Merritt Island, FL Demographics

A map of Merritt Island's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	28,943	27,770	82.7%	80.5%
Hispanic	2,293	2,788	6.6%	8.1%
Multiracial	1,514	1,772	4.3%	5.1%
Asian	1,105	1,029	3.2%	3.0%
Black	928	846	2.7%	2.5%
Native American/Other	209	313	0.6%	0.9%

Merritt Island, Florida has an estimated population of 34,992, a slight increase from the 34,518 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 82.7% White, 6.6% Hispanic, 4.3% Multiracial, 3.2% Asian, 2.7% Black, and 0.6% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Merritt Island, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Merritt Island has become less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Florida overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Merritt Island, that probability was 34.2% in 2020 and 30.8% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Merritt Island is ranked the 124th most populous place in Florida, out of 956 places. This ranking is based on the Census definition of a place, which includes incorporated places like cities, towns, and villages, as well as unincorporated census-designated places (CDPs). Merritt Island was ranked the 121st most populous place in the 2020 Census.

Merritt Island's White Population

28,943 residents of Merritt Island, or 82.7% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Merritt Island is significantly higher than in Florida overall, where 50.4% of the population is White. Merritt Island ranks 308th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 956 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Merritt Island's White population has grown by an estimated 4.2%. White residents' share of Merritt Island's population has increased from 80.5% to 82.7%.

Merritt Island is more White than neighboring Rockledge (68% White), Viera East (80% White), Tropical Park (32.5% White), and Viera West (71.2% White). Merritt Island is less White than neighboring Cocoa Beach (89% White).

Merritt Island's Black Population

928 residents of Merritt Island, or 2.7% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Merritt Island is considerably lower than in Florida overall, where 14.6% of the population is Black. Merritt Island ranks 633rd statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 956 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Merritt Island's Black population has grown by an estimated 9.7%. Black residents' share of Merritt Island's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.7%.

Merritt Island is more Black than neighboring Cocoa Beach (0.7% Black). Merritt Island is less Black than neighboring Rockledge (14.4% Black), Viera East (4.6% Black), Tropical Park (26.9% Black), and Viera West (3.7% Black).

Merritt Island's Asian Population

1,105 residents of Merritt Island, or 3.2% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Merritt Island is comparable to the share in Florida overall, where 2.9% of the population is Asian. Merritt Island ranks 181st statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 956 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Merritt Island's Asian population has grown by an estimated 7.4%. Asian residents' share of Merritt Island's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.2%.

Merritt Island is more Asian than neighboring Cocoa Beach (1.4% Asian), Rockledge (1.5% Asian), Viera East (2.6% Asian), and Tropical Park (1.7% Asian). Merritt Island is less Asian than neighboring Viera West (6.3% Asian).

Merritt Island's Hispanic Population

2,293 residents of Merritt Island, or 6.6% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Merritt Island is significantly lower than in Florida overall, where 27.4% of the population is Hispanic. Merritt Island ranks 609th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 956 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Merritt Island's Hispanic population has declined by an estimated 17.8%. Hispanic residents' share of Merritt Island's population has decreased from 8.1% to 6.6%.

Merritt Island is more Hispanic than neighboring Cocoa Beach (6.3% Hispanic). Merritt Island is less Hispanic than neighboring Rockledge (9.9% Hispanic), Viera East (9.5% Hispanic), Tropical Park (33.8% Hispanic), and Viera West (14.1% Hispanic).

Merritt Island's Native American/Other Population

209 residents of Merritt Island, or 0.6% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Merritt Island is comparable to the share in Florida overall, where 0.8% of the population is Native American/Other. Merritt Island ranks 321st statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 956 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Merritt Island's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 33.2%. Native American/Other residents' share of Merritt Island's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.6%.

Merritt Island is more Native American/Other than neighboring Cocoa Beach (0.5% Native American/Other), and Tropical Park (0% Native American/Other). Merritt Island is less Native American/Other than neighboring Rockledge (1.8% Native American/Other).

Merritt Island's Multiracial Population

1,514 residents of Merritt Island, or 4.3% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Merritt Island is comparable to the share in Florida overall, where 3.8% of the population is Multiracial. Merritt Island ranks 143rd statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 956 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Merritt Island's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 14.6%. Multiracial residents' share of Merritt Island's population has decreased from 5.1% to 4.3%.

Merritt Island is more Multiracial than neighboring Cocoa Beach (2.1% Multiracial), Viera East (2.8% Multiracial), and Viera West (4.1% Multiracial). Merritt Island is less Multiracial than neighboring Rockledge (4.4% Multiracial), and Tropical Park (5.2% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.