Manasota Key

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McGreevy and Comisar lead Domain Realty Group, the #1 real estate team in Southwest Florida, selling and buying homes in Manasota Key. Top 1% Nationally since 2008. Over $900 million in personal sales and $2.5 billion+ sold as a team. The team Manasota Key homeowners call first. For the wider town picture, read our Englewood guide. Manasota Key is a Gulf barrier island off Englewood, between Lemon Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, described as about 11 miles long, with Stump Pass at its south end (Wikipedia, Manasota Key, Florida). The key is split between unincorporated Sarasota County to the north and unincorporated Charlotte County to the south, and every address on it is Englewood 34223. On the county rolls, the Sarasota side holds 464 parcels on Manasota Key Rd, almost all single-family homes and lots, while the Charlotte side holds 1,259 parcels on N Beach Rd, Gulf Blvd and Manasota Key Rd, 885 of them condominium units (Sarasota County Property Appraiser; Charlotte County Property Appraiser).

Last Updated November 2026 · By Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar, McGreevy and Comisar at Domain Realty · More about Jesse McGreevy, Marc Comisar and our team on the about page.

Why McGreevy and Comisar Are the Best Realtor for Manasota Key

Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar lead Domain Realty Group, the #1 real estate team in Southwest Florida since 2012, and they bring over 45 years of combined direct experience between Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar to Manasota Key sales. We price from county recorded sales, plat by plat and parcel by parcel, never from a blended Englewood average.

Why Manasota Key Needs County-by-County Pricing

Manasota Key tests that discipline harder than any other address in Englewood, because one island holds two separate markets under two county governments. In the 12 months from October 15, 2025 to October 14, 2026, the Sarasota County Property Appraiser recorded 25 qualified sales on Manasota Key Rd at a $2,200,000 median (Sarasota County Property Appraiser). In the 12 months from September 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026, the Charlotte County Property Appraiser recorded 67 improved sales on the Charlotte part of the key at a $587,000 median, 48 of them condominium units (Charlotte County Property Appraiser).

Those two medians come from different files, different windows and, above all, different kinds of property. The Sarasota side is a row of single-family homes on lots with a 34,825 square foot median; the Charlotte side is mostly condominium buildings around Englewood Beach. A seller who quotes one "Manasota Key median" is quoting a number that describes neither side. Our job is to know which county your parcel sits in, whether it runs Gulf to bay, how it is elevated and what the county roll says about it before anyone names a price.

The Credentials We Bring to Manasota Key

These are the credentials we bring to that work:

• Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008
• 5 Star Award for Customer Satisfaction for 21 Straight Years. Only 5 out of 21k+ Licensees (Gulfshore Life Magazine)
• #1 Team in Southwest Florida since 2012
• McGreevy and Comisar and their Domain Realty Group team have sold over $2.5 Billion in Real Estate
• McGreevy and Comisar alone have over $900 million in Sales
• Nationally Recognized Top Producing Realtors
• Platinum Sales Production Award Winners

In the 2026 RealTrends rankings, Domain Realty Group was the #5 real estate team in Florida (RealTrends 2026): 241 transactions, $157M+ volume, and the #1 real estate team in Bonita Springs by sales volume and by transaction sides. Domain Realty Group has closed 4,000+ transactions as a team.

How to Compare Agents for a Manasota Key Sale or Purchase

Choosing an agent is a comparison worth making on the public record. Our best real estate agents in Englewood page sets out how to compare the agents and teams working in Englewood on Google reviews, license dates and published production. For a Manasota Key home, add two more tests.

First, ask each agent which county your parcel is in and to show you that county's recorded sales for your side of the key, not a blend. The Sarasota side recorded 19 single-family sales at a $1,870,000 median in its window, and the Charlotte side recorded 11 single-family sales at a $950,000 median in its own window (Sarasota County Property Appraiser; Charlotte County Property Appraiser). An agent who cannot tell you why those two numbers differ has not read the parcels.

Second, ask how they would price around storm history. The Sarasota roll carries 13 Manasota Key Rd parcels coded "vacant after calamity" and 4 coded as new construction not substantially complete (Sarasota County Property Appraiser). Elevation, flood zone, the 50 percent rule and a lot's history after Hurricanes Helene and Milton move value on this island as much as square footage does.

Talk to Jesse or Marc About Manasota Key

Selling your Manasota Key home? Start with a free home valuation or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072 (text or call, same-day response).

Buying a home in Manasota Key? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873 or read our buying guide.

Key Takeaways

Manasota Key is one barrier island with two county governments, two property rolls and two very different housing markets, and these twelve facts from the county record, county project pages, the census and news reports frame every decision on this page.

Manasota Key Market Takeaways

• The Sarasota side of Manasota Key recorded 25 qualified sales at a $2,200,000 median. The window is October 15, 2025 to October 14, 2026; sales ran from $525,000 to $9,200,000, the middle half sold between $1,599,100 and $3,692,500, and the median price per square foot of living area was $775 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser).
• Sarasota-side single-family homes sold at a $1,870,000 median. Nineteen of the 25 sales were single-family homes, at $525,000 to $6,750,000 and a $719 median per square foot of living area; the other 6 were multi-dwelling or other improved parcels, in the same window (Sarasota County Property Appraiser).
• The Charlotte side recorded 67 improved sales at a $587,000 median, mostly condominiums. In the window September 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026, 48 condominium sales had a $530,000 median ($443 per heated square foot) and 11 single-family sales a $950,000 median ($642 per heated square foot) (Charlotte County Property Appraiser).

Manasota Key Homes Takeaways

• The Sarasota side is single-family homes on large lots, with no residential condominium code. The October 21, 2026 file holds 464 parcels on Manasota Key Rd; the 298 single-family homes with living area have a 2,868 square foot median, a 34,825 square foot median lot and a $1,953,500 median 2026 just value (Sarasota County Property Appraiser).
• The Charlotte side is mostly condominium units. The November 5, 2026 roll holds 1,259 parcels on N Beach Rd, Gulf Blvd and Manasota Key Rd: 885 condominium units with a 1,176 heated square foot median and a 1981 median year built, plus 173 single-family homes and 57 co-operative units (Charlotte County Property Appraiser).
• The census place counts only the Charlotte part. The Manasota Key census-designated place had 1,326 residents and 2,062 housing units in the 2020 census, with 63.2 percent of units vacant on census day, a count that treats seasonal homes as vacant; the Sarasota part of the key is outside the place (City Population, citing the U.S. Census Bureau; Wikipedia, Manasota Key, Florida).

Manasota Key Access and Rules Takeaways

• Two road crossings serve the key, and the southern one is under scheduled repair. The Tom Adams Bridge, a 1965 double-leaf drawbridge on Beach Road, carried 11,300 vehicles a day in 2024 per the National Bridge Inventory record; Charlotte County's structural repair contractor received notice to proceed on August 17, 2026, with completion forecast for December 15, 2026 (BridgeLookup, structure 010029; Charlotte County, Tom Adams Bridge Structural Repairs).
• Manasota Key Road has been cut by the Gulf more than once. About 2,000 feet north of Blind Pass washed out in the 2024 storms, a temporary repair of just over $2 million reopened it in January 2026, and waves closed it again on October 9, 2026 until it was reported reopened by October 12, 2026 (WGCU, January 12, 2026; FOX 13, January 13, 2026; WWSB, October 12, 2026).
• The two sides run on different rule books. The Manasota Key Association states that homes in the Sarasota-side district "cannot be rented for periods of less than 30 days," citing Florida special acts Chapters 71-904 and 94-453, while it describes the Charlotte side as allowing multifamily dwellings, weekly rentals and commercial activity (Manasota Key Association, Renting Your Property).

Manasota Key Hazard and Data Takeaways

• A 2027 beach renourishment is under contract on the Charlotte side. Charlotte County awarded a $29,348,880 contract to Great Lakes Dredge and Dock for about 590,000 cubic yards of sand on Manasota Key, and the county's project page lists construction from January 1 to April 30, 2027 (DredgeWire; Charlotte County, Manasota Key Beach Renourishment).
• Both counties put the key in the first evacuation zone. Charlotte County's September 26, 2022 order placed Manasota Key in Zone A, and Sarasota County's 2017 evacuation map puts all of its barrier islands in Zone A (Charlotte County news release, September 26, 2022; Your Observer, June 21, 2017).
• MLS-only measures are not printed here. Days on market, sale-to-list ratio, active listings, months of supply and rents: Information not available at time of publishing (checked November 14, 2026).

Table of Contents

• What Is Manasota Key, and Which County Is It In?
• Where Is Manasota Key, and How Do You Get On and Off the Island?
• What Does the Manasota Key Market Look Like Right Now?
• What Homes Are on Manasota Key, and How Big Are They?
• Which Condominiums Are on Manasota Key?
• Gulf-to-Bay, Gulffront and Bayfront Homes: What Differs?
• How Did Manasota Key Develop?
• What Are the Beaches and Parks on Manasota Key?
• Boating, Fishing and Lemon Bay
• Who Governs Manasota Key, and What Are the Rules?
• What Does It Cost to Own a Home on Manasota Key?
• What Flood Zones Cover Manasota Key, and What Does Insurance Involve?
• How Did Hurricanes Ian, Helene and Milton Affect Manasota Key?
• Beach Erosion and the 2027 Renourishment: What Owners Should Know
• How Do You Check School Zoning for a Manasota Key Address?
• Sarasota Side vs Charlotte Side vs Beachwalk by Manasota Key: How Do They Compare?
• Buying on Manasota Key? Start With Our Buyer Team
• Thinking of Selling Your Manasota Key Home? List With the #1 Team in Southwest Florida Since 2012
• What We Could Not Verify, and Exactly Where You Get It
• Frequently Asked Questions, Manasota Key Buyer Edition
• Frequently Asked Questions, Manasota Key Seller Edition
• Downloadable Documents
• Sources and Authoritative References

What Is Manasota Key, and Which County Is It In?

Manasota Key is a Gulf of Mexico barrier island off Englewood, Florida, with Lemon Bay to the east and Stump Pass at its south end. Manasota Key lies in two counties: unincorporated Sarasota County holds the north part and unincorporated Charlotte County the south, and every address on it uses Englewood 34223.

Those facts come from different records, so this section names each one. The island's shape and boundaries come from encyclopedia and county code text, the county split from the two property appraisers and the Charlotte County zoning code, and the population from the census, which covers only the Charlotte part (Wikipedia, Manasota Key, Florida; Charlotte County, Manasota Key Zoning District Overlay; Sarasota County Property Appraiser; Charlotte County Property Appraiser).

Is Manasota Key an Island or a Peninsula, and How Long Is It?

Manasota Key is described as an "11-mile-long (18 km) peninsula" that was "transformed into a barrier island by the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway" (Wikipedia, Manasota Key, Florida). The dredged waterway through Lemon Bay is what cut the key off from the mainland at its north end, which is why the encyclopedia calls it both. For a buyer the practical answer is the same either way: every home on the key is reached by a bridge over Lemon Bay, and there is no road onto the island that does not cross water.

Sources do not agree on the length. The 11-mile figure is the one most often repeated, and it counts the key as running north into Sarasota County toward Venice. Shorter figures turn up when only part of the key is counted, and longer figures that sometimes appear in local turtle patrol coverage take in Venice Island beaches as well, so they describe a patrol route, not the key. This guide uses "about 11 miles" and attributes it. No county property appraiser or county project page we read states a length for the whole island.

Manasota Key is narrow. On the Sarasota side, the county roll shows the typical single-family lot at 34,825 square feet, and many of those lots run from the Gulf beach on one side of Manasota Key Rd to Lemon Bay on the other (Sarasota County Property Appraiser). On the Charlotte side, the island widens around Englewood Beach, where N Beach Rd and Gulf Blvd carry the condominium corridor. The name itself comes from the Manasota Lumber Company, which ran a sawmill at Woodmere from 1918 to 1923; "Manasota" blends Manatee and Sarasota (Wikipedia, Manasota Key, Florida).

Which County Is Manasota Key In?

Both. Manasota Key is split by the Sarasota County and Charlotte County line, and neither part is inside a city. The north part, reached by the Manasota Beach Road bridge and served by Manasota Key Rd, is in unincorporated Sarasota County. The south part, reached by Beach Road and the Tom Adams Bridge, is in unincorporated Charlotte County (Wikipedia, Manasota Key, Florida; Wikipedia, Tom Adams Bridge).

Charlotte County's own zoning code draws its part precisely. Section 3-9-53 defines "Manasota Key" as "the land located south of the Sarasota-Charlotte County line, west of Sandpiper Key, north of Stump Pass Beach State Park and east of the Gulf of Mexico" (Charlotte County, Manasota Key Zoning District Overlay). On the Sarasota side, the Manasota Key Association describes its area as running from the Sarasota County and Charlotte County line north to the North Bridge, its name for the Manasota Beach Road bridge (Manasota Key Association).

The split matters for nearly everything a buyer pays or is allowed to do: the property appraiser, the tax collector, the millage, the beach assessments, the zoning code, the building department, the flood ordinance, the school district and the emergency management office are all different on each side. Online listing portals do not handle this well. Search results for Manasota Key file the island under Charlotte County on one portal and under Venice on another, and one portal's lower-priced pages mix in mainland Englewood addresses that are not on the key at all. This guide uses the two county property rolls as the definition: 464 parcels with a Manasota Key Rd situs in ZIP 34223 on the Sarasota County Property Appraiser file dated October 21, 2026, and 1,259 Charlotte County parcels in ZIP 34223 with a situs on N Beach Rd, Gulf Blvd or Manasota Key Rd on the roll dated November 5, 2026 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser; Charlotte County Property Appraiser).

What Is the Manasota Key Census-Designated Place?

The Manasota Key census-designated place (CDP) is a statistical area the U.S. Census Bureau draws for the Charlotte County part of the key only. It sits in the northwestern corner of Charlotte County, takes in mainly Englewood Beach, and carries the census place code 1242750 (Wikipedia, Manasota Key, Florida; Geoconnex, place 1242750). The Sarasota County part of the key is not in the CDP and is not its own census place, so census figures for "Manasota Key" undercount the island.

Data updated: November 2026 (U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts as compiled by City Population and Wikipedia, read November 14, 2026; census.gov tables did not render for us and should be confirmed on data.census.gov, place 1242750)

The vacancy figure needs a plain reading. The census counts a seasonal or second home as vacant if no one lives there as a usual residence on census day, so about 63 percent of housing units in the Charlotte part of the key were not occupied year-round on census day 2020; it does not mean they were empty or for sale. The CDP's area is listed at 3.07 square miles, of which 1.06 square miles is land, because the census polygon takes in Lemon Bay and Gulf water (Wikipedia, Manasota Key, Florida). Third-party data sites publish other population numbers for the key; they are estimates on different boundaries, and this guide uses the official 2020 count of 1,326.

What ZIP Code and Mailing Address Does Manasota Key Use?

Every address on Manasota Key uses Englewood, FL 34223, on both sides of the county line. Charlotte County lists Englewood Beach at Chadwick Park at 2100 N Beach Road, Englewood, FL 34223, and Sarasota County parks on the north key carry Manasota Key Road addresses in 34223 as well, such as Blind Pass Beach Park at 6725 Manasota Key Rd (Charlotte County, Englewood Beach at Chadwick Park; Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, Blind Pass Beach Park).

Englewood is not a city. It is a postal and census community spread across Sarasota and Charlotte counties, so the "Englewood" in a Manasota Key address tells you nothing about which county governs the parcel. The street name is a better clue: on our parcel sets, Manasota Key Rd is the Sarasota-side street, while N Beach Rd and Gulf Blvd are the Charlotte-side streets. Beach Road becomes Manasota Key Road at the county line, so a Manasota Key Rd address near the line still needs a county check. The surest check is to search the parcel on each property appraiser's site: if it appears on the Sarasota County Property Appraiser site, it is in Sarasota County; if it appears on the Charlotte County Property Appraiser site, it is in Charlotte County (Sarasota County Property Appraiser; Charlotte County Property Appraiser).

What Is Englewood Beach, and How Does It Relate to Manasota Key?

Englewood Beach is the community on the Charlotte County part of Manasota Key and the center of the key's condominium market. Wikipedia names it as most of the Charlotte County CDP (Wikipedia, Manasota Key, Florida). The beach on the south end of the key was first developed by the Chadwick brothers and known as Chadwick Beach; in the 1930s it was renamed "Punta Gorda Beach" so that Punta Gorda could advertise a Gulf beach, though the city and the beach were 27 miles apart (Punta Gorda History Center, June 9, 2020).

Today the public anchor is Englewood Beach at Chadwick Park, a Charlotte County park of 12.67 acres at 2100 N Beach Road, built in 2001, with a 900-foot boardwalk (Charlotte County, Englewood Beach at Chadwick Park). Across the road is a walkable strip of restaurants and bars (VISIT FLORIDA, Englewood Beach guide). The condominium buildings that make up most of the Charlotte roll line N Beach Rd and Gulf Blvd on either side of the park. Our beaches section later in this guide covers the park's parking, hours and rules.

What Is North Manasota Key?

"North Manasota Key" is the common name for the Sarasota County part of the island, the stretch along Manasota Key Rd from the county line north toward the Manasota Beach Road bridge. Wikipedia calls this part Manasota Beach (Wikipedia, Manasota Key, Florida). It is the single-family side of the key: the Sarasota County Property Appraiser's October 21, 2026 file shows no parcel on Manasota Key Rd with a residential condominium code, and 299 of its 464 parcels carry a single-family use code (Sarasota County Property Appraiser).

The Manasota Key Association, a voluntary association of owners founded as a nonprofit in 1950, describes the Sarasota side as a district governed by the Manasota Key Conservation District Act, Florida special acts Chapters 71-904 and 94-453, and states that "no lands within the District shall be used for commercial or multifamily purposes" (Manasota Key Association, Renting Your Property; Manasota Key Association). A few older properties sit beside that rule: the Manasota Beach Club, a cottage resort under the same ownership since 1960, and the Hermitage Artist Retreat at 6630 Manasota Key Rd on county-owned land (Business Observer, November 27, 2025; Hermitage Artist Retreat). The county roll reflects that too, with 13 hotel condo units and 7 hotel or lodging mixed-use parcels on Manasota Key Rd (Sarasota County Property Appraiser). Those parcels are lodging codes, not residential condominiums.

What Are Sandpiper Key, Stump Pass and Milton Pass?

Sandpiper Key is the small island in Lemon Bay between the two spans of Beach Road. Charlotte County's code defines it as "the land area located south and west of the Intracoastal Waterway, east of the Lemon Bay Channel and north of Manasota Key," and the Manasota and Sandpiper Key overlay zoning covers both (Charlotte County, Manasota Key Zoning District Overlay). Driving onto the key from Englewood, you cross the Tom Adams Bridge to Sandpiper Key and then the shorter Swepston Bridge onto Manasota Key (Wikipedia, Tom Adams Bridge).

Stump Pass is the channel at the south end of Manasota Key that connects Lemon Bay with the Gulf and separates the key from Don Pedro Island (Wikipedia, Manasota Key, Florida). The south tip of the key is Stump Pass Beach State Park, at 900 Gulf Blvd. Hurricane Milton in October 2024 cut a new channel through the park's undeveloped beach that locals call "Milton Pass," linking the Gulf and Lemon Bay; the park, which had about 1.3 miles of beach before the storm, reopened on September 19, 2025 with a $3 per car honor-box fee (Florida Rambler, Stump Pass Beach State Park). Florida State Parks' own page did not load for us, so confirm the current fee and hours with the park at (941) 964-0375.

What Is Not on Manasota Key?

Several places marketed with the Manasota Key name are on the mainland. The most common is Beachwalk by Manasota Key, a mainland community east of Lemon Bay; it is covered in its own guide and in the comparison section of this page. A 2023 Sarasota County rezoning for seven duplexes on Manasota Beach Road, reported as "duplex development on Manasota Key," is also on the mainland side of the Manasota Beach Road bridge, about 1,200 feet west of State Road 776 (Sarasota News Leader).

To the south, Don Pedro Island and Knight (Palm) Island lie across Stump Pass and are not part of Manasota Key, and Port Charlotte Beach Park, at 4500 Harbor Blvd in Port Charlotte, is a Charlotte County beach park well away from the key (Charlotte County, Beaches). To the north, Caspersen Beach is treated by Wikipedia as the northward continuation of the beach to the Venice city limits, but it is a Venice-area beach, and our parcel sets stop at the Manasota Key Rd addresses in ZIP 34223 (Wikipedia, Manasota Key, Florida). When a listing says "Manasota Key," check the street and the parcel number before you check anything else.

Where Is Manasota Key, and How Do You Get On and Off the Island?

Manasota Key has two road crossings over Lemon Bay: the Tom Adams Bridge on Beach Road in Charlotte County, and the Manasota Beach Road bridge in Sarasota County to the north. Between them, Beach Road and Manasota Key Road form the only through road on Manasota Key, and storms have cut that road more than once.

Both crossings are drawbridges over the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, which runs through Lemon Bay, so boat traffic can hold up car traffic. The road on the key is a single spine: County Road 776 (Beach Road) leaves State Road 776 in Englewood, crosses the Tom Adams Bridge onto the key and runs north to the Sarasota County line, where it continues as Manasota Key Road; the Charlotte County Road 776 section is about 3.1 miles long (Wikipedia, Florida State Road 776).

What Is the Tom Adams Bridge?

The Tom Adams Bridge carries Beach Road (County Road 776) over Lemon Bay from the Englewood mainland to Sandpiper Key. The current bridge, built in 1965, is a concrete double-leaf bascule drawbridge with 20 feet of clearance, maintained by Charlotte County Public Works, with no toll (Wikipedia, Tom Adams Bridge). It was built as a drawbridge because Lemon Bay had become part of the Intracoastal Waterway, and it was heavily rehabilitated in 2018 with a new bridge tender house. It is named for Thomas Burton Adams Jr., Florida Secretary of State and Lieutenant Governor. The first bridges to the key were built privately by the Chadwick brothers in 1927 and carried a 50 cent toll until Charlotte County took control in the 1930s (Wikipedia, Tom Adams Bridge).

Data updated: November 2026 (BridgeLookup, National Bridge Inventory record 010029, read November 14, 2026; inventory data as published there)

Charlotte County has three Tom Adams Bridge projects on its books. The first, a Hurricane Milton emergency repair of slope paving and sidewalks undermined at all four quadrants, had a $201,000 budget, and the county page says "This project is complete" (Charlotte County, Tom Adams Bridge Emergency Repair, Hurricane Milton). The second is a structural repair project "to extend its service life": generator replacement, pile jacket and fender repairs, structural repairs and control panel updates, with a construction budget of $2,423,899.80. Titan Construction received notice to proceed on August 17, 2026, completion is scheduled for December 15, 2026, and the county's November 2026 update reports work on the fender system; the page lists no lane closures (Charlotte County, Tom Adams Bridge Structural Repairs). The third is a bridge scour study and countermeasures project, with 100 percent plans due December 7, 2026 (Charlotte County, Bridge Scour Study and Countermeasures). A separate disaster recovery site at the bridge, 1400 Beach Road, lists Ian, Helene and Milton damage to the tender house, sidewalks, slope walls and fender, with a total budget of $426,601 (Charlotte County, Disaster Recovery Site Tom Adams Bridge).

What Is the Swepston Bridge?

The second, shorter span on Beach Road runs from Sandpiper Key onto Manasota Key. It was replaced in 1980 and is named the Swepston Bridge for Dr. Emil Swepston (Wikipedia, Tom Adams Bridge). One search summary spelled the name "Swepson"; the encyclopedia text we read says Swepston.

Data updated: November 2026 (BridgeLookup, National Bridge Inventory record 010087, read November 14, 2026; the 1980 build year matches the Swepston Bridge)

The Swepston is a fixed span, not a drawbridge, so the only opening on the Charlotte route is the Tom Adams leaf. Both Beach Road spans carried about the same traffic in 2024, 11,300 and 11,600 vehicles a day, which is what you would expect from two bridges in a row on one road.

What Is the Manasota Beach Road Bridge at the North End?

The north crossing, the Manasota Bridge, carries County Road 774 (Manasota Beach Road) across Lemon Bay and the Intracoastal Waterway from the mainland community of Manasota, south of Venice, to Manasota Beach and the Sarasota side of the key (Wikipedia, Manasota, Florida). The Manasota Key Association calls it the North Bridge (Manasota Key Association). It lands near Manasota Beach Park at 8570 Manasota Key Road, the northern Sarasota County beach park on the key (Visit Sarasota, Manasota Beach).

The bridge's build year, length, traffic count and condition rating: Information not available at time of publishing. Sarasota County's pages and the waterway guide we tried did not load, and no National Bridge Inventory record surfaced for it. Ask Sarasota County Public Works at 941-861-5000. The drawbridge opening rules for both Lemon Bay bascules are in federal rule 33 CFR 117.287; we did not retrieve the current paragraph text, so read it on ecfr.gov before planning around an opening schedule.

For an owner on the north key, this bridge matters more than the Tom Adams. During Hurricane Ian in 2022, the Sarasota end of the key had no storm surge but lost electricity, cell service and water, and a fallen post blocked one lane of the north bridge (Herald-Tribune via Yahoo, October 2, 2022).

Is Manasota Key Road Open, and Why Does It Keep Closing?

As of the latest reports we read, Manasota Key Road is open. A section about 2,000 feet north of Blind Pass Park, on the Sarasota side, was washed out by Hurricane Helene and then by Hurricane Milton's storm surge on October 9, 2024. In March 2025 the Sarasota County Commission directed a temporary road while a permanent road is designed; work began in fall 2025 and included debris removal, a new base, shoreline hardening, asphalt and markings, and the road reopened on Saturday, January 10, 2026 (WGCU, January 12, 2026).

FOX 13 reported that the segment has washed out multiple times since 2017, that the temporary repair cost "just over $2 million," that sea turtle nesting season paused the work, and that without the road the detour between the north and south ends of the key was about 45 minutes, according to the county's capital projects director (FOX 13, January 13, 2026). The county planned guardrail along the sandy east shoulder in place of no-parking signs.

The road closed again in 2026. On Friday, October 9, 2026, waves washed over Manasota Key Road north of Blind Pass Beach, left sand on the road and in yards and trapped two vehicles, and Sarasota County closed it (WWSB, October 9, 2026; WWSB, October 10, 2026). County crews cleared sand near Blind Pass Beach and Middle Beach and the road was reported reopened by October 12, 2026 (WWSB, October 12, 2026).

The permanent fix is years away. The Englewood Review reported that the permanent redesign was expected to take "at least four years," that the county issued an engineering design solicitation in June 2025, and that construction cannot begin until 60 days after the last sea turtle nest in the work area is documented (Englewood Review). For a buyer on the north key, the practical point is that the stretch north of Blind Pass is the weak link between the two halves of the island; a closure there leaves each end reachable only by its own bridge. Sarasota County's project page did not load for us; call the county at 941-861-5000 for current status.

How Long Does It Take to Drive From Manasota Key to Englewood, Venice and Port Charlotte?

No agency publishes drive times from Manasota Key. The figures below are free-flow routing estimates computed on November 14, 2026 with the public OSRM routing engine on OpenStreetMap road data, with no traffic and no drawbridge openings (OSRM routing). They start from two points: Englewood Beach (Beach Road at Gulf Boulevard) on the Charlotte end and Manasota Beach Park on the Sarasota end. Treat every figure as "about."

Data updated: November 2026 (OSRM routing engine on OpenStreetMap data, free-flow routing estimates without drawbridge openings, computed November 14, 2026 from approximate origin and destination points; real drive times vary with traffic, season and bridge openings)

The table shows the two ends of the key facing different directions. The north (Sarasota) end is closer by road to Venice, Wellen Park and the Venice hospital; the south (Charlotte) end at Englewood Beach is closer to Dearborn Street and Port Charlotte. Both ends are about the same distance from HCA Florida Englewood Hospital and from I-75. Add time for the Tom Adams or Manasota drawbridge if a boat is passing, and for seasonal traffic on State Road 776. If Manasota Key Road is closed north of Blind Pass, a drive from one end of the key to the other runs through the mainland; FOX 13 put that detour at about 45 minutes (FOX 13, January 13, 2026).

Which Airports Serve Manasota Key?

Three commercial airports serve Manasota Key. On the same free-flow routing estimates, Punta Gorda Airport (PGD) is about 29.1 road miles and 52 minutes from Englewood Beach and about 41.5 miles and 58 minutes from Manasota Beach Park; Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) is about 42.4 miles and 64 minutes from Englewood Beach and 37.6 miles and 57 minutes from Manasota Beach Park; and Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers is about 66.0 miles and 86 minutes from Englewood Beach and 74.1 miles and 92 minutes from Manasota Beach Park (OSRM routing). Tampa International (TPA) is about 89.8 miles from Englewood Beach and 85.0 miles from Manasota Beach Park.

Data updated: November 2026 (Punta Gorda Airport; Wikipedia, Sarasota Bradenton International Airport; Wikipedia, Southwest Florida International Airport, read November 14, 2026; drive figures are OSRM free-flow routing estimates without drawbridge openings, computed November 14, 2026)

The choice of airport follows the county side. From the Charlotte end, PGD is the closest by a wide margin; from the Sarasota end, PGD and SRQ are about the same drive. PGD's own site lists recent route additions including Boston and Minneapolis on a seasonal basis (Punta Gorda Airport); check the airport for current routes before you book.

Which Hospitals Are Closest to Manasota Key?

The closest hospital is HCA Florida Englewood Hospital at 700 Medical Blvd, Englewood, a 100-bed hospital owned by HCA Healthcare, formerly Englewood Community Hospital, opened in 1985, with an emergency department (Wikipedia, HCA Florida Englewood Hospital). It is about 6 road miles from either end of the key on the free-flow routing estimates above: about 5.7 miles and 13 minutes from Englewood Beach and 5.9 miles and 14 minutes from Manasota Beach Park (OSRM routing).

To the north, Sarasota Memorial Hospital Venice opened in November 2021 with 110 beds; a new patient tower that opened 68 private suites on April 3, 2024, with 34 more planned, takes its inpatient capacity to 212, and its emergency care center was being expanded from 28 to 61 rooms (Sarasota Memorial Hospital). It is about 9.7 miles and 20 minutes from Manasota Beach Park and 14.4 miles and 27 minutes from Englewood Beach on the same estimates. For an emergency on the key, the drawbridge and Manasota Key Road status both matter, which is one more reason to know which bridge serves your end of the island.

Where Do You Shop and Eat Near Manasota Key?

The nearest town center is Englewood's Dearborn Street district on the mainland; Englewood's shopping district is "located primarily along West Dearborn Street" (Wikipedia, Englewood, Florida), about 2.1 road miles from Englewood Beach and about 6.6 miles from Manasota Beach Park on the free-flow routing estimates above (OSRM routing). Named grocery stores near the key with addresses: Information not available at time of publishing from the research for this page; use the grocers' own store locators.

On the key itself, the restaurants cluster on the Charlotte side across from Englewood Beach. VISIT FLORIDA describes a walkable strip of restaurants and bars there, naming SandBar Tiki and Grille and Lock 'N Key (VISIT FLORIDA, Englewood Beach guide). SandBar Tiki and Grille, at 1975 Beach Rd, lists hours of 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 364 days a year (SandBar Tiki and Grille), and Lock 'N Key reopened on February 18, 2025 after about five months closed by storm damage (WINK News). The Sarasota side has no commercial strip; the Manasota Key Association states that its district does not allow commercial use (Manasota Key Association, Renting Your Property). For a north-key owner, groceries, dining and errands mean a drive over the North Bridge or south across the county line.

What Does the Manasota Key Market Look Like Right Now?

Manasota Key recorded two very different markets in the latest 12 months of county data. On the Sarasota County side, 25 qualified sales had a $2,200,000 median from October 15, 2025 to October 14, 2026; on the Charlotte County side, 67 improved sales had a $587,000 median from September 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026.

Data updated: November 2026 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser bulk parcel and sales file dated October 21, 2026, qualified sales October 15, 2025 to October 14, 2026; Charlotte County Property Appraiser roll dated November 5, 2026 and sales recorded through September 9, 2026, qualified improved sales September 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026)

Every figure in this section comes from one of two county files, and each side is always printed with its own file and its own window (Sarasota County Property Appraiser; Charlotte County Property Appraiser). The windows differ because the two files end on different dates: the newest qualified sale in the Sarasota county file is dated October 14, 2026, and the newest qualified sale in the Charlotte county file is dated September 9, 2026. We did not stretch either window to match the other.

How we counted (method note). We tracked every qualified sale on both county rolls for Manasota Key, one side at a time, and we never merge the two files. On the Sarasota side, the parcel set is every parcel with a Manasota Key Rd situs address in ZIP 34223 on the Sarasota County Property Appraiser bulk file dated October 21, 2026, 464 parcels. A qualified sale is one carrying the county's qualification code 01 or 02, for more than $1,000, on a parcel that has living area on the roll and was built by the year of sale. On the Charlotte side, the parcel set is every Charlotte County parcel in ZIP 34223 with a situs on N Beach Rd, Gulf Blvd or Manasota Key Rd on the Charlotte County Property Appraiser roll dated November 5, 2026, 1,259 parcels; that this street set equals the Charlotte part of Manasota Key is our inference from the street pattern, not a boundary the county publishes. A Charlotte sale counts if the Florida Department of Revenue qualification marks it as qualified, the parcel is improved and the price is over $1,000. Price per square foot uses living area on the Sarasota roll and heated area on the Charlotte roll, so it should not be compared with an MLS figure, and the two counties' area measures are not identical to each other.

What Did Sarasota-Side Manasota Key Homes Sell For in the Last 12 Months?

The Sarasota side of Manasota Key recorded 25 qualified sales at a $2,200,000 median from October 15, 2025 to October 14, 2026, with the middle half of sales between $1,599,100 and $3,692,500 and a $775 median price per square foot of living area (Sarasota County Property Appraiser). Nineteen of the 25 were single-family homes.

Data updated: November 2026 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser bulk parcel and sales file dated October 21, 2026, qualified sales October 15, 2025 to October 14, 2026)

The type split matters on this side because the most expensive sales were not single-family homes. The six multi-dwelling or other improved parcels include the window's highest sale, $9,200,000, on a parcel the roll codes as multiple dwellings, built in 2018 with 7,515 square feet of living area, by our reading of the same file. Five of the six are coded as multi-dwelling parcels and one carries a hotel code, so they are not like-for-like comparisons for a single home.

Data updated: November 2026 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser bulk parcel and sales file dated October 21, 2026, qualified sales October 15, 2025 to October 14, 2026; the multi-dwelling range is our reading of the six sale records in the file)

For a single-family seller, the $1,870,000 median and the $719 per square foot figure are the numbers to start from, not the $2,200,000 all-sales median. Even then, a 19-sale year is a thin market spread over homes built from the 1950s to the 2020s, on lots that range from bayside parcels to Gulf-to-bay estates. Two of the 19 sold under $1,000,000, at $525,000 and $750,000, and two sold at $5,000,000 or more, by our count of the file.

Data updated: November 2026 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser bulk parcel and sales file dated October 21, 2026, qualified sales October 15, 2025 to October 14, 2026; bands are our count of the sale records in the file)

The single-family market clusters between $1,500,000 and $2,000,000, with six sales there, but there is no tight band. Ten of the 19 single-family sales were at $1,870,000 or less and nine above it, which is what a median means; the spread from the 25th to the 75th percentile, $1,500,000 to $3,585,000, is more than $2,000,000 (our arithmetic). That is the clearest sign that a Sarasota-side Manasota Key home has to be priced against the few sales most like it, not against the side as a whole.

How Have Sarasota-Side Prices Moved Over Longer Windows and by Year?

Over longer windows, the Sarasota side of Manasota Key recorded 34 qualified sales at a $2,175,000 median over 24 months, 45 at $2,250,000 over 36 months, and 81 at $2,500,000 over 60 months, each window ending October 14, 2026 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser). The longer windows smooth out the small yearly counts.

Data updated: November 2026 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser bulk parcel and sales file dated October 21, 2026, qualified sales in the stated windows ending October 14, 2026)

The 24-month count of 34 is only 9 more than the 12-month count of 25 (our arithmetic), which means the 12 months from October 2024 to October 2025, the year after Helene and Milton, recorded few qualified home sales on the Sarasota side. The 60-month median is higher than the shorter windows because it includes the 2022 sales, the strongest calendar year in the file.

Data updated: November 2026 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser bulk parcel and sales file dated October 21, 2026, qualified sales by calendar year of sale, through the newest qualified sale in the county file on October 14, 2026)

Three patterns stand out. The median rose from $1,302,500 in 2019 to $2,995,000 in 2022, and has run between $2,000,000 and $2,837,500 since. Sales counts fell by about half after 2022, to 11 and 12 a year from 2023 to 2025, then rose to 21 in the first nine and a half months of 2026. And with so few sales a year, one or two large homes can move a year's median by hundreds of thousands of dollars; the 2024 all-sales median of $2,837,500 sits well above that year's single-family median of $2,200,000 because three of the 12 sales were not single-family. None of these figures predicts future prices.

What Sold on the Sarasota Side Without a Home on It?

In the same 12 months, the Sarasota County file recorded 4 qualified sales of Manasota Key Rd parcels with no living area on the roll, which are land sales or sales of homes the roll no longer counts as living space: $850,000, $950,000, $950,000 and $2,550,000 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser). These are not in the 25 improved sales above.

Data updated: November 2026 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser bulk parcel and sales file dated October 21, 2026, qualified sales October 15, 2025 to October 14, 2026, parcels with no living area on the roll)

Read these with the storm record in mind. After Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024, some Manasota Key Rd parcels lost their homes, and the roll now carries 13 parcels coded "vacant after calamity" and 62 coded vacant land (see the homes section below). A parcel with no living area can be a lot that was always vacant, a teardown, or a storm-damaged site; the price depends on the lot's width, its Gulf and bay frontage, its flood zone and what can be built on it under the Sarasota County rules, so a buyer should not treat $850,000 to $950,000 as a floor for a Gulf-front lot. The lower prices of $525,000 and $750,000 among the improved single-family sales above were for homes of 1,261 and 2,025 square feet built in 1974 and 1964, by our reading of the file.

What Did Charlotte-Side Manasota Key Homes Sell For in the Last 12 Months?

The Charlotte side of Manasota Key recorded 67 qualified improved sales at a $587,000 median from September 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026, with a $453 median price per heated square foot (Charlotte County Property Appraiser). Condominium units made up 48 of the 67 sales, so the condominium figures drive this side's market.

Data updated: November 2026 (Charlotte County Property Appraiser roll dated November 5, 2026 and sales file, qualified improved sales September 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026)

The all-sales range is not printed here, because its low end is a transfer that does not look like a market sale; the type ranges below are the useful ones.

Data updated: November 2026 (Charlotte County Property Appraiser roll dated November 5, 2026 and sales file, qualified improved sales September 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026; co-operative and multifamily prices are our reading of the sale records in the file)

Two of the 67 were first sales of new single-family homes, builder-direct closings at $1,555,000 and $1,850,000; both were homes built in 2025 on Gulf Blvd, by the same county sales record as cut for our Englewood town research (Charlotte County Property Appraiser). Those two sit at the top of the single-family range, so the other nine single-family sales, all resales, ran from $680,000 to $1,750,000 (our reading of the file). Most Charlotte-side single-family homes are older and smaller: the median heated area on the roll is 1,666 square feet and the median year built is 1972, as the homes section below shows.

