049 | 4.43× | 3.98% | +58.0% | 1.60 | 5.5% |
| Odessa, TX | 162,300 | $71,031 | — | — | +24.1% | — | 3.5% |
| State College, PA | 158,665 | $72,748 | — | — | +37.3% | — | 2.7% |
| Grand Junction, CO | 156,131 | $71,485 | — | — | +57.3% | — | 3.7% |
| Janesville-Beloit, WI | 163,817 | $74,390 | — | — | +59.8% | — | 3.2% |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | 168,404 | $68,916 | — | — | +38.3% | — | 3.6% |
Where people are moving in from
Net migration
+1,614
+1.00% of population
| Origin county | Tax returns |
|---|---|
| St. Lucie County, FL | 863 |
| Brevard County, FL | 443 |
| Palm Beach County, FL | 318 |
| Broward County, FL | 305 |
| Miami-Dade County, FL | 189 |
| Suffolk County, NY | 118 |
Who lives in Sebastian
- Median age
- 55
- Bachelor's+
- 33.4%
- Owner-occupancy
- 79.3%
- Vacancy rate
- 19.3%
- Rent burdened (30%+)
- 50.3%
- Median household income
- $71,049
This page shows federally sourced data. A full editorial analysis with charts and investment commentary is in progress.