Population 6,885 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Sunshine
Household size in Sunshine
| Period | Sunshine | Lehigh Acres | Fort Myers area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.46 | 3.18 | 2.58 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.64 | 3.51 | 2.72 | 2.73 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.99 | 3.68 | 2.76 | 2.75 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.90 | 3.44 | 2.59 | 2.63 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.44 | +0.26 | +0.00 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Sunshine are large by national standards, averaging 3.90 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Household size has climbed from 3.46 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Sunshine
| Period | Sunshine | Lehigh Acres | Fort Myers area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.5 | 34.0 | 44.0 | 40.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 32.1 | 34.5 | 46.2 | 42.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 31.2 | 36.1 | 48.3 | 43.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 28.5 | 35.5 | 48.5 | 43.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.0 | +1.6 | +4.5 | +2.7 | +2.3 |
Sunshine is young: half of its residents are under 28.5, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young families with children. The youngest areas are in the west, the oldest in the south.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Sunshine
| Period | Sunshine | Lehigh Acres | Fort Myers area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.2% | 17.6% | 11.1% | 12.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 25.3% | 21.8% | 12.0% | 12.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 27.6% | 19.9% | 10.2% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.6% | 16.8% | 9.5% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −7.6 pts | −0.7 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in six households in Sunshine (15.6%), well above the national share of 11.6%. Even so, single parents are less common here than in Lehigh Acres overall (16.8%). The single-parent share has fallen 7.6 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Sunshine
Renters in Sunshine
| Period | Sunshine | Lehigh Acres | Fort Myers area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.6% | 27.0% | 25.2% | 30.3% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 46.2% | 42.2% | 30.7% | 33.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 40.9% | 37.2% | 27.7% | 34.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 38.0% | 29.8% | 25.7% | 32.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.6 pts | +2.8 pts | +0.5 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly four in ten households in Sunshine rent their homes (38.0%), a bit above the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 28.7% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the west and least common in the northeast. The renter share has fallen 3.6 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Sunshine
| Period | Sunshine | Lehigh Acres | Fort Myers area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.5% | 24.4% | 29.1% | 17.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.3% | 20.6% | 29.5% | 17.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.0% | 12.6% | 24.8% | 15.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.5% | 7.8% | 19.9% | 12.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | −21.0 pts | −16.6 pts | −9.2 pts | −4.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Sunshine than nationally: 6.5%, against 9.6% for the U.S. That is in line with the rest of Lehigh Acres. Vacancy is down 21.0 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Sunshine
| Period | Sunshine | Lehigh Acres | Fort Myers area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1999 | 1996 | 1991 | 1984 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 2003 | 1998 | 1992 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 2002 | 1998 | 1993 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 2004 | 2000 | 1997 | 1989 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +3 | +5 | +5 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Sunshine is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 2004, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1999 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Sunshine
| Period | Sunshine | Lehigh Acres | Fort Myers area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,077 | $1,014 | $1,077 | $1,092 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $918 | $908 | $1,041 | $1,123 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,215 | $1,133 | $1,298 | $1,323 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,827 | $1,705 | $1,840 | $1,816 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$749 | +$690 | +$763 | +$724 | +$606 |
The median renter in Sunshine pays $1,827 a month for rent and utilities, above the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $749 a month from 2006–10, a 70% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 40.0% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Rents run highest in the south and lowest in the west.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Sunshine
Bachelor's degrees in Sunshine
| Period | Sunshine | Lehigh Acres | Fort Myers area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.7% | 15.9% | 24.2% | 26.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.5% | 13.4% | 25.3% | 27.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.3% | 14.8% | 28.0% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.9% | 14.8% | 31.3% | 34.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | −1.8 pts | −1.2 pts | +7.0 pts | +8.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Sunshine have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 11.9%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has fallen 1.8 points, even as the national share rose. College graduates are most concentrated in the northeast and least in the west.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Sunshine
| Period | Sunshine | Lehigh Acres | Fort Myers area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 84.6% | 81.7% | 86.4% | 85.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 74.5% | 78.2% | 86.8% | 86.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 81.8% | 80.3% | 88.3% | 88.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 67.2% | 81.6% | 90.2% | 90.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | −17.4 pts | −0.1 pts | +3.7 pts | +4.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
About a third of adults in Sunshine never finished high school, well above the national share: only 67.2% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is down 17.4 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate rose.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Sunshine
| Period | Sunshine | Lehigh Acres | Fort Myers area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.9% | 12.3% | 9.9% | 8.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 13.2% | 14.3% | 11.8% | 11.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.7% | 6.1% | 5.2% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.7% | 4.3% | 4.1% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −10.2 pts | −8.1 pts | −5.9 pts | −4.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Sunshine has been low: just 2.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment is down 10.2 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Sunshine compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunshine | 3.90 | 28.5 | 15.6% | 38.0% | 6.5% | 2004 | $1,827 | 11.9% | 67.2% | 2.7% |
| Richmond | 3.36 | 38.0 | 18.4% | 29.8% | 11.2% | 1996 | $1,470 | 15.3% | 82.8% | 5.6% |
| Harris | 3.72 | 33.8 | 12.4% | 27.9% | 5.9% | 2005 | $2,226 | 10.0% | 87.5% | 4.4% |
| Arborwood | 2.35 | 52.9 | 5.2% | 10.8% | 23.1% | 2012 | $1,996 | 52.0% | 94.8% | 0.7% |
| Tice | 3.36 | 31.9 | 16.9% | 64.7% | 13.9% | 1969 | $1,215 | 6.8% | 53.7% | 1.2% |
| Winkler Safe Neighborhood | 2.56 | 42.3 | 13.9% | 79.5% | 20.0% | 1983 | $1,367 | 17.3% | 83.7% | 3.2% |
| Fort Myers Villas | 2.46 | 51.2 | 10.2% | 15.6% | 10.7% | 1975 | $1,754 | 26.8% | 91.1% | 2.2% |
| Pelican | 2.59 | 50.9 | 6.9% | 23.4% | 20.2% | 1999 | $2,028 | 28.7% | 95.1% | 4.3% |
| Mariner | 3.05 | 40.6 | 11.0% | 15.2% | 11.7% | 2006 | $2,047 | 22.6% | 91.5% | 4.9% |
| Orangetree | 2.93 | 39.3 | 2.0% | 7.9% | 10.2% | 2008 | $1,399 | 38.7% | 96.0% | 0.8% |
| Summit Place in Naples | 3.00 | 31.3 | 27.9% | 35.8% | 3.7% | 2008 | $1,679 | 33.6% | 91.2% | 10.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Community Workers Council, San Antonio, TX · Brownsfield-Central, Baton Rouge, LA · Camino Lago, Phoenix, AZ · South Campus, Madison, WI · Penrose, St. Louis, MO · Pheasant Run, Aurora, CO · Preston Park, Roanoke, VA · Riverton, Portland, ME · Riviera East, Houston, TX · Route 66 Historic District, Amarillo, TX
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Sunshine. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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