Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 38,365, settled in 1895.
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 92% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. Overall it grades C, ranked 321st of 634 in Florida. Residents are healthier than 82% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates and the median household earns $104K. Its weakest subject is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $486K, 6.4 years of the Cape Coral metro’s $76K median household income. 52% of residents are 65 or older in Estero, above both the Florida town median (20%) and the median of U.S. towns (18%). Estero Bay Preserve State Park, at 1,361 acres with 3.5 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
Where Estero beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
22,612 counted in 2010 and 36,939 in 2020; an estimated 38,365 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Estero is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 3,177 in 1990, 36,939 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1904 and 3 maps from 1958 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Estero, and how to reach them.
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 Estero.
Estero is a second-home town and has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Florida.
Its public schools are run by the Lee school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Estero High School, with 1,571 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinewoods Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 1,025 | A |
| Estero High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,571 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
32 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. Estero’s trail density is 1.3 miles per square mile.
| Estero | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.3 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 11% | 3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Estero Bay Preserve State Park | 3.5 mi | 1,361 |
| 2. Koreshan State Historic Site | 3.2 mi | 197 |
| 3. Estero Community Park | 1.8 mi | 56 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Since 2016, 188 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Estero.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
12% of adults report frequent mental distress in Estero. Estero beats the Florida average on 19 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 29% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Estero.
| Estero | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 16% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 37% | 36% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 85% | 79% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 16% |
| What stands out | Estero | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 5.8% | 13.9% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 3.7% | 8.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 16.5% | 9.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
At 6.4 years of the Cape Coral metro’s $76K median household income, the typical home (about $486K) costs more against local pay than in 77% of Florida towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living. The typical value, about $486K, is 14% below its March 2024 peak.
The median rent in Estero is $1,920 a month. The typical Estero home is worth about $486,000, down 2.3% in a year, 29% above the Florida typical home. 86% of Estero households own their home.
| Estero | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,920 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 86% | 72% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The Naples weather station, 19 miles away, records that about 121 days a year reach 90°, more than in 98% of U.S. towns. January nights average 54.3°, milder than in 99% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 91.5°.
Estero has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Estero | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 54°F | 51°F | 22°F |
| July high | 92°F | 91°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Estero has about as many jobs (11,705) as working residents, but only 1,276 people both live and work here. Jobs based here grew from 7,448 in 2013 to 11,705.
Most working residents leave Estero for work: only 10% work in town. Since 2013, Estero has added 4,257 jobs, to 11,705 in 2023. The top destinations are Bonita Springs (8%), Fort Myers (8%) and Naples (4%).
| Estero | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 23% | 14% | 11% |
| Median household income | $104,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 7.7% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 10% | 5% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Estero. Close and well known come first.
in town Stadium & arenaHertz Arena
in town State parkKoreshan State Historic Site
31 mi National PreserveBig Cypress National Preserve2.3M visitors a year4 mi State parkMound Key Archeological State Park
15 mi MuseumEdison and Ford Winter Estates
33 mi State parkCayo Costa State ParkHertz Arena: Tthaas, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Koreshan State Historic Site: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Big Cypress National Preserve: Gzzz, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Edison and Ford Winter Estates: Rolf Müller (User:Rolfmueller), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cayo Costa State Park: https://www.flickr.com/photos/andrea_pauline/, CC BY-SA 2.0
3 within 15 miles of the center of Estero
About 4 of every 100 Estero residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
Village in Florida, United States
Estero (Spanish for "estuary") is an incorporated village in Lee County, Florida, United States, located directly beside the first aquatic nature preserve established in Florida: The Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve, otherwise referred to as Estero Bay Preserve State Park which is within Estero Bay, Florida. At the time of the 2010 census, Estero was an unincorporated community and census-designated place, but incorporated as a village on the last calendar date of 2014. It is part of the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,939. Sandwiched along Florida's Gulf Coast between Naples to the south and Fort Myers to the north, Este…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Estero.
| Town | FL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estero | #321 | C | D | — | C+ | A− |
| Bonita Springs | #375 | C | D | — | C+ | B+ |
| Three Oaks | #273 | C+ | D | — | C+ | A |
| San Carlos Park | #309 | C | C | — | C+ | B+ |
Estero, Bonita Springs, Three Oaks and San Carlos Park report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Estero with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Estero grades C overall, better than 33% of U.S. towns and #321 of 634 in Florida. It grades A− for health and C+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
