Sanibel, FL

Census Place

2024 Population

6,418

US Senator

Rick Scott

Republican Party

US Senator

Ashley Moody

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

67.3

1.32% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

11.6%

51.7% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$108,644

11.5% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$957,300

Population & Diversity

Sanibel, FL is home to a population of 6.42k people, from which 98% are citizens.

As of 2024, 5.91% of Sanibel, FL residents were born outside of the country (379 people).

In 2024, there were 58 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (6.03k people) in Sanibel, FL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 104 Other (Hispanic) and 103 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98%

2024 Citizenship

98.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98% of Sanibel, FL residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Sanibel, FL was 98.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Sanibel, FL compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Sanibel, FL

White (Non-Hispanic)
6.03k ± 177
Other (Hispanic)
104 ± 131
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
103 ± 78

1.98%

Hispanic Population

127 people

1.98% of the people in Sanibel, FL are hispanic (127 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Sanibel, FL as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Florida.

Most Common Origin

Cuba
1,051,839 ± 24,582 people
Haiti
364,479 ± 14,701 people
Colombia
327,463 ± 13,946 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Florida was Cuba, the natal country of 1,051,839 Florida residents, followed by Haiti with 364,479 and Colombia with 327,463.

Foreign-Born Population

5.91%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

379 people

5.11%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

327 people

As of 2024, 5.91% of Sanibel, FL residents (379 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Sanibel, FL was 5.11%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Sanibel, FL compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
191 ± 82
Gulf War (1990s)
28 ± 30
Korea
20 ± 37

Sanibel, FL has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 6.82 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Sanibel, FL.

Economy

The economy of Sanibel, FL employs 1.97k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Sanibel, FL were Retail Trade (407 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (235 people), and Real Estate & Rental & Leasing (188 people), and the highest paying industries were Administrative & Support & Waste Management Services ($250,001), Health Care & Social Assistance ($208,145), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($135,515).

Employment

Occupations

1.97k

2024 Value

± 391

−0.856%

1 Year decline

± 26.6%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Sanibel, FL declined at a rate of −0.856%, from 1.99k employees to 1.97k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Sanibel, FL, are Management Occupations (396 people), Sales & Related Occupations (307 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (272 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Sanibel, FL.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Florida.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Florida (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

1.97k

2024 Value

± 391

−0.856%

1 Year decline

± 26.6%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Sanibel, FL declined at a rate of −0.856%, from 1.99k employees to 1.97k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Sanibel, FL, are Retail Trade (407 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (235 people), and Real Estate & Rental & Leasing (188 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Sanibel, FL, though some of these residents may live in Sanibel, FL and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$74,112

Median earning men ± $18,782

$47,903

Median earning women ± $6,680

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($211,875), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($175,833), and Public Administration ($95,938).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($120,781), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($55,250), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($49,893).

Housing & Living

The median property value in Sanibel, FL was $957,300 in 2024, which is 2.88 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $912,200 to $957,300, a 4.94% increase. The homeownership rate in Sanibel, FL is 89.9%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Sanibel, FL have an average commute time of 21.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Sanibel, FL is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$957,300

Median Property Value 2024

±$129,721

$2,851

Median Property Taxes

±$417

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Sanibel, FL the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Sanibel, FL compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

89.9%

Homeownership

2024

69.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 89.9% of the housing units in Sanibel, FL were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 91.6%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Sanibel, FL compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$108,644

Median Household Income

± $30,153

3.17k

Number of Households

± 526

In 2024, the median household income of the 3.17k households in Sanibel, FL declined from $108,644 from the previous year's value of $122,730.

The following chart displays the households in Sanibel, FL distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Sanibel, FL is from Florida.

0.471

2024 Wage GINI in Florida

0.473

2023 Wage GINI in Florida

In 2024, the income inequality in Florida was 0.471 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.383% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Florida was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Florida in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Florida across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (50.4%)
Worked At Home (31.1%)
Carpooled (8%)

In 2024, 50.4% of workers in Sanibel, FL drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (31.1%) and those who carpooled to work (8%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

21.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Sanibel, FL have a shorter commute time (21.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0% of the workforce in Sanibel, FL have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Sanibel, FL compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Sanibel, FL distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Sanibel, FL have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

11.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Sanibel, FL (742 out of 6.4k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 75+, followed by Males 65 - 74 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Sanibel, FL is White, followed by Other and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

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