How Are Charlotte-Side Condominium Sales Spread Across Price Bands?

Charlotte-side Manasota Key condominium sales spread from under $400,000 to over $1,000,000, with 21 of the 48 sales under $500,000 and 10 at $700,000 or more, in the 12 months from September 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026 (Charlotte County Property Appraiser).

Data updated: November 2026 (Charlotte County Property Appraiser roll dated November 5, 2026 and sales file, qualified condominium sales September 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026; bands are our count of the sale records)

The bands track the buildings more than the market. The lower bands hold the smaller and older units on N Beach Rd and Gulf Blvd, some under 700 heated square feet, while the three sales of $1,000,000 and up were larger units, by our reading of the file. A condominium price on the key also carries the building: its reserves, its milestone inspection and structural integrity reserve study status, its insurance and its rental rules, which the condominium section of this guide covers. Two units of the same size in different buildings can differ by hundreds of thousands of dollars for those reasons alone.

How Have Charlotte-Side Prices Moved Over Longer Windows and by Year?

Over longer windows ending September 9, 2026, the Charlotte side of Manasota Key recorded 94 improved sales at a $615,000 median over 24 months, 124 at $667,500 over 36 months, and 239 at $640,000 over 60 months (Charlotte County Property Appraiser). The condominium median was $530,000 over both 12 and 24 months.

Data updated: November 2026 (Charlotte County Property Appraiser roll dated November 5, 2026 and sales file, qualified improved sales in the stated windows ending September 9, 2026)

Data updated: November 2026 (Charlotte County Property Appraiser roll dated November 5, 2026 and sales file, qualified improved sales by calendar year of sale, through the newest qualified sale in the county file on September 9, 2026)

The Charlotte side tells a clearer story than the Sarasota side because it has more sales. Condominium medians roughly doubled from $306,500 in 2019 to a peak of $667,500 in 2024, on falling volume: 98 condominium sales in 2021, 46 in 2022, 28 in 2023 and 16 in 2024. In 2025 the condominium median fell back to $587,000 on 27 sales, and in the 12 months to September 9, 2026 it was $530,000 on 48 sales. Volume is recovering and the median is lower, which is consistent with a market working through storm-damaged units, higher insurance and the new condominium safety laws, though the county record alone does not prove the cause. The 2026 count to September 9, 55 sales, already exceeds each full year from 2023 to 2025 (our comparison of the table). Single-family yearly counts of 7 to 16 are too small to read as a trend.

Which Manasota Key Market Measures Are Not Available?

Days on market, sale-to-list ratio, active listings, months of supply and rents: Information not available at time of publishing (checked November 14, 2026). Those measures come only from the multiple listing service, which was not pulled for this page. For a specific Manasota Key home, we add the listing-side measures for its own county side, building or street at the time of pricing.

Two more limits apply to the county figures. First, the two county files lag the market: the Sarasota file's newest qualified sale is dated October 14, 2026 and the newest on Manasota Key Rd is October 9, 2026, while the Charlotte file's newest qualified sale is September 9, 2026 and the newest on our Charlotte street set is August 31, 2026. Second, the county roll describes a home as it was assessed, which can lag storm damage, demolition and rebuilding on an island where many parcels changed after 2024 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser; Charlotte County Property Appraiser). If you are selling, list on the sell my home in Englewood page and we will pull the current listing data for your side of the key.

Why the Two Sides Should Never Be Averaged

In the last 12 months we tracked 25 qualified Sarasota-side sales and 67 Charlotte-side sales on Manasota Key, each in its own county window, and the two groups describe different property types. Manasota Key's two county medians, $2,200,000 on the Sarasota side and $587,000 on the Charlotte side, describe two different products in two different windows, and adding or averaging them produces a number that matches no home on the key. The Sarasota figure is mostly single-family homes on lots with a 34,825 square foot median; the Charlotte figure is mostly condominium units with a 1,176 heated square foot median (Sarasota County Property Appraiser; Charlotte County Property Appraiser).

Three things make the two sides incomparable as one market. The windows differ: October 15, 2025 to October 14, 2026 in Sarasota and September 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026 in Charlotte. The definitions differ: Sarasota qualification codes 01 and 02 on parcels with living area, against Florida Department of Revenue qualification on improved Charlotte parcels, and living area against heated area for price per square foot. And the property differs: no residential condominium code on Manasota Key Rd, against 885 condominium units on the Charlotte street set.

Even single-family homes do not line up. A Sarasota-side single-family home had a $1,870,000 median in its window and a Charlotte-side single-family home a $950,000 median in its window, but the typical Sarasota-side home has 2,868 square feet of living area on a lot of about 0.8 acre (our arithmetic), while the typical Charlotte-side home has 1,666 heated square feet. Portals that print one Manasota Key median, or one "average price," are mixing those homes together, and some mix in mainland Englewood listings as well. On this page, each side always prints with its own file and its own window, and so should any price opinion you are given.

What Homes Are on Manasota Key, and How Big Are They?

Manasota Key homes split by county. The Sarasota County side holds 298 single-family homes with a median 2,868 square feet of living area on a median 34,825 square foot lot; the Charlotte County side holds 885 condominium units with a median 1,176 heated square feet and 173 single-family homes with a median 1,666.

Data updated: November 2026 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser bulk parcel file dated October 21, 2026, 2026 roll; Charlotte County Property Appraiser roll dated November 5, 2026)

This section describes the homes as the two county rolls record them, using the same parcel sets as the market section (Sarasota County Property Appraiser; Charlotte County Property Appraiser). On the Sarasota side, "homes" means the 298 single-family parcels with living area on the 2026 roll. On the Charlotte side, the roll gives heated area and year built for single-family homes and condominium units but no bedroom count in our extract, so the Charlotte tables stop at size and age.

What Is on the Sarasota Side of Manasota Key, Parcel by Parcel?

The Sarasota County Property Appraiser's October 21, 2026 file holds 464 parcels with a Manasota Key Rd situs in ZIP 34223, and 285 of them carry the state use code for a single-family detached home (Sarasota County Property Appraiser). No parcel on Manasota Key Rd carries a residential condominium code.

Data updated: November 2026 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser bulk parcel file dated October 21, 2026; the "other codes" line is our arithmetic from the same file)

Three lines in that table say a lot about the key. The 42 parcels coded "multiple single-family dwellings" are lots the county records as carrying more than one dwelling; the code does not mean a multifamily building. The 13 "vacant after calamity" parcels are lots whose homes the property appraiser removed from the roll after a disaster, and the 4 "new construction not substantially complete" parcels are homes being built. And the 13 hotel condo units and 7 lodging parcels are the older resort uses on the north key, coded as lodging rather than as residential condominiums.

How Big Are Sarasota-Side Manasota Key Homes, and How Many Bedrooms Do They Have?

Sarasota-side Manasota Key homes on the 2026 roll range from 557 to 12,789 square feet of living area, with a 2,868 square foot median and a middle half between 2,026 and 3,880 square feet (Sarasota County Property Appraiser). Three bedrooms is the most common layout, 144 of the 298 homes.

Data updated: November 2026 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser bulk parcel file dated October 21, 2026, 2026 roll; shares are our arithmetic on 298 homes and are rounded)

These are large homes by Englewood standards, and the spread is wide. The middle half, 2,026 to 3,880 square feet, covers everything from an older ranch to a newer elevated house, and the top of the range includes estate houses of more than 12,000 square feet. About half of the homes, 152 of 298, carry a pool on the roll. The homestead exemption, which an owner claims on a permanent Florida residence, appears on 135 of 298, about 45 percent (our arithmetic); it matters for the tax bill, which the cost section of this guide covers. The county's bedroom count is what was permitted and assessed, so it can differ from a listing; the permit file at Sarasota County is the tie-breaker.

How Old Are Sarasota-Side Manasota Key Homes?

Sarasota-side Manasota Key homes were built from 1945 to 2025, with a 1983 median year built and a middle half between 1970 and 1996 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser). The 1980s were the largest building decade, with 73 homes.

Data updated: November 2026 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser bulk parcel file dated October 21, 2026, 2026 roll; one of the 298 homes has no year built on the roll)

Age matters more on Manasota Key than on most of the mainland, because it is a rough guide to how a house sits against today's flood rules. Homes built before the first flood maps can sit lower than new construction must, and 74 of the 297 homes with a year built date from the 1940s to the 1960s (our sum from the table). On a home like that, a repair or remodel that crosses the FEMA 50 percent threshold can require the whole structure to be raised or rebuilt to current elevation, which the flood section of this guide explains for each county. The 29 homes built in the 2010s and 2020s are the ones most likely to have been built to current standards, but the year alone does not tell you; the elevation certificate does.

How Big Are Sarasota-Side Lots, and What Is the Roll Value?

Sarasota-side Manasota Key single-family lots range from 5,922 to 129,441 square feet, with a 34,825 square foot median and a middle half between 25,858 and 47,357 square feet, and the 2026 just (market) value on the roll has a $1,953,500 median (Sarasota County Property Appraiser).

Data updated: November 2026 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser bulk parcel file dated October 21, 2026, 2026 roll)

A 34,825 square foot median lot is about 0.8 acre (our arithmetic), and the middle half runs from about 0.6 to 1.1 acres. Lots that size on a barrier island are possible here because many run the full width of the key, from the Gulf beach across Manasota Key Rd to Lemon Bay, which is why a single parcel can carry both beach frontage and a bay dock. Just value is the property appraiser's estimate of market value as of January 1 for tax purposes, not a sale price; the median just value of $1,953,500 sits close to the $1,870,000 median single-family sale in the October 15, 2025 to October 14, 2026 window, but for any one home the two can differ widely.

What Is on the Charlotte Side of Manasota Key, Parcel by Parcel?

The Charlotte County Property Appraiser's roll dated November 5, 2026 holds 1,259 parcels in ZIP 34223 with a situs on N Beach Rd, Gulf Blvd or Manasota Key Rd, and 885 of them are condominium units (Charlotte County Property Appraiser). That is about 70 percent of the parcels (our arithmetic).

Data updated: November 2026 (Charlotte County Property Appraiser roll dated November 5, 2026; the "commercial and other codes" line is our arithmetic from the same roll)

This is a different island on paper. Where the Sarasota side has no residential condominium code, the Charlotte side is mostly condominiums, plus 57 co-operative units, in which an owner holds shares in a corporation rather than a deeded unit, and 43 small multifamily buildings. Charlotte County's overlay zoning for Manasota and Sandpiper Key names single-family, multifamily, commercial general and commercial tourist districts, which is why condominiums, motels and restaurants sit side by side around Englewood Beach (Charlotte County, Manasota Key Zoning District Overlay). Height and density caps for each overlay district must be confirmed with Charlotte County Community Development, because the posted code and later amendments do not match.

How Big and How Old Are Charlotte-Side Condominiums and Homes?

Charlotte-side Manasota Key condominium units range from 291 to 5,787 heated square feet, with a 1,176 square foot median, and were built from 1958 to 2024 with a 1981 median; single-family homes range from 677 to 6,624 heated square feet, with a 1,666 square foot median, built from 1926 to 2025 with a 1972 median (Charlotte County Property Appraiser).

Data updated: November 2026 (Charlotte County Property Appraiser roll dated November 5, 2026)

The Charlotte condominium stock is a 1980s product: 503 of the 885 units were built in that decade, and the middle half of all units falls between 1980 and 1987. That age is why Florida's milestone inspection and structural integrity reserve study laws, which apply by building age and height, weigh on this side of the key; the condominium section of this guide covers them with the statute links. Single-family homes on the Charlotte side are older still, with 48 of 173 built in the 1950s, and much smaller than on the Sarasota side, which is why the Charlotte single-family median sale of $950,000 sits so far below the Sarasota one.

What Do the Vacant, Storm-Coded and New-Construction Parcels Show?

Manasota Key's storm years show on both rolls. The Sarasota side carries 62 vacant land parcels, 13 coded "vacant after calamity" and 4 coded as new construction not substantially complete on Manasota Key Rd; the Charlotte side carries 36 vacant residential parcels (Sarasota County Property Appraiser; Charlotte County Property Appraiser).

Data updated: November 2026 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser bulk parcel and sales file dated October 21, 2026; Charlotte County Property Appraiser roll dated November 5, 2026 and sales recorded through September 9, 2026)

The "vacant after calamity" code is the clearest storm marker on the roll: a home was there, and after a disaster the property appraiser no longer values it as a home. The Sarasota roll also shows rebuilding under way, with 10 homes built in the 2020s and 4 new homes not yet complete. On the Charlotte side, the two 2025 Gulf Blvd homes that closed as new construction at $1,555,000 and $1,850,000 are a guide to what rebuilt single-family homes are fetching there, against a $950,000 median for all 11 Charlotte-side single-family sales in the same window. News coverage after Milton described some Manasota Key homes pushed off their foundations or washed away, others for sale, and some lots left vacant a year later (FOX 13, October 15, 2024; FOX 13, October 9, 2025). The hurricane section of this guide follows that record in detail.

Which Condominiums Are on Manasota Key?

Manasota Key's condominiums sit on the Charlotte County side, where the county roll dated November 5, 2026 counts 885 condominium units and 57 co-operative units among 1,259 parcels on N Beach Rd, Gulf Blvd and Manasota Key Rd. The Sarasota side has no residential condominium parcels (Charlotte County Property Appraiser; Sarasota County Property Appraiser, bulk data).

That split is the single most useful fact for a condo buyer. If you want a condominium on the key, you are shopping on the Charlotte County side, in and around Englewood Beach, and the rules that apply to you are Charlotte County's overlay code, Florida's condominium statute and the declaration of the building you pick. On the Sarasota side, the Sarasota County Property Appraiser file dated October 21, 2026 shows 13 "hotel condo unit" parcels and 7 hotel or lodging mixed-use parcels on Manasota Key Rd, which are lodging uses on the roll, not residential condominiums (Sarasota County Property Appraiser, bulk data).

How Many Condominium Units Are on the Charlotte Side, and When Were They Built?

The Charlotte County Property Appraiser roll dated November 5, 2026 records a heated area and a year built for every one of the 885 condominium units in our Charlotte parcel set (Charlotte County Property Appraiser):

Data updated: November 2026 (Charlotte County Property Appraiser roll dated November 5, 2026; parcel set: Charlotte parcels in ZIP 34223 with a situs on N Beach Rd, Gulf Blvd or Manasota Key Rd)

Data updated: November 2026 (Charlotte County Property Appraiser roll dated November 5, 2026, same parcel set)

The 1980s dominate: 503 of the 885 units were built in that decade, and 693 units, about 78 percent, were built before 1990 (our arithmetic from the roll). That age profile is why Florida's milestone inspection and reserve study laws, covered below, matter so much on this side of the key. Only 13 condominium units on the roll were built in 2010 or later.

What Have Manasota Key Condominiums Sold For?

In the 12 months from September 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026, the Charlotte County sales file recorded 48 qualified condominium sales in our Manasota Key parcel set, at a median of $530,000, a range of $250,000 to $1,300,000, a middle half of $404,975 to $678,750 and a median of $443 per heated square foot (Charlotte County Property Appraiser).

Data updated: November 2026 (Charlotte County Property Appraiser roll dated November 5, 2026 and sales recorded through September 9, 2026; 12 months September 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026; 24 months September 10, 2024 to September 9, 2026; calendar years as stated)

These are Charlotte County figures only. The Sarasota side recorded no condominium sales because it has no residential condominium parcels, and its single-family numbers are a different market that should never be averaged with these. The market section of this guide gives the full Charlotte picture by year and type. Days on market, sale-to-list ratio, active listings, months of supply and rents: Information not available at time of publishing (checked November 14, 2026).

Which Named Condominium Associations Could We Confirm?

Most published facts about individual Manasota Key condominiums sit on listing sites, which we do not use. The table below holds only what an association's own site or a state-derived directory showed when we read it on November 14, 2026.

Data updated: November 2026 (association and directory pages read November 14, 2026)

Tamarind's forms page lists a rental application, a sales application and an architectural review application, but it does not state a minimum rental term (Tamarind COA Forms). Its February 22, 2024 annual meeting minutes record 69 members present in person or by proxy and 12 architectural requests approved in 2023 (Tamarind 2024 annual minutes). At $3,775 a quarter, Tamarind's 2026 dues come to $15,100 a year (our arithmetic). That is one building's figure, not a key-wide average.

The same state-derived directory page for The Boardwalk lists these nearby associations by name: Sea Oats by the Bay Condo, Krystal Key Condo, Surf Club on the Gulf, Key Condo (The), Gulf Island Strand and Island Breeze of Manasota Key (Florida Condo Directory). For each of them, and for Pelican Landing, Englewood Beach Place and Englewood Beach Condominium, the unit count, year built, dues and rental rules were not available from an allowed source at time of publishing. The recorded declaration, the association manager and the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation condominium search hold those answers.

Which Florida Condominium Laws Apply to a Manasota Key Building?

Two statutes now shape every condominium purchase on the key, and both turn on height:

• Milestone inspections (s. 553.899, F.S.). They apply to condominium and cooperative buildings "three habitable stories or more." The first inspection is due by December 31 of the year the building reaches 30 years from its certificate of occupancy, and a local agency may move that to 25 years based on local conditions such as proximity to salt water; after that, every 10 years. Phase one is a visual inspection; phase two follows only if substantial structural deterioration is found, and repairs must begin within 365 days of a phase two report. Buildings that reached 30 years before July 1, 2022 had to be inspected before December 31, 2024 (Florida Statutes 553.899).
• Structural Integrity Reserve Study, or SIRS (s. 718.112(2)(g), F.S.). Required for residential condominium buildings three habitable stories or higher, every 10 years. It must cover the roof, structure, fireproofing and fire protection, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing and exterior painting, windows and exterior doors, and any other item over $25,000 whose failure would affect those. Associations existing on or before July 1, 2022 needed a study by December 31, 2025 (Florida Statutes 718.112).

The 2025 update to both laws, HB 913, became Chapter 2025-175, Laws of Florida, approved June 23, 2025 and effective July 1, 2025 except as otherwise provided (Florida Senate, HB 913 (2025)).

Many Manasota Key condominiums are low-rise, and a two-story building falls below the three-habitable-story threshold of both laws. Mid-rise Gulf-front buildings of three or more stories fall inside both. Story counts building by building were not available from an allowed source, so ask the association which side of the line its building sits on, and ask to see the inspection report and the SIRS either way.

What Do Florida's Reserve Rules Mean for Dues and Special Assessments?

For budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, owners in an association required to have a SIRS "may not vote to provide no reserves or less reserves" for the SIRS items. Reserves may be funded by regular assessments, special assessments, lines of credit or loans, and special assessments, lines of credit and loans need a majority of total voting interests. After a milestone inspection, a majority of total voting interests may pause or reduce SIRS reserve contributions for up to two consecutive annual budgets, for budgets adopted on or before December 31, 2028, to fund the recommended repairs. If the building official finds the whole building uninhabitable after a natural emergency, the board may pause contributions (Florida Statutes 718.112).

In plain terms, an older Manasota Key building covered by the SIRS rule can no longer keep dues low by waiving reserves. If the reserve study shows a large roof, concrete or window bill coming, the money arrives through higher regular dues, a special assessment or a loan the owners repay. We found no published news report naming a specific Manasota Key condominium special assessment after Hurricanes Helene and Milton; that does not mean none exist, only that the minutes and the estoppel certificate are where you will find them.

What Should a Buyer Check Before Signing for a Manasota Key Condo?

Ask for these documents before the inspection period ends, and read them with your agent and, where needed, a Florida real estate attorney:

1. The declaration, bylaws and rules. These set the minimum rental term, pet rules, vehicle and boat parking, and approval steps for sales and leases. State preemption limits what a county can do about rental length; it does not limit what a condominium declaration can say (s. 509.032(7)(b), F.S., discussed in the governance section).
2. The milestone inspection report, if the building is three habitable stories or more. Tamarind, for example, posts its June 27, 2023 report on its own site (Tamarind Gulf and Bay).
3. The SIRS and the current budget, so you can see whether reserves are funded at the study's level.
4. Twelve months of board minutes, for any discussion of storm repairs, concrete restoration, roof replacement, insurance renewal or a coming special assessment.
5. The association's master insurance policy and its flood coverage, since every Manasota Key address we spot-checked on FEMA's map sits in a VE or AE flood zone (FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer). The flood and insurance section of this guide covers the unit-owner side, including the Citizens flood rule.
6. Sea turtle lighting compliance, because Charlotte County has a sea turtle lighting ordinance on the books (Chapter 3-5, Article XII, per the FWC lighting ordinance table) and Gulf-front buildings face the nesting beach from May 1 to October 31.

Charlotte County's own Manasota Key Community Plan, written in the mid 2000s, noted that "Daily or weekend rental of these units is not expressly prohibited by any section of the County Code" for condominium and multifamily units (Charlotte County, Manasota Key Community Plan). That makes the building's own declaration the controlling document for rental terms on the Charlotte side. If you are weighing a Manasota Key condo against other Englewood options, our Englewood buyer guide walks through the same checklist step by step.

Gulf-to-Bay, Gulffront and Bayfront Homes: What Differs?

Manasota Key single-family homes differ by which water a lot touches and which county governs it. Sarasota-side lots are large, a median of 34,825 square feet on the October 21, 2026 roll, and many run from the Gulf to Lemon Bay; Charlotte-side homes are older and smaller (Sarasota County Property Appraiser, bulk data).

Frontage drives price, permitting and storm exposure at the same time. A Gulf-front lot carries the beach, the state's Coastal Construction Control Line and, in the spots we checked, a VE flood zone. A bayfront lot faces Lemon Bay, an aquatic preserve with its own dock and shoreline rules. A Gulf-to-bay lot has both, and both sets of rules.

How Big Are Single-Family Lots and Homes on Each Side?

Data updated: November 2026 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser file dated October 21, 2026, parcels with a Manasota Key Rd situs in ZIP 34223; Charlotte County Property Appraiser roll dated November 5, 2026, Charlotte parcels in ZIP 34223 on N Beach Rd, Gulf Blvd or Manasota Key Rd)

The two columns come from two different county files with different field definitions (living area in Sarasota, heated area in Charlotte), so read them side by side, not as one market. The Sarasota median lot of 34,825 square feet is about four-fifths of an acre (our arithmetic: an acre is 43,560 square feet).

How Do You Confirm Whether a Manasota Key Lot Is Gulffront, Bayfront or Gulf-to-Bay?

Manasota Key frontage decides price more than almost anything else on the island, and it is a fact to confirm parcel by parcel rather than read from a summary. The Sarasota County Property Appraiser file carries a location field for every parcel, but the published layout we read does not define its code values, so we do not print a frontage split from it (Sarasota County Property Appraiser, bulk data).

On a Manasota Key purchase we confirm frontage three ways: the boundary survey, the parcel map on the property appraiser record for the correct county, and the recorded plat or legal description. A Gulf-to-bay parcel touches both the Gulf beach and Lemon Bay; a bayfront parcel has Lemon Bay frontage and usually a dock question to answer; a Gulffront parcel sits seaward of Manasota Key Road and inside the state coastal construction rules discussed below. The spread between those lot types is wide: on the Sarasota side the 19 qualified single-family sales from October 15, 2025 to October 14, 2026 ran from $525,000 to $6,750,000 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser file dated October 21, 2026).

With 19 sales in a year, no frontage type has enough sales to carry its own median, so each lot is priced against the few sales most like it. The Hermitage Artist Retreat's gift parcel shows the scale of the largest holdings: in January 2026 the retreat announced a $12 million gift of a 6.5-acre "Gulf-to-Bay" property with five main structures (Hermitage Artist Retreat).

What Is the Coastal Construction Control Line, and Why Does It Matter for Gulf-Front Lots?

Florida's Department of Environmental Protection sets a Coastal Construction Control Line (CCCL) county by county, and a state permit is needed "to alter, excavate, or construct on property seaward of established coastal construction control lines" (Florida Statutes 161.053). Three parts of that law matter to a Gulf-front buyer on Manasota Key:

• The 30-year rule. The department may not permit most major structures projected to be "seaward of the seasonal high-water line within 30 years after the date of application," with limited single-family exceptions (Florida Statutes 161.053).
• The repair exemption. Maintenance or repair of existing structures "within the limits of the existing foundation" is exempt, but seawalls and similar rigid structures are excluded from that exemption (same statute).
• Stricter siting. FDEP says permits seaward of the line also protect sea turtles and dune plants, and that siting and design criteria there can be stricter than elsewhere in the coastal building zone (FDEP CCCL program).

On the Sarasota side, the county adds its own Gulf Beach Setback Line, which the Sarasota News Leader describes as the county's "line in the sand," set to protect dunes and beach habitat (Sarasota News Leader, October 22, 2020). On the Charlotte side, the overlay code ties several standards to the CCCL and states that "No building may be constructed seaward of the coastal construction control line unless" the state permit is obtained (Charlotte County, Manasota Key Zoning District Overlay). Ask for a survey that shows the CCCL and, on the Sarasota side, the setback line, before you plan any addition, pool or rebuild.

Can You Build a Seawall or Armor a Gulf-Front Lot?

Not by right. In May 2026 the Sarasota County Commission voted 3 to 2 to deny a seawall project for two beachfront homes on Manasota Key, with commissioners citing effects on neighboring properties and the beach; the owners' attorney sought reconsideration (WWSB, May 12, 2026).

Sarasota County did loosen its Coastal Setback Code in 2020 at the Manasota Key Association's urging. Amendments approved October 21, 2020 allow shoreline hardening to protect threatened homes, raised the beach-compatible sand an owner may place on a lot from 100 to 200 cubic yards with a written conditioned exception, and added definitions of "hardship on the land" and "wet sandy beach" (Sarasota News Leader, October 22, 2020). The same report tells of a December 24, 2019 storm that destroyed the berm in front of one home, with emergency repairs over $100,000.

The lesson for a buyer is that shoreline protection on the Gulf side is a public hearing, not a building permit. Ask the seller for any past armoring permits, sand placement approvals and variance files, and price the lot on the assumption that the beach in front of it depends on public renourishment and the county's decisions.

What Do Bayfront Lots on Lemon Bay Involve?

The bay side of Manasota Key faces the Lemon Bay Aquatic Preserve, 7,227 acres established in July 1986 and designated an Outstanding Florida Waterbody, with water "rarely exceed[ing] 6 feet in depth," seagrass, oyster reefs and mangroves (Florida Aquatic Preserves, Lemon Bay). Shallow water and protected seagrass shape what kind of dock and boat a bayfront lot can support, and the depth at the end of a given dock is a site question, not a key-wide answer. Dock permitting details for the key were not located in our research; information not available at time of publishing. Ask for the existing dock's permits and a recent survey.

On the Charlotte side, the overlay code bars "Sport marinas and Resort marinas," allows dock-space leasing only in the commercial tourist district by special exception with "no live-aboard dockage; no sale of fuel and lubricants," and bans parking of unlicensed or unregistered automobiles, recreational vehicles, boats and trailers (Charlotte County overlay code). Those rules are from the version of the code posted on the county site; confirm them with Charlotte County Community Development.

How Does the 50 Percent Rule Work in Each County?

Both counties apply the federal flood program's Substantial Improvement and Substantial Damage rule, but they explain the math differently.

Data updated: November 2026 (Charlotte County, 50 Percent FEMA Rule; Sarasota County Property Appraiser, Understanding the FEMA 50% Rule; read November 14, 2026)

Charlotte County says compliance helps keep flood insurance discounts that save its residents nearly $3 million a year, about $133 per home (Charlotte County, 50 Percent FEMA Rule). Charlotte's overlay adds a related trigger of its own: spot ground elevations by a Florida licensed surveyor are required for new development and for "reconstruction that exceeds fifty (50) percent of the replacement value of an existing structure" (Charlotte County overlay code). Whether either county adds up work over a look-back period was not stated on the pages we read; ask each building department before you plan phased renovations.

What Does New Elevated Construction Look Like on Manasota Key?

The rolls show rebuilding under way on both sides. On the Sarasota side, the October 21, 2026 file counts 10 single-family homes built in the 2020s, 4 parcels coded "new construction not substantially complete," 13 parcels coded "vacant after calamity" and 62 vacant land parcels on Manasota Key Rd; in the 12 months to October 14, 2026, four sales of parcels with no living area on the roll closed at $850,000, $950,000, $950,000 and $2,550,000 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser, bulk data). On the Charlotte side, the roll dated November 5, 2026 shows 4 single-family homes built in the 2020s, and 2 of the 67 improved sales from September 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026 were first sales of new homes built in 2025, at $1,555,000 and $1,850,000 (Charlotte County Property Appraiser).

Raising an existing house is the other path. FOX 13 reported on May 27, 2026 that a couple on the Sarasota side of Manasota Key contracted for $244,000 to excavate and raise their slab home 12 feet, with helical piles and steel beam reinforcement (FOX 13, May 27, 2026). Charlotte County's overlay requires pilings on the key to be "augered into the ground, or otherwise introduced through contemporary technologies" that reduce noise and vibration, with a geotechnical analysis if driven piles are proposed, and requires the wires that connect poles to structures to run underground (Charlotte County overlay code).

Wind design is part of the same budget. Charlotte County's roof permit guidance tells applicants to choose a 150 or 160 mph wind zone from county GIS and Exposure D within 600 feet of a major body of water such as the Gulf of Mexico (Charlotte County, Residential Roof Permit Top Mistakes); on a key between the Gulf and Lemon Bay, confirm the exposure category per parcel. Building heights in the Charlotte overlay were amended in 2024 and 2025, and the posted text and the amendment record do not match, so we do not print height limits here; confirm them with Charlotte County Community Development before you design. Our new construction guide for Englewood covers lot purchase, builder contracts and permitting in more detail.

How Did Manasota Key Develop?

Manasota Key developed in two halves. The south end grew from the Chadwick family's 1920s beach venture and toll bridge into Englewood Beach in Charlotte County, while the Sarasota County north end stayed large single-family estates under what the Manasota Key Association describes as a state conservation district act (Wikipedia: Tom Adams Bridge; Manasota Key Association).

That history explains almost everything a buyer sees today: condominiums and restaurants near the south bridge, deep Gulf-to-bay lots along Manasota Key Road, and two county rule books that meet at the county line.

Where Does the Name Manasota Come From?

Manasota Key takes its name from the Manasota Lumber Company, a Maryland-based timber company that ran a sawmill at Woodmere from 1918 to 1923; "Manasota" combines Manatee and Sarasota (Wikipedia: Manasota Key, Florida). Woodmere was settled in 1918 as the company's headquarters, with 1,500 homes, a four-story sawmill, three drying sheds, a commissary, a movie house and two churches, and the Gulf Coast Rail Road carried its lumber to Venice. The operation was sold in 1921 to 1922 and shrank as the timber ran out; the 1923 to 1924 county directory listed 145 Woodmere residents and the 1926 edition only 26 (Wikipedia: Woodmere, Florida).

How Did Lemon Bay and Englewood Get Started?

The mainland came first. In 1893 Herbert, Howard and Ira Nichols saw an exhibit at the Chicago Columbian Exposition promoting Florida lemon growing, and the bay was christened "Lemon Bay." In 1896 Englewood's first post office opened on Yale Street in the back of the Lemon Bay Trading Company (Lemon Bay Historical Society, Englewood History). Pete Buchan bought bayside land at Dearborn and Olive Streets for $100 in 1913, built a store and a 250-foot pier into Lemon Bay in 1916, known as Buchan's Landing, and organized a work group to open up Blind Pass, the name still carried by Blind Pass Beach Park on the key (same source). Englewood stayed agricultural until the 1940s because the Tamiami Trail passed east of it (Florida History: Englewood).

On the north key, the Florida History site describes a house at 6660 Manasota Key Road built in 1902 as "Palm Ridge" by master carpenter Carl Johanansen, later the home of author Ruth Swayze and now part of an artist retreat (Florida History: Englewood). Sarasota Magazine dates the historic Hermitage buildings to the early 1940s, on the National Register since 2002 (Sarasota Magazine, October 2026); the two sources describe different structures on the same campus, and the retreat itself is the place to ask for a building-by-building history.

How Did Englewood Beach Grow From Chadwick Beach?

Brothers Steve, Clay and Hubbard Chadwick came to the Lemon Bay area in 1898 to buy the Dishong fish camp. The beach at the south end of Manasota Key was first developed by the Chadwicks and known as Chadwick Beach; they returned in 1926 to develop it, and that venture failed (Punta Gorda History Center). In the 1930s Lou Woods bought the Chadwick Beach plat, turned the pavilion into a casino and worked with Charlotte County to rename the beach "Punta Gorda Beach," which let Punta Gorda advertise a Gulf beach at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair even though the city and the beach were 27 miles apart. In the 1950s the name became Englewood Beach (same source).

The pavilion had dressing rooms, showers, a fuel and grocery counter and weekend dances. Fire destroyed it in 1945, and Lou Woods rebuilt the three-story building that still stands; Clayton E. Kesselring bought it in 1958 and named it the Captain's Club, and it is now the White Elephant (Lemon Bay Historical Society). Charlotte County opened Englewood Beach at Chadwick Park, its 12.67-acre public beach across the road, in 2001 (Charlotte County, Englewood Beach at Chadwick Park).

How Did the Bridges Change Access to the Key?

The Chadwick family privately built the first bridges in 1927, connecting Englewood to Manasota Key through Sandpiper Key, and charged a 50 cent toll; Charlotte County took control in the 1930s. The east bridge was rebuilt on largely the same pilings and finished in 1952 as the Leo Wotitzky Bridge. The current Tom Adams Bridge, a double-leaf bascule drawbridge, was built in 1965 because Lemon Bay had become part of the Intracoastal Waterway, and it was heavily rehabilitated in 2018. The shorter span from Sandpiper Key to Manasota Key was replaced in 1980 and named the Swepston Bridge after Dr. Emil Swepston (Wikipedia: Tom Adams Bridge). One local history page dates the Tom Adams Bridge to 1964 (Florida History: Englewood); we use 1965, the year Charlotte County's own repair project page gives (Charlotte County, Tom Adams Bridge Structural Repairs).

The route itself began with that 1927 bridge, was first numbered State Road 534, became State Road 776 in the 1945 renumbering, and the Beach Road section east of Gulf Boulevard passed from the state to the county in the 1980s (Wikipedia: Florida State Road 776). Today's access, including the scheduled 2026 repairs, is covered in the location section of this guide.

How Did the Sarasota Side Stay Single-Family?

The Manasota Key Association describes itself as a voluntary association of homeowners and property owners from the county line north to the Manasota Beach Road bridge, and says it became a non-profit in 1950 focused on preservation and conservation of the key (Manasota Key Association). The association attributes the single-family character of the Sarasota side to county ordinances and to Florida special acts Chapters 71-904 and 94-453, which "created and amended the Manasota Key Conservation District," and it states that "no lands within the District shall be used for commercial or multifamily purposes" (Manasota Key Association, Renting Your Property).

A few older uses predate or sit outside that pattern. The Buffum family bought the property that became the Manasota Beach Club in 1960, and its clubhouse dates to the 1920s (Business Observer, November 27, 2025). The Hermitage Artist Retreat leases a nine-acre county-owned beachfront campus at 6630 Manasota Key Road (Hermitage Artist Retreat). The Vanderbilt family, which built the property given to the Hermitage in the gift announced in January 2026, "settled on Manasota Key in the early 1950s" (same source). The roll today reflects that history: the Sarasota file shows 285 single-family detached parcels and 42 "multiple single-family dwellings" parcels among 464 on Manasota Key Rd, and no residential condominium code (Sarasota County Property Appraiser, bulk data).

When Did Charlotte County Write Its Own Rules for the Key?

On the Charlotte side, the county created the Manasota and Sandpiper Key Advisory Committee on October 12, 2004 under Resolution 2004-212, with an Architectural Review Committee that reviewed new construction against architectural, landscape and signage guidelines; the county page now states "This committee is currently inactive" (Charlotte County, Manasota Sandpiper Key Advisory Committee). The Manasota Key Community Plan from the same era recommended lower densities and design guidelines that seek "to prevent box-type development," and the overlay code was written "to implement the goals, objectives, and policies of the Manasota Key Community Plan to preserve and protect the existing low-density development" (Charlotte County, Manasota Key Community Plan; Charlotte County overlay code). The county established its Manasota Key Street and Drainage Unit by Ordinance 1993-073 and its Manasota Key Beach Renourishment unit by Ordinance 2015-052 (Charlotte County MSBU/MSTU: Manasota Key; Charlotte County, Manasota Key Beach Renourishment unit).

Manasota Key Timeline

Data updated: November 2026 (sources as linked, read November 14, 2026)

The storms of 2022 and 2024 are covered in their own section of this guide, along with what they mean for insurance and rebuilding today.

What Are the Beaches and Parks on Manasota Key?

Manasota Key has four main public beach parks: Manasota Beach Park and Blind Pass Beach Park in Sarasota County, Englewood Beach at Chadwick Park in Charlotte County, and Stump Pass Beach State Park at the south tip. Each has its own operator, parking and fees, and Charlotte County beaches bar dogs (Visit Florida, Englewood Beach guide).

North to south, from the Manasota Beach Road bridge to Stump Pass, the order is Manasota Beach Park, Blind Pass Beach Park, the county line, Englewood Beach at Chadwick Park with Chadwick Cove, and Stump Pass Beach State Park. Several of these were still recovering from the 2024 hurricanes when we checked, so confirm current hours and closures before you go.

Manasota Key Beach Parks at a Glance

Data updated: November 2026 (Visit Sarasota, Manasota Beach; Sarasota County 311, Beach and Parking Hours; Visit Florida, Blind Pass; Charlotte County, Englewood Beach at Chadwick Park; Florida Rambler, Stump Pass; read November 14, 2026)

Manasota Beach Park

Manasota Beach Park sits at 8570 Manasota Key Road near the north bridge, phone (941) 861-5000. Visit Sarasota lists a Gulf beach and boardwalk, boat ramps, docks, a canoe and kayak launch, fishing and a fishing pier, picnic areas and grills, a volleyball court, restrooms, hiking trails, bird watching, on-site parking and lifeguards on duty (Visit Sarasota, Manasota Beach). Visit Florida notes it has staffed lifeguard towers, unlike Englewood Beach and Blind Pass (Visit Florida, Englewood Beach guide).

The park has grown over time. In 1963 it had about 450 feet of Gulf frontage and four concrete picnic shelters; in the early 1960s sand dredged for the Intracoastal Waterway was pumped onto the bay side, enlarging it; and in the 1970s the county bought more beachfront with a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant (Visit Sarasota). Sarasota County's posted rule for its beach parking lots is 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. unless otherwise posted, dry sand 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., wet sand 24 hours, and "No overnight parking within Sarasota County parking lots at all parks and beaches" (Sarasota County 311).

Blind Pass Beach Park

Blind Pass Beach Park, 6725 Manasota Key Road, has about 3,000 feet of beach with soft light-brown sand, free parking in a lot across the road, restrooms, outdoor showers, picnic tables, a pavilion, a playground, a canoe and kayak launch on the bay side and hiking trails; facilities are open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and there are no lifeguards, concessions or beach wheelchairs (Visit Florida, Blind Pass). Visit Florida says Blind Pass "is also called Middle Beach," though a WWSB report in October 2026 named "Blind Pass Beach and Middle Beach" as two places where crews cleared sand (WWSB, October 12, 2026); ask Sarasota County Parks whether Middle Beach is a separate access. The Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail describes a short trail across the street through mangrove swamp to a lagoon off the Lemon Bay Aquatic Preserve, and lists the park at 66 acres and open 6 a.m. to midnight, hours that differ from Visit Florida's (Florida Birding Trail, Blind Pass).

Access depends on Manasota Key Road. About 2,000 feet of road north of Blind Pass Park washed out in 2024, reopened in January 2026 after a temporary repair costing just over $2 million, and was closed again by wave-driven flooding on October 9, 2026 before reopening by October 12 (WGCU, January 12, 2026; WWSB, October 12, 2026). No allowed source confirmed a full reopening date for every Blind Pass park facility; check with Sarasota County at 941-861-5000.

Next to the park, the Hermitage Artist Retreat leases county land "adjacent to Blind Pass Beach" at 6630 Manasota Key Road; as of October 2026 four of its historic structures, the Whitney House, Dignam Studios, Pumphouse and 3-D building, remained unrepaired (Hermitage Artist Retreat; Sarasota Magazine).

Englewood Beach at Chadwick Park

Charlotte County's Englewood Beach at Chadwick Park is at 2100 N Beach Road, phone 941.681.3742: 12.67 acres built in 2001, with a white-sand beach, a 900-foot boardwalk with three covered lookouts, restrooms, showers and water stations, volleyball and basketball courts, horseshoe pits, a playground, four small shelters and three large pavilions with picnic tables and grills (Charlotte County, Englewood Beach at Chadwick Park). Beach hours are 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Charlotte County, Beaches).

Data updated: November 2026 (Charlotte County, Englewood Beach at Chadwick Park; Charlotte County, Fishing Piers; Visit Florida; read November 14, 2026)

Visit Florida says the parking fee was temporarily suspended when it wrote its guide, that seasonal and annual passes are sold at Charlotte County recreation centers and the Tax Collector (941-625-7529), and that ADA parking is free (Visit Florida). Confirm the current fee with Charlotte County Parks at 941.681.3742. There are no lifeguards; Visit Florida describes a gently sloping bottom, strong tidal currents near Stump Pass, the advice to shuffle your feet for stingrays, and the Florida warning flags from green through double red and purple. Just south, Chadwick Cove Beach Park's dune system is part of the 2027 renourishment, which the county's project page lists at 1857 Gulf Blvd (Charlotte County, Manasota Key Beach Renourishment).

Stump Pass Beach State Park

Stump Pass Beach State Park, at 900 Gulf Blvd on the south tip of Manasota Key, reopened September 19, 2025, about 11 months after Hurricane Milton. Florida Rambler reports $3 per car at an honor box (bring dollar bills), sunrise to sunset hours, temporary restrooms, about 30 to 40 parking spaces, a sandy trail up the middle of the island, and a new pass cut by Milton that shortened the former 1.3 miles of beach (Florida Rambler, Stump Pass Beach State Park). The park's phone is (941) 964-0375. The Florida State Parks page blocked our reader, so confirm fees, pavilion status and trail conditions with the park directly.

The new opening is the "Milton Pass" locals talk about. The Bradenton Times describes it as a new pass at the southern tip cutting through the park and linking the Gulf to Lemon Bay (Bradenton Times). Whether the state will fill it had not been announced in any source we could read. Collecting live shells is prohibited in Florida state parks, so take only empty shells at Stump Pass (Visit Florida).

What Are the Sea Turtle Rules on Manasota Key?

Sea turtle nesting season runs May 1 through October 31 in both counties (Visit Sarasota, Share the Sand; Visit Florida). Both counties have lighting ordinances on the books: Charlotte County adopted its ordinance in 1989 and updated it in 1998 (Chapter 3-5, Article XII), and Sarasota County adopted its ordinance in 1997 with updates in 1999, 2000 and 2004 (Chapter 54, Article XXIII), under the statewide model in Florida Administrative Code Chapter 62B-55 (FWC, Lighting Ordinances).

For a beachfront owner, Visit Sarasota's list is the practical one: stay away from staked and taped nests, fill holes and knock down sand castles, remove furniture, toys, boats and canopies at the end of the day, limit flashlights and phones on the beach at night, and turn off outdoor lights and close drapes facing the beach. Report a turtle in distress to Mote's 24-hour hotline at 888-345-2335 or FWC Wildlife Alert at 1-888-404-3922 (Visit Sarasota).

Nesting season also sets the calendar for public works. Permanent Manasota Key Road construction cannot start until 60 days after the last nest is documented in the work area (Englewood Review), and the 2027 renourishment is scheduled for the winter months outside nesting season.

The Coastal Wildlife Club, an all-volunteer nonprofit that began informally in the 1970s as the Manasota Key Turtle Patrol and incorporated in 1997, has about 140 patrol volunteers who monitor about 20 miles of beach daily from mid-April through October on Manasota Key, in both counties, and on Knight and Don Pedro Islands (Coastal Wildlife Club).

Where Do You Find Shark Teeth and Shells?

Visit Florida says waves at Blind Pass wash shark teeth ashore with shells and sand dollars, and that fossilized shark teeth turn up regularly along Manasota Key; a small scoop or sifter helps, and shelling is generally best in the cooler months and after a blow (Visit Florida, Blind Pass; Visit Florida, Englewood Beach guide). Remember the live-shell rule at the state park.

What Is the Offshore Burial Site Off Manasota Key?

About 350 yards off Manasota Key, in 21 feet of water, lies a Native American burial site about 7,200 years old, where the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research found carved wooden stakes and skull fragments (Lemon Bay Historical Society). WUSF reported in 2018 that divers first reported possible human remains in June 2016, that the site covers about 0.75 acres in what was once a peat-bottomed freshwater pond, and that it is protected under Florida law (WUSF, March 2, 2018). WWSB reported in June 2026 that a restricted area surrounds the site: fishing is allowed, diving and anchoring are prohibited, and intentional disturbance of human remains is a third-degree felony under Chapter 872, Florida Statutes (WWSB, June 24, 2026). If you own a boat on the key, mark the restricted area before you anchor offshore.

Boating, Fishing and Lemon Bay

Manasota Key's bay side opens onto the Lemon Bay Aquatic Preserve, 7,227 acres of shallow, protected water established in 1986, with one public boat ramp on the key at Manasota Beach Park and the Gulf reached through Stump Pass at the south tip or the Venice Inlet to the north (Florida Aquatic Preserves, Lemon Bay).

Lemon Bay is also the Intracoastal Waterway, which is why both bridges onto the key are drawbridges. Depth, seagrass and the passes decide what you can run from a Manasota Key dock.

What Is the Lemon Bay Aquatic Preserve?

The preserve covers 7,227 acres in Sarasota and Charlotte counties and is the smallest of the five Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves. It has seven tributaries; water "rarely exceed[s] 6 feet in depth"; and its habitats include seagrass, oyster reefs, mangroves, saltmarsh and bird rookeries. It supports more than 200 fish species including redfish, tarpon, snook, mangrove snapper and smalltooth sawfish, plus manatees and bottlenose dolphins. It is an Outstanding Florida Waterbody, is classed Class II conditional for shellfish harvesting, and is managed by FDEP's Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection, 941-389-5200 (Florida Aquatic Preserves, Lemon Bay).

For an owner, "aquatic preserve" and "Outstanding Florida Waterbody" mean state review of anything built over or into the water, from docks to shoreline work. Ask for the permit history of any dock, lift or seawall that comes with a bayfront house.

Where Can You Launch a Boat or Kayak From Manasota Key?

Data updated: November 2026 (sources as linked, read November 14, 2026)

After a storm, ramps, beaches and the road can reopen on different schedules, so check each one separately with the county that runs it. Paddlers heading south can reach Don Pedro Island State Park, which is boat-access only; Florida Rambler names SUP Englewood as one outfitter option (Florida Rambler).

How Do You Reach the Gulf From Lemon Bay?

Stump Pass, at the south end of Manasota Key, separates the key from Knight and Don Pedro Islands and connects the Gulf to Lemon Bay. It is thought to have opened at its current location in a 1910 hurricane, while an earlier "Stump Pass" sat roughly 1.3 miles north on 1883 and 1895 surveys. A 1944 hurricane breached the key less than a mile north of the pass and a 1947 hurricane caused another breach; by 1956 both had closed, and by 1966 the key had grown south and narrowed the pass to about 400 feet (FDEP Stump Pass Inlet Management Plan).

The pass needs regular dredging, and its sand feeds Manasota Key beaches:

Data updated: November 2026 (FDEP Stump Pass Inlet Management Plan, June 2016, read November 14, 2026)

The 2016 plan, adopted June 29, 2016, sets a minimum fill of 180,000 cubic yards between survey monuments R9 and R21.2 on Manasota Key and calls for completing an approved terminal groin on the key near R21.2; Charlotte County holds Joint Coastal Permit 0194790-017-JC (FDEP plan). Charlotte County funds the work partly through its Stump Pass Dredging taxing unit, set up by Ordinance 2003-026 and renamed by Ordinance 2017-049 (Charlotte County, Stump Pass Dredging unit), which levied 0.1978 mills in 2024-25 and 2025-26 (Florida DOR Table 1, Charlotte). The county's Stump Pass maintenance dredge project page now reads "This posting is no longer available," so the date of the most recent cycle could not be confirmed from the county.

Milton Pass, cut through the state park in 2024, now also links the Gulf and Lemon Bay at the south end (Florida Rambler). Florida rules currently prohibit new inlets, a point WUSF raised when Milton reopened Midnight Pass to the north (WUSF, November 4, 2024). Passes shift after every storm; check current charts and local conditions before running either one.

What About the Drawbridges?

The Tom Adams Bridge on Beach Road is a double-leaf bascule built in 1965 with about 20 feet of clearance (Wikipedia: Tom Adams Bridge), and Charlotte County has scheduled structural repairs, including fender work, with Titan Construction under a Notice to Proceed dated August 17, 2026 and forecast completion December 15, 2026 (Charlotte County, Tom Adams Bridge Structural Repairs). The Manasota Bridge on Manasota Beach Road (County Road 774) carries traffic across Lemon Bay at the north end (Wikipedia: Manasota, Florida). Opening rules for both bridges are in 33 CFR 117.287; read the current text at ecfr.gov, because we could not retrieve the paragraph for these two bridges.

What Should You Know About Fishing Around Manasota Key?

The aquatic preserve's species list, from redfish and snook to tarpon and mangrove snapper, is the short answer to what lives in Lemon Bay (Florida Aquatic Preserves). Public fishing spots on the key include Manasota Beach Park, which lists fishing and a fishing pier, and Blind Pass Beach Park (Visit Sarasota). The Englewood Beach at Chadwick Park fishing pier is closed for restoration, with Army Corps permitting that "may take 12 to 24 months" (Charlotte County, Fishing Piers). Offshore, fishing is allowed at the archaeological site, but diving and anchoring are not (WWSB). Licenses, seasons, size and bag limits are set by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; check its current regulations before you fish.

Red tide comes and goes. FWC's July 20, 2018 report recorded fish kills at Manasota Beach and in Lemon Bay and respiratory irritation at Manasota Beach on several dates that month (FWC Red Tide Report, July 20, 2018). Its statewide status of November 13, 2026 showed Karenia brevis at background concentrations in one Sarasota County sample, which FWC defines as 1,000 cells per liter or less with no effects expected (FWC statewide red tide status).

Which Restaurants and Businesses Are on the Water?

On the Charlotte side, a short strip opposite Englewood Beach holds the key's restaurants. SandBar Tiki and Grille, 1975 Beach Rd, describes itself as "Directly Across from Englewood Beach," is open Sunday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and belongs to a group with Lock 'N Key Restaurant and Pub, Magnolias on the Bay and Stumpy's Free Ride (SandBar Tiki and Grille). Lock 'N Key reopened on February 18, 2025 after about five months closed (WINK), and the White Elephant Pub was operating again by October 2025 (FOX 13, October 2025). The Sarasota side has no commercial strip; the Manasota Key Association notes that commercial activity, restaurants, boat rentals and fishing charters are on the Charlotte portion (Manasota Key Association). Groceries and most errands are on the Englewood mainland, covered in the location section.

Who Governs Manasota Key, and What Are the Rules?

Manasota Key has no city government. The north part is unincorporated Sarasota County and the south part unincorporated Charlotte County, so zoning, permits, rental rules and tax bills depend on which side of the county line a parcel sits; condominium declarations and state law add layers (Charlotte County overlay code; Sarasota County Tax Collector, 2025 millage).

Every address on the key is Englewood 34223, which hides the county split. Before you compare two listings, find out which county each one is in; the answers to most of the questions below change at the line.

Which Governments and Districts Cover Each Side?

Data updated: November 2026 (Sarasota County Tax Collector, 2025 and 2026 millage; Charlotte County overlay code; Charlotte County MSBU/MSTU: Manasota Key; Englewood Water District FY2025 annual financial report; Englewood Area Fire Control District; read November 14, 2026)

The Englewood Water District is an independent special district created by the Legislature in 1959 and re-enacted by Chapter 2004-439, Laws of Florida, on June 17, 2004, governed by an elected Board of Supervisors and serving portions of Sarasota and Charlotte counties (EWD FY2025 report). The Englewood Area Fire Control District is headquartered at 579 S. Indiana Avenue, Englewood; whether its boundary covers the Charlotte portion of the key was not stated on its page, so check the parcel's tax bill or call the district at 941.474.3311 (Englewood Area Fire Control District).

What Rules Apply on the Sarasota County Side?

The Manasota Key Association states that "The Sarasota County portion of Manasota Key does not allow weekly rentals," that homes in its District "cannot be rented for periods of less than 30 days," and that "no lands within the District shall be used for commercial or multifamily purposes." It credits those limits to "specific Sarasota County Ordinances" and to Florida special acts Chapters 71-904 and 94-453, which "created and amended the Manasota Key Conservation District," and it advises buyers to review the zoning ordinances and the act with a real estate attorney before buying (Manasota Key Association, Renting Your Property).

Two cautions go with those statements. First, they are the association's description; Sarasota County's own zoning pages blocked our reader, so the county's zoning district for a given parcel and the text of the act should be confirmed with Sarasota County Planning and Development Services (941-861-5000) and the session laws. Second, the roll shows a few long-standing non-single-family uses on Manasota Key Rd, including 13 hotel condo units and 7 hotel or lodging mixed-use parcels on the October 21, 2026 file (Sarasota County Property Appraiser, bulk data), so read the rule as "predominantly single-family," not "no exceptions."

Sarasota County's Coastal Setback Code and Gulf Beach Setback Line govern work near the beach, with the 2020 amendments on shoreline hardening and sand placement described in the homes section above (Sarasota News Leader, October 22, 2020). A January 2023 rezoning on Manasota Beach Road that is sometimes reported as "on Manasota Key" is in fact on the mainland side of the bridge, about 1,200 feet west of State Road 776 (Sarasota News Leader).

What Does Charlotte County's Manasota Key Overlay Cover?

Charlotte County Code Sec. 3-9-53, the Manasota Key zoning district overlay, defines Manasota Key as "the land located south of the Sarasota-Charlotte County line, west of Sandpiper Key, north of Stump Pass Beach State Park and east of the Gulf of Mexico," and states its intent "to preserve and protect the existing low-density development and to blend future development with it in an appropriate manner." It applies to any plat, special exception, variance, waiver, site plan approval, building or sign permit, and overrides other county code provisions where they conflict (Charlotte County overlay code).

The posted code allows only these districts on the Charlotte part of the key:

Data updated: November 2026 (Charlotte County, Manasota Key Zoning District Overlay, posted version, read November 14, 2026; the posted file appears to be a 2013-era codification)

The posted code states "Density bonuses shall not be applicable in the Manasota and Sandpiper Key Code" (overlay code). Other standards in the posted text include yards of 50 feet abutting the Gulf of Mexico in the single-family and multifamily districts, 35 percent lot coverage in the MSF and MMF districts, driveways no wider than 24 feet where they meet the road, augered pilings and underground service wires.

Height and density caps change. The Planning and Zoning Board agenda for November 18, 2024 listed TLDR-24-02, an ordinance to amend the overlay's maximum heights, reduce interior side yards and landscape strips for some lots and rewrite the disaster recovery provisions so legal nonconforming structures can be rebuilt; a November 10, 2025 agenda listed TLDR-25-03 on height definitions and freeboard (Charlotte County P&Z agenda, November 18, 2024). The posted overlay text and the amendment record do not match, so we do not print height limits. Height and density caps are in the Manasota and Sandpiper Key overlay and must be confirmed with Charlotte County Community Development (941.743.1200) for the specific parcel before you buy a lot or plan a rebuild.

Can You Rent Out a Manasota Key Home or Condo?

Florida law limits what counties can do. Section 509.032(7)(b), Florida Statutes, says "A local law, ordinance, or regulation may not prohibit vacation rentals or regulate the duration or frequency of rental of vacation rentals," and adds that this "does not apply to any local law, ordinance, or regulation adopted on or before June 1, 2011" (Florida Statutes 509.032). Each side of the key sits differently under that rule:

Data updated: November 2026 (Manasota Key Association; Sarasota News Leader, April 9, 2026; Charlotte County, Manasota Key Community Plan; read November 14, 2026)

No adopted Sarasota County registration ordinance had been found as of November 14, 2026. State preemption limits counties, not associations, so a condominium can still set its own minimum lease term. If rental income is part of your plan, get the declaration, the association's rental application and a written answer from the county before you write an offer, and do not rely on a listing's description of rental rules.

What Permits Does Work on Manasota Key Need?

Data updated: November 2026 (sources as linked, read November 14, 2026)

Sarasota County posts individual FEMA 50 percent forms and elevation certificates on its public file server, searchable by permit number, which lets a buyer check what was filed for a house (Sarasota County Property Appraiser, FEMA 50% Rule). Ask any seller for the permit history since 2022, the storm years.

Who Runs the Charlotte Side's Street and Drainage Unit?

Charlotte County's Manasota Key Street and Drainage Unit pays for "construction, repair, paving, widening, guttering, and draining of platted County-accepted streets," plus sidewalks, bike paths and beautification, from "ad valorem taxes within the unit." It was established by Ordinance 1993-073, and its advisory board, set up by Ordinance 2006-092, lists Chair Heather Harper-Nibert, Vice Chair Derek Pinkerton and members Fred Balsamo, James Gerrity and Linda Powers, with the next listed meeting on December 9, 2026. The contact is Lorraine Moneypenny, Community Liaison, 941.575.3613, or Public Works at 941.575.3600 (Charlotte County MSBU/MSTU: Manasota Key).

The unit's FY2026 budget carries $337,973 in engineering, $3,421,001 in construction and $74,248 in labor for a "Manasota Key Community Plan (Sidewalks)" project, funded partly by $3,642,000 in debt proceeds, and its FY2026 Public Works plan lists 20 street light repairs, 30 culvert cleanings, 64 linear feet of small pipe and 1 mile of shoulder repair (Manasota Key MSTU FY26 adopted, FY27 approved budget; FY26/FY27 preliminary budget). Those meetings are where sidewalk, drainage and lighting decisions on the Charlotte side get made.

What Do Condominium and Association Documents Control?

On both sides, private documents can be stricter than the county. A condominium declaration can set a minimum lease, limit pets and vehicles, require approval of buyers and tenants, and control exterior changes; Tamarind's sales, rental and architectural review applications are an example of that process (Tamarind COA Forms). The Manasota Key Association on the Sarasota side is voluntary, so it does not levy assessments the way a mandatory homeowners association does (Manasota Key Association). No gated subdivision on Manasota Key was documented by an allowed source. Ask the listing agent and title company which recorded covenants, if any, apply to the specific lot.

What Does It Cost to Own a Home on Manasota Key?

Owning on Manasota Key means each county's property tax, 11.3068 mills for 2026 on the Sarasota side, plus key-specific charges: Sarasota's "Manasota Key Beach Restoration" assessment, or on the Charlotte side a 0.7798-mill street and drainage levy and a renourishment assessment estimated at $4,001,933 in total for FY2027 (Sarasota County Tax Collector, 2026 millage; Charlotte County notice).

Add condominium dues where they apply, utilities, flood and wind insurance, and closing costs. The sections below give each line with its source; where a figure is not published, the table says so and tells you where to get it.

What Is the Property Tax Millage on the Sarasota Side?

The Sarasota part of Manasota Key pays the unincorporated Sarasota County rate set "for all but LBK & NP & Cty Ven" (Longboat Key, North Port and the City of Venice):

Data updated: November 2026 (Sarasota County Tax Collector, 2025 millage; 2026 millage; read November 14, 2026)

At 11.3068 mills, each $100,000 of taxable value costs $1,130.68 in 2026 ad valorem tax, against $1,147.37 at the 2025 rate (our arithmetic). An Englewood lighting levy (L015) of 0.0644 mills for 2026 is also on the Tax Collector's list; whether it covers Manasota Key parcels was not confirmed, so check the parcel's bill (Sarasota County Tax Collector, 2026 millage).

What Would Tax Be on a Typical Sarasota-Side Home? A Worked Example

This is an example, not a quote. It uses $1,953,500, the median 2026 just (market) value of the 298 single-family homes with living area on Manasota Key Rd on the Sarasota County Property Appraiser file dated October 21, 2026 (bulk data), and treats it as fully taxable, the position of a buyer whose value resets after purchase. Tax equals taxable value times mills divided by 1,000.

Data updated: November 2026 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser file dated October 21, 2026; Sarasota County Tax Collector 2025 and 2026 millage; Englewood Area Fire Control District; arithmetic ours)

At the 12-month Sarasota single-family median sale price of $1,870,000 (October 15, 2025 to October 14, 2026), the same 2026 rate gives $21,143.72 before non-ad valorem charges (our arithmetic). A homestead exemption lowers the bill for an owner-occupant: under s. 196.031, Florida Statutes, up to $25,000 comes off assessed value for all levies, plus up to another $25,000, adjusted each January 1 for inflation, on assessed value over $50,000 for non-school levies (Florida Statutes 196.031). On a home near $2 million, that changes the bill by a few hundred dollars, not thousands. Only 135 of the 298 Sarasota-side homes carried a homestead exemption on the roll.

The bigger effect is the reset. Save Our Homes caps annual increases in a homestead's assessed value at the lower of 3 percent or inflation, but property "shall be assessed at just value as of January 1 of the year following a change of ownership" (Florida Statutes 193.155). A long-held Manasota Key home can show a seller's bill far below what a buyer will pay; budget from the just value, not the seller's last bill.

What Is the Property Tax Millage on the Charlotte Side?

Charlotte County's adopted 2026-27 rates for every levy that hits a Manasota Key parcel were not published on a page we could read. Here is what we could confirm:

Data updated: November 2026 (sources as linked, read November 14, 2026)

The county-government lines above add to 9.5526 mills for 2025-26 (our arithmetic), before school and water district levies, and only if the parcel sits in each unit. For a complete reference point, the Tax Collector's mill code listing for the 2023 roll shows code 003, which includes the Manasota Key street levy, at 16.7787 mills in total (our sum of the listed levies, including County School Board 3.2250, School Capital Outlay 1.5000, Additional Voted Operating 1.0000 and Discretionary 0.7480) (Charlotte County Tax Collector, mill code listing). That is a 2023 figure; do not budget from it. Ask for the parcel's 2026 TRIM notice or tax bill.

Charlotte County Tax Collector bills go out on or before November 1, with discounts of 4 percent in November, 3 percent in December, 2 percent in January and 1 percent in February; taxes go delinquent April 1. An installment plan for estimated taxes over $100 must be requested before May 1 (Charlotte County Tax Collector).

What Is the Manasota Key Beach Renourishment Assessment?

Charlotte County's Manasota Key Beach Renourishment unit, established by Ordinance 2015-052, pays for "the nourishment, re-nourishment and prevention of erosion of the beaches" within the unit through assessments (Charlotte County, Manasota Key Beach Renourishment unit). The county's 2026 notice says "The total assessment revenue to be collected within the MSBU is estimated to be $4,001,933 for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2026," with the first bill on the November 2026 tax bill. Each parcel pays two possible charges:

• Recreational benefit (REC) charge, on all properties; residential parcels are charged by equivalent dwelling units, and condominium units receive a prorated share of common element units.
• Nearshore benefit zone (NBZ) charge, only on parcels close to the shore, based on "linear front footage along the beach" and lot size.

The notice also states a maximum annual assessment for future years, and unpaid assessments lead to a tax certificate. Questions go to the MSBU Division at (941) 743-1914, or (941) 681-3770 from Englewood (Charlotte County, Manasota Key sample public hearing notice). The per-unit dollar amount for a condominium or a Gulf-front home was not published in what we read; the owner's own notice has it.

On the Sarasota side, the Tax Collector lists a separate "I051 Manasota Key Beach Restoration" levying authority on both its 2025 and 2026 sheets, but no per-parcel rate (Sarasota County Tax Collector, 2026 millage). Ask Sarasota County Public Works or read the parcel's bill. The project these funds support, the 2027 renourishment, is covered in the erosion section of this guide.

What Do Utilities Cost?

Data updated: November 2026 (Englewood Water District FY2025 audited financial report, schedule of monthly rates; Englewood Area Fire Control District; FPL rates; read November 14, 2026)

At the FY2025 rates, a home using 5,000 gallons in a month would pay about $35.41 for water and $52.92 for wastewater, about $88.33 before taxes and fees (our arithmetic). The district's board approved a 5.0 percent increase in base and usage rates for fiscal year 2025, so newer rates may be higher; ask the district for the current schedule. A Water Atlas item says the district's service area "includes all of Manasota Key" (CHNEP Water Atlas). Charlotte County's mid-2000s community plan counted 13 units on the key still on septic at that time (Manasota Key Community Plan); a current count was not found, so confirm sewer connection for any older house.

What Should You Budget for Insurance?

Insurance is often the largest moving cost on the key, and it depends on the parcel's flood zone, elevation and construction. The full treatment is in the flood and insurance section of this guide; the cost points are these:

• Flood. Every Manasota Key address in our FEMA spot check fell in a VE or AE zone, with base flood elevations of 8 to 11 feet at the addresses we checked (FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer). Under FEMA's Risk Rating 2.0, statutory limits keep most NFIP rate increases to no more than 18 percent a year (FEMA).
• Community Rating System. Unincorporated Sarasota County is CRS Class 5, a 25 percent NFIP discount (Sarasota News Leader, January 16, 2025). Charlotte County's current class was not confirmed from a page we could read.
• Citizens. Florida law phases in a flood insurance requirement for Citizens personal lines residential policies, reaching "all other personal lines residential property insured by the corporation" on January 1, 2027; policies "that provide coverage under a condominium unit owners form" are exempt (Laws of Florida ch. 2024-179).
• Wind. My Safe Florida Home offers free wind mitigation inspections and grants of "up to $10,000" for upgrades such as roofs, impact windows and doors (My Safe Florida Home).
• Condo master policy. A condominium's master policy and its reserves are paid through dues; for buildings three habitable stories or higher, SIRS reserves must cover roof, windows and exterior doors, and waterproofing (Florida Statutes 718.112).

Get written quotes for flood, wind and homeowners or HO-6 coverage during your inspection period, not after.

What Is the Full Fee Stack on Each Side?

Data updated: November 2026 (sources as cited in this section, read November 14, 2026)

Ask for every "not published" cell in writing before you sign: the seller's last tax bill and 2026 TRIM notice, the condominium's budget and estoppel figures, and an insurance quote.

What Are Closing Costs on a Manasota Key Purchase?

Two closing costs are set by the state. Documentary stamp tax on a deed is 70 cents per $100 of consideration (Florida Statutes 201.02). Owner's title insurance is promulgated by rule: $5.75 per $1,000 for the first $100,000 and $5.00 per $1,000 above that up to $1 million, with reissue rates of $3.30 and $3.00 per $1,000 and a $100 minimum (Florida CFO, title insurance overview).

Data updated: November 2026 (Charlotte County Property Appraiser roll dated November 5, 2026 and sales through September 9, 2026; Sarasota County Property Appraiser file dated October 21, 2026; Florida Statutes 201.02; Florida CFO title rates; arithmetic ours, before endorsements)

The two medians in this table come from two different county files and windows; they are examples, not a key-wide price. Lender fees, survey, inspections, condominium estoppel and transfer charges, and prorated taxes and dues are on top. If you are planning a purchase, our buying guide lays out the full sequence, and you can contact us or call McGreevy and Comisar at (239) 898-6072 to run the numbers on a specific Manasota Key address.

What Flood Zones Cover Manasota Key, and What Does Insurance Involve?

Manasota Key addresses we tested on both county sides all fell inside FEMA's Special Flood Hazard Area, in Zone VE or Zone AE, with base flood elevations of 8 to 11 feet. Flood coverage, an elevation certificate and the parcel's own map reading belong in every Manasota Key purchase file.

Flood status on Manasota Key is decided parcel by parcel, and two different county map series describe it: Sarasota County's FEMA panels carry the prefix 12115C and Charlotte County's carry 12015C (FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer, read November 14, 2026). What follows is what the public map shows at the points we checked, what it cannot show, how to read one address, and how insurance works for a home or a condominium on the key today and from January 1, 2027.

What Does the FEMA Map Show at the Manasota Key Addresses We Checked?

We geocoded a set of Manasota Key addresses with the U.S. Census Geocoder and queried each coordinate against FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer (Census Geocoder; FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer, flood hazard zones, both read November 14, 2026). These are single-point readings, not parcel determinations, and they are a spot check, not a census of the key.

Data updated: November 2026 (FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer, flood hazard zones layer, point queries of U.S. Census Geocoder coordinates, read November 14, 2026)

Every point we checked fell in a Special Flood Hazard Area, VE or AE, with base flood elevations from 8 to 11 feet, and the Gulf-front points tended to read VE (same layer). We did not run a full overlay of the FEMA layer on the 464 Sarasota-side parcels and 1,259 Charlotte-side parcels in our county parcel sets, so the share of the key in VE against AE is: Information not available at time of publishing (checked November 14, 2026). The gaps section of this guide says exactly how to get that split.

What Is the Difference Between VE and AE on Manasota Key?

Both zones are part of the 1% annual chance floodplain. VE marks the coastal high hazard area where waves are part of the base flood, which is why it shows up on the Gulf-front points in the table. AE marks the flood area without that wave component, which is why the Charlotte-side addresses along Gulf Blvd and N Beach Rd read AE at the points we tested even though they sit a short walk from the beach.

The zone changes how a house is built and measured. Charlotte County's posted Manasota and Sandpiper Key overlay defines the "Minimum Finished Floor Elevation" differently for the two zones: in the A-zones on Manasota Key it means the minimum lowest floor elevation, and in the V-zone, which the overlay says is "governed by Florida DEP seaward of the coastal construction control line," it means the lowest horizontal structural member plus its thickness (Charlotte County, Manasota Key Zoning District Overlay, read November 14, 2026). The same posted text requires pilings on Manasota Key and Sandpiper Key to be "augered into the ground, or otherwise introduced through contemporary technologies," with a geotechnical analysis if driven pilings are proposed (same overlay). The posted overlay appears to be an older codification, so confirm any construction standard with Charlotte County Community Development at 941.743.1200 (Charlotte County, 50 Percent FEMA Rule, read November 14, 2026).

Seaward of the state's Coastal Construction Control Line, a separate state permit applies. Florida Statutes 161.053 requires a permit "to alter, excavate, or construct on property seaward of established coastal construction control lines," and exempts maintenance or repair "within the limits of the existing foundation," excluding seawalls and similar rigid structures (Florida Statutes 161.053, read November 14, 2026). The Florida Department of Environmental Protection says its CCCL permits also protect sea turtles and dune plants and can carry siting and design criteria stricter than elsewhere in the coastal building zone (FDEP, Coastal Construction Control Line program, read November 14, 2026).

How Do You Check the Flood Zone for One Manasota Key Address?

Use five sources, in this order:

1. FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer. Enter the address on FEMA's map service and read the zone and static base flood elevation at the house footprint, not the street (FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer, read November 14, 2026). Note the panel prefix: 12115C means the Sarasota County maps, 12015C the Charlotte County maps.
2. The county property appraiser. On the Sarasota side, the Sarasota County Property Appraiser parcel record; on the Charlotte side, the Charlotte County Property Appraiser. These confirm the county, the use code and whether the parcel is a single-family home, a condominium unit or a co-operative share, which changes the insurance form you buy.
3. The elevation certificate. An insurer prices from it, and it tells you whether the lowest floor sits above the base flood elevation. Ask the seller or the condominium association for it at the start.
4. The permit and damage history. After Helene and Milton, any repair that crossed the county's 50 percent threshold had to bring the building into compliance. Charlotte County's example: a $250,000 structure value gives a $125,000 threshold (Charlotte County, 50 Percent FEMA Rule, read November 14, 2026). The Sarasota County Property Appraiser describes two methods on its side, the most recent pre-damage improvement value times 1.2 and then 50 percent of that, or a state-licensed appraisal, which it calls "the best option" (Sarasota County Property Appraiser, Understanding the FEMA 50% Rule, read November 14, 2026).
5. The CCCL position. For any Gulf-front lot, confirm whether the house sits seaward or landward of the state line (FDEP, Coastal Construction Control Line program, read November 14, 2026).

We pull all five for every Manasota Key property we show, inside the inspection period, and we ask for flood and wind quotes before the contract is signed.

Do Manasota Key Owners Get a CRS Flood Insurance Discount?

On the Sarasota side, yes, on NFIP policies. Unincorporated Sarasota County holds Community Rating System Class 5, a 25 percent discount for NFIP policyholders; it has been Class 5 since May 1, 2007, was re-certified June 20, 2023, and has 4,112 points but lacks the prerequisites for Class 4, according to the Sarasota News Leader, which also reported 4,405 NFIP claims totaling $65,033,413 paid in the county historically (Sarasota News Leader, January 16, 2025, read November 14, 2026). FEMA's scale runs from Class 1 at 45 percent to Class 9 at 5 percent, and the discount applies to the full-risk premium for Regular Program policies in a participating community "including policies outside of the Special Flood Hazard Area" (FEMA, Community Rating System, read November 14, 2026).

On the Charlotte side, the county says compliance with its 50 percent rule helps keep NFIP discounts that save residents nearly $3 million a year, about $133 per home (Charlotte County, 50 Percent FEMA Rule, read November 14, 2026). The county's own release on its class could not be opened, so Charlotte County's current CRS class reads: Information not available at time of publishing (checked November 14, 2026). Check FEMA's CRS eligible communities list before you rely on a figure.

How Does FEMA's Risk Rating 2.0 Price a Manasota Key Flood Policy?

FEMA's current method applied to new NFIP policies from October 1, 2021 and renewals from April 1, 2022, and was fully implemented April 1, 2023. Its rating factors include flood frequency, flood types including storm surge and coastal erosion, distance to water, elevation and the cost to rebuild, and under statutory limits FEMA states "most rates not increase more than 18% per year" (FEMA, Risk Rating 2.0, read November 14, 2026).

On a barrier island, surge, erosion and distance to water all point the same way, so the elevation and the rebuild cost become the items you can actually change. That is why an elevated, newer house on the Sarasota side and a 1950s slab house a few lots away can quote very differently. The roll shows the age spread: on the Sarasota side, 298 single-family homes with living area were built from 1945 to 2025, median 1983, and on the Charlotte side 173 single-family homes were built from 1926 to 2025, median 1972 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser bulk parcel file, October 21, 2026; Charlotte County Property Appraiser roll, November 5, 2026). NFIP premiums for specific Manasota Key homes are not published, so ask for a quote on the exact address.

What Changes for Citizens Policyholders on January 1, 2027?

Every Manasota Key single-family home with a Citizens policy that covers wind will need flood coverage from 2027, whatever the zone. Chapter 2024-179, Laws of Florida, amended Florida Statutes 627.351(6)(aa) so that Citizens "shall require the securing and maintaining of flood insurance as a condition of coverage of a personal lines residential risk," phased in by dwelling replacement cost: policies effective on or after January 1, 2024 for $600,000 or more, January 1, 2025 for $500,000 or more, January 1, 2026 for $400,000 or more, and January 1, 2027 "for all other personal lines residential property insured by the corporation" (Laws of Florida, ch. 2024-179, read November 14, 2026). Inside the Special Flood Hazard Area, flood coverage has been required at issuance for new Citizens personal lines policies since April 1, 2023 and by renewal for policies renewing on or after July 1, 2023 (same law).

Two exemptions matter on the key. The flood requirement does not apply to Citizens policies "that do not provide coverage for the peril of wind" or "that provide coverage under a condominium unit owners form" (same law). So a Charlotte-side condominium owner's Citizens unit-owner policy is not subject to the mandate, while a single-family homeowner's Citizens policy is. The building itself is insured under the association's master policy, which is a separate question for the board.

Citizens also has a ceiling: a structure with a dwelling replacement cost of $700,000 or more is not eligible (Florida Statutes 627.351(6)(a)3.a, Florida Statutes 627.351, read November 14, 2026). Replacement cost is not market value, but the roll is a flag: on the Sarasota side the median single-family home has 2,868 square feet of living area and a 2026 just value of $1,953,500 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser bulk parcel file, October 21, 2026). Many Sarasota-side homes may need private-market wind and flood coverage, so quote both early.

What Wind Mitigation and Wind Design Rules Apply on Manasota Key?

Charlotte County's building division tells roof permit applicants to choose either a 150 or 160 mph wind zone for homes based on the county GIS system, that homes are Risk Category 2, and to choose Exposure D within 600 feet of a major body of water such as the Gulf of Mexico, otherwise Exposure C (Charlotte County, Top 10 Residential Roof Permit Mistakes, revised 09/2025, read November 14, 2026). Manasota Key lies between the Gulf and Lemon Bay, so Exposure D will often apply; confirm it parcel by parcel. A site-specific design wind speed for Sarasota-side addresses reads: Information not available at time of publishing (checked November 14, 2026); the county guidance page could not be opened.

Florida requires insurers to offer "actuarially reasonable discounts, credits, or other rate differentials" for wind-resistant construction (Florida Statutes 627.0629, read November 14, 2026). The Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form, OIR-B1-1802, scores building code, roof covering, roof deck attachment, roof-to-wall attachment, roof geometry, secondary water resistance and opening protection, and is "valid for up to five (5) years provided no material changes have been made to the structure" (Florida Division of Emergency Management copy of OIR-B1-1802, read November 14, 2026). The Florida Department of Financial Services' home hardening program offers free wind mitigation inspections and grants "up to $10,000" for upgrades such as roof improvements, impact windows and doors, garage door reinforcement and a secondary water barrier; 2026 funding status was not shown on its page (mysafeflhome.com, read November 14, 2026).

What Should a Manasota Key Condo Buyer Ask About Insurance?

