Village · Lee County, Florida

Estero, Florida

Estero is a village in Lee County, Florida, part of the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL metro area. It has 37,858 residents. Estero, Florida has a quality-of-life score of 60 out of 100 (high), ranking #6,252 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Florida it ranks #202 of 780 cities and towns. It ranks best on new business applications (high), mammography screening (high) and life expectancy (high). It ranks worst on hot days (high), income inequality (Gini index) (high) and natural hazard risk (high).

60High

Quality-of-life score: #6,252 of 15,651 cities and towns
Florida: #202 of 780 in FL
Population: 37,858 (2020-2024)
Land area: 24 mi²
Density: 1,553.4 /mi²
FIPS code: 1221150

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 75 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety51#7,597/15,637
Economy82#2,872/15,631
Housing18#12,236/14,977
Health84#2,529/15,609
Healthcare37#9,866/15,650
Environment57#6,582/15,453
Education83#2,686/15,649
Infrastructure71#4,604/15,650
Community16#13,145/15,651
Leisure & amenities62#6,000/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Estero, Florida ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Lee County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

New business applications · high24.7 /1k
95/100Florida 27.6 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauLee County value
Mammography screening · high55.0%
91/100Florida 46.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteLee County value
Life expectancy · high81.0 yrs
89/100Florida 78.5 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteLee County value
Poor or fair health · low12.6%
89/100Florida 19.6%United States 19.9%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
New homes permitted · high10.4 /1k
89/100Florida 7.0 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Adult obesity · low27.3%
88/100Florida 34.5%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate

Weaknesses

Hot days · high126 days
3/100Florida 102 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationLee County value
Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.506
5/100Florida 0.485United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Natural hazard risk · high95.6
5/100Florida 75.92025Federal Emergency Management AgencyLee County value
Public libraries · low0.2 /10k
5/100Florida 0.2 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesLee County value
Time spent in the emergency room · high238 min
6/100Florida 158 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesLee County value
Rent-burdened households · high53.5%
7/100Florida 60.1%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
32,815 (2015-2019) → 37,858 (2020-2024)
+15%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
New homes permittedImproving
0.8 /1k (2021) → 10.4 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+1,202%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
45.5% (2015-2019) → 53.5% (2020-2024)
+8 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Median household incomeImproving
$82,054 (2015-2019) → $104,102 (2020-2024)
+27%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
26.7% (2015-2019) → 32.0% (2020-2024)
+5.3 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Worsening
7.0% (2015-2019) → 10.9% (2020-2024)
+3.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Estero, Florida improved on 2 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 2. 9 moved within the margin of error and 1 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved2

Household income+27%$82,054 → $104,102
Broadband+2.6 points91.8% → 94.4%

Declined2

Uninsured+3.9 points7.0% → 10.9%
Inequality+0.0490.457 → 0.506

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Estero, Florida between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	25.6 min2015-2019	26.0 min2020-2024	+0.4 min	Within the margin of error	43%
Bachelor's degree or higher	48.2%2015-2019	50.8%2020-2024	+2.6 points	Within the margin of error	49%
Broadband subscriptions	91.8%2015-2019	94.4%2020-2024	+2.6 points	Improved	18%
Child poverty rate	8.2%2015-2019	6.9%2020-2024	−1.3 points	Within the margin of error	52%
Effective property tax rate	1.09%2015-2019	0.83%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Little change	70%
High school diploma or higher	95.0%2015-2019	97.1%2020-2024	+2.1 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Home price to income ratio	4.1×2015-2019	4.4×2020-2024	+0.3×	Within the margin of error	61%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4572015-2019	0.5062020-2024	+0.049	Declined	17%
Median household income	$82,0542015-2019	$104,1022020-2024	+27%	Improved	48%
Poverty rate	6.7%2015-2019	7.7%2020-2024	+1 points	Within the margin of error	34%
Rent as share of income	26.7%2015-2019	32.0%2020-2024	+5.3 points	Within the margin of error	21%
Rent-burdened households	45.5%2015-2019	53.5%2020-2024	+8 points	Within the margin of error	29%
Unemployment rate	4.4%2015-2019	3.1%2020-2024	−1.3 points	Within the margin of error	74%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	7.0%2015-2019	10.9%2020-2024	+3.9 points	Declined	15%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Estero, Florida five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Estero, Florida in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Estero, Florida itself moved −6.7 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

