The county seat of Brevard County, Titusville is located on Florida's "Space Coast." There are many reasons why those in the market for Titusville apartments for rent may be attracted to the area, including its 17 miles of beaches, ties to the nation's space program and proximity to several major cities. Titusville is 40 miles from Orlando, 52 miles from Daytona and equidistant from Jacksonville and Tampa, which are both 134 miles away.
Titusville was founded by Confederate Colonel Henry Theodore Titus in 1867. Titus and his wife built the first hotel in the area - which was then known as Sand Point - and funded much of the municipality's initial development, including the first courthouse, four churches and many of the town's streets. Legend has it that Titus won the privilege of naming the settlement after himself in a game of dominoes.
Over the next several decades, Titusville flourished. It was incorporated in 1887 and its first railroad station was constructed in 1892. Growth slowed in the 1920s and 1930s due to the economic depression, but things picked back up again in the 1950s and 1960s, thanks largely to the formation of the Kennedy Space Center and the nation's interest in space exploration, which peaked with the first manned lunar landing in 1969. During this time, the area's first motels and apartment buildings began to spring up, along with a public hospital, malls, golf courses and subdivisions.
Today, Titusville is home to more than 43,700 residents, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Brevard Public Schools district is the fourth largest of its kind in the country, serving nearly 73,000 students. Titusville itself has nine elementary schools, two middle schools, two high schools and St. Teresa Catholic School, a pre-K through 8th grade private institution. In terms of further education, Titusville is home to Brevard Community College, while the University of Central Florida is based in nearby Cocoa, which is approximately half an hour away.
The county's largest employers include the school district, international communications equipment company Harris Corporation, space flight operations contractor United Space Alliance and integrated healthcare delivery system Health First. Many area residents are also involved in the 45th Space Wing, a U.S. Air Force unit headquartered at Patrick Air Force Base.
According to City-Data.com's March 2012 cost of living index, the cost of living in Titusville is below average. The city registered at 90 on the index, 10 points less than the national average of 100. The median gross rent of apartments in Titusville is $843, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Kennedy Space Center on nearby Merritt Island is a major local attraction that has launched every American-manned space mission as well as hundreds of advanced scientific spacecraft. Titusville honors the area's space legacy with the U.S. Space Walk of Fame on Main Street, which pays tributes to astronauts and key people working behind the scenes at NASA.
Although Cape Canaveral is most famously known for its connections to the space program, the city's seashore is an attraction in its own right. Approximately a half-hour drive from Titusville, the area is a refuge for threatened and endangered species. Nature buffs will be in their element in Titusville, as the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Black Point Wildlife Drive and Enchanted Forest Sanctuary are all within easy reach.
Titusville's historic downtown area features arts and crafts shops, consignment stores, antique dealers and several popular restaurants, as well as a nearby riverside park. The Titusville Municipal Marina is less than a mile from downtown and boasts a large seawall, a ships store and a pavilion.
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