Florida / Lee County / Sanibel

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Sanibel

City, Lee County. Population 6,017 (2025), +0.8% on the prior year, -5.7% since 2020 Last updated 2026-10-04.

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Sanibel

Boundary: US Census Bureau TIGER/Line, simplified for drawing. 16.18 square miles of land.

Population

2025
BEBR, April 1, 20256,017BusinessFlare® estimate, April 1, 20266,028Population, April 1, 1979 to 202519796.8k high2025

BEBR's April 1, 2025 figure carried to April 1, 2026 at Lee County's growth rate of 1.72% a year, the annual rate in EDR's Demographic Estimating Conference county estimate for 2025 and medium projection for 2030, with the county's net new residents shared out to its places by their share of the county's net new residential units between the 2025 final and 2026 preliminary tax rolls.

Change since the prior year+0.8%2024 to 2025
Change since 2020-5.7%2020 to 2025
Census 20206,3822020

University of Florida Bureau of Economic and Business Research, Florida Estimates of Population, retrieved 2026-10-01; Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research, Demographic Estimating Conference: Projections of Florida Population by County, with Estimates for the base year, retrieved 2026-10-04 | Population estimates

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Basis of the latest figureestimate2025

Population by year

April 1 of each year. Basis is census in a census year, otherwise BEBR's estimate.

YearPopulationBasisChange
20256,017estimate+0.8%
20245,971estimate+0.4%
20235,946estimate-8.3%
20226,485estimate+0.7%
20216,443estimate+1.0%
20206,382census-5.5%
20196,756estimate+0.8%
20186,701estimate+0.6%
20176,659estimate+1.0%
20166,591estimate+1.4%
20156,502estimate+0.2%
20146,490estimate-0.1%
20136,497estimate+0.1%
20126,489estimate+0.3%
20116,470estimate0.0%
20106,469census+2.2%
20096,329estimate-0.7%
20086,374estimate+1.2%
20076,297estimate-0.4%
20066,321estimate+0.8%
20056,272estimate-1.0%
20046,335estimate+1.8%
20036,224estimate+1.5%
20026,135estimate+1.0%
20016,072estimate+0.1%
20006,064census+0.9%
19996,012estimate+0.6%
19985,975estimate+1.5%
19975,884estimate+0.8%
19965,838estimate+1.5%
19955,753estimate+1.4%
19945,672estimate+1.0%
19935,616estimate+1.5%
19925,534estimate-0.5%
19915,560estimaten/a
19895,574estimate+1.8%
19885,475estimate+11.5%
19874,911estimate+4.6%
19864,696estimate+10.8%
19854,237estimate+2.8%
19844,120estimate+4.3%
19833,950estimate+3.4%
19823,820estimate+4.9%
19813,642estimaten/a
19792,817estimaten/a

Labor force (county figures)

Aug 2026

County figures, no city estimate published by FloridaCommerce

Unemployment rate (Lee County)5.2%Unemployment rate, not seasonally adjusted, Aug 2016 to Aug 2026Aug 201614.2% highAug 2026
Labor force (Lee County)371,492Aug 2026
Employment (Lee County)352,280Aug 2026
Unemployed (Lee County)19,212Aug 2026
Rate a year earlier4.7%Aug 2025
Labor force, change on a year earlier0.0%Aug 2026

US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, retrieved 2026-10-01 | Labor force page

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Latest month is preliminaryyesAug 2026

Monthly, last three years

Not seasonally adjusted. The latest month may be preliminary.

