The 2020 US Census reported 6,328 as the Sanibel Island Population.
As many of you know, Sanibel is a seasonal vacation destination for most people, a second home for others, and a full-time home for some of us. In the winter, we definitely have an uptick in people on the island. Year-round, I’d venture to say the number of full-time residents is closer to 3,200.
Small-Town Sanibel
Many of you also know that more than 60% of Sanibel Island is conservation land. Sanibel’s building codes have protected the island from high-rise condos and major chain stores. These protections preserve our small-town character and will forever keep us surrounded by the island’s natural beauty.
Take a peek at the charts below to see how the Sanibel Island population compares to other Florida beach towns such as St. Pete Beach, Siesta Key, St. Augustine Beach, Naples and more.
Total Population Florida Beach Towns
Click chart to enlarge
The population stats above came from the US Census in 2020. However, we’d like to point out that much like Sanibel, most of these beach towns listed above are also “seasonal” where the population varies depending on the time of year.
What About Population Density?
Below you’ll see the full density report for each of the beach towns compared above. Think of density as “people per square mile,” where you take the total population and divide it by the square miles of land for that area.
Keep in mind that these numbers can fluctuate seasonally just as I explained for Sanibel’s population up-tick during the winter months. However, it provides a good comparison of just how populated other beach towns are compared to little ol’ Sanibel.
Why Density Matters
As you can see, when you look at the population alone, you don’t always get a true sense of how busy a town might feel. The density report shows us that towns like Marco, Naples, and Venice are 4x more densely populated than Sanibel.
Siesta Key and West Palm Beach are 6x more dense than Sanibel Island. Jacksonville Beach and St. Augustine Beach are 9x more dense, and bigger areas like Fort Lauderdale are 14x more dense than Sanibel.
We share this information as your real estate professionals to help you better understand how Sanibel compares to other Florida beach towns. We love all of the areas listed in the report, and we know that each area has its pluses and minuses. When it comes to density and population, Sanibel shines.
Click here to read our article “Getting To Know Sanibel Island”
Click here to read our article “Sanibel’s Incredibly Low Population Per Beach Mile”
Click here to read our article “My First Time on Sanibel Island”
