Lee County Homes for Sale

Lee County snapshot (April 2026): typical home value $337K ($235/sqft), median rent $1,864, about 9,834 active listings, a median 94 days on market, and 18.2% of listings cutting price — a balanced market. Values are -5.4% over the past year and +2.3% over five years.

Lee Health is the largest employer in Southwest Florida, and healthcare broadly anchors the economy alongside tourism on the Gulf beaches, a large construction and real-estate sector feeding rapid growth, and retail. Hertz Global is headquartered in nearby Estero, Chico's FAS in Fort Myers, and the region's retiree-and-second-home base supports a deep services economy.

The School District operates the public schools in Lee County. In the state's 2025-26 school grades, 97 graded schools in the county received 33 A, 29 B, 35 C and 0 D or F grades. The district also runs magnet, choice or academy programs that enroll outside standard attendance zones. Grades and attendance zones change every year, so check the state's full list on our Lee County school grades page and confirm zoning for a specific address with the district before you write an offer.

• Fort Myers High School
• Cypress Lake High School (Center for the Arts magnet)
• Estero High School
• North Fort Myers High School
• Bonita Springs High School

Because Lee uses a choice/lottery model, confirm current assignment-and-lottery rules for a specific home rather than assuming a single zoned school. See school-zone guides →

A median-priced Lee County home costs about $2,500/month all-in (mortgage, tax, and insurance, 10% down) against median household income of $73,099. Florida's homestead exemption removes up to $50,000 of assessed value, and Save Our Homes caps annual assessed-value increases at 3% while you keep the homestead.

At about $2,197 a year on average, Lee is middle-of-the-pack for Florida — manageable, but very address-dependent near the water. Wind-mitigation features earn insurance credits; flood insurance is priced separately by address. Run your own numbers with the true cost calculator.

Builders pulled 13,547 residential permits last year (-12.1% YoY) — 9,962 single-family and 3,585 multifamily, about 17.1 per 1,000 residents. Active master-planned communities include Babcock Ranch (solar-powered town; a top-selling U.S. master plan); Kingston (rising 11,000-home community); Gateway; WildBlue; Verandah; Miromar Lakes. Builders compete on rate buydowns and closing-cost credits; buyer representation matters even on a new build. See active builders →

Lee County has about 792,692 residents. On a net domestic basis it gained roughly 4,899 people and a net +$1.26B in adjusted gross income in the latest IRS filing year (county-to-county moves within the U.S.; this does not count international migration or births). Domestic arrivals are led by NY, IL, NJ, OH. Migration is the demand engine behind prices: when more income flows in than out, it supports both rents and values.

Expect a recovering, buyer-friendly market over the next 12 months: long-term migration and affordability keep demand healthy, but Ian recovery, high insurance, and a heavy construction pipeline (Babcock Ranch, Kingston) give buyers leverage and keep price growth modest, especially in storm-affected coastal zones.

Lee Health is the largest employer in Southwest Florida, and healthcare broadly anchors the economy alongside tourism on the Gulf beaches, a large construction and real-estate sector feeding rapid growth, and retail. Hertz Global is headquartered in nearby Estero, Chico's FAS in Fort Myers, and the region's retiree-and-second-home base supports a deep services economy.

• Lee Health (largest employer in SW Florida)
• School District of Lee County
• Publix
• Lee County government
• Walmart
• Hertz Global (Estero HQ)
• Chico's FAS (Fort Myers HQ)
• Gartner

Lee Health is Southwest Florida's largest employer; Hertz Global is headquartered in nearby Estero.

A deep, diversified employer base is what underpins housing demand through national cycles. Talk to a local Lee County agent →

Lee County is Gulf-coast leisure: Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel's shelling and Captiva's beaches, Cape Coral's vast canal-and-boating network, the Edison & Ford Winter Estates, and spring-training baseball (the Red Sox and Twins). Babcock Ranch offers a novel solar-powered new-town lifestyle, and the overall package is relatively affordable Gulf living for retirees, boaters, and households.

Hurricane and storm-surge exposure is the dominant risk — Hurricane Ian (2022) devastated Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, and parts of Cape Coral, and the resulting insurance market is among the hardest and most expensive in the state. Flood-zone status and elevation are decisive on the coast and the canals, and rapid inland growth in Cape Coral and Lehigh Acres brings overbuilding and absorption questions.