CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

26.32° N · 81.44° W · GEOID 1202677

Ave Maria

Collier County, Florida · part of the Naples, FL metro

FloridaAve Maria, FLAve MariaAve Maria

The short answer

Ave Maria is home to 8,258 people. Median household income is $102,949 a year and median rent is $2,425 a month, 28.3% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is moderate. The median home is valued at $459,200, about 4.5x annual median household income.

The story in Ave Maria is how fast things are changing. Housing became more affordable between 2021 and 2024: rent went from 34.5% to 28.3% of income. Also notable: Household income growth is 10.4% a year, against 4.6% a year in its closest peers.

32OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Below average

Ave Maria scores better than 32% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 199th of 474 in Florida.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%21
Economy 20%72
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%44
Education 10%72
Commute 10%1
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$2,425
78% above the median place
Median household income
$102,949
28% above the median place
Median home value
$459,200
44% above the median place
Unemployment
3.9%
20% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Ave Maria

  • HousingHalf the homes were built after 2015, newer housing than in 99% of the 2,479 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-highest of 474 Florida places we track.
  • HousingOwning with a mortgage costs only about $74 a month more than the median rent, a smaller gap than in 91% of the 2,469 places under 10,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Ave Maria

Collier County gains about 7.4 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in23,227
Moved out20,816
Net+2,411

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Florida, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within FloridaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$283K
Leavers$126K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Collier County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
14.4% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 6.3% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Collier County report $283,500 a year in income on average; those leaving, $126,400, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$97,000 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $2,425 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,499 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $459,200.
Getting to work
42 minutes each way on average; 23.4% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Odessa, FL matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
14.4%
150% above the median place
Moved from another state1
6.3%
217% above the median place
Income of households moving in7
$283,468
302% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureAve MariaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year114.4%150% above
Moved from another state16.3%217% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure7.4above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$283,468302% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$126,37980% above
02

What it costs to live here

Home values are about 27% lower than we would expect for a place with these incomes, education levels, housing age and household types in the same metro area. That can mean good value, or drawbacks these figures do not capture, such as crime, schools or location.

Ave Maria28.3%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$97,000
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
28.3%
39% above the median place
Home price to income
4.5x
17% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
28%
just under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$75,500
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Ave Maria, $2,425 a month, and local prices for everything else (97.8 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Ave Maria, but easier on the budget

Places that match Ave Maria on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Odessa, FL9319.4% vs 28.3%$23,600Compare
Minneola, FL9022.4% vs 28.3%$13,300Compare
Gateway, FL8921.1% vs 28.3%$11,400Compare
Fish Hawk, FL8820.2% vs 28.3%$37,200Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Ave Maria.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Ave Maria? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Median year built1
2015
2% above the median place
Renters paying 30%+1
71.3%
41% above the median place
Vacant homes1
21.6%
206% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureAve MariaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$2,42578% above
Rent to income128.3%39% above
Property tax rate10.9%2% above
Home price to income14.5x17% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure103.22% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,03626% above
HUD area median income4County figure$121,00013% above
Property tax paid (median)1$4,27931% above
Median home value1$459,20044% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure-2.5%below (median 3.2%)
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure67.7%31% above
Homeownership181.8%23% above
Renters paying 30%+171.3%41% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,49933% above
Vacant homes121.6%206% above
Median year built120152% above
03

Work and pay

Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 250 hours a year commuting, more than in 96% of the 2,101 places under 10,000 people we track.

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Mean commute1
42 min
70% above the median place
Works from home1
23.4%
88% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Median household income$102,949 +28%
Income per person$34,754 −13%
Poverty rate10.9% +2%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureAve MariaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$102,94928% above
Income per person1$34,75413% below
Unemployment1County figure3.9%20% below
Average annual pay6County figure$70,2146% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.2%14% below
Jobs6County figure172,46614% above
Poverty rate110.9%2% above
Mean commute142 min70% above
Works from home123.4%88% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Homes with broadband is 96.3%, 4% above the median place.

