Situated across the Indian River from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Titusville is more than a spot to watch rockets blast off into the Central Florida sky. It’s where engineers assemble the capsules that’ll carry astronauts to the moon and where kayakers paddle at night by the bioluminescent glow of the water. This small city of 50,000 residents is one of the communities that make up the Space Coast, the name given to Brevard County on the east coast of Florida. The region has served as an aerospace hub since the early ‘60s when NASA installed its launch operations at Cape Canaveral.
That move changed the trajectory of Titusville and the rest of the Space Coast, injecting the waterside hamlet with a high-tech spirit. On Titusville’s streets, palms rustle in the coastal breeze, high-rises speck the horizon and cafés pack into pastel storefronts. At the same time, more than 8,000 engineers work across the county, and scientists in town are testing outside-the-box ideas that include balloon rides to the edge of space. “Titusville was a sleepy bedroom community, and people tried to keep it that way for a while,” says Patrice Holley, a broker associate at Rocket City Residential by Exp. A local since the 1960s, she has worked in Titusville real estate for nearly 30 years. “We’ve been booming lately. We have more construction going on, more restaurants are starting to open and we’re getting more jobs moving to our area.”
Titusville is located across the Indian River from NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
Titusville, with 50,000 residents, is one of the communities on the Space Coast.
NASA's 1960s Cape Canaveral operations made Titusville part of the Space Coast.
Cafes and retail line the Titusville streets, welcoming visitors to the Space Coast.
High-rise condos in Titusville offer views of the horizon and the Space Coast.
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Space industry takes off once again
Titusville and the Space Coast weren’t always economic success stories. NASA’s Space Shuttle Program, the driving force behind the region’s aerospace industry for decades, shut down in 2011. That same year, the unemployment rate in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville metro area eclipsed 10%. However, a record 72 missions launched from the Space Coast in 2023. The economy bounced back thanks to new employers besides NASA leaping into the local aerospace sector. Today, Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. are among the companies with Titusville facilities, while SpaceX and Blue Origin employ workers across the Indian River on Merritt Island. The city aims to lure more employers through projects such as Spaceport Commerce Park, a 100-acre business park capable of hosting manufacturers, laboratories and aerospace firms. Though the manufacturing industry is the city’s biggest employer, thousands work in the health care and retail sectors as well. Hospital operator Health First and grocery chain Publix employ 11,000 people combined in Brevard County, and both have heavy presences in Titusville.
Rockets are a big part of the economy, but they can be a nuisance. Launches sometimes create sonic booms. They don't cause damage, but they're noisy, and can be heard as far away as Orlando. However, residents don't have to worry about rockets flying over their homes. Earth's eastward rotation carries rockets away from Titusville and toward the Atlantic Ocean after liftoff.
Dozens of launches lift off from Cape Canaveral each year, but they’re still novel enough that locals and tourists turn out and watch. For some missions, hundreds of spectators gather on Titusville’s Max Brewer Bridge to watch spacecraft streak through the sky. Of course, launch days sometimes result in road closures and traffic headaches.
A record 72 missions launched from the Space Coast in 2023, minutes from Titusville.
Lockheed Martin is a major employer with facilities located in Titusville.
Boeing displays its space suit at Kennedy Space Center and has facilities in Titusville.
Publix has a strong presence in Titusville and employs many local residents.
During many launches, hundreds of Titusville residents gather on Max Brewer Bridge to watch.
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Hiking and boating in the shadow of Kennedy Space Center
Despite the name Space Coast, Titusville sits along the Indian River rather than the ocean, with Merritt Island separating it from the Atlantic Ocean. Still, locals have plenty of ways to get out on the water. Kayak launch points, boat marinas and marshy trails dot the city’s 10 miles of shoreline. In the summer and fall, paddlers wait until the sun sets to stride across the river. The brackish waters of the Indian River Lagoon teem with single-cell organisms that glow blue when disturbed, creating a luminous streak in the water with every paddle stroke. In total, Titusville is home to 26 parks, where visitors may catch glimpses of bottlenose dolphins in the water or Falcon 9 rockets in the sky. Locals don’t hesitate if they want to take a beach day, as the ocean is about 30 miles away and can be reached in less than an hour. The nearest options are Cocoa Beach, a tourist hotspot and surfer haven, and New Smyrna Beach, known for its strip of locally owned taverns and boutiques. Public golf courses and private country clubs are playable all year, except when one of Central Florida’s frequent rain showers scuttles the round.
Titusville residents often enjoy boating on the Indian River.
A boat marina is a popular spot for residents along Titusville's 10-mile shoreline.
In Titusville, kayakers can paddle at night in the Indian River's bioluminescent waters.
Surfing on the waves in the afternoon.
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Job growth stokes demand for homes
Like in many Florida communities, Titusville home sales took off in 2020 as an influx of new residents came to the Sunshine State, Holley says. When remote work became common during the COVID-19 pandemic, many left big cities for smaller, less expensive towns such as Titusville. Remote workers and retirees continue to move to the city, but Holley says the biggest culprit behind the demand for homes is the growing number of employers and jobs. Though the housing market has cooled since interest rates shot up in 2022 and 2023, Titusville remains a seller’s market with less than three months of inventory. The city’s median sales price ticked up 4% between 2023 and 2024, now standing at roughly $300,000.
In response to the growing need for homes, subdivision development has surged in Titusville, especially on the south end of town. New homes are often simple designs inspired by Craftsman and ranch styles. This fresh housing stock supplements the ranch-style homes that popped up the last time the area experienced a population boom. “Everything was in Titusville when Kennedy Space Center first took off,” Holley explains. “A lot of our homes were built in the ‘60s. We were the hot spot then.” In addition, condo complexes stand along the Indian River. Many are high-rise towers with units overlooking the water.
FEMA rates the risk of a hurricane hitting Brevard County as “relatively high.” Hurricanes of Category 4 or higher rarely strike the Space Coast, but the area still receives occasional flooding due to storms. In fact, flood zones pepper riverside and inland areas of Titusville, according to FEMA data. Homebuyers may want to research supplementary flood insurance to cover the kind of damage homeowners insurance rarely covers.
Homeowners insurance in Titusville likely won’t be cheap. According to Forbes, a Floridian on average spends about $2,500 a year on an insurance premium for a $350,000 house, higher than the national average. In addition, multiple insurers have pulled out of the state since 2021 due to allegations of fraudulent claims, costly lawsuits and risks of hurricanes. This leaves homeowners with fewer options when seeking policies.
A beautiful high-rise condo complex features units with stunning water views.
The growth of new jobs in Titusville has created a large demand for new homes.
A newly built home in Titusville showcases the popular craftsman style.
A row of ranch-style homes in Titusville emerged during the 1960s employment boom.
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Brevard schools embrace the future of technology and manufacturing
Titusville is within the Brevard Public Schools system, graded a B-plus by Niche and ranked 25th out of Florida’s 68 public school districts. Aligning with the community’s history of manufacturing and technology work, Brevard Public Schools offers pre-apprenticeship programs and career education in fields such as cybersecurity, robotics and advanced manufacturing. Each school runs programs focused on different disciplines, but the district allows students to apply to schools they aren’t zoned to if they want to participate in specific programs. Titusville also is home to a handful of well-rated private schools, most of which have religious affiliations.
For nearby higher learning options, students can attend Eastern Florida State College in Cocoa, a small public college graded a C-plus by Niche. Alternatively, they can enroll at Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, an A-minus-rated private research university. Also known as Florida Tech, the school’s offerings include the College of Aeronautics, as well as seven engineering degree programs.
Eastern Florida State College is a nearby higher education option for Titusville residents.
Enterprise Elementary School is rated a B-plus by niche.
Andrew Jackson Middle School offers summer enrichment programs in Titusville.
Titusville High School is part of Brevard County Public Schools and rated B-plus by niche.
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Titusville retail gets a facelift
Titusville’s culinary scene consists of diners slinging gravy-soaked biscuits and seafood spots located an angler’s cast away from the water. Meanwhile, the community is making over its shopping amenities, replacing shuttered indoor malls with outdoor, mixed-use retail complexes that pair big-box stores with green spaces. Likewise, downtown Titusville is changing as developers convert historical buildings into studio units and retail space, while construction companies break ground on luxury apartments. One of these projects converted the century-old Walker Hotel into street-level restaurant space with apartments above.
The aerospace industry’s footprint spreads across Titusville, where museums are dedicated to the histories of space exploration and wartime aviation. Of course, the most visited is the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, which draws nearly 1 million attendees each year. An arts scene endures downtown, highlighted by a handful of galleries and Titusville Playhouse, the city’s community theater since 1965.
The Kennedy Space Center attracts nearly 1 million visitors annually near Titusville.
Dixie Crossroads, a popular seafood restaurant, has served Titusville since 1983.
Developers transformed the famous Walker Hotel into residential apartments in Titusville.
Titusville residents enjoy gravy-soaked biscuits at the Downtown Diner.
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Connecting to Orlando and beyond
Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1 both run the length of Florida’s eastern seaboard, passing through Titusville. These roadways provide routes to nearby job and recreation centers, such as Daytona Beach to the north and Melbourne to the south. Swaths of conservation land buffer Titusville from Orlando, but commuting there along one of several east-to-west highways isn’t out of the question. Orlando is less than 50 miles away. Air travel options include Melbourne Orlando International Airport, 45 miles to the south, and Orlando International Airport, 40 miles to the southwest. Flights take off from Orlando International Airport bound for 150 domestic and international destinations.
Census data shows folks in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville metro area spend an average of 26 minutes traveling to work, right around the U.S. average. Less than 1% of those living on the Space Coast use public transit to get to work, but that doesn’t mean residents lack options. The Space Coast Area Transit bus system operates more than 20 lines between the north end of Brevard County and the south side, including many stops in Titusville.
Crime in Titusville
Brevard County historically experiences crime rates lower than the state average, according to data from the Florida Department of Health. Across the county, reports of crime increased 12% from 2022 to 2023, with simple assaults and drug offenses the most common crimes, per the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The Titusville Police Department in 2024 overhauled its 911 Dispatch Center technology, enabling dispatchers to instantly see callers' locations. Titusville police say to expect an increase in vehicle thefts and break-ins during the summer. Locals are more likely to be out of town, leaving vehicles and homes unattended. To combat this, officers will patrol vacant properties for free if homeowners sign up for their Vacation Property Watch program.
Written By
Alex Soderstrom
Photography Contributed By
Joseph Van Bemmel
Video By
Mark Barakat
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GreatSchools:
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On average, homes in Titusville, FL sell after 59 days on the market compared to the national average of 53 days. The median sale price for homes in Titusville, FL over the last 12 months is $300,000, consistent with the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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Welcome to Towne Place — a centrally located community in the heart of Titusville. This well-maintained single-story, 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom home features an open living area, a functional kitchen with plenty of cabinet space, and comfortable bedrooms. A private back patio offers a relaxed outdoor space to enjoy.Situated just minutes from Titus Landing, Kennedy Point Park on the Indian River,
This 2 level condo is located on the second floor in a complex with a heated pool and ample parking.It's fully furnished and has been updated with tile flooring on the first level and granite countertops in the kitchen. Living room, dining room, kitchen and half bath are on one level and 2 bedrooms and full bath are on the second level. Enjoy the peaceful view from 2 screened balconies. Close to
Charming Titusville rental conveniently located near Historic Downtown, Park Avenue, US-1, and a quick drive to Kennedy Space Center. This home offers a bright and comfortable layout with plenty of natural light and an easy-flow floorplan. Enjoy a spacious yard perfect for outdoor relaxation, gardening, or play. Close to local shops, restaurants, parks, and the Indian River, this location makes
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