Ranked as the #1 place to live in Florida by U.S. News & World Report, Florida’s Space Coast is your giant leap to possibilities. The Space Coast offers the right operating climate by combining low operating costs, aggressive and targeted incentives, and a coveted workforce. It is where quality of life soars among a strong diversified economy. A place where space exploration is in our history, but also in our future, while over 500 manufacturers produce and imagine the impossible. Take one small step for your giant leap and explore the possibilities on Florida’s Space Coast.
Florida ranks #4 in the State Tax Climate Index, surpassed only by Alaska, Wyoming and South Dakota. The State Business Tax Climate Index compares corporate income, individual income, sales, unemployment insurance and property taxes. -2022 State Business Tax Climate Index, The Tax Foundation.
RANKED #1 Tax Climate Tax Climate Florida has the #1 Tax Climate in the Southeast for Business – The Tax Foundation, 2018
RANKED #2 State for Business – Chief Executive Magazine, 2018
that can produce a 0% effective tax rate on your business investments.
A right-to-work state, Florida’s high-tech wage is approximately 20% lower than the national average, with the Space Coast’s wage structure generally lower than other population centers in Florida.
A Force — In Workforce —
As the birthplace of American Space Exploration, and the hub of Florida’s space industry, Florida’s Space Coast has cultivated generations of high-tech talent. But, we are more than space. The local workforce’s strengths extend beyond the aerospace sector, with one of the nation’s largest concentrations of employment in the communications sector and the most concentrated manufacturing workforce in the state of Florida. Recruiting employees is easily done with our local tax structure, low cost of living, affordable housing, and superior quality of life.
Florida Institute of Technology is among the top universities in the world. – World University Rankings, Clarivate Analytics, 2018
No Floridian lives more than 50 miles from a postsecondary educational institution, many of which are nationally ranked colleges and universities. This provides your businesses with a constant flow of skilled employees. What’s more, the Space Coast is part of the Florida High Tech Corridor, boasting a region with a talent pool of scientists, engineers, and other innovative entrepreneurs.
“The biggest factor there is a talented workforce that you could really hire people that understand the quality and demands of aerospace. You really want to get good assembly and integration engineers. You want to be able to get high quality machinists and machine operators. Those jobs today are very sophisticated jobs.” Jeff Bezos, Founder, Blue Origin
TOP 10 Best Cities for STEM Jobs – Forbes.com
“The talented workforce and global access Florida provides has allowed us to operate successfully here for decades. Our two new centers of excellence and state-of-the-art manufacturing facility will allow us to continue our growth and benefit our customers, our company and the community for many more years.” Rick Matthews, VP of Florida Operations, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems
A Robust and Diverse Corporate Neighborhood
From start-ups and mid-sized enterprises to high-tech goliaths, the Space Coast corporate neighborhood hosts an impressive group of innovative organizations in a variety of sectors. The Space Coast is also home to the Space Launch Delta 45 and the 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick Space Force Base, and the Naval Ordnance Test Unit at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Florida’s Space Coast is a hub for rapidly expanding industries:
RANKED #5 in Milken Institute’s Best Performing Cities 2021: Where America’s Jobs are Created and Sustained.
Transportation: Gateway To Success
Industry along Florida’s Space Coast leverages an uncongested transportation network that includes road, rail, air, sea and even space. Our infrastructure is built for business and provides easy and quick access to markets and resources for your people, products, services and ideas.
Space Coast roads have excellent, uncongested access to roads that reach all points in the state and major Southern U.S. East-West roadways, with available sites near I-95, U.S. Route 1, and nearby access to I-4 and the Florida Turnpike.
The Space Coast is serviced by the Florida East Railway, which runs directly through the county from north to south, with connecting carriers providing national rail access.
Two international airports, Melbourne Orlando International Airport (MLB) and Orlando International Airport (MCO) are convenient to any Space Coast address. MLB is America’s fastest growing aviation and aircraft manufacturing center perfectly located in the center of the county. The area also is home to the Space Coast Regional Airport (TIX), which offers three aviation facilities for commercial/corporate charter air travel.
As the gateway to Central Florida, Port Canaveral provides facilities for shippers who seek to save time and money as benefits of its proximity to major markets and efficient transportation links. Shippers will find recent harbor improvements, new cruise and cargo terminals, a new auto facility and now leasing– an inland warehouse and logistics center in Titusville. Canaveral also is home to U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force facilities, including Surface Deployment and Distribution, and serves as an important export gateway for U.S. government cargo destined to Ascension Island.
Interstellar commercial and government payloads, as well as research projects, are launched continually from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Experience Florida’s Space Coast
When it comes to moving employees or attracting new ones, a good work-life balance is key to employee satisfaction, and that’s an area where Florida’s Space Coast delivers big. Our forward-thinking, vibrant population enjoys a full menu of lifestyle options, including diverse housing options, outdoor recreation, a growing arts scene, endless dining options, and proximity to major tourism centers of Central Florida – not to mention our dozens of rocket launches per year.
“Brevard County is outstanding. We’ve got the beaches nearby, we’ve got great universities, good restaurants, entertainment, and anything you can think of for a good, fun and productive community is right here.” Winston Scott, Former Astronaut and spaceflight mission specialist on STS-72 and STS-87, Florida Institute of Technology
RANKED #3 in Florida, #18 Nationally, US News and World Report’s 150 Best Places to Live in the USA, 2021-2022
Florida’s Space Coast Your Giant Leap
What’s Happening on Florida’s Space Coast