Ask for the association's master policy declarations, its flood policy, its wind mitigation report and its most recent structural integrity reserve study. Florida's reserve study law for buildings three habitable stories or higher covers the roof, windows and exterior doors and waterproofing, the same wind-resistance items insurers rate (Florida Statutes 718.112, read November 14, 2026). Some associations post these items: Tamarind Gulf and Bay, at 2950 and 2955 N Beach Rd, posts pages for flood insurance and wind mitigation and a milestone inspection report dated June 27, 2023 on its own site (Tamarind Gulf and Bay association site, read November 14, 2026).

Your own unit-owner policy then covers what the master policy does not. Because Citizens exempts condominium unit-owner forms from the 2027 flood requirement, the master flood policy matters more, not less: ask what it covers, its deductible and whether a special assessment followed the 2024 storms. No news story naming a specific Manasota Key condominium special assessment after Helene and Milton was found for this guide, so read the minutes.

How Did Hurricanes Ian, Helene and Milton Affect Manasota Key?

Manasota Key was hit twice in two weeks in 2024. Helene's surge reached 4 to 6 feet above ground from Venice to south of Englewood, Milton two weeks later pushed homes off foundations and buried streets in sand, and Manasota Key Road stayed broken until January 2026. Both counties place the key in their first evacuation zone.

Ian in 2022 is a different story: on the Sarasota end the key recorded no surge, while wind, outages and beach erosion did the damage. The sections below take each storm in order, then cover the road, Stump Pass, what the county roll shows two years later and which recovery projects are still open.

Which Evacuation Zone Is Manasota Key In?

Zone A in both counties. Charlotte County's Hurricane Ian order of September 26, 2022 placed Manasota Key in Zone A (Red), with Don Pedro, Knight (Palm) Island, Little Gasparilla and Gasparilla, and noted that when the islands are evacuated, Fire/EMS Station 10 staff evacuate too (Charlotte County news release, September 26, 2022, read November 14, 2026). Charlotte County uses five zones, A (Red) through E (Purple), set from National Hurricane Center data, elevation and evacuation routes rather than storm category, and residents look up their zone on the county map or at floridadisaster.org/knowyourzone (Charlotte County, Know Your Zone, read November 14, 2026).

Sarasota County's evacuation map, updated in 2017 from a National Hurricane Center SLOSH model, sets Zone A at a potential surge of up to 10 feet and includes all barrier islands; B is 14 feet, C 18 feet, D 26 feet and E 32 feet (Your Observer, June 21, 2017, read November 14, 2026). Sarasota County evacuates Level A first and publishes the lookup by address (WUSF, April 30, 2025, read November 14, 2026).

Data updated: November 2026 (Charlotte County news release of September 26, 2022 and Know Your Zone page; Your Observer report of June 21, 2017 on Sarasota County's evacuation map; read November 14, 2026)

Zone A is evacuated first, and the bridges close to traffic before landfall, so a Manasota Key owner needs a plan that starts earlier than the mainland's. Confirm the zone for the exact address each season.

Hurricane Ian, September 2022

On the Sarasota County end of Manasota Key, the National Hurricane Center had forecast up to 10 feet of surge, but the island had no surge from Ian; wind downed many trees, a post blocked one lane of the north bridge, and the island lost electricity, cell service and water, while Englewood buildings had significant roof damage (Herald-Tribune via Yahoo News, October 2, 2022, read November 14, 2026).

On the beach, Charlotte County records that Ian caused shoreline erosion at Manasota Key, Don Pedro and Stump Pass. Its disaster recovery page lists about 137,477 cubic yards displaced at Manasota Key, including 93,588 lost on the south beach fill, plus 46,931 on the Stump Pass updrift fill and 20,264 on the north fill, with a total disaster recovery budget of $10,065,638.65; the erosion phase is listed as complete, page last updated October 5, 2026 (Charlotte County, Disaster Recovery Site, Manasota Key, Don Pedro, Knight Island Beach Erosion, read November 14, 2026).

Hurricane Helene, September 2024

Helene made landfall far to the north, on Florida's Big Bend, but its surge reached this coast. The National Hurricane Center recorded storm surge inundation of 4 to 6 feet above ground level from Venice to south of Englewood, where a USGS sensor measured 5.71 feet above mean higher high water near the Venice Fishing Pier, and 3 to 5 feet from south of Englewood to Bonita Beach including Charlotte Harbor (NHC Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Helene, read November 14, 2026).

On the Sarasota side, the county posted photos on September 27, 2024 saying "The roadway is washed out and is closed," and a county memo said the road base and asphalt were significantly washed out, forcing a total closure of Manasota Key Road from the 6700 block up to Blind Pass Beach (Sarasota News Leader, March 2025, read November 14, 2026). On the Charlotte side, one owner of five rental homes told NBC News that all five flooded from Helene's 4-foot surge before Milton arrived (NBC News, October 12, 2024, read November 14, 2026). At the north end, the Manasota Beach Club's owner said Helene took about 10 feet of beachfront (Business Observer, November 27, 2025, read November 14, 2026).

Hurricane Milton, October 2024

Milton made landfall on Siesta Key at 0030 UTC on October 10, 2024, the evening of October 9 local time, with maximum sustained winds near 100 knots, a category 3, and a minimum landfall pressure near 958 mb. The National Hurricane Center reported Florida's highest sustained wind, 79 knots with a 93-knot gust, at a University of Florida tower at Venice Beach; its peak surge forecast, first 8 to 12 feet between the Anclote River and Englewood, was raised to 10 to 15 feet, and the southern breakpoint of the 10 to 15 foot area was later moved from Englewood to Boca Grande (NHC Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Milton, read November 14, 2026). Press coverage of that report summarized surge of up to 9 feet above ground from Venice south to Boca Grande, with an isolated peak of up to 10 feet near Manasota Key (Palm Beach Post via Yahoo News, read November 14, 2026).

Sarasota County closed bridge access to its barrier islands, including Manasota Key, at 7 p.m. on October 8, 2024, with a checkpoint at the Manasota Beach Road Bridge, 2055 Manasota Beach Road, and ordered evacuation of Levels A, B and C (Sarasota Magazine, October 8, 2024, read November 14, 2026).

What the reporters found afterward:

• Homes moved or lost. On the south end in Charlotte County, some homes were pushed off their foundations and others washed away; the White Elephant Pub's manager estimated the water line at about 6 feet 3 inches to 6 feet 6 inches (FOX 13, October 15, 2024, read November 14, 2026). Charlotte County's community development director said Milton destroyed houses that had "gone into the Gulf," which did not happen during Helene (NBC News, October 13, 2024, read November 14, 2026).
• Sand everywhere. The key was closed to vehicles, most homes had sand piled to the first floor, the Sea Oats Beach Club was reportedly buried under 4 feet of sand, and the county's public works director said the storm "literally, has changed the geography" of the key (same NBC News report).
• Surge figures vary by source. FOX 13 later reported that "an 8-foot storm surge during Hurricane Milton made nearly every home on Manasota Key unlivable" (FOX 13, March 31, 2025, read November 14, 2026). We print each figure as its source reported it and do not merge them.
• Seawalls and roads. Where seawalls failed, buildings, roads and parking lots washed away (FOX Weather, October 18, 2024, read November 14, 2026).
• North end damage. At the Manasota Beach Club, Milton put four feet of sand in the Surf Room and five feet on the Gulf Terrace and took another 20 feet of beachfront; the owner reported more than $1.5 million spent on cleanup and repairs and 12 of 22 pre-storm units reopened as of November 2025 (Business Observer, November 27, 2025, read November 14, 2026).

The National Hurricane Center counted 45 known tornadoes in Florida from Milton on October 9 and no known storm surge fatalities in Florida as of its report (NHC Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Milton, read November 14, 2026).

What Happened to Manasota Key Road?

Manasota Key Road is the Sarasota side's only spine road, and it is the weak link. FOX 13 reported that the segment has washed out multiple times since 2017, remained in pieces after Idalia in 2023, and lost a 2,000-foot section north of Blind Pass Park to Helene and Milton in 2024 (FOX 13, January 2026, read November 14, 2026).

Data updated: November 2026 (Sarasota News Leader, Englewood Review, WGCU, FOX 13 and WWSB reports as listed, read November 14, 2026)

The county's capital projects director said guardrail will replace the no-parking signs on the sandy east shoulder (same FOX 13 report). For a buyer, the October 2026 closure is the point: the temporary repair restored the road, not the shoreline, and the permanent design is years out. If you are buying north of the washout segment and work on the mainland, the Manasota Beach Road bridge is your route; south of it, through the Charlotte side and the Tom Adams Bridge, is the other.

What Happened to Stump Pass and the New "Milton Pass"?

Milton cut a new channel through the undeveloped southern beach of Stump Pass Beach State Park. The park, which used to have about 1.3 miles of beach, reopened September 19, 2025, sunrise to sunset, with about 30 to 40 parking spaces and a $3 per car honor box fee at 900 Gulf Blvd (Florida Rambler, Stump Pass Beach State Park, read November 14, 2026). The Bradenton Times reports that locals informally call the new opening "Milton Pass," that it links the Gulf to Lemon Bay, and describes it as deep enough for easy navigation (Bradenton Times, Midnight and Milton passes, read November 14, 2026).

The same storm reopened Midnight Pass south of Siesta Key, closed since 1984, and WUSF notes that Florida rules currently prohibit new inlets, which bears on whether the new breach at Stump Pass is filled (WUSF, November 4, 2024, read November 14, 2026). Whether the state will fill Milton Pass: Information not available at time of publishing (checked November 14, 2026).

History says the south tip moves. Stump Pass at its current location is thought to have opened during a 1910 hurricane; an October 1944 hurricane breached Manasota Key less than a mile north of the pass, a 1947 hurricane caused another breach, and by 1966 the key had grown south, narrowing the pass to about 400 feet (FDEP, Stump Pass Inlet Management Plan, June 2016, read November 14, 2026).

What Does the Manasota Key County Roll Show Two Years After Milton?

The parcel roll is where storm damage shows up as land use. On the Sarasota side, the Sarasota County Property Appraiser's file dated October 21, 2026 codes 13 of the 464 Manasota Key Rd parcels "vacant after calamity" and 4 as "new construction not substantially complete," beside 62 vacant land parcels (Sarasota County Property Appraiser bulk parcel file, October 21, 2026). In the 12 months from October 15, 2025 to October 14, 2026, that file records 4 sales of parcels with no living area on the roll, land or teardown, at $850,000, $950,000, $950,000 and $2,550,000 (same file).

On the Charlotte side, the Charlotte County Property Appraiser's roll dated November 5, 2026 counts 36 vacant residential parcels among the 1,259 in our N Beach Rd, Gulf Blvd and Manasota Key Rd set, and records one qualified vacant-land sale, at $3,000,000, from September 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026; 2 of the 67 improved sales in that window were first sales of new homes, at $1,555,000 and $1,850,000 (Charlotte County Property Appraiser, roll dated November 5, 2026, sales through September 9, 2026).

Data updated: November 2026 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser bulk parcel and sales file dated October 21, 2026, window October 15, 2025 to October 14, 2026; Charlotte County Property Appraiser roll dated November 5, 2026 and sales through September 9, 2026, window September 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026)

The two sides use different code lists, so read each column on its own. On the ground, FOX 13 reported one year after Milton vacant lots where homes stood, some rebuilt homes, and one rental owner's year-to-date bookings at less than 50 percent of the prior year (FOX 13, October 9, 2025, read November 14, 2026). Some owners are raising what is there: FOX 13 reported on May 27, 2026 that a Sarasota-side couple contracted for $244,000 to excavate and raise their slab home 12 feet (FOX 13, May 27, 2026, read November 14, 2026).

Which Recovery Projects Are Still Open on Manasota Key?

• Tom Adams Bridge, Milton repair. Charlotte County's emergency repair for Milton's undermining of slope paving and sidewalks had a $201,000 budget, and the page says "This project is complete" (Charlotte County, Tom Adams Bridge Emergency Repair, Hurricane Milton, read November 14, 2026). A separate disaster recovery site at 1400 Beach Road, covering Ian, Helene and Milton damage to the tender house, a machine, a traffic light, sidewalks, slope walls and fender planks, carries a $426,601.00 budget, with buildings and sidewalks listed complete (Charlotte County, Disaster Recovery Site, Tom Adams Bridge, read November 14, 2026).
• Tom Adams Bridge, structural repairs. Scheduled work on the 1965 bridge: Titan Construction received notice to proceed August 17, 2026, with a forecast completion of December 15, 2026 and a construction budget of $2,423,899.80, covering generator replacement, pile jackets, fender repairs, structural repairs and control panel updates (Charlotte County, Tom Adams Bridge Structural Repairs, read November 14, 2026).
• Tom Adams Bridge, scour countermeasures. Design budget $388,108.65, with 100 percent plans due December 7, 2026 and a submerged land lease in progress (Charlotte County, Bridge Scour Study and Countermeasures, read November 14, 2026).
• Manasota Key Road, permanent design. Still in design, with no construction date found (see the road table above).
• Hermitage Artist Retreat. At 6630 Manasota Key Rd, the county-owned campus was buried under several feet of sand in 2024, and four historic structures remained unrepaired as of October 2026 (Sarasota Magazine, October 2026, read November 14, 2026).
• Beach renourishment. The largest project is the 2027 Charlotte County renourishment, covered in the next section.

For any house you consider, ask the seller for the claim history from Ian, Helene and Milton, the repair permits and whether any repair was reviewed under the 50 percent rule.

Beach Erosion and the 2027 Renourishment: What Owners Should Know

Manasota Key's Charlotte County shoreline gets its second full-scale renourishment in winter 2026 to 2027: a $29,348,880 contract with Great Lakes Dredge and Dock for about 590,000 cubic yards on the key. Charlotte-side owners help pay through a new assessment on the November 2026 tax bill; the Sarasota side has its own separate beach line.

The work replaces sand that Ian, Nicole, Idalia, Debby, Helene and Milton moved off the beach and dunes. Below: what the county approved, when the sand arrives, who pays and how, what the storms took, what happened in 2019 to 2020, and where the Sarasota side and Stump Pass fit.

What Did Charlotte County Approve in October 2026?

Charlotte County's project page calls this the "2nd full scale nourishment of the shoreline of Manasota Key," using the same design template as 2019/20 and restoring the dune at Chadwick Cove Beach Park. It says the six storms displaced "hundreds of thousands of cubic yards" of sand and damaged dunes and seawalls; bids came in September 30, and the board approved the contract at its October 27, 2026 meeting. Coastal Engineering Consultants, Inc. is the design engineer, and the project address is 1857 Gulf Blvd; page last updated November 2, 2026 (Charlotte County, Manasota Key Beach Renourishment, read November 14, 2026).

Dredgewire reported the contract terms: $29,348,880 to Great Lakes Dredge and Dock, lowest of four bidders and the contractor for the 2020 project, to place about 590,000 cubic yards on Manasota Key and 400,000 on South Beach, from the Charlotte/Sarasota line south to Don Pedro Island, including Englewood Beach and Stump Pass Beach State Park, with sand dredged from the Gulf off Manasota Key (Dredgewire, November 9, 2026, read November 14, 2026).

Data updated: November 2026 (Dredgewire report of November 9, 2026 on the Charlotte County contract; read November 14, 2026; the county's own board agenda item was not read)

The funding lines are rounded as reported and are not presented as an exact sum of the contract.

When Will the Sand Be Placed on Manasota Key?

Sources disagree on the start date, so we print both. The county's project page lists construction from an estimated start of January 1, 2027 to a forecast completion of April 30, 2027 (Charlotte County, Manasota Key Beach Renourishment, read November 14, 2026). Dredgewire reported an estimated start of November 23, 2026, with work to finish before turtle nesting resumes March 1, 2027 (Dredgewire, November 9, 2026, read November 14, 2026).

Treat it as winter 2026 to 2027 work and watch the county's project page for the live schedule. Sea turtle nesting season on both county beaches runs May 1 through October 31 (Visit Sarasota, share the sand, read November 14, 2026), which is why coastal construction here is pushed into the cooler months. Expect pipe, equipment and closed beach segments in front of Gulf-front buildings while the work passes.

Who Pays: The Manasota Key Beach Renourishment Assessment

Charlotte County's Manasota Key Beach Renourishment unit was established by Ordinance 2015-052 "for the nourishment, re-nourishment and prevention of erosion of the beaches" within the unit, funded by assessments (Charlotte County, Manasota Key Beach Renourishment unit, read November 14, 2026).

The county's sample hearing notice explains the 2026 capital assessment: "The total assessment revenue to be collected within the MSBU is estimated to be $4,001,933 for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2026." Each parcel pays a recreational benefit (REC) charge, with residential property charged by equivalent dwelling units and commercial and government property by proportionate just value, and parcels near the shore also pay a nearshore benefit zone (NBZ) charge based on "linear front footage along the beach" and lot size. Condominium units receive a prorated share of common element units. The notice also states a "Maximum annual assessment for future fiscal years," and nonpayment leads to a tax certificate. The Initial Assessment Resolution was adopted June 23, 2026, the hearing was held July 22, 2026 at Tringali Park Community Center, and the first bill is the November 2026 tax bill; questions go to the MSBU Division at (941) 743-1914, or (941) 681-3770 from Englewood (Charlotte County, Manasota Key sample public hearing notice, July 1, 2026, read November 14, 2026).

Data updated: November 2026 (Charlotte County MSBU unit page, sample public hearing notice of July 1, 2026, and FY2026 second-quarter report; read November 14, 2026)

The fund balance line comes from the unit's second-quarter fiscal 2026 report (Charlotte County, Manasota Key Beach Renourishment FY26 Q2, read November 14, 2026). The county's capital plan adopted September 23, 2025 also carries "Manasota Key Beach Renourishment FY27" at $5,330 thousand over 2027 to 2031 (Manasota Key Beach Renourishment FY26 adopted, FY27 approved budget, read November 14, 2026).

This is separate from Charlotte County's Manasota Key Street and Drainage Unit, an ad valorem taxing unit at 0.7798 mills for fiscal 2026 and 2027 that funds streets, drainage and sidewalks, not sand (Manasota Key MSTU FY26 adopted, FY27 approved, read November 14, 2026). A buyer reading a Charlotte-side tax bill should expect to see both lines.

How Much Sand Did the Storms Take From Manasota Key?

Charlotte County's disaster recovery page for beach erosion lists about 137,477 cubic yards displaced at Manasota Key, 93,588 of it lost on the south beach fill, with 46,931 on the Stump Pass updrift fill and 20,264 on the north fill, and a total disaster recovery budget of $10,065,638.65 (Charlotte County, Disaster Recovery Site, Manasota Key, Don Pedro, Knight Island Beach Erosion, read November 14, 2026). Higher county-wide totals appear in television coverage we could not open, so we do not print them.

Individual properties lost more than the averages suggest. The Manasota Beach Club reported about 10 feet of beachfront lost to Helene and another 20 feet to Milton (Business Observer, November 27, 2025, read November 14, 2026). Erosion pressure predates 2024: a Sarasota-side homeowner reported that a December 24, 2019 storm destroyed the berm in front of her home and that emergency repairs cost over $100,000 (Sarasota News Leader, October 22, 2020, read November 14, 2026).

What Happened in the 2019 to 2020 Manasota Key Project?

The first full-scale project ran jointly across the county line. It covered four miles from Blind Pass Park in Sarasota County to the Don Pedro-Knight Islands beach and added about 50 feet of sand at a total cost of $35.3 million; the Sarasota segment ran from Blind Pass Park to the county line, included 50 beachfront homes, cost about $8.1 million and placed about 309,000 cubic yards, out of about 879,000 cubic yards in all (CHNEP Water Atlas, April 15, 2019, read November 14, 2026). The project was completed in April 2020, and hardbottom habitat just north of the fill area limited how far it could reach on the Sarasota part of the key (Sarasota News Leader, October 22, 2020, read November 14, 2026).

Data updated: November 2026 (CHNEP Water Atlas, April 15, 2019; Sarasota News Leader, October 22, 2020; Dredgewire, November 9, 2026; Charlotte County project page; read November 14, 2026)

The two projects are measured by different reports, so compare them as scale, not as an audit.

What About the Sarasota Side of Manasota Key?

The 2026 to 2027 contract starts at the Charlotte/Sarasota line and runs south, so it does not place sand on the Sarasota side (Dredgewire, November 9, 2026, read November 14, 2026). Sarasota County does bill its own beach line: the Sarasota County Tax Collector lists "I051 Manasota Key Beach Restoration" among its non-ad valorem levying authorities on both the 2025 and 2026 sheets (Sarasota County Tax Collector, 2025 millage; 2026 millage, both read November 14, 2026). The per-parcel I051 rate is not printed on those sheets, so it reads: Information not available at time of publishing (checked November 14, 2026). It shows on the parcel's own tax bill.

Owners on the Sarasota side have looked to hard protection. On October 21, 2020, at the Manasota Key Association's urging, the Sarasota County Commission amended the Coastal Setback Code to allow shoreline hardening to protect threatened homes and raised the beach-compatible sand an owner may place on a lot from 100 to 200 cubic yards with a written conditioned exception (Sarasota News Leader, October 22, 2020, read November 14, 2026). Allowed in the code is not the same as approved: in May 2026 the Sarasota County Commission voted 3 to 2 against a seawall project for two beachfront homes, with commissioners citing effects on neighboring properties and the beach, and the owners' attorney sought reconsideration (WWSB, May 12, 2026, read November 14, 2026).

At the federal level, Rep. W. Gregory Steube requested fiscal 2026 Community Project Funding for a "Manasota Key Shoreline Restoration Project," a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study of shoreline erosion along the Charlotte County shoreline and Manasota Key, in a letter dated May 23, 2025 (Steube Community Project Funding letter, read November 14, 2026). A request is not an award.

How Does Stump Pass Dredging Fit In?

Stump Pass at the south tip is managed under a state inlet management plan adopted June 29, 2016. It sets a minimum fill of 180,000 cubic yards between survey monuments R9 and R21.2 on Manasota Key, target bypassing of 25,000 cubic yards a year south and 6,000 a year north, and calls for completing an approved terminal groin on Manasota Key at about R21.2; Charlotte County holds Joint Coastal Permit 0194790-017-JC (FDEP, Stump Pass Inlet Management Plan, read November 14, 2026). Earlier dredges fed the key's south beach: in 2011, for example, 156,250 cubic yards went on the Manasota Key beach between R14.5 and R20 (same plan).

Charlotte County's Stump Pass Dredging taxing unit, created by Ordinance 2003-026 and renamed by Ordinance 2017-049, funds nourishment of the Knight and Don Pedro Island beaches with Stump Pass dredge material (Charlotte County, Stump Pass Dredging unit, read November 14, 2026). It levied 0.1978 mills in 2024-25 and 2025-26 (Florida DOR Table 1, Charlotte County, read November 14, 2026). Whether that unit's boundary includes a given Manasota Key parcel is shown on the parcel's tax bill; confirm it there.

What Should Manasota Key Owners and Buyers Do During the Renourishment?

• Read the November 2026 tax bill. On the Charlotte side, find the renourishment REC and NBZ lines; for a Gulf-front parcel, the NBZ charge is the larger variable. If you are buying, ask the seller for the bill and the July 2026 notice.
• Ask the condo board how the assessment is billed. Condominium units carry a prorated share of common element units under the county's method, so the unit bill and the association's budget both matter.
• Plan beach access around the work zone. Gulf-front segments close as the pipeline moves; check the county's project page weekly.
• Do not assume the Sarasota side is covered. The 2026 to 2027 contract starts at the county line; Sarasota-side owners should read their I051 line and ask Sarasota County about any planned work.
• Treat sand as maintenance, not a cure. The 2019 to 2020 template is being rebuilt after six named storms from 2022 to 2024. Price that cycle into any Gulf-front purchase.

How Do You Check School Zoning for a Manasota Key Address?

Manasota Key is split between two school districts: Sarasota County Schools for addresses on the Sarasota side and Charlotte County Public Schools for the Charlotte side. School zoning was not verified for this guide, so check each Manasota Key address with its district's own address lookup before relying on any school assignment.

This section explains how to check. It does not name zoned schools or rate any school, because zoning is address specific and changes, and because the two sides of the key answer to two different school boards.

Which School District Serves Your Side of Manasota Key?

The county line decides it. Addresses on Manasota Key Rd north of the line are in unincorporated Sarasota County and fall under Sarasota County Schools; addresses on N Beach Rd, Gulf Blvd and the Charlotte stretch of Manasota Key Rd fall under Charlotte County Public Schools. The property appraiser record tells you which county a parcel is in: the Sarasota County Property Appraiser for the north side and the Charlotte County Property Appraiser for the south. Every address on both sides uses ZIP 34223, so the ZIP code alone does not tell you the district.

The tax bill confirms it a second way. A Sarasota-side bill carries Sarasota school millage, 5.9290 mills for 2026 (Sarasota County Tax Collector, 2026 millage, read November 14, 2026), and a Charlotte-side bill carries Charlotte County Public Schools levies (Charlotte County Public Schools, school taxes, read November 14, 2026).

How to Use the Sarasota County Schools Lookup

Start from the district's back-to-school page at sarasotacountyschools.net and ask Sarasota County Schools to confirm the zoned elementary, middle and high school for the address. Give the full street address on Manasota Key Rd, not just the road name, because the key is long and zone lines can cross it. Save or print the result with the date. If the page does not return a result for a new-construction address, call the district before you rely on it.

How to Use the Charlotte County Public Schools Boundary Locator

Charlotte County Public Schools offers a Boundary Locator where you enter a street address and five-digit ZIP; it is reached from the district site at yourcharlotteschools.net. Enter the address exactly as the property appraiser shows it, including a unit number for a condominium. The district also publishes a controlled open enrollment table each year showing capacity and whether a school is open to out-of-zone choice (Charlotte County Public Schools, Controlled Open Enrollment, read November 14, 2026). Choice rules are separate from your zoned assignment, so read both.

Why We Do Not Print a Zoned School List for Manasota Key

We could not run either district's interactive locator for this guide, and third-party school widgets on property portals disagree about which county the key is in. Printing a school name we had not confirmed would put a fact on this page that we could not stand behind. When you are under contract, we run both district lookups for your exact address and put the dated result in your file. The open items are listed in the gaps section of this guide.

Sarasota Side vs Charlotte Side vs Beachwalk by Manasota Key: How Do They Compare?

Manasota Key's two sides are different markets: the Sarasota side is single-family homes on large lots, 25 qualified sales at a $2,200,000 median in its county's latest 12 months, while the Charlotte side is mostly condominiums, 67 improved sales at a $587,000 median in its own window. Beachwalk by Manasota Key is a mainland community, not on the key.

Each column below keeps its own county file and its own 12-month window. We never add or average the two sides of the key, and we compare Beachwalk only on figures published in our Beachwalk guide from the same Sarasota County file.

The Decision Table

Data updated: November 2026 (Sarasota side and Beachwalk: Sarasota County Property Appraiser bulk parcel and sales file dated October 21, 2026, qualified sales October 15, 2025 to October 14, 2026, Beachwalk figures as published in our Beachwalk guide; Charlotte side: Charlotte County Property Appraiser roll dated November 5, 2026, qualified improved sales September 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026; FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer point checks and county evacuation sources read November 14, 2026)

Sources for the table: Sarasota County Property Appraiser; Charlotte County Property Appraiser; Manasota Key Association, Renting Your Property; Sarasota News Leader, April 9, 2026; FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer; Wikipedia, Tom Adams Bridge; Sarasota County Tax Collector, 2026 millage; Manasota Key MSTU FY26 adopted, FY27 approved. Beachwalk figures are from our Beachwalk guide and the sources it cites.

How Do the Two Sides of Manasota Key Compare on the County Record?

They are different products. On the Sarasota side, the 298 single-family homes with living area have a median of 2,868 square feet on a median lot of 34,825 square feet, and a median 2026 just value of $1,953,500 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser bulk parcel file, October 21, 2026). On the Charlotte side, the 885 condominium units have a median of 1,176 heated square feet and a median build year of 1981, and the 173 single-family homes a median of 1,666 heated square feet and a median build year of 1972 (Charlotte County Property Appraiser, roll dated November 5, 2026).

The measures are not even the same unit: the Sarasota file reports living area, the Charlotte roll heated area, and the windows end on different dates. So a $719 single-family price per square foot on the Sarasota side and a $642 single-family figure on the Charlotte side describe two different sets of houses, measured two different ways, in two different years of record. Read each against its own history, not against the other.

How Do Rules and Rentals Differ Across Manasota Key and Beachwalk?

On the Sarasota side, the Manasota Key Association states that "The Sarasota County portion of Manasota Key does not allow weekly rentals," that homes in its district "cannot be rented for periods of less than 30 days," and that "no lands within the District shall be used for commercial or multifamily purposes," attributing the district's single-family status to Sarasota County ordinances and the special acts, Chapters 71-904 and 94-453, that "created and amended the Manasota Key Conservation District" (Manasota Key Association, Renting Your Property, read November 14, 2026). The association advises buyers to review the ordinances and the act with a real estate attorney before buying (same page). A few older non-single-family uses, such as the Manasota Beach Club and the Hermitage Artist Retreat, do exist on that side.

State law frames all of it. Florida Statutes 509.032(7)(b) says a local law "may not prohibit vacation rentals or regulate the duration or frequency of rental of vacation rentals," and that this "does not apply to any local law, ordinance, or regulation adopted on or before June 1, 2011" (Florida Statutes 509.032, read November 14, 2026). Sarasota County's existing short-term rental rules "were adopted before June 1, 2011" and "remain in effect only if left unchanged," and on April 7, 2026 the County Commission unanimously directed staff to report on a registration program; staff estimated "nine to 12 months" to set one up after formal approval (Sarasota News Leader, April 9, 2026, read November 14, 2026).

On the Charlotte side, the same association page says the Charlotte portion "allows multifamily dwelling units, weekly rentals, and commercial activity" (Manasota Key Association, Renting Your Property, read November 14, 2026). For a condominium, the declaration and rules decide the minimum stay; Tamarind Gulf and Bay, for example, uses a rental application, and its page does not state the minimum term (Tamarind COA Forms, read November 14, 2026). Beachwalk's declaration sets a 90-day minimum and no more than three leases a year, as quoted in our Beachwalk guide.

How Do Flood, Evacuation and Access Compare?

Flood is the sharpest difference with Beachwalk. Every Manasota Key point we checked read VE or AE (FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer, read November 14, 2026), while our Beachwalk guide found about 51% of Beachwalk address points in Zone X minimal hazard and about 20% in AE on the same FEMA maps. Evacuation follows: Zone A on both sides of the key, against about 89% Level C and 11% Level B in Beachwalk.

Access differs by side. The Sarasota side connects to the mainland by the Manasota Beach Road bridge, and the Sarasota News Leader notes "Manasota Beach Road is the only public road that connects Manasota Key to the rest of Sarasota County" (Sarasota News Leader, February 16, 2023, read November 14, 2026). The Charlotte side connects by Beach Road over the Tom Adams Bridge, a double-leaf drawbridge built in 1965, about 1,005.6 feet long with an average daily traffic of 11,300 in 2024, and the 1980 Swepston Bridge from Sandpiper Key (BridgeLookup, structure 010029; Wikipedia, Tom Adams Bridge, both read November 14, 2026). When Manasota Key Road was cut from 2024 to January 2026, the detour between the two ends of the key was about 45 minutes (FOX 13, January 2026, read November 14, 2026).

Where Does Beachwalk by Manasota Key Fit?

Beachwalk is a gated DiVosta community, a PulteGroup brand, on the Sarasota County mainland east of Englewood Road, and despite its name it is not on Manasota Key; none of its 1,388 parcels is coded Gulf or bay waterfront on the roll, as our Beachwalk guide documents from the Sarasota County Property Appraiser file. From its gate, the beach route runs north on Englewood Road, then west on Manasota Beach Road across Lemon Bay to Manasota Beach Park at 8570 Manasota Key Rd.

Buyers compare it with the key because of the name and the beach drive. On the same Sarasota County file and window as the key's Sarasota side, Beachwalk recorded 206 qualified sales at a $672,300 median and $327 per square foot, mostly builder sales, with published 2026 HOA dues of $367.29 to $400.71 a month. The key's Sarasota side has no HOA of that kind; its costs run through flood and wind insurance, the I051 beach line and the upkeep of older or elevated houses.

Which Yardstick Should Decide Your Manasota Key Search?

• If you want a house on a big lot between the Gulf and the bay, the Sarasota side is the only part of the key where that is the main product. Budget from the single-family median of $1,870,000 in the county's latest 12 months, and ask whether the house is elevated.
• If you want a condominium within walking distance of a public beach, the Charlotte side is the condominium market: 48 sales at a $530,000 median in its 12-month window. Read the milestone inspection, reserve study and rental rules first.
• If you want rental flexibility, the two sides differ by rule, and each condominium's declaration adds its own; get the documents before the offer.
• If you want a newer home mostly outside the Special Flood Hazard Area and are fine with a drive to the beach, Beachwalk is the mainland alternative, priced on a different scale and run by an HOA.

Comparing Manasota Key With Other Englewood Communities? Talk to McGreevy and Comisar

Buyers weighing an island home against a mainland golf community can read our Boca Royale guide, a gated Sarasota County community on the Englewood mainland, beside this Manasota Key guide; each prints its own county figures and window.

The credentials behind every Manasota Key comparison we prepare:

• Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008
• 5 Star Award for Customer Satisfaction for 21 Straight Years. Only 5 out of 21k+ Licensees (Gulfshore Life Magazine)
• #1 Team in Southwest Florida since 2012
• McGreevy and Comisar and their Domain Realty Group team have sold over $2.5 Billion in Real Estate
• McGreevy and Comisar alone have over $900 million in Sales
• Nationally Recognized Top Producing Realtors
• Platinum Sales Production Award Winners

Buying on Manasota Key? Start With Our Buyer Team

Buying on Manasota Key starts with the county line, because it decides the property type, the rental rules, the tax bill and the beach assessment. McGreevy and Comisar then checks the survey, the coastal construction control line, the elevation certificate, the condominium documents and real insurance quotes before you sign.

How We Represent a Manasota Key Buyer

We price every Manasota Key purchase from the county recorded sales on its own side of the line, never from a blended island figure. On the Sarasota side that means the 19 single-family sales in the Sarasota County Property Appraiser's 12 months to October 14, 2026, at a $1,870,000 median, and the 4 land or teardown sales in the same window (Sarasota County Property Appraiser bulk parcel and sales file, October 21, 2026). On the Charlotte side it means the 48 condominium sales at a $530,000 median and the 11 single-family sales at a $950,000 median in the Charlotte County Property Appraiser's 12 months to September 9, 2026 (Charlotte County Property Appraiser).

Active listings, days on market and sale-to-list ratio on Manasota Key read: Information not available at time of publishing (checked November 14, 2026). We watch the MLS daily for our buyers and pair each listing with the parcel's recorded sale history, flood file and storm history.

What We Check Before You Sign

• The survey. A current boundary survey showing the mean high water line on the Gulf or bay side, the house footprint, any seawall and any encroachment. On the key, the lot you are buying may be smaller after 2024 than the old survey shows.
• The Coastal Construction Control Line. Whether the house sits seaward of the state line, which governs rebuilding and additions under Florida Statutes 161.053 (Florida Statutes 161.053, read November 14, 2026).
• The elevation certificate and flood zone. VE or AE, the base flood elevation and the lowest floor (FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer, read November 14, 2026).
• The 50 percent history. Repair permits after Helene and Milton, and whether any were reviewed under the county's substantial improvement rule (Charlotte County, 50 Percent FEMA Rule; Sarasota County Property Appraiser, FEMA 50% Rule, both read November 14, 2026).
• Condominium documents. The declaration, rules, budget, milestone inspection, structural integrity reserve study and minutes, under Florida Statutes 553.899 and 718.112 (Florida Statutes 553.899; Florida Statutes 718.112, both read November 14, 2026).
• Insurance quotes before the contract. Wind, flood and, for a condominium, the unit-owner policy, quoted on the exact address, with the Citizens 2027 flood rule and the $700,000 replacement-cost ceiling in view (Laws of Florida, ch. 2024-179; Florida Statutes 627.351, both read November 14, 2026).
• The tax bill after purchase. The seller's capped value does not carry over: a home is assessed at just value "as of January 1 of the year following a change of ownership" (Florida Statutes 193.155, read November 14, 2026). On the Sarasota side, 135 of 298 single-family homes carried a homestead exemption on the October 2026 roll (Sarasota County Property Appraiser bulk parcel file), so many sellers' bills understate yours.

Buying a Charlotte-Side Condominium With Us

Most Charlotte-side sales are condominium units: 48 of the 67 improved sales in the Charlotte County Property Appraiser's 12 months to September 9, 2026, at a $530,000 median, with the middle half from $404,975 to $678,750 and a $443 median price per heated square foot (Charlotte County Property Appraiser). Most of those buildings were built in the 1970s and 1980s: the roll dates 503 of the 885 units to the 1980s and 139 to the 1970s (same roll).

Age matters because of Florida's condominium inspection and reserve laws. Milestone inspections apply to condominium buildings three habitable stories or more, at 30 years and every 10 years after, and local agencies may require them at 25 years near salt water; repairs from a phase two report must begin within 365 days (Florida Statutes 553.899, read November 14, 2026). For budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, owners in an association required to have a reserve study may not vote to waive or reduce those reserves (Florida Statutes 718.112, read November 14, 2026). We read the study, the reserve schedule and the last two years of minutes, and ask the manager in writing about any pending special assessment and the new renourishment line.

Buying a Sarasota-Side Home or Lot With Us

On the Sarasota side, the roll is almost all single-family: 285 single-family detached parcels and no residential condominium code on Manasota Key Rd (Sarasota County Property Appraiser bulk parcel file, October 21, 2026). Lots are large, a 34,825 square foot median, and many homes are older: 44 date from the 1950s and 53 from the 1970s (same file). We pull the parcel's Gulf or bay frontage, the house's build year and any permits since 2024, and we read the Manasota Key Association's statements on use and rentals with you before an offer (Manasota Key Association, Renting Your Property, read November 14, 2026).

For a lot, the questions change: whether the parcel is coded vacant after calamity, what the old house's elevation and footprint were, whether the site is seaward of the CCCL, and how Manasota Key Road's washout segment affects access to that address. The 4 land or teardown sales in the last 12 months ran from $850,000 to $2,550,000 (same file), which shows how much the land carries on this side.

New Construction and Rebuilds on Manasota Key

New houses on the key are mostly one-off elevated builds on existing lots, not a builder community. The Sarasota roll lists 4 parcels as "new construction not substantially complete," and 10 single-family homes built in the 2020s (Sarasota County Property Appraiser bulk parcel file, October 21, 2026); on the Charlotte side, 2 of the 67 improved sales in the last 12 months were first sales of new homes, at $1,555,000 and $1,850,000 (Charlotte County Property Appraiser). Our new construction guide for Englewood covers builder contracts, timelines and inspections, and our guide to buying a home in Englewood covers flood checks and special districts across the area.

Start Here

• Read our home buying guide for the full process.
• Call (239) 898-6072 for a Manasota Key buyer consultation with Marc Comisar or Jesse McGreevy.
• Or contact McGreevy and Comisar with the side of the key, the property type and the price band you are considering.

The credentials behind every Manasota Key purchase we handle:

• Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008
• 5 Star Award for Customer Satisfaