Lehigh Acres today
What this means
Values in Lehigh Acres are down 5.3% over the past year, now 14.8% below the Mar 2024 peak.
Treat these as area figures and confirm rent with comps. Sources and method: how these figures are built.
Quick facts
| Lehigh Acres | vs Lee County | vs Florida | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 132,353 (Census survey) | ||
| Median home value | $292,400 | 19% lower | 19% lower |
| Median gross rent | $1,657 | 3% lower | 1% lower |
| Median household income | $66,890 | 12% lower | 10% lower |
| Owner occupied homes | 70% | -4.3 pts | +2.4 pts |
| Residents 65 and older | 13% | -15.9 pts | -8.3 pts |
| Average commute (minutes) | 38 | 30% higher | 36% higher |
| Homes built 2010 or later | 12.9% | -2.8 pts | -1.3 pts |
| Median property tax paid | $1,890 | 34% lower | 31% lower |
Census survey figures are 2020 to 2024 averages; methods.
Living in Lehigh Acres
Unincorporated community in eastern Lee County bordering Fort Myers, founded in 1954 on cattle pasture and laid out in small residential lots.
Lehigh Acres is an unincorporated community, so there is no city government; Lee County handles zoning, permits and rental rules.
Known for: former Buckingham Army Airfield; Lee Boulevard and Homestead Road corridors
Development and roads: Covers about 61,000 acres with more than 1,400 miles of roads; State Road 82 forms the southern edge.
Against the Lee County averages, fewer homes are seasonal or vacation homes (2.1% vs 18%); households are larger (3.35 vs 2.45 people); the population is younger (13% age 65 or older vs 28.9%) and less of the housing is in apartment and condo buildings (3.3% vs 21.2%).
If you like the numbers here, also look at Casselberry ($299,200, $1,674), Kissimmee ($304,400, $1,647), Hallandale Beach ($279,100, $1,653).
Growth and housing
The Census does not publish yearly estimates for unincorporated places, so growth here is read from housing age and the county trend. Lee County grew 15.1% from 2020 to 2025.
The typical home here was built around 2003. Most housing is single family (82%). Households average 3.35 people.
Fewer newcomers from out of state than the county average (1.1% vs 4.1%).
Risks to price in
| Risk item | Detail |
|---|---|
| County average homeowners insurance with wind | $3,576 a year |
| Hurricanes tied to Lee County since 2000 | Charley (2004), Ian (2022) |
| Coastal county | check flood zone and elevation per address |
Flood, storms and jobs
Flood insurance here follows Lee County, which holds CRS class 5 (25% discount). Countywide, 41.8% of homes sit in a FEMA high risk zone; the Lee County guide has the full flood, storm and jobs picture.
Buying a home in Lehigh Acres
| 2026 loan limits (county) | Amount |
|---|---|
| FHA, one unit | $541,287 |
| Conforming, one unit | $832,750 |
| Median home value here | $292,400 |
Price to income: 4.4x, compared with 4.8x for the county.
- Conventional: the default for buyers with solid credit and 5% or more down.
- FHA: the Lehigh Acres median of $292,400 fits under the $541,287 limit.
Investing in Lehigh Acres
Long term rentals
| Lehigh Acres | vs Lee County | |
|---|---|---|
| Renter occupied homes | 30% | +4.3 pts |
| Rental vacancy | 3.9% | -6.4 pts |
| Rent as share of renter income | 36.2% | +1.1 pts |
Short term rentals
2.1% of homes are held for seasonal or vacation use (Lee County 18%).
| Short term rental taxes | Rate |
|---|---|
| County tourist development tax | 5% |
| State sales tax | 6% plus any county surtax |
Get the zoning and HOA answer in writing before you count on nightly income. State rules
Property types
| Housing stock | Share |
|---|---|
| Single family detached | 82% |
| Buildings with 5+ units | 3.3% |
| Manufactured homes | 0.5% |
Nearby
Other Florida markets
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5 year estimates. 2020 to 2024.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates, Vintage 2025. July 1, 2025.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025 annual. 2025.
- FFIEC HMDA Data Browser, originated loans. 2025 and 2024.
- LendingTree: 2026 FHA loan limits in Florida by county (HUD figures). 2026.
- Florida Realtors: FHFA sets 2026 conforming loan limits. 2026.
- Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research: 2026 local option tourist tax rates. 2026.
- Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, July 2026 Insurance Stability Unit report (average homeowners premium with wind, as of March 31, 2026). March 31, 2026.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey. week of October 22, 2026.
- Wikipedia: List of counties in Florida. checked October 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file. 2024.
- Wikipedia county article and statewide lists (colleges, teams, airports); Florida Defense Support Task Force installation map. checked October 2026.
- Wikipedia article for this place (history, setting, roads). checked October 2026.
- Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), all homes, middle tier, smoothed and seasonally adjusted. September 2026.
- Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (county annual, metro and state quarterly, all transactions). through Q2 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, January to September 2026 and 2025. September 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Residential Penetration Rates. as of August 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims (2000 to 2026). as of September 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book (Community Rating System class). August 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries (2000 to 2026). October 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023. 2023.
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020 to 2024, median gross rent by bedrooms (B25031). 2020 to 2024.
- Hurricane landfalls: Wikipedia, List of Florida hurricanes (2000 to present). checked October 2026.
Estimates from public data; they change over time. General information, not investment, tax or legal advice, and not a loan offer. Methods and assumptions.