Living in Florida's Space Coast
Banana River Drive South
South Banana River Drive runs the east shore of Merritt Island below State Road 520, and the addresses along it and its short side streets are some of the most valuable on the island. Houses date from 1954 to brand new and run 802 to 5,000 square feet. About half sit directly on the water with a dock, a lift, or both.
Banana River Drive South In Merritt Island, Florida
Start with what this is not. It is not a subdivision. There is no single plat, no entrance sign, no common architecture and no shared amenity. What ties these addresses together is the shoreline. South Banana River Drive, Newfound Harbor Drive, Faulkingham Road, Orris Avenue, Harbor Point Drive and Manta Bay Street all sit on the east side of South Merritt Island below State Road 520, most of them within a lot or two of open water.
The water out front is the Banana River, broad and shallow, with the sheltered pocket of Newfound Harbor tucked in behind it. Private docks are the norm rather than the exception along this stretch, and boat lifts appear on roughly half the waterfront parcels. Seawalls and riprap vary house to house and so does depth. Stand on the dock at low water before you decide the boat you own will live there comfortably.
Getting out of the Banana River takes a little planning, and it is worth understanding before you buy. To reach the Atlantic you run north to the Canaveral Barge Canal and through Canaveral Lock, built in 1964 and the largest navigation lock in Florida. It is free to use and takes roughly twenty to thirty minutes. Air draft is the real constraint: the State Road 401 bascules near the lock carry about 25 feet closed, and the State Road 3 bascule on the canal carries about 21.6 feet closed.
The housing runs across seventy years, which is part of the character here. Fifties single story block sits a few doors from two story stucco with balconies, impact glass and standing seam metal. Living area spans 802 to 5,000 square feet with the middle around 2,435, on lots from 0.15 acre up to just over an acre. Garages run one to four bays. Public water reaches nearly every address, but most homes here are on septic, so budget for that inspection.
The price spread is the widest of any area on Merritt Island. The floor has touched $72,500 for a modest parcel and the ceiling has reached $2,700,000 for a riverfront estate, with the middle near $820,000 and roughly $295 a square foot. Sellers have been settling around 93 percent of their original asking price and homes take about 63 days to go under contract. There is room to negotiate here, more than in the tighter platted neighborhoods inland.
Banana River Drive South At A Glance
The corridor at a glance, from the shoreline to the septic tank.
| Detail | What you get |
|---|---|
| Location | South Merritt Island, east shore below State Road 520, ZIP 32952 |
| Built | 1954 through the present, with the middle around 1988 |
| Home size | 802 to 5,000 square feet, about 2,435 typical |
| Bedrooms | 2 to 6, most commonly 3 |
| Bathrooms | 1 to 5, commonly 3 |
| Lot size | 0.15 to 1.06 acre, about 0.32 typical |
| Construction | Concrete block with stucco on the older homes, frame and stucco on the newer two story builds. Metal and shingle roofs in roughly equal measure |
| Levels | Split fairly evenly between one story and two story |
| Water frontage | About half the homes front the Banana River, Newfound Harbor or a navigable canal |
| Docks and lifts | Private docks are common and boat lifts frequent. New or replacement structures go through Brevard County as a Residential Marine Construction permit |
| Pools | In ground pools on a large share of the homes, several with balconies overlooking them |
| Garage | 1 to 4 bays |
| Association | None covers the corridor. Most addresses have no association at all. One newer enclave off the road carries a $300 monthly assessment |
| Utilities | Public water at nearly every address, septic tank for most homes |
| Views | River and water views from the majority of homes |
| Streets | South Banana River Drive, Newfound Harbor Drive, Faulkingham Road, Orris Avenue, Harbor Point Drive, Manta Bay Street |
| Gated | No, although several individual estates have their own private gates |
| Price range | $72,500 to $2,700,000, around $295 per square foot |
Banana River Drive South Details
You Are Buying Water, Not A Plat
There is no association setting rules on paint color, fence height or boat parking along most of this corridor. That freedom is the point. It also means the condition of your neighbor's seawall is your neighbor's business, so look up and down the shoreline before you commit.
Newfound Harbor As A Back Door
Newfound Harbor is the protected cove off the Banana River, and the addresses that reach it get calmer water than the open river frontage does. In a blow, that matters. It also shortens the run for a small boat that would rather not cross wide open chop.
Launch Ramps Without Leaving The Island
Kelly Park East at 2550 North Banana River Drive puts a county boat ramp on the Banana River a few minutes north, which is useful whether you keep a trailer boat or simply want a second way onto the water when your lift is down for service.
Rocket Launches From The Back Yard
The east facing shoreline looks straight across the Banana River toward Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center. Launches are visible from the dock rather than from a traffic jam somewhere, and cruise ships leaving Port Canaveral pass in view of the north end of this stretch.
Seventy Years Of Housing Stock
One block gives you a 1954 block ranch, a 1980s two story and a home finished in the last year or two. That variety is why the price band is so wide, and it is why comparing two homes here takes more care than comparing two homes in a uniform 1990s subdivision.
Cocoa Beach In Ten Minutes
State Road 520 is the north end of this corridor, which puts the beach a short drive east and Cocoa, US 1 and Interstate 95 a short drive west. You get waterfront living without the drive time that usually comes with it.
Homes For Sale In Banana River Drive South
Everything currently available along South Banana River Drive and the streets that branch off it. Waterfront inventory here is thin and turns over slowly, so the list is usually short.
Banana River Drive South Frequently Asked Questions
Is Banana River Drive South a subdivision?
No. It is a road front area rather than a platted community. Addresses along South Banana River Drive, Newfound Harbor Drive, Faulkingham Road and the short connecting streets are grouped together because they share the same shoreline and the same access, not because they share a developer.
Is there an HOA?
Not across the corridor. The great majority of these homes have no association and no assessment. One newer enclave built off the road carries dues reported at $300 a month. Always confirm on the specific parcel before you assume either way.
Can I get a boat to the ocean from here?
Yes. You run north on the Banana River to the Canaveral Barge Canal, then through Canaveral Lock to Port Canaveral and the Atlantic. The lock is free and takes about twenty to thirty minutes. The limiting factor is air draft, around 25 feet closed at the State Road 401 bascules and about 21.6 feet closed at the State Road 3 bascule.
What about docks and seawalls?
A dock, a lift or shoreline work in Brevard County goes through Planning and Development as a Residential Marine Construction permit, with a separate Natural Resources review for anything touching the shoreline and a survey less than 180 days old. If a home already has permitted structures, ask for the paperwork.
Are these homes on city sewer?
Mostly no. Public water reaches nearly every address here, but the majority of homes run on a septic tank. Have the tank and drainfield inspected and pumped as part of your due diligence, and ask when the system was last replaced.
What do homes cost?
The spread runs from $72,500 at the very bottom to $2,700,000 at the top, with the middle around $820,000 and roughly $295 a square foot. What you pay tracks water frontage, dock condition and year built far more than it tracks square footage alone.
How is flood zone handled?
Waterfront parcels on Merritt Island frequently sit in a mapped flood zone, and the rate you pay depends on the elevation certificate more than on the zone label. Brevard County Public Works, Floodplain Administration at (321) 617-7340 is the official repository for FEMA panels and issues written determinations.
How long do homes take to sell?
About 63 days to go under contract, with sellers landing near 93 percent of their original asking price. Waterfront pricing on this stretch is not uniform, so the homes that sit longest are usually the ones priced against the top of the range rather than against their own frontage.
South Banana River Drive, Merritt Island 32952
This corridor begins just south of State Road 520 and runs down the east side of Merritt Island in the 32952 ZIP code. Newfound Harbor Drive leaves 520 across from the retail on the causeway and carries south, with Faulkingham Road, Badger Avenue, Orris Avenue and Manta Bay Street feeding off it toward the water. South Banana River Drive continues along the shoreline. The Banana River is directly east, Cape Canaveral is across it, and South Courtenay Parkway is the fast north south road a few blocks west.
Nothing you need is far from this shoreline. Cocoa Beach is roughly ten minutes east on State Road 520. Cocoa, US 1 and Interstate 95 are about fifteen minutes west on the same road. State Road 528 north of you runs to Port Canaveral in around twenty minutes, Kennedy Space Center in about twenty five, and Orlando International Airport in about an hour. Kelly Park East and its Banana River boat ramp sit a few minutes up North Banana River Drive.
Near Banana River Drive South In Merritt Island
Considering Banana River Drive South?
Buying on this shoreline is a different exercise than buying in a subdivision. Dock depth, seawall age, septic condition and elevation certificates decide whether a house is worth its asking price, and none of that shows up in a photograph. My partner Nichole and I know which stretches of this corridor hold water at low tide and which do not. Call or text (321) 212-7676 and we will look at it with you before you write anything.
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