MonthLabor forceEmployedUnemployedRate
Aug 2026371,492352,28019,2125.2%
Jul 2026372,602353,14219,4605.2%
Jun 2026374,704355,51019,1945.1%
May 2026374,453355,97118,4824.9%
Apr 2026377,441358,40619,0355.0%
Mar 2026377,839359,37618,4634.9%
Feb 2026378,306358,08220,2245.3%
Jan 2026372,998352,19920,7995.6%
Dec 2025371,870353,37318,4975.0%
Nov 2025374,222353,70320,5195.5%
Sep 2025373,048355,31317,7354.8%
Aug 2025371,374353,79617,5784.7%
Jul 2025372,372355,40016,9724.6%
Jun 2025374,027357,90816,1194.3%
May 2025375,859361,55714,3023.8%
Apr 2025379,989366,42713,5623.6%
Mar 2025381,456367,61213,8443.6%
Feb 2025379,514365,37214,1423.7%
Jan 2025378,655364,05714,5983.9%
Dec 2024375,728363,20812,5203.3%
Nov 2024374,321360,14614,1753.8%
Oct 2024372,069358,09613,9733.8%
Sep 2024375,721361,50514,2163.8%
Aug 2024374,599359,51115,0884.0%
Jul 2024375,310360,20415,1064.0%
Jun 2024374,362360,28214,0803.8%
May 2024374,810362,79312,0173.2%
Apr 2024377,692366,34511,3473.0%
Mar 2024379,956367,92212,0343.2%
Feb 2024377,641365,22812,4133.3%
Jan 2024374,381361,57812,8033.4%
Dec 2023372,515361,10511,4103.1%
Nov 2023374,313361,85612,4573.3%
Oct 2023375,358362,42212,9363.4%
Sep 2023373,965360,76713,1983.5%
Aug 2023371,651358,04013,6113.7%

Annual averages

YearLabor forceEmployedUnemployedRate
2025375,672359,50216,1704.3%
2024375,549362,23513,3143.5%
2023370,395358,21112,1843.3%
2022361,000348,73212,2683.4%
2021348,127332,67615,4514.4%
2020335,144309,00426,1407.8%
2019337,076326,06011,0163.3%
2018330,086318,35311,7333.6%
2017324,617310,96013,6574.2%
2016320,709305,51415,1954.7%
2015319,006302,39216,6145.2%
2014308,547289,17719,3706.3%
2013297,360274,70622,6547.6%
2012290,075263,55826,5179.1%
2011286,177254,60431,57311.0%

Sales and visitor spending

12 months to Mar 2026
BusinessFlare® estimate, last 12 months$234.4M

Monthly series, visitor, resident and big ticket groups, chart and workbook with the pass. Get the pass / Sign in Wide error flag.

Pass holders: once signed in on the pass page, the monthly estimate loads here.

Economic Census geographic area series, retail trade and accommodation and food services, 2017 and 2022, retrieved 2026-10-01; BusinessFlare® city-level sales and visitor spending estimate (method and error; the figures are Street Economics Pass data), retrieved 2026-10-04 | How the estimate is made

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BusinessFlare® estimate from public sources. The estimate anchors on the sales the US Census Bureau published for this place in the 2017 and 2022 Economic Census, for retail trade and for accommodation and food services, and moves them month by month with the county's sales tax returns by kind of business (Florida Department of Revenue Form 10). After the 2022 anchor the place's share of the county moves with the growth of its commercial property on the Department's 2026 tax roll, as submitted by the county property appraiser, by use code: stores, shopping centers, supermarkets and auto dealers for retail; restaurants, bars and hotels for accommodation and food. The three spending groups follow the county's kind code mix within each sector. Every place with both anchors was carried from 2017 to 2022 the same way and the landing on the 2022 Census figure is the published error.

A landing error over 25% carries a wide error flag. The error is published with every figure; an estimate is never shown without it. Rounded to the nearest hundred thousand dollars; the monthly series is pass data.

Statewide median error, 2017 to 2022 back-test15.7%2017 to 2022
Retail trade (NAICS 44-45): Census sales 2017$103M2017
Retail trade (NAICS 44-45): Census sales 2022$125M2022
Retail trade (NAICS 44-45): 2022 landing error28.2%2022
Accommodation and food services (NAICS 72): Census sales 2017$79.5M2017
Accommodation and food services (NAICS 72): Census sales 2022$113M2022
Accommodation and food services (NAICS 72): 2022 landing error4.2%2022

Economic Census anchors and the back-test

SectorCensus sales 2017Census sales 20222017 carried to 2022Landing error
Retail trade (NAICS 44-45)$103M$125M$160M28.2%
Accommodation and food services (NAICS 72)$79.5M$113M$118M4.2%
  • wide error: the 2017 carry-forward landed 28% from the 2022 Census figure for Retail trade (NAICS 44-45)

