Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,389, settled in 1884.
Alva grades C− overall, ranked 464th of 634 in Florida, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. The median household earns $86K and it has 29 miles of trail. On the other side, FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 91% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. Alva’s trail density is 1.6 miles per square mile, above both the Florida town median (0.4) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). On walkability, just 15 of Florida’s 776 towns do worse. Alva Consolidated Schools is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Alva beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
12.6% of the town is conserved land, across 6 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Alva is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,182 in 2000, 2,725 in 2020. The archive holds 2 maps from 1958 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Alva is unincorporated, so Lee County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 17, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Alva.
Alva has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns, has less food insecurity than most of Florida and has home values still below their peak.
29 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. Caloosahatchee Regional Park, at 294 acres with 6.1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Caloosahatchee Regional Park | 6.1 mi | 294 |
| 2. Hickey Creek Wildlife and Environmental Area | 3.3 mi | 222 |
| 3. Hickey's Creek Mitigation Park | 1.3 mi | 83 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Lee school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Alva SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 1,203 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave Alva for work: only 7% work in town. Alva’s average trip to work is 35 minutes, above both Florida’s towns (27 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Since 2013, Alva has added 165 jobs, to 842 in 2023.
| Alva | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 35 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 5.4% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $86,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Adults 18 to 34 are 9% of residents (21% statewide); people 65 and older are 29% of residents (21% statewide). The median age in Alva is 53 years. 27% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 34% across Florida.
| Alva | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 53 years | 42.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 29% | 20% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 27% | 31% | 29% |
44% women, 56% men
About 130 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±5.6 points). Across Florida, 50.9% of residents are women.
| Alva | FL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.2% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 14.1% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.2% | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 5.1% | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.8% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.7% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.6% | 13.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 15.2% | 11.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 14.1% | 9.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.9% | 10.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 32% | 27.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.1% | 18.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.4% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.2% | 21.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.3% | 12.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,400, single groups can be off by several points
The Immokalee weather station, 21 miles away, records that about 123 days a year reach 90°, more than in 99% of U.S. towns. January nights average 51.6°, milder than in 99% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 92.2°.
Alva has warm winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. Alva’s January low is 52°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Alva | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 52°F | 51°F | 22°F |
| July high | 92°F | 91°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Its widest gap with Florida is food insecurity: 9.5% of its 2,298 adults worry about having enough food, against 16.8% statewide.
Alva beats the Florida average on 9 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 32% of Alva adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Alva | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 37% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 35% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 9.5% | 15% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 23% |
| What stands out | Alva | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.5% | 16.8% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8.3% | 13.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.3% | 9.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical value, about $375K, is 17% below its September 2022 peak.
94% of households own their home in Alva. The typical Alva home is worth about $375,000, down 4.2% in a year, close to the Florida typical home.
| Alva | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 94% | 72% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,778 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Alva; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Alva residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
Where Alva’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Census-designated place in Florida, United States
Alva is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Lee County, Florida, United States, situated on the Caloosahatchee River. The population was 2,725 at the 2020 census, up from 2,596 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Alva.
| Town | FL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alva | #464 | C− | C | — | C+ | B |
| Olga | #525 | D | C− | — | C+ | C |
| Lehigh Acres | #584 | D− | C− | — | C+ | C− |
Alva, Olga and Lehigh Acres report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Alva with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Alva grades C− overall, better than 18% of U.S. towns and #464 of 634 in Florida. It grades B for health and C+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.