Sebastian and Vero Beach are among the few remaining Florida East Coast places maintaining a small-town flavor not overly tilted towards tourists or retirees. They are attractive, quiet, and somewhat upscale communities with typical barrier islands, small downtown areas, a few subdivisions and resorts nearby, and wild marshlands to the west. Retirees, snowbirds, citrus agriculture, and fishing support the area economy. There is a small amount of manufacturing, but future job growth projections are only modest. The area comes with some of the traditional leisure amenities of a Florida coastal city, but compared to other places up and down the coast, there isn’t much to do.

Like many Florida southeast coast cities, Sebastian and Vero Beach are separated from the Atlantic by a narrow barrier island and the Inland Waterway. Climate is strongly influenced by the maritime location, and the area is located at the northern boundary of Florida’s tropical rainy region. Summers are warm and humid but moderated by the ocean, with most days in the 90’s. Winters are mild with lows generally above 50, although freezing temperatures may occur yearly. Rainfall is heaviest in summer with frequent thundershowers; summer precipitation is almost double that in winter.