Homes with broadband1
96.3%
4% above the median place
Household size1
3.0
18% above the median place
Born abroad1
18.3%
107% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Bachelor's or higher44.6% +39%
Median age37.9 −3%
High school or higher91.8% −1%
All 8 people measures
MeasureAve MariaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population18,2584831st largest
Median age137.93% below
Bachelor's or higher144.6%39% above
High school or higher191.8%1% below
Household size13.018% above
Born abroad118.3%107% above
No health insurance1County figure11.3%77% above
Homes with broadband196.3%4% above
05

Life in Ave Maria

The nearest National Park Service site is Big Cypress National Preserve, about 33 miles away.

Founded or incorporated in 2007. 19 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents10.9 +7%
Playgrounds per 10k10.9 +16%
Grocery stores per 10k1.2 −43%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k8.5 −24%
Libraries per 10k2.4 2.8×
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.5 2.2×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Big Cypress National Preserve 33 miles
  • Everglades National Park 84 miles
  • Biscayne National Park 97 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars23.1 +11%
Shops38.1 +26%
Arts, recreation and fitness6.2 +51%
Doctors' offices and clinics30.6 +51%
Child care centers1.1 −52%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site10
32.9
7% above the median place
Child care centers per 10k8
1.1
52% below the median place
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8
30.6
51% above the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureAve MariaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure74above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure48,252above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure17.312% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure23.111% above
Shops per 10k8County figure38.126% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure6.251% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure30.651% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure1.152% below
Parks per 10k910.97% above
Playgrounds per 10k910.916% above
Grocery stores per 10k91.243% below
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k98.524% below
Libraries per 10k92.4178% above
Named paths and bike trails90.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.5124% above
Nearest National Park Service site1032.97% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles10150% below
National Register listings11County figure1946% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Average temperature is 75°F, 37% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Ave Maria. Larger places are fetched first.

Average temperature13
75°F
37% above the median place
January average low13
54°F
114% above the median place
Hurricane risk14
99.8
41% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureAve MariaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure93°F7% above
January average low13County figure54°F114% above
Average temperature13County figure75°F37% above
Annual precipitation13County figure54.9 in25% above
Natural hazard risk14County figure98.97% above
Hurricane risk14County figure99.841% above
Tornado risk14County figure76.46% below
Wildfire risk14County figure96.458% above
Heat wave risk14County figure93.74% above
Median air quality index15County figure430% above
Good air days15County figure72.1%5% above
08

Ave Maria in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 28% of the median income in 2030, down from 28% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Ave Maria does better than 24% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 32%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$2,425/mo (2024)$3,120/mo$2,560 to $3,800/mo+4.3%
Median household income$102,949 (2024)$135,000$114,000 to $159,500+4.6%
Median home value$459,200 (2024)$651,000$473,000 to $897,000+6.0%

The median home would be worth 4.8 years of the median income in 2030, against 4.5 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Ave Maria

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Wellington, CO$2,473$107,017Compare
Maryland City, MD$2,421$117,337Compare
Three Lakes, FL$2,361$102,306Compare
Plantation, FL$2,240$92,541Compare
Plantation, FLThree Lakes, FLMaryland City, MDWellington, COAve Maria, FLAve MariaWellingtonMaryland CityPlantationAve MariaWellingtonMaryland CityPlantation

Places built like Ave Maria

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Ave Maria performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Ave Maria, FL28.3%10.4%/yrn/a
Odessa, FL19.4%6.9%/yrn/aCompare
Wendell, NC18.3%10.1%/yr100.0%Compare
Gainesville, VA15.7%4.3%/yrn/aCompare
Wedgefield, FL30.7%8.2%/yrn/aCompare
Gateway, FL21.1%1.4%/yrn/aCompare
Lake Wylie, SC18.3%2.4%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is Ave Maria a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 32 out of 100, better than 32% of the places we rate and 199th of 474 in Florida. Half the homes were built after 2015, newer housing than in 99% of the 2,479 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-highest of 474 Florida places we track. Owning with a mortgage costs only about $74 a month more than the median rent, a smaller gap than in 91% of the 2,469 places under 10,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 54 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Ave Maria expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 28.3% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $459,200.

What salary do you need to live in Ave Maria?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $97,000 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Ave Maria?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Wellington, CO, Maryland City, MD, Three Lakes, FL and Plantation, FL.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Ave Maria with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Ave Maria itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/ave-maria-florida

Citytistics. “Ave Maria, Florida.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/ave-maria-florida/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.