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Data on this report is based on areas within the legal city boundary, outlined in black on the map. Any additional neighborhoods shown on the map are associated with the city by name and are included for reference only.



Sanibel, FL Real Estate Market

Source & Methodology

Analytics built by:   Location, Inc.

Raw data sources:   American Community Survey (U.S. Census Bureau), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Date(s) & Update Frequency:
  • Home Values, Rents: Reflects Q2 2024. Updated quarterly.
  • Setting, Housing Stock, Homeownership: 2022 (latest available). Updated annually.

Methodology:   NeighborhoodScout uses over 600 characteristics to build a neighborhood profile… Read more about Scout's Real Estate Data

Sanibel, FL Housing Market Trends

With a population of 6,482, 3,491 total housing units (homes and apartments), and a median house value of $994,451, Sanibel house prices are not only among the most expensive in Florida, Sanibel real estate also is some of the most expensive in all of America.

Single-family detached homes are the single most common housing type in Sanibel, accounting for 51.27% of the city's housing units. Other types of housing that are prevalent in Sanibel include large apartment complexes or high rise apartments ( 40.28%), mobile homes or trailers ( 3.00%), and a few row houses and other attached homes ( 2.80%).

Dwellings in Sanibel tend to be quite small (one, two, or no bedrooms) and owner occupied. In fact, 49.47% of the homes in Sanibel have two or fewer bedrooms.

There is a lot of housing in Sanibel built from 1970 to 1999 so parts of town may have that "Brady Bunch" look of homes popular in the '70s and early '80s, although some of these houses were built up through the early '90s as well. There is also a lot of housing in Sanibel built between 2000 and later ( 11.17%). A lesser amount of the housing stock also hails from between 1940-1969 ( 3.94%).

A decent proportion of the Sanibel housing stock is seasonally occupied. That is, homes and condos in Sanibel are occupied by people for a portion of the year - mainly for vacation purposes - and then locked up and left unoccupied for the remainder of the year as owners return to their primary residences. This characteristic of the Sanibel housing market speaks to its popularity as a vacation location of choice.

Sanibel Home Appreciation Rates

Sanibel's appreciation rate notably has been below the national average for the last ten years. The average annual home appreciation rate in Sanibel during the period has been just 4.86%, which is lower than 80% of US communities.

Over the last year, Sanibel appreciation rates have trailed the rest of the nation. In the last twelve months, Sanibel's appreciation rate has been -5.00%, which is lower than appreciation rates in most communities in America. In the latest quarter, NeighborhoodScout's data show that house appreciation rates in Sanibel were at -1.88%, which equates to an annual appreciation rate of -7.30%.

Notably, Sanibel's appreciation rate in the latest quarter is one of the lowest in America.

Relative to Florida, our data show that Sanibel's latest annual appreciation rate is lower than 90% of the other cities and towns in Florida.

Average Home Values

Median Home Value

$994,451

Sanibel, FL Home Prices
> $1,212,000
$909,001 - $1,212,000
$606,001 - $909,000
$485,001 - $606,000
$363,001 - $485,000
$242,001 - $363,000
$121,001 - $242,000
$60,001 - $121,000
$0 - $60,000
38.6%
38.6%
17.6%
17.6%
21.0%
21.0%
11.0%
11.0%
2.2%
2.2%
1.2%
1.2%
2.5%
2.5%
1.1%
1.1%
4.8%
4.8%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes
Very High

for Florida

Very High

for nation

Number of Homes And Apartments:

3,491

Sanibel Appreciation Rates

Rent & Ownership

Average Market Rent:

$5,477 / per month

Homeownership Rate

Owners
Renters
89.5%
89.5%
10.5%
10.5%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Vacancy Rate

Vacant
Occupied
58.8%
58.8%
41.2%
41.2%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Housing Market Details

Age of Homes

2000 or Newer
1970 - 1999
1940 - 1969
1939 or Older
11.2%
11.2%
84.1%
84.1%
3.9%
3.9%
0.8%
0.8%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Types of Homes

Single-Family
Townhomes
Small Apt. Buildings
Apt. Complexes
Mobile Homes
Other
51.3%
51.3%
2.8%
2.8%
2.7%
2.7%
40.3%
40.3%
3.0%
3.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Home Size

No Bedroom
1 Bedroom
2 Bedrooms
3 Bedrooms
4 Bedrooms
5 or more bedrooms
2.5%
2.5%
5.8%
5.8%
41.1%
41.1%
37.6%
37.6%
10.3%
10.3%
2.6%
2.6%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes