CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

26.58° N · 81.75° W · GEOID 1225655

Gateway

Lee County, Florida · part of the Cape Coral, FL metro

FloridaGateway, FLGatewayGateway

The short answer

Gateway is home to 11,176 people. Median household income is $107,484 a year and median rent is $1,886 a month, 21.1% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $453,900, about 4.2x annual median household income.

Gateway stands out for what is close at hand. OpenStreetMap shows 0 grocery stores per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 93% of places its size. It is the lowest of 474 Florida places we track. Also notable: Household income growth is 1.4% a year, against 4.9% a year in its closest peers.

31OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Below average

Gateway scores better than 31% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 207th of 474 in Florida.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%42
Economy 20%65
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%8
Education 10%76
Commute 10%19
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
$1,886
38% above the median place
Median household income
$107,484
34% above the median place
Median home value
$453,900
42% above the median place
Unemployment
4.7%
3% 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.

01

Moving to Gateway

Lee County gains about 7.9 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in46,714
Moved out41,815
Net+4,899

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$124K
Leavers$85K

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

Who moves here
10.0% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 6.4% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Lee County report $123,700 a year in income on average; those leaving, $85,000, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$75,400 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,886 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,351 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $453,900.
Getting to work
31 minutes each way on average; 23.1% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Myrtle Grove, NC matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
6.4%
223% above the median place
Moved here in the past year1
10.0%
74% above the median place
Income of households moving in7
$123,695
75% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureGatewayAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year110.0%74% above
Moved from another state16.4%223% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure7.9above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$123,69575% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$84,97121% above
02

What it costs to live here

Half the homes were built after 2005, newer housing than in 95% of the 2,300 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

Gateway21.1%
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
$75,440
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
21.1%
3% above the median place
Home price to income
4.2x
11% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
21%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$86,400
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Gateway, $1,886 a month, and local prices for everything else (97.7 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Gateway, but easier on the budget

Places that match Gateway 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
Myrtle Grove, NC8915.5% vs 21.1%$11,900Compare
Lake Butler, FL8716.4% vs 21.1%$70,600Compare
Scenic Oaks, TX8612.6% vs 21.1%$74,600Compare
Bradfordville, FL8616.9% vs 21.1%$27,300Compare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Gateway? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Median year built1
2005
1% above the median place
Vacant homes1
19.8%
181% above the median place
Homeownership1
84.9%
28% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureGatewayAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,88638% above
Rent to income121.1%3% above
Property tax rate10.9%5% below
Home price to income14.2x11% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure102.31% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,83514% above
HUD area median income4County figure$105,7001% below
Property tax paid (median)1$3,89519% above
Median home value1$453,90042% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure-6.7%below (median 3.2%)
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure48.5%6% below
Homeownership184.9%28% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure60.0%19% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,35126% above
Vacant homes119.8%181% above
Median year built120051% above
03

Work and pay

23% of workers mostly work from home, more than in 85% of the 2,241 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

Poverty rate1
3.6%
67% below the median place
Works from home1
23.1%
86% above the median place
Mean commute1
31 min
24% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Income per person$56,493 +41%
Median household income$107,484 +34%
Unemployment4.7% −3%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureGatewayAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$107,48434% above
Income per person1$56,49341% above
Unemployment14.7%3% below
Average annual pay6County figure$63,7043% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.5%5% below
Jobs6County figure301,860100% above
Poverty rate13.6%67% below
Mean commute131 min24% above
Works from home123.1%86% above
Commutes by transit1County figure0.5%42% below
04

Who lives here

3.6% of residents live below the poverty line, fewer than in 92% of the 2,223 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

High school or higher1
96.3%
4% above the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
47.5%
48% above the median place
No health insurance1
4.7%
27% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Median age41.1 +5%
Homes with broadband94.2% +2%
Born abroad13.0% +47%
Household size2.6 +3%
All 8 people measures
MeasureGatewayAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population111,1763773rd largest
Median age141.15% above
Bachelor's or higher147.5%48% above
High school or higher196.3%4% above
Household size12.63% above
Born abroad113.0%47% above
No health insurance14.7%27% below
Homes with broadband194.2%2% above
05

Life in Gateway

About 0 km of named paths and bike trails are mapped in and around the city, fewer than in 84% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 474 Florida places we track.

58 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents6.3 −38%
Playgrounds per 10k20.6 2.2×
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k2.7 −76%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

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 59 miles
  • De Soto National Memorial 86 miles
  • Everglades National Park 110 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars18.1 −13%
Shops32.0 +6%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.5 +10%
Doctors' offices and clinics21.6 +7%
Child care centers1.5 −35%

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

Nearest National Park Service site10
58.8
91% above the median place
Public school students12
102,506
above the median place (median 4,897)
Child care centers per 10k8
1.5
35% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureGatewayAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure119above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure102,506above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure20.734% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure18.113% below
Shops per 10k8County figure32.06% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure4.510% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure21.67% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure1.535% below
Parks per 10k96.338% below
Playgrounds per 10k920.6119% above
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k92.776% below
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails90.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1058.891% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles10150% below
National Register listings11County figure58346% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Hurricane risk is 99.9, 41% 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 Gateway. Larger places are fetched first.

Hurricane risk14
99.9
41% above the median place
January average low13
53°F
111% above the median place
Average temperature13
75°F
36% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureGatewayAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure92°F6% above
January average low13County figure53°F111% above
Average temperature13County figure75°F36% above
Annual precipitation13County figure52.9 in21% above
Natural hazard risk14County figure99.07% above
Hurricane risk14County figure99.941% above
Tornado risk14County figure87.57% above
Wildfire risk14County figure96.658% above
Heat wave risk14County figure93.23% above
Median air quality index15County figure407% below
Good air days15County figure76.4%12% above
08

Gateway in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 21% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 21% 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, Gateway does better than 41% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 58%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,886/mo (2024)$2,400/mo$1,970 to $2,920/mo+4.1%
Median household income$107,484 (2024)$135,000$114,000 to $159,500+3.9%
Median home value$453,900 (2024)$654,000$475,000 to $901,000+6.3%

The median home would be worth 4.8 years of the median income in 2030, against 4.2 now.

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

09

Places like Gateway

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

PlaceRentIncome
Marana, AZ$1,818$112,606Compare
Winter Garden, FL$1,963$106,495Compare
Mahopac, NY$1,931$110,023Compare
Holly Springs, GA$1,850$113,992Compare
Holly Springs, GAMahopac, NYWinter Garden, FLMarana, AZGateway, FLGatewayMaranaWinter GardenMahopacHolly SpringsGatewayMaranaWinter GardenMahopacHolly Springs

Places built like Gateway

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 Gateway performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Gateway, FL21.1%1.4%/yrn/a
Stallings, NC19.5%6.4%/yr10.2%Compare
Lake Wylie, SC18.3%2.4%/yrn/aCompare
Myrtle Grove, NC15.5%7.8%/yrn/aCompare
Braselton, GA20.7%2.9%/yr37.9%Compare
Powder Springs, GA18.1%8.5%/yr24.2%Compare
Wendell, NC18.3%10.1%/yr100.0%Compare

Common questions

Is Gateway a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 31 out of 100, better than 31% of the places we rate and 207th of 474 in Florida. On cost, space and class size it scores 80 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Gateway expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 21.1% 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 $453,900.

What salary do you need to live in Gateway?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $75,440 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Gateway?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Marana, AZ, Winter Garden, FL, Mahopac, NY and Holly Springs, GA.

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 Gateway with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Gateway itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/gateway-florida

Citytistics. “Gateway, Florida.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/gateway-florida/

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