Scythian at Ave Maria in front of the Oratory, 2013
Ave Maria’s story
21 years in pictures
The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 2013 and 2 maps from 1958 on.
- 2005Ave Maria is founded
Ave MariaFL
The town was founded in 2005 and has 8,258 residents today. Public schools that outperform most of Florida.
Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author · CC BY 4.0
Population
8,258
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$459K
Census ACS
Household income
$103K
median
Median age
37.9
years
Jobs based here
2,978
Balanced
TownGrade
C+
#206 of 634 in FL
What should you know before moving to Ave Maria?
The weak point is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $459K, 5.1 years of the Naples metro’s $90K median household income. It also trails on hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 97% of U.S. communities, with cold waves at the top. Schools are its strong suit — its schools rank ahead of 83% of Florida towns. Add health to its strengths: CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 82% of the country. All told, that adds up to a C+ overall and a rank of 206th of 634 in Florida. Set against the rest, it does better than 45% of U.S. towns. No town in Florida scores lower than Ave Maria on history. This Florida town is home to Ave Maria University.
Figures: schools, state test and graduation results · health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · FEMA National Risk Index · National Register of Historic Places.
What makes Ave Maria stand out
Where Ave Maria beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
1 schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Rhodora J Donahue Academy | PK–12 | 413 |
SchoolsA−
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
31 measures vs. Florida
13 better18 too close to call0 worse
| Widest gap | Ave Maria | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer smokers | 9.9% | 12.4% |
HealthA−
Beats FL on 13 of 31 CDC measures, trails it on none
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
Worth knowing · Natural hazardsD−
Cold waves and hurricanes at the top
FEMA National Risk Index.
College town
17% of Ave Maria is in college
College Scorecard · IPEDS
How Ave Maria grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Ave Maria is from typical.
Hazard riskCold waves top the listD−Open →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnD−Open →SchoolsSchools rank among the strongest comparedA−Open →HealthPhysicians Regional Medical Center - Pine Ridge 17.3 miles awayA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.2 of 20; 1.6% of households have no car; 7.3% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →Jobs & income$103K median household incomeC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 93° summer afternoons–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 37.9; 45% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 16 attractions →Everglades National Park and 11 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Ave Maria. Close and well known come first.
30 mi National ParkEverglades National Park778K visitors a year
8 mi National PreserveBig Cypress National Preserve2.3M visitors a year
23 mi Stadium & arenaHertz Arena
35 mi MuseumEdison and Ford Winter Estates
25 mi State parkKoreshan State Historic Site27 mi State parkMound Key Archeological State ParkSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Everglades National Park: Everglades NPS from Homestead, Florida, United States, Public domain · Big Cypress National Preserve: Gzzz, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hertz Arena: Tthaas, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Edison and Ford Winter Estates: Rolf Müller (User:Rolfmueller), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Koreshan State Historic Site: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0
.jpg){kind=link}
Getting set up
Moving to Ave Maria: who provides what
Ave Maria is unincorporated, so Collier County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerFPL14.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterAve Maria Utility Company, LllpNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesCollier CountyCollier County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Florida you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereCollier Supervisor of ElectionsCollier County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Apr 2024
ZIP code3414234142 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 17, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Ave Maria.
Ave Maria has hotter summers than almost anywhere else in Florida, trades workers with Naples and other neighbors and pairs an A− for schools with high home prices.
OutdoorsB
Ave Maria has set aside 7.5% of its land for conservation
The biggest place to walk is North Park, 42 acres with 1.1 miles of trail. Walkers can cover 15 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Also worth knowing: the trail density in Ave Maria is 1.4 miles per square mile.
#62for trails in FL
| Ave Maria | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.4 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 7.5% | 3% | 4.3% |
7.5%
conserved · 538 of 7,192 acres
15 mi
of trails · 1.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. South Park | 1.2 mi | 21 |
| 2. North Park | 1.1 mi | 42 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsA−
For schools, Ave Maria earns an A−
That grade comes with a D− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $459K.
Its one school is below.
83%of FL districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhodora J Donahue Academy PrivateLargest high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 413 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Compared with most of Florida and the rest of the country, the FEMA risk score in Ave Maria is higher
Expected losses in Ave Maria break down as 62% from cold waves and 19% from hurricanes. Households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid in 4 declared disasters, most recently in 2024.
97risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesHurricanesInland flooding
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthA−
For health, Ave Maria earns an A−
Nearly a third of adults in Ave Maria sleep under 7 hours; 31% have high blood pressure. The share of adults in Ave Maria who have obesity: 26%.
82%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Ave Maria | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 32% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 37% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 37% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 18% | 23% |
31 measures vs. Florida
13 better18 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Ave Maria | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer smokers | 9.9% | 12.4% |
| Fewer adults in fair or poor health | 16.3% | 20.3% |
Physicians Regional Medical Center - Pine Ridge
17.3 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
82nd
percentile among FL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Ave Maria stands out in Florida and nationally: a typical July afternoon there is hotter
July afternoons average 92.7°, the highest of 958 Florida places with climate records; January nights average 52.8°. The Immokalee weather station, 10 miles away, records that about 123 days a year reach 90°, more than in 98% of U.S. towns.
The seasons in Ave Maria: warm winters, hot summers, with plenty of rain. The January low for Ave Maria comes to 53°F, against 51°F in Florida’s towns and 22°F across U.S. towns. Snowfall is close to zero.
93°summer high
| Ave Maria | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 53°F | 51°F | 22°F |
| July high | 93°F | 91°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter55–78°
Spring62–86°
Summer73–92°
Fall67–87°
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
93°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
About one in four working residents works right in Ave Maria
Ave Maria has about as many jobs (2,978) as working residents, but only 624 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 42.3 minutes, against 28 across Florida.
About one worker in four stays in Ave Maria for work. This Florida town had 2,978 jobs in 2023, up 2,277 from 2013. In Ave Maria, the average commute is 42 minutes. The median commute is under 23 miles.
24%work in town
| Ave Maria | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 42 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 24% | 5% | 8% |
| Median household income | $103,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Ave Maria24%
Naples6%
Immokalee3%
Fort Myers3%
Bonita Springs2%
23 mi
median commute distance
2,978
jobs based in Ave Maria
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 70% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade D−
The median home in Ave Maria sells for about $399K
The median property tax bill is $4,279, against $2,730 across Florida, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Homes sold in Ave Maria spent a median 121 days on the market. The town’s rent at the middle of the market comes in at $2,425 a month. Just over four fifths of Ave Maria households live in a home they own.
$399Kmedian sale price
| Ave Maria | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,425 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 82% | 72% | 73% |
Market temperature
121
days on market
96.4%
sale-to-list price
27
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ave Maria
17pages on Ave Maria
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Ave Maria
College town 17 of every 100 Ave Maria residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
About Ave Maria
Census-designated place in Florida, United States
Ave Maria, Florida, is a planned community and census-designated place (CDP) located in Collier County, Florida, United States, consisting of approximately 5,000 acres (2,023 ha). The population was 6,242 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Naples-Marco Island, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The community was founded in 2005 by Ave Maria Development, a partnership of Barron Collier Companies and the Ave Maria Foundation led by Roman Catholic entrepreneur Tom Monaghan, founder of Domino's Pizza and Ave Maria University, which is located in the heart of town. Along with shops and restaurants, the town square also features the Ave Maria parish church with steel arches and a 30-foot-t…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 2007
- Elevation
- 3 ft
- Area code
- 239
Questions about Ave Maria
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Ave Maria, FL a good place to live?
Ave Maria grades C+ overall, better than 45% of U.S. towns and #206 of 634 in Florida. It grades A− for health and A− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Ave Maria, FL expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $459,000, 22% above the Florida typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.