125 years in pictures
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1901Captiva is settled
Each edition grades its towns against each other only.

A town of 99, settled in 1901.
68% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Captiva, against 31% in Florida’s towns and 29% across U.S. towns. Of the 639 Florida towns we compare, none has a higher share of households owning their home than Captiva. Captiva has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Tween Waters Inn Historic District and Captiva School and Chapel-by-the-Sea Historic District. Captiva has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Captiva beats most towns.
Coastal flooding makes up 27% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Captiva 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 Captiva.
The typical Captiva home is worth about $1,196,000, down 3.8% in a year, 3 times the Florida typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
48% of Captiva residents live below the poverty line, where Florida’s towns sit at 11% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. 70% of workers work from home in Captiva. Jobs based in Captiva fell to 298 in 2023, 503 fewer than in 2013.
| Captiva | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 70% | 14% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 48% | 11% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 91% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Captiva has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Captiva’s July high is 92°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
24% of Captiva adults have diabetes. Of the 637 Florida towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Captiva. 18% of Captiva adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| Captiva | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 15% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 9.1% | 15% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 57% | 37% | 35% |
| What stands out | Captiva | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 9.1% | 14.6% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10% | 13.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 17.2% | 7.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0.7 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Captiva | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 6.5% | 3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Turner Beach | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Captiva; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Captiva residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
2 places in Captiva on the National Register of Historic Places.
Census-designated place in Florida, United States
Captiva is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Lee County, Florida, United States. It is on Captiva Island. As of the 2020 census, the population was 318, down from 583 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. Just offshore in the Gulf of Mexico, the island is north of Sanibel Island. Captiva is accessed by a small bridge that crosses Blind Pass from Sanibel Island. Many of Captiva's homes, condominiums, and businesses were destroyed during Hurricane Charley in 2004, but the island recovered shortly thereafter. In September 2022, Hurricane Ian caused significant damage to the causeway and to the island's…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Captiva has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.