COMMUNITY GUIDE · LEE COUNTY, FLORIDA
Living in Estero
Gated Communities, Great Shopping, Easy Living
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Estero became a village in 2014 and is best known for its many gated golf and lifestyle communities. It pairs a quiet, well-kept feel with shopping, dining and entertainment close by, and it sits between Fort Myers and Naples.
ESTERO MARKET SNAPSHOT · AUGUST 2026
MEDIAN SALE PRICE: $625,000
MONTHS OF SUPPLY: 5.0
SALE-TO-LIST PRICE: 96.2%
From our monthly Lee County market report. See the full August 2026 report.
UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2026 · BY AJ & COURTNEY ACKERMAN, LPT REALTY
Living here
Shopping and dining. Coconut Point and Miromar Outlets, which has more than 140 stores and world-class dining, are right here in Estero.
Entertainment. Hertz Arena is home to the Florida Everblades hockey team and hosts a large variety of entertainment events from headlining concerts and comedians, to annual Cirque du Soleil and Disney on Ice shows.
Nature and history. Koreshan State Park sits on the Estero River, a tidal river that winds about 3 miles to Estero Bay. Bring your own kayak or canoe and launch right from the park.
Near FGCU and RSW. Florida Gulf Coast University borders the village, and the airport is a short drive away.
Beach access. Fort Myers Beach and Bonita Beach are both an easy drive, with Lovers Key State Park in between.
Neighborhoods & home types
Gated golf, waterfront and lifestyle communities, including Miromar Lakes Beach & Golf Club, West Bay Club, Pelican Sound offer an upscale social lifestyle with offerings including both golf and waterfront resort-style living. Wildcat Run, Grandezza, Stoneybrook and The Brooks are some additional note-worthy country club style social golf communities not on the water.
Typical homes: single-family homes, villas, coach homes and condos, from low-maintenance to luxury waterfront.
Things to know
Bundled vs. optional golf. Some communities include golf in the fees and others don't. We'll compare the total monthly cost for you.
HOA, club and CDD fees are part of the real cost of owning here. We help buyers and sellers present them clearly.
Flood zones differ between communities near the bay and river and those further inland. See our Flood Zones & Insurance page.
Who's moving here
Estero has grown 3.9% since 2020, to about 38,400 residents, and 86% of its homes are owner-occupied.
Population: 36,939 (2020 Census) → 38,365 (July 2025 estimate)
Growth since 2020: +3.9%
Median age: 66.0
Residents 65 and older: 51.9%
Homes owner-occupied: 86.0%
Median home value: $461,900
Median household income: $104,102
Average commute: 26.0 minutes
Lived in another state 1 year ago: 5.5% (another Florida county: 2.2%)
Figures are from Census QuickFacts and the American Community Survey, 2020–2024. For the complete Census profile of Estero, see QuickFacts.
Across Lee County, all growth from 2020 to 2025 came from people moving in. Net migration added about 85,000 residents, while deaths outnumbered births by about 6,800.
Where newcomers come from: the most common home states of people moving to Lee County were Illinois, Ohio and New York.
Where people who leave go: most stay in Florida. The top destinations were Leon, Collier and Hillsborough counties (2015–2019 data).
Buyer questions
Is Estero in a flood zone?
Parts are, particularly near Estero Bay and the Estero River, so check each address on Lee County's flood zone lookup. New FEMA flood maps take effect March 2, 2027. The village's Class 6 rating in FEMA's Community Rating System gives flood policies a 20% discount.
What are property taxes like?
The village's 2025 total is about 13.20 mills, or $13.20 per $1,000 of taxable value. Some Estero communities also sit in a community development district (CDD), such as Miromar Lakes, which adds an assessment to the tax bill. Florida law requires the first sale contract in a CDD to disclose it. If it's your primary home, the homestead exemption can cut taxable value by about $50,000, and Save Our Homes caps yearly increases in assessed value at 3%. A statewide amendment on the November 2026 ballot could raise the homestead exemption.
Who provides water and sewer?
Bonita Springs Utilities serves part of the village, and Lee County Utilities serves the rest.
How far are the beach and the airport?
Lovers Key State Park is the closest Gulf beach ($8 per vehicle). Southwest Florida International (RSW) is about just 10-20 minutes from Estero.
Who is moving to Estero?
The village grew 3.9% from 2020 to 2025. About 5.5% of residents moved from another state in the past year. The median age is 66.0, and 86% of homes are owner-occupied.
How do schools work?
Estero is in the Lee County School District, which uses school choice. Families rank schools on an application, and bus service is organized by zone.
Selling in Estero
In Estero, the community sells the home as much as the home itself. We market the amenities and the lifestyle along with the features of your home, and price it against recent sales in your community.