Business base

Aug 2026
Licensed food service, lodging and alcohol businesses199New licenses by month, Sep 2016 to Aug 2026Sep 20163 highAug 2026
Food service licenses45Aug 2026
Lodging licenses105Aug 2026
Alcoholic beverage licenses49Aug 2026
New licenses, last 12 months12Aug 2026
New business filings, last 12 months (postal city)159Sep 2026
Change on the 12 months before+3.2%Sep 2026
New filings, latest month7Sep 2026

County Business Patterns and ZIP Code Business Patterns, complete data files, retrieved 2026-10-01; Florida DBPR active licensure base files: public food service, public lodging and retail alcoholic beverage licenses, retrieved 2026-10-01; Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) bulk corporate data files, new entity filings by month, retrieved 2026-10-01 | Licenses Business formations

Licenses are placed inside the city limits by their geocoded address.

Business formations are by postal city: Sanibel, which is not the city limits.

Establishments, employment and payroll are a ZIP code basis: ZIP codes 33957.

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Establishments (ZIP basis)2922023
Employees, mid March (ZIP basis)1,5352023
Annual payroll (ZIP basis)$101M2023

Licenses by type

Counted licenses in DBPR's food service, lodging and alcoholic beverage files, placed by geocoded address.

License typeFileActive
2010-SEATfood37
2007-DWEL-SNGLlodging27
2006-CNDO-SNGLlodging18
2007-DWEL-CLCTlodging15
4COP-SFSalcohol14
2002-MOTLlodging14
2006-CNDO-CLCTlodging13
2COPalcohol12
2006-CNDO-GRPlodging12
2APSalcohol9
2010-NOSTfood5
4COP-Salcohol4
2003-TAPTlodging4
3PSalcohol3
2014-MFDVfood3
11CGalcohol2
11PAalcohol2
4COPalcohol2
11Calcohol1
2001-HOTLlodging1
2007-DWEL-GRPlodging1

Filings by entity type, last 12 months

Sunbiz new entity filings by the ZIP code of the principal address, grouped to the USPS postal city (postal city: Sanibel)

Entity typeLast 12 months12 months before
Florida limited liability companies148135
Florida profit corporations77
Florida non-profit corporations46
Out of state entities registering in Florida06
Partnerships, trusts and other filings00

ZIP Code Business Patterns, 2023

ZIP codes 33957: the ZIP codes whose Census internal point falls inside the city limits. A ZIP code crosses the limits, so this is a ZIP basis, not the city.

ZIP codeEstablishmentsEmployeesAnnual payroll
339572921,535$101M

Building permits

Aug 2026
Housing units permitted, last 12 months37Housing units permitted by month, Sep 2016 to Aug 2026Sep 201628 highAug 2026
Change on the 12 months before-53.2%Aug 2026
Permit valuation, last 12 months$38.4MAug 2026
Units, latest month1Aug 2026
Single family units, last 12 months19Aug 2026
Units in buildings of 5 or more, last 12 months18Aug 2026
Units, latest annual table832025

US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, place and county residential permits, retrieved 2026-10-01 | Building permits

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Monthly, last three years

Residential permits as the Bureau publishes them; imputed months are the Bureau's imputations.

MonthUnits1 unit5 or moreValuation
Aug 2026110$1.2M
Jul 2026330$1.94M
Jun 2026440$9.7M
May 2026220$1.12M
Apr 2026220$3M
Mar 2026330$2.73M
Feb 2026220$3.06M
Jan 2026000$0
Dec 2025110$1.2M
Nov 2025000$0
Oct 202518018$13.4M
Sep 2025110$1M
Aug 202528325$6.56M
Jul 20251350$14.4M
Jun 2025440$5.87M
May 2025220$4.16M
Apr 2025550$9.69M
Mar 2025330$2.39M
Feb 2025440$3.7M
Jan 2025440$5.93M
Dec 2024220$1.47M
Nov 2024770$12.4M
Oct 2024330$3.97M
Sep 2024440$3.5M
Aug 2024110$859K
Jul 2024550$3.68M
Jun 2024330$6.63M
May 2024440$2.85M
Apr 2024330$4.47M
Mar 2024000$0
Feb 2024770$7.15M
Jan 2024770$10.7M
Dec 2023880$10.2M
Nov 2023550$12.7M
Oct 2023330$2.96M
Sep 2023220$2.06M

Annual table

YearUnits1 unit5 or moreValuation
2025833243$68.3M
202446460$57.8M
202328280$39.3M
202220200$24.5M
202112120$14.2M
202018180$18.1M
201917170$11.4M
201823230$19M
201727270$22.3M
201629290$21.1M
201530300$23M
201421210$13.1M
201318180$12.7M
201222220$14.4M
201116160$10.8M

Property roll

2026 preliminary
Total just value$6.76B
Total taxable value (non school)$5.78B2026 preliminary
Total taxable value (school)$6.02B2026 preliminary
Just value, change on the prior roll+1.2%2025 final roll to 2026 preliminary
Taxable value (non school), change on the prior roll+8.4%2025 final roll to 2026 preliminary
Total just value, prior roll$6.68B2025 final roll
New construction value$722M2026 preliminary
Parcels8,1502026 preliminary

Florida Department of Revenue, NAL tax roll (name, address, legal), 2026 preliminary and final as posted, retrieved 2026-10-04

Parcels are placed by Census block group through the Census Bureau's block assignment file; a parcel in a block group that straddles the limits is apportioned. Census 2020 block groups; 80% of the county's just value lies in a place. Medians are over the parcels whose block group lies mostly in the place. Qualified sales: the roll's own sale fields, qualification codes 01 and 02, improved, single parcel.

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Median single family just value$850K2026 preliminary
Qualified sales, last 12 months243Jun 2025 to May 2026
Median qualified sale price$900KJun 2025 to May 2026
Just value, residential$5.7B2026 preliminary
Just value, commercial$421M2026 preliminary
Just value, industrial$1.05M2026 preliminary
Just value, agricultural$3.63M2026 preliminary
Just value, vacant$350M2026 preliminary
Just value, institutional$71.9M2026 preliminary
Just value, government$201M2026 preliminary
Just value, other$6.82M2026 preliminary

Just value by use group

Department of Revenue land use codes grouped: residential 001 to 009, commercial 011 to 039, industrial 041 to 049, agricultural 050 to 069, vacant 000, 010, 040 and 070, institutional 071 to 079, government 080 to 089, other 090 to 099. Taxable is the non school taxable value. Just value change compares with the 2025 final roll, summed the same way.

Use groupParcelsJust valueTaxable (non school)New constructionResidential unitsJust value change
Residential7,021$5.7B$5.15B$708M6,855+2.0%
Commercial192$421M$338M$10.5Mn/a+6.5%
Industrial3$1.05M$832K$0n/a+4.0%
Agricultural1$3.63M$2.15M$0n/a0.0%
Vacant579$350M$281M$111Kn/a-17.1%
Institutional38$71.9M$48.6K$1.04Mn/a+17.6%
Government272$201M$0$1.95Mn/a+2.3%
Other45$6.82M$4.56M$0n/a+40.6%

Housing

2020 to 2024 ACS
Housing units8,564Homeownership rate, 1990 to 2024199090.0% high2024
Occupied units3,1702020 to 2024 ACS
Vacant units5,3942020 to 2024 ACS
Owner occupied households2,8512020-2024 5-Year
Renter occupied households3192020-2024 5-Year
Homeownership rate89.9%2020 to 2024 ACS
Cost burdened households, all tenures (over 30% of income)34.6%2025
Cost burdened renter households29.7%2025

Shimberg Center for Housing Studies, Florida Housing Data Clearinghouse, retrieved 2026-10-01 | Housing data

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Severely cost burdened renters (over 50%)23.4%2025
Median gross rent$0.8K2020 to 2024 ACS
Median single family sale price$1.2M2024

Cost burden by income, 2025

Households by the share of income spent on housing, Shimberg Center estimates for 2025.

TenureIncome (share of area median)30% or less30.1 to 50%Over 50%
All households30% AMI or less09293
All households30.01-50% AMI655090
All households50.01-80% AMI16327251
All households80.01-120% AMI282360
All householdsGreater than 120% AMI1,811188101
Renters30% AMI or less0010
Renters30.01-50% AMI24044
Renters50.01-80% AMI131100
Renters80.01-120% AMI10010
RentersGreater than 120% AMI571010
Owners30% AMI or less09283
Owners30.01-50% AMI415046
Owners50.01-80% AMI3217251
Owners80.01-120% AMI182350
OwnersGreater than 120% AMI1,75417891

Single family sales by year

YearMedian priceSales
1996$300K163
1997$298K229
1998$315K229
1999$369K297
2000$468K268
2001$525K221
2002$552K246
2003$580K225
2004$680K226
2005$760K281
2006$860K172
2007$790K145
2008$700K160
2009$590K143
2010$580K130
2011$600K168
2012$558K166
2013$635K189
2014$703K211
2015$700K225

Fiscal

Sep 2026
Half-cent sales tax, latest month$43.7KHalf-cent sales tax distributions by month, Oct 2016 to Sep 2026Oct 2016$80.1K highSep 2026
Half-cent sales tax, fiscal year to date$573KFY2026 to Sep 2026
Half-cent sales tax, last 12 months$573KSep 2026
Half-cent sales tax, change on the 12 months before-6.6%Sep 2026
State revenue sharing, latest month$16.9KSep 2026
State revenue sharing, fiscal year to date$211KFY2026 to Sep 2026
State revenue sharing, last 12 months$211KSep 2026
State revenue sharing, change on the 12 months before-2.1%Sep 2026

Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research, Expenditures and Revenues Reported by Florida's County and Municipal Governments, retrieved 2026-10-01; Florida Department of Revenue, Revenue Confirmation Online, distributions to local governments, retrieved 2026-10-01; Florida Department of Financial Services, LOGERx local government Annual Financial Report data, long-term debt outstanding, retrieved 2026-10-04 | Distributions Annual financial report

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Total revenues$123MFY2024
Revenues, change on the year before+107.0%FY2024
Total expenditures$69.9MFY2024
Expenditures, change on the year before+28.8%FY2024
Revenues per resident$20.6KFY2024
Long-term debt outstanding at year end$57.3MFY2025
Long-term debt, change on the year before-0.5%FY2025

Half-cent sales tax, monthly distributions

As the Department of Revenue's ledger prints them; a blank month is a month with no line.

MonthDistributed
Sep 2026$43.7K
Aug 2026$44.6K
Jul 2026$45K
Jun 2026$50.9K
May 2026$59.7K
Apr 2026$51.1K
Mar 2026$50.2K
Feb 2026$53.9K
Jan 2026$46.7K
Dec 2025$45.7K
Nov 2025$42.2K
Oct 2025$39.6K
Sep 2025$46.6K
Aug 2025$46.8K
Jul 2025$49.1K
Jun 2025$55.3K
May 2025$61.7K
Apr 2025$58.4K
Mar 2025$50.5K
Feb 2025$58K
Jan 2025$53.4K
Dec 2024$45.8K
Nov 2024$42.9K
Oct 2024$45.4K
Sep 2024$49.2K
Aug 2024$50.5K
Jul 2024$55.7K
Jun 2024$61.3K
May 2024$69K
Apr 2024$62.3K
Mar 2024$60.1K
Feb 2024$66.2K
Jan 2024$57.6K
Dec 2023$56.1K
Nov 2023$54.1K
Oct 2023$51.7K

State revenue sharing, monthly distributions

As the Department of Revenue's ledger prints them; a blank month is a month with no line.

