Pelican BayFL
Some 6,159 people live in this town, in Florida.
Is Pelican Bay a good place to live?
A solid town with one catch. Its best grade is for health — it is healthier than 85% of U.S. towns. Schools are a strength too (A−): its public schools beat 83% of Florida towns on state tests and graduation. What holds it back is cost of living — the typical home is worth about $1.3 million, 14.3 years of the Naples metro’s $90K median household income. Overall, that makes a B, better than 56% of U.S. towns. It ranks 112th of 634 in Florida. Hazard risk is weaker too: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 89% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. 78% of residents are 65 or older in Pelican Bay, against 20% in Florida’s towns and 18% across U.S. towns.
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · schools, state test and graduation results · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · FEMA National Risk Index.
What makes Pelican Bay stand out
Where Pelican Bay beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
10 miles of trails in Pelican Bay
4.1% of the town is conserved land, across 4 parks and preserves.
How Pelican Bay grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Pelican Bay is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Pelican Bay: who provides what
Pelican Bay is unincorporated, so Collier 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Pelican Bay.
Pelican Bay draws workers from Bonita Springs and beyond 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.
Pelican Bay stands out in Florida and nationally: trail density there is higher
The biggest place to walk is Clam Pass Park, 139 acres with 1 miles of trail. Count the trails in 4 parks and preserves and they come to 10 miles.
| Pelican Bay | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 3.0 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.1% | 3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Clam Pass Park | 1 mi | 139 |
| 2. Pelican Bay Community Park | 0.9 mi | 13 |
| 3. Ridgewood Park | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
In Pelican Bay, the median household income runs higher than in the typical Florida or U.S. town
3,854 jobs are based in Pelican Bay, 3.4 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. Jobs based here fell from 5,395 in 2013 to 3,854.
For half of commuters, work is under 42 miles away. The share of residents in Pelican Bay who live below the poverty line: 7.7%. Jobs based here fell to 3,854 in 2023, 1,541 fewer than in 2013. In Pelican Bay, the typical journey to work is 19 minutes.
| Pelican Bay | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $164,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 7.7% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 8.4% | 5% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
For health, Pelican Bay earns an A−
Against the 1,957 U.S. towns with household incomes like Pelican Bay’s, it is less healthy than 73%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
Among adults in Pelican Bay, 12% have been diagnosed with depression. Of the 636 Florida towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults who smoke cigarettes than Pelican Bay. In Pelican Bay, 8% of adults report frequent mental distress, and 6.7% binge drink. This Florida town beats the Florida average on 21 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 6.
| Pelican Bay | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 32% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 8% | 16% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 6.7% | 15% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 37% | 36% |
| What stands out | Pelican Bay | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 2.7% | 13.9% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 1.9% | 8.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 23.7% | 9.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Pelican Bay has a very high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from hurricanes
Since 1988, Pelican Bay has seen 322 flood insurance claims paid out. Expected losses in Pelican Bay break down as 68% from hurricanes and 21% from inland flooding.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Mild winters and hot summers in Pelican Bay
The Naples Muni Ap weather station, 6 miles away, records that about 104 days a year reach 90°, more than in 95% of U.S. towns. January nights average 55.4°, milder than in 99% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 91.3°.
The midsummer high for Pelican Bay comes to 91°F. Snowfall is close to zero.
| Pelican Bay | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 55°F | 51°F | 22°F |
| July high | 91°F | 91°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
For cost of living, Pelican Bay earns a D−
At 14.3 years of the Naples metro’s $90K median household income, the typical home costs more against local pay than in 99% of Florida towns; that ratio is one input to that grade. The median property tax bill is $8,943, against $2,730 across Florida, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Pelican Bay’s rent at the middle of the market is $3,420 a month. For households here, the share who live in a home they own is 95%. In Pelican Bay, the typical sale closed at 93.5% of the list price.
| Pelican Bay | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $3,420 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 95% | 72% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everglades National Park and 11 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Pelican Bay. Close and well known come first.
32 mi National ParkEverglades National Park778K visitors a year
29 mi National PreserveBig Cypress National Preserve2.3M visitors a year
14 mi Stadium & arenaHertz Arena13 mi State parkMound Key Archeological State Park
14 mi State parkKoreshan State Historic Site
28 mi MuseumEdison and Ford Winter EstatesPhoto 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 · Koreshan State Historic Site: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Edison and Ford Winter Estates: Rolf Müller (User:Rolfmueller), CC BY-SA 3.0
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Everything we know about Pelican Bay
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Pelican Bay
About 1 of every 100 Pelican Bay residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
Pelican Bay lives by the ocean
Coastal flooding makes up 8% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
41.8% of homes are seasonal or vacation homes, so the town is fuller in summer than its census count suggests.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
About Pelican Bay
Census-designated place in Florida, United States
Pelican Bay is a census-designated place (CDP) in Collier County, Florida, United States. The population was 6,660 at the 2020 census, up from 6,346 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 10 ft
- Area code
- 239
Pelican Bay’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Pelican Bay.
| Town | FL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pelican Bay | #112 | B | D− | — | A− | A− |
| Naples | #46 | B+ | D− | — | A− | A− |
| Pine Ridge | — | — | D | — | A− | A+ |
Pine Ridge has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Pelican Bay, Naples and Pine Ridge report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Pelican Bay with a neighbor →
Questions about Pelican Bay
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Pelican Bay, FL a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Pelican Bay grades B overall, better than 56% of U.S. towns and #112 of 634 in Florida. It grades A− for health and A− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Pelican Bay, FL expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $1,288,000, 243% 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−.