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Buying a home in Estero, Florida

The typical owner-occupied home in Estero is worth about $461,900, 29% above the Florida median of $359,000 and 39% above the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $3,877 a year in property taxes, about 0.84% of their home's value, higher than the Florida rate of 0.76%. The median household earns $104,102 a year, so the median home costs 4.4 times the median income (4.8 times for Florida). 86% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 42% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Estero at a glance

Estero Florida U.S.
Median home value $461,900 $359,000 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $3,877 $2,730 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.84% 0.76% 0.94%
Median household income $104,102 $74,568 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 86% 68% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 42% 56% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $2,235 $1,959 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 21.5% 23.6% 21.0%
Median rent $1,920 $1,669 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 32.0% 35.2% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 2004 1988 1980
Vacant homes 31.1% 14.7% 10.1%
Population 37,858 22,416,077 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Estero

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Estero home of $461,900 with 20% down costs about $3,002 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $3,771, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $128,639 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 35% of the median Estero household income of $104,102; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $374,000.

The median rent here is $1,920 a month, so owning the median home costs about $1,082 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$92,380
Loan amount$369,520
Principal and interest$2,486
Property taxes (0.84% a year)$323
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$192
PMI$0
Total per month$3,002

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$16,166
Loan amount$453,534
Principal and interest$3,051
Property taxes (0.84% a year)$323
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$192
FHA mortgage insurance$204
Total per month$3,771

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Questions about home buying in Estero

What is the median home value in Estero?

About $461,900 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Estero?

Homeowners pay a median $3,877 a year, which is about 0.84% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in Estero?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $3,002 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $128,639 a year.

More about Estero

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data