Live-In Caregivers in Merritt Island, FL: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Merritt Island, FL: the local picture

1,135

residents 85 or older (3.2% of all residents)

4,780

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (87%)

79%

of Merritt Island homes have 3 or more bedrooms (71% in Brevard County)

$15.00

Florida minimum wage per hour

About 1,135 Merritt Island residents are 85 or older. Live-in care is most often arranged for this age group, when help is needed through the day and someone should be close at night.

A live-in caregiver needs a private room. 79% of homes in Merritt Island have three or more bedrooms (71% in Brevard County), while 6.0% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.8 rooms.

Of Merritt Island households headed by someone 65 or older, 4,780 own their home and 727 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 455 owners and 124 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Merritt Island compared with Brevard County and Florida

Census figure	Merritt Island	Brevard County	Florida
Residents 85 or older	3.2%	3.0%	2.6%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	20%	26%	25%
Residents 65+ with a disability	35%	33%	31%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	7.2%	8.1%	12%
Residents 65 or older	28%	24%	21%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	9.4%	12%	31%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$75,371	$58,980	—

Older residents in towns around Merritt Island

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Cocoa Beach, FL	3.3 mi	4,128	651
Rockledge, FL	3.9 mi	7,233	968
Viera East, FL	4.0 mi	3,985	636
Viera West, FL	5.9 mi	4,051	543
Cocoa West, FL	6.7 mi	859	70
Cocoa, FL	7.1 mi	4,259	566

Emergency hospitals near Merritt Island

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Cape Canaveral Hospital	Cocoa Beach, FL	4.2 mi	3 of 5	(321) 799-7111
Viera Hospital	Melbourne, FL	7.1 mi	5 of 5	(321) 434-9000
Orlando Health Melbourne Hospital	Melbourne, FL	12 mi	3 of 5	(321) 752-1200

Straight-line miles from the center of Merritt Island. Medicare (CMS) data, October 2026; call ahead to confirm. We are not affiliated with these providers.

What it covers

What a live-in caregiver can help with

Help across the day: meals, housekeeping, personal care
Someone in the home overnight if help is needed
Medication reminders and appointment rides
Companionship and a steady routine

Cost

What live-in care costs in Merritt Island

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $16.25 an hour (the Florida median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,521 a month (56% of the $6,281 monthly median income of Merritt Island households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $11,830 a month (188% of the $6,281 monthly median income of Merritt Island households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Florida's minimum wage rose to $15.00 an hour on September 30, 2026, under Article X, Section 24 of the Florida Constitution.

Hiring directly, you agree the rate with the caregiver and usually become the household employer (U.S. Department of Labor rules). Some families qualify for programs that pay for care at home; see How to get paid to take care of a family member in Florida: SMMC LTC and the PDO.

Before you hire

What to know before hiring a live-in caregiver

Put the arrangement in writing: hours on duty, sleep time, days off, the room and pay (federal rules: DOL Fact Sheet 79B).

Questions worth asking: Have you lived in with a client before, and for how long? What days off and sleep time do you need? How do you handle being woken at night? More in our live-in caregivers guide.

CaregiverConnect does not run background checks. Check identity, references and any certification yourself before anyone starts. The Safety Center explains how.

Questions

Live-In Caregivers in Merritt Island: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Merritt Island?

Cape Canaveral Hospital in Cocoa Beach, about 4.2 mi in a straight line from the center of Merritt Island (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (321) 799-7111. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Merritt Island?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $16.25 an hour (the Florida median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $3,521 a month (56% of the $6,281 monthly median income of Merritt Island households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $11,830 a month (188% of the $6,281 monthly median income of Merritt Island households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Florida's minimum wage rose to $15.00 an hour on September 30, 2026, under Article X, Section 24 of the Florida Constitution.

Live-in or 24-hour care in Merritt Island?

A live-in caregiver sleeps in the home and has protected sleep and break time. 24-hour care uses two or three caregivers in shifts so someone is always awake; in Merritt Island it costs more than three times as much a month (see the cost section above). Choose shifts if help is needed several times a night.

More near Merritt Island

More senior care near Merritt Island

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Merritt Island

More for Merritt Island families

Sources

Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year; CMS provider data (October 25, 2026); U.S. DOL state minimum wages (July 1, 2026); BLS OEWS May 2025 aide wages, which cover employed aides rather than private rates.

Live-In Caregivers in Merritt Island, FL