Living on Pine Island and Matlacha, FL: homes, prices and the route to Cape Coral

At a glance

Is Pine Island a good place to live?

It suits people who want a quiet, rural island with fishing and boating on Pine Island Sound, and who accept one road to the mainland and fewer services. The island has no traffic lights, mostly agricultural zoning and low building heights. It was hit hard by Hurricane Charley in 2004 and devastated by Hurricane Ian in 2022, which damaged the bridge to the mainland and the power grid.

Prices are above Cape Coral's: Zillow's typical value was $428,977 in St. James City and $377,568 in Bokeelia in August 2026, against $335,825 in Cape Coral.

The Pine Island communities

Pine Island is mostly rural and agricultural, surrounded by mangroves and three aquatic preserves, with Matlacha Pass separating it from the mainland and Pine Island Sound to the west. There are four unincorporated communities on the island, and Matlacha sits on its own small island to the east:

Matlacha

An old Florida fishing village of art galleries, shops, seafood restaurants and cottages, with 598 residents at the 2020 census. It was largely devastated by Hurricane Ian in 2022. The small Matlacha Pass drawbridge, nicknamed the fishingest bridge in the world, is usually lined with anglers, and the village has a park and pier.

Pine Island Center

The crossroads in the middle of the island where Pine Island Road meets Stringfellow Road, with 1,942 residents in 2020.

St. James City

The southern end of the island, with 3,876 residents in 2020.

Bokeelia

The northern tip, bordered by water on three sides, with 1,855 residents in 2020.

Pineland

On the northwest side, home to the Pineland archaeological district, a former Calusa village site of more than 100 acres.

Pine Island Center is where the island's two large grocery stores, an elementary school, library, museum, swimming pool and a large park are, according to Wikipedia's summary. St. James City looks across to Sanibel and the causeway, Bokeelia ends at tiny Bokeelia Island at the mouth of Charlotte Harbor, and Pineland has a golf course and country club.

Homes and prices

Zillow publishes typical values for two Pine Island communities. In August 2026, St. James City was $428,977, up 0.6% in a year, and Bokeelia was $377,568, down 3.5%. Zillow does not publish a separate figure for Matlacha or Pine Island Center. For comparison, the Cape Coral typical value was $335,825, down 3.9%.

Unlike Cape Coral and Bokeelia, St. James City's typical value edged up over the year. With few sales in each community, compare closed sales of similar homes and water access, and see the Cape Coral housing market page for the regional trend.

Living on Pine Island

Nature and water

Pine Island is surrounded by mangroves and three aquatic preserves, and it is home to the Matlacha Pass National Wildlife Refuge. Little Pine Island, east of Pine Island Center, is a 4,700-acre state-owned wildlife preserve. Residents come for fishing, boating and the island's rural character; there is no large beach, so beaches are reached by boat or by driving to the barrier islands.

Farms and fruit

Much of the island is zoned agricultural, and tropical fruit such as lychee and mango is grown and sold there.

Utilities and services

Wikipedia's summary lists LCEC for electricity and the Pine Island Water Association, a private member co-op, for water. Some homes use a well and septic system, so ask what serves the house. The island has its own fire control district with an elected five-member commission.

Schools

Pine Island Elementary is on the island. The School District of Lee County says any student in any zone may request Pine Island Elementary, though district transportation is not provided for those requests. Check the address on the district's zone map.

Seasonal population

Many residents spend winter on the island, so traffic and restaurant crowds rise in season.

Costs, taxes and building rules

Greater Pine Island has its own sections in the Lee County land development code. A 2023 county ordinance sets the island's building height limit at 38 feet above the average grade of the lot or 45 feet above mean sea level, whichever is lower, and does not allow the taller-building exceptions used elsewhere in the county. Confirm the current rule with Lee County zoning before you plan a rebuild or a raised home.

• Taxes: Pine Island is unincorporated, so you pay Lee County and special district taxes rather than Cape Coral city taxes and assessments. The island has its own fire control district. See the Lee County property tax guide.
• Flood: Lee County's current FEMA maps took effect in November 2022. Check the flood zone, elevation certificate and Ian repair history for any home, and get flood and windstorm quotes early.
• Utilities: ask whether the home has public water and sewer or a well and septic system.

Getting to Cape Coral and the Matlacha bridge

Pine Island Road (County Road 78) is the road link to the mainland. It runs west from Cape Coral across Matlacha Pass, through Matlacha and over the Little Pine Island Bridge to Pine Island Center. Stringfellow Road then runs north to Bokeelia and south to St. James City.

Hurricane Ian damaged the Little Pine Island Bridge and Pine Island Road. FDOT replaced the bridge in three phases, widening it from 35 to 53 feet while keeping two 11-foot lanes, and the completion was celebrated in March 2026 along with the restored Matlacha Community Center. Because Pine Island Road is the route off the island, plan evacuation and daily trips around it. Drive the route to your work or shopping at rush hour before you buy.

Pros and cons of living on Pine Island

Pros

• Rural island setting with no traffic lights and low buildings.
• Direct access to Pine Island Sound, Matlacha Pass and Charlotte Harbor.
• Wildlife refuges and aquatic preserves on every side.
• No Cape Coral city assessments.

Cons

• One road, Pine Island Road, to the mainland for daily trips and evacuation.
• Severe damage from Hurricane Ian; check repair and elevation history.
• Fewer shops and services than Cape Coral.
• No large beach.

Pine Island or Cape Coral

Pine Island suits buyers who want a rural island setting and boating on Pine Island Sound, and who accept one road to the mainland and fewer shops and services. Cape Coral offers more housing choice, city water and sewer in many areas and shorter trips to Fort Myers. Northwest Cape Coral is the closest part of the city, with canals that also reach Matlacha Pass.

To compare, see the Cape Coral ZIP code guide, the gulf-access homes guide and the Cape Coral relocation guide.

Common questions

Sources

• Wikipedia: Pine Island (Lee County, Florida)
• Wikipedia: Matlacha, Florida
• Wikipedia: St. James City, Florida
• Wikipedia: Bokeelia, Florida
• Wikipedia: Pine Island Center, Florida
• FDOT SWFL Roads: 451937-2 Pine Island Causeway and bridge reconstruction project
• WGCU: Matlacha celebrates 100 years and reconstruction of Little Pine Island Bridge (March 2026)
• Lee County Ordinance No. 23-22: Land development code amendments (building height, Greater Pine Island)
• City of Cape Coral: Flood protection and information
• GreaterFtMyers.com: Northwest Cape Coral
• Zillow Research: Home value, rent and market data (August 2026)
• School District of Lee County: School zones