37,858 residents (±52)

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

18,573 households (±449)

Estero, Florida
Florida share

Under $25k10%1,880
$25k–50k13%2,363
$50k–75k14%2,531

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

18,573 households (±449)

Estero, Florida
Florida share

Own86%15,981
Rent14%2,592

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

13,364 workers (±716)

Estero, Florida
Florida share

Drive alone69%9,159
Carpool5.5%†729
Public transit0.0%0

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Lee County, the county holding most of Estero's residents.

Lee County has 22,756 employer establishments, 269 for every 10,000 residents (1.08× the US rate of 248; 0.96× Florida's), with 264,855 paid employees at an average annual pay of $55,417. The Census Bureau also counts 114,704 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 22,756; 114,704 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 269; US 248 · Florida 282
Paid employees: 264,855
Average annual pay: $55,417; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Lee County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	2,697	31.9	2.06×More than typical	25,169	$57,963	10,087
Lessors of real estate	1,861	22	1.79×More than typical	5,822	$56,311	12,361
Ambulatory health care services	1,770	20.9	1.00×About typical	20,352	$74,372	6,551
Restaurants and other eating places	1,317	15.6	0.85×About typical	28,185	$24,141	634
Services to buildings and dwellings	1,254	14.8	2.20×More than typical	8,243	$40,048	10,331
Real estate agents and brokers	1,134	13.4	2.75×More than typical	1,811	$83,144	4,936
Construction of buildings	1,052	12.4	1.64×More than typical	6,504	$78,560	5,386
Building finishing contractors	916	10.8	2.85×More than typical	5,494	$48,601	3,853
Building equipment contractors	889	10.5	1.75×More than typical	9,076	$63,932	2,174
Full-service restaurants	692	8.2	1.06×About typical	17,117	$26,900	262
Management, scientific and technical consulting	686	8.1	1.21×About typical	3,288	$71,375	3,512
Offices of physicians	608	7.2	1.11×About typical	8,712	$88,676	648

Rank places for an industry Open Lee County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 846,125 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $3.3M of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Estero, Florida: $86.45 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $3.3M; +180% vs FY2025
Per resident: $86.45; US $1,994
Sole-source: 1.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 12%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Defense Logistics Agency$2.1M63%
USTRANSCOM$651.6K20%
Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$515.8K16%
Internal Revenue Service$28.4K0.9%
National Aeronautics and Space Administration$7,2650.2%
Federal Aviation Administration$3,7100.1%
Federal Acquisition Service$2,6680.1%
U.S. Secret Service$2,0630.1%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

404.1KFY2017
269.2KFY2018
95.8KFY2019
370.9KFY2020
490.6KFY2021
123.9KFY2022
262.9KFY2023
124.8K

Top industries (NAICS)

Nonscheduled air transportation · 4812$651.6K20%
Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing · 3344$613.2K19%
Communications equipment manufacturing · 3342$472.4K14%
Other electrical equipment and component manufacturing · 3359$421.1K13%
Other food manufacturing · 3119$383.5K12%
Aerospace product and parts manufacturing · 3364$329.9K

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Estero, Florida, so they do not add up across cities.

Estero, Florida's figures are part of those of Lee County, FL ($114.5M in FY2026), never added to them: 2.9% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Estero is mostly in Lee County.

See federal money in Lee County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Estero, Florida is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

Senate

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Lee County60100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL63

Other cities and towns in Lee County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/1221150

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends