Housing data for Sanibel, FL
Sanibel, FL has an estimated 6,418 residents and 8,564 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Lee County.
10.1% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $811 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−12.3%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 6,418 (±26)
- Housing units
- 8,564 (±307)
- Households that rent
- 10.1%
- Median gross rent
- $811
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −12.3%
What stands out in Sanibel
Median real estate taxes: $7,956 (±$1,148) in Sanibel, higher than in Lee County ($2,858).
Median home value: $957,300 (±$129,721) in Sanibel, higher than in Lee County ($362,200).
Rental vacancy rate: 35.2% (±20.3 points) in Sanibel, higher than in Lee County (10.3%).
Working from home: 31.1% (±10.6 points) in Sanibel, higher than in Lee County (15.4%).
Housing in Sanibel at a glance
- Median rent: $811 median gross rent a month
- Rent burden: 26.2% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 10.1% of households rent (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Income and affordability: $108,644 median household income
- Home values: $957,300 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $4,000 or more median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $7,956 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 36.7% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 52.9% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 37.5% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 35.2% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 93.2% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 21.4 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 79 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: −12.3% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 18.2% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 2.0% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
Sanibel against Lee County, its state and the nation
| Sanibel | Lee County | Florida | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 6,418 (±26) | 817,666 (exact) | 22,416,077 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 8,564 (±307) | 441,194 (±174) | 10,256,470 (±942) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 10.1% (±7.1 points) | 25.7% (±0.7 points) | 32.4% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $811 (±$111) | $1,712 (±$17) | $1,669 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $108,644 (±$30,153) | $76,107 (±$1,463) | $74,568 (±$284) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $957,300 (±$129,721) | $362,200 (±$3,248) | $359,000 (±$930) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $7,956 (±$1,148) | $2,858 (±$39) | $2,730 (±$10) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 37.5% (±4.7 points) | 19.7% (±0.6 points) | 33.9% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 21.4 minutes (±3.8) | 29.4 minutes (±0.4) | 28.0 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 93.2% (±6.3 points) | 92.1% (±0.5 points) | 91.6% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 67.3 years (±3.2) | 49.0 years (±0.1) | 42.6 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Sanibel covers 16.2 square miles of land, about 397 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Sanibel has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 7,319 (±25) | 6,418 (±26) | −12.3% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 8,945 (±233) | 8,564 (±307) | −4.3% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $1,545 (±$356) | $811 (±$111) | −47.5% | Down after inflation |
| Median home value | $721,200 (±$35,476) | $957,300 (±$129,721) | +32.7% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $108,081 (±$6,796) | $108,644 (±$30,153) | +0.5% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $7,418 (±$371) | $7,956 (±$1,148) | +7.3% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 14.5% (±3.2 points) | 10.1% (±7.1 points) | −4.4 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 16.8% (±8.9 points) | 35.2% (±20.3 points) | +18.4 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Sanibel
In 2025, the Sanibel Police Department reported 79 violent and 693 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
ZIP codes in Sanibel
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33957 | 100% | 6,418 | $811 | $957,300 | $108,644 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Sanibel
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. James City | 6.3 mi | $2,829 | $319,700 | 9.2% |
| Punta Rassa | 7.2 mi | $2,771 | $589,800 | 63.9% |
| Iona | 10 mi | $1,913 | $322,800 | 28.0% |
| Harlem Heights | 12 mi | $1,478 | $196,300 | 51.4% |
| Fort Myers Beach | 12 mi | $1,836 | $642,400 | 11.3% |
| Pine Island Center | 12 mi | $1,206 | $308,900 | 28.3% |
| Cypress Lake | 14 mi | $1,756 | $258,900 | 24.0% |
| McGregor | 14 mi | $1,762 | $467,600 | 20.3% |
Places in Florida most like Sanibel
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fernandina Beach | $1,259 | $555,400 | $97,903 | 19.5% |
| Vineyards | $1,173 | $651,800 | $131,118 | 10.2% |
| Melbourne Beach | $1,307 | $708,400 | $102,857 | 17.6% |
| Flagler Beach | $1,462 | $557,600 | $84,632 | 16.6% |
| Punta Gorda | $1,410 | $518,100 | $85,779 | 18.3% |
| White City | $1,065 | $397,100 | $117,720 | 11.4% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Florida.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Sanibel, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,555 | $1,564 | $1,835 | $2,373 | $2,615 |
HUD income limits for Sanibel, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $23,600 | $39,300 | $62,950 |
| 2 people | $27,000 | $44,950 | $71,900 |
| 3 people | $30,350 | $50,500 | $80,950 |
| 4 people | $33,700 | $56,200 | $89,900 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $60,700 | $97,100 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $65,200 | $104,300 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $69,700 | $111,500 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $74,200 | $118,700 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $105,700.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Sanibel
What is the average rent in Sanibel, FL?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Sanibel is $811 (±$111) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
What is the median household income in Sanibel?
The median household income in Sanibel is $108,644 (±$30,153) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Sanibel, FL?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $957,300 (±$129,721) for owner-occupied homes in Sanibel (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in Sanibel?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in Sanibel, FL is $4,000 or more a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
How much are property taxes in Sanibel?
The median real estate tax paid by homeowners in Sanibel, FL is $7,956 (±$1,148) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many homes are in Sanibel?
Sanibel, FL has an estimated 8,564 (±307) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Sanibel growing?
In Sanibel, the number of residents went from 7,319 in 2015–2019 to 6,418 in 2020–2024 (−12.3%), a measurable decrease.
What ZIP codes are in Sanibel?
The ZIP code that covers Sanibel is 33957.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 33957?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 33957 is $811 (±$111) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Sanibel city, Florida
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Sanibel city, Florida
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Sanibel city, Florida
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Sanibel city, Florida
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Sanibel city, Florida
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Sanibel city, Florida
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Sanibel city, Florida
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL MSA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL MSA
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Sanibel Police Department (ORI FL0360300)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Sanibel city, Florida (place:63700, in state:12).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .