Indian River County Economy Guide

Unemployment in the Sebastian-Vero Beach metro area, which covers all of Indian River County, was 5.6 percent in August 2026, a preliminary, not seasonally adjusted Bureau of Labor Statistics figure.

The Census Bureau's metro delineation file lists Indian River County as the only county in the Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor metropolitan statistical area, code 42680 (Census Bureau delineation file), so the federal metro numbers are county numbers.

Between March and August 2026 the metro labor force barely moved, from 67,600 to 67,300 people, while the count of unemployed residents rose from 3,600 to 3,800 (BLS Economy at a Glance).

A longer view comes from the Census Bureau: averaged over 2020 to 2024, the ACS put the county's unemployment rate at 4.5 percent, and 48.6 percent of county residents 16 and older were in the labor force (Census ACS DP03). The Indian River County demographics hub sets out the age profile behind that figure, from Fellsmere to Orchid.

Health care and education lead Indian River County employment: BLS counts 12,800 of the 58,900 nonfarm jobs in the Sebastian-Vero Beach metro in that sector in August 2026, with trade, transportation and utilities next at 10,800.

Over the twelve months to August 2026, the BLS series shows health and education up 2.4 percent and professional services up 1.4 percent, while government slipped 1.9 percent and the Sebastian-Vero Beach total stood 0.2 percent lower (BLS). Leisure and hospitality shows the biggest spring-to-summer drop: it fell from 8,600 jobs in March to 7,800 in August.

Residents' own jobs, counted where they live rather than where they work, also put education and health first. Over 2020 to 2024, 21.2 percent of employed county residents worked in educational services, health care and social assistance, 13.9 percent in professional, scientific, management and administrative work, 11.9 percent in retail and 8.7 percent in construction (Census ACS DP03). The mix differs by place: construction employs 30.1 percent of working Fellsmere residents against 7.4 percent in Sebastian and 8.2 percent in Vero Beach, while education and health care employ 21.8 percent in Sebastian and 17.9 percent in Vero Beach (Census ACS DP03 places).

By class of worker, 82.1 percent of employed county residents are private wage and salary workers, 11.2 percent are government workers and 6.7 percent are self-employed in their own unincorporated business (Census ACS DP03). The January 2026 county strategic plan adds that Indian River is becoming an increasingly outward commuting county, with the net workforce in nearly every industry sector commuting to regional cities like Fort Pierce, Melbourne and Port St. Lucie (Indian River County strategic action plan).

Indian River County's median household income was $73,491 in the ACS 2020-2024 estimates, and the mean was $108,404, while the Sebastian and Vero Beach figures appear in the Indian River County demographics hub.

In the same estimates, 52.9 percent of county households have Social Security income, with a mean of $27,705 a year among those households, and 39.7 percent have retirement income, and 13.6 percent of county workers 16 and older worked from home (Census ACS DP03). The Social Security share is 78.6 percent of households in Indian River Shores, 53.7 percent in Sebastian, 43.7 percent in Vero Beach and 27.4 percent in Fellsmere (Census ACS DP03 places).

Sales tax in Sebastian, Vero Beach and the rest of Indian River County is 7 percent: Florida's 6 percent state rate plus a 1 percent county surtax that runs through December 31, 2034.

The county's revenue manual describes the surtax as 1 percent on all sales tax eligible purchases in Indian River County, so it applies in the five municipalities the Tax Collector lists, Sebastian, Vero Beach, Fellsmere, Indian River Shores and Orchid, as well as in unincorporated areas (Indian River County revenue manual). When a car, boat or mobile home changes hands, the Tax Collector may collect the 6 percent state tax at title transfer, and a local surtax may also apply based on the buyer's county of residence (Indian River County Tax Collector). The base is Florida's general state sales tax rate of 6 percent, with exceptions such as 3 percent on new mobile homes (Florida Department of Revenue), and the Department of Revenue's surtax table lists Indian River at 1 percent, effective June 1, 1989, and expiring December 31, 2034 (Form DR-15DSS).

The county's 2025/2026 revenue manual gives the history: county voters passed the Optional One-Cent Sales Tax in March 1989, November 2002 and November 2016, it applies to purchases up to a maximum of $5,000, and its authorized use is the infrastructure needs of the county (Indian River County revenue manual). The manual lists approximate annual revenue of $27,535,000, which the state remits to the Indian River County Clerk of Court. Rentals of six months or less carry one more tax. Form DR-15TDT lists a 5 percent Indian River local option transient rental (tourist development) tax collected by the county, in addition to the 6 percent state sales tax and the surtax, and the Department of Revenue advises contacting the county to verify the rate (Form DR-15TDT). The Indian River County sales tax guide covers the surtax rules and how Sebastian, Vero Beach and Fellsmere share the revenue.

The county's Economic Development Division, whose page lists the county contact at 1801 27th Street in Vero Beach (772-567-8000), offers a voter-approved property tax exemption for new investment and a Local Jobs Grant paid per new job.

The Ad Valorem Tax Exemption Program, authorized under section 196.1995, Florida Statutes, and approved by referendum of the voters in 2020, exempts new capital investment in real and tangible personal property; the percentage and term depend on investment, job creation and wages, and each application must be approved as an ordinance by the Board of County Commissioners (Indian River County Economic Development Division).

The Local Jobs Grant Program is open to new and expanding targeted industries. A business must create at least 5 new jobs whose average wage meets or exceeds the Indian River County average wage, grant amounts are determined by the average wage of the new jobs, and grant funds are distributed after the jobs are created and substantiated through an annual report. Businesses locating or expanding in Indian River County may also use the regional workforce partner, CareerSource Research Coast (866-482-4473), for candidate recruitment, workforce training grants and On-the-Job Training programs that can reimburse part of a new employee's wages during training (Indian River County Economic Development Division).

Indian River County's January 2026 Economic Development Strategic Action Plan sets a 10-year course around four target industries, with Piper Aircraft named as a key employer to support.

The four targets are Aerospace and Manufacturing; Finance, Insurance, and Professional Services; Agriculture, Aquaculture, and Light Industrial; and Healthcare (Indian River County strategic action plan). For aerospace, the plan calls for helping Piper Aircraft with possible expansion and capital investment, and for training through Treasure Coast Technical College and Indian River State College.

The plan also gives guiding light manufacturing and industrial uses to sites west of I-95 as an example of matching industries to places.

Airports are the other lever. The January 2026 plan asks the county to support the implementation of airport master plans at both the Vero Beach and Sebastian airports, to support infrastructure for available commercial and industrial tracts there, and to support and promote Vero Beach Regional Airport, noting the recent addition of American Airlines and JetBlue operations and Breeze Airways with six weekly flights to Bradley International and Westchester County airports (Indian River County strategic action plan). The carriers named are as of the plan's January 2026 date.

The plan also lists catalyst projects with dates attached: finishing the Oslo Corridor work by 2027, the date set by the Florida Department of Transportation; redeveloping the former Sears and Macy's buildings at the Indian River Mall; a corridor study of a 2,044-acre annexed parcel on County Road 510; and an Interstate 95 and State Road 60 commercial node, where a federal Opportunity Zone covers areas west of I-95 (Indian River County strategic action plan).

The Indian River County sales tax guide is the in-depth economy guide today; jobs, income and incentives questions are answered on this page with links to BLS, the Census Bureau and the county in Vero Beach.

The household side of the economy, from median household income of $73,491 to the 39.7 percent of households with retirement income in the ACS 2020-2024 estimates, is broken out for Sebastian, Vero Beach, Fellsmere, Indian River Shores and Gifford in the Indian River County demographics hub (Census ACS DP03).