MonthDistributed
Sep 2026$16.9K
Aug 2026$16.9K
Jul 2026$16.9K
Jun 2026$17.5K
May 2026$17.5K
Apr 2026$17.5K
Mar 2026$17.5K
Feb 2026$17.5K
Jan 2026$17.5K
Dec 2025$18.6K
Nov 2025$18.6K
Oct 2025$18.6K
Sep 2025$19.1K
Aug 2025$19.1K
Jul 2025$19.1K
Jun 2025$17.3K
May 2025$17.3K
Apr 2025$17.3K
Mar 2025$17.3K
Feb 2025$17.3K
Jan 2025$17.3K
Dec 2024$17.3K
Nov 2024$18.9K
Oct 2024$18.9K
Sep 2024$18.9K
Aug 2024$18.9K
Jul 2024$18.9K
Jun 2024$20.2K
May 2024$20.2K
Apr 2024$20.2K
Mar 2024$20.2K
Feb 2024$20.2K
Jan 2024$20.2K
Dec 2023$20.2K
Nov 2023$20.2K
Oct 2023$20.2K

Long-term debt by fiscal year

Total long-term debt outstanding at fiscal year end, all funds, as the government reported it to the Department of Financial Services in its Annual Financial Report.

Fiscal yearDebt outstandingChange
FY2025$57.3M-0.5%
FY2024$57.6M+251.6%
FY2023$16.4M-12.0%
FY2022$18.6M-14.9%
FY2021$21.9M-12.9%
FY2020$25.1M+92.2%
FY2019$13.1M-27.9%
FY2018$18.1M-16.3%
FY2017$21.6M-13.8%
FY2016$25.1M-11.0%
FY2015$28.2M-10.5%
FY2014$31.5M-10.5%
FY2013$35.2Mn/a

Revenues by category, FY2024

Sum of the fund columns in EDR's workbook for this government.

CategoryFY2024FY2023Change
General Government Taxes$12.7M$14.6M-12.5%
Permits, Fees, and Special Assessments$4.69M$5.4M-13.2%
Intergovernmental Revenues$20.4M$9.64M+111.7%
Charges for Services$14.9M$11.5M+29.5%
Judgments, Fines, and Forfeits$779K$716K+8.8%
Miscellaneous Revenues$18.7M$11.8M+59.0%
Other Sources$50.9M$5.87M+766.7%
Taxesn/an/an/a
Intergovernmental Revenuen/an/an/a
Permits and Franchise Feesn/an/an/a

Expenditures by category, FY2024

Sum of the fund columns in EDR's workbook for this government.

CategoryFY2024FY2023Change
General Government Services (Not Court-Related)$14.5M$14.5M+0.1%
Public Safety$11.9M$12.8M-7.1%
Physical Environment$25.3M$9.56M+164.5%
Transportation$6.5M$7.03M-7.5%
Economic Environment$493K$431K+14.4%
Culture / Recreation$3.73M$4.02M-7.2%
Other Uses and Non-Operating$7.48M$5.92M+26.3%
Other Usesn/an/an/a
Human Servicesn/an/an/a

Bank deposits

June 30, 2026
Deposits (offices reporting this city)$486MDeposits, June 30 each year, 1994 to 20261994$596M high2026
Change on a year earlier+1.2%June 30, 2026
Change, real-1.9%June 30, 2026
Branches5June 30, 2026
Institutions4June 30, 2026
Branches opened since the survey a year earlier0June 30, 2026
Branches closed since the survey a year earlier0June 30, 2026

FDIC Summary of Deposits, Florida offices, every June 30 since 1994, retrieved 2026-10-01 | Bank deposits

Offices whose reported city is Sanibel.

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Offices, June 30, 2026

Deposits as each office reports them to the FDIC; the city is the one the bank reports, not a municipal boundary.

InstitutionBranchAddressCityDeposits
Sanibel Captiva Community BankSanibel Captiva Community Bank2406 Periwinkle WaySanibel$222M
Edison National BankBank Of The Islands Sanibel Branch1699 Periwinkle WaySanibel$118M
Wells Fargo Bank, National AssociationSanibel Island Branch2407 Palm Ridge RdSanibel$74.3M
JPMorgan Chase Bank, National AssociationSanibel Island2441 Palm Ridge RdSanibel$42.2M
Sanibel Captiva Community BankPeriwinkle Branch1019 Periwinkle WaySanibel$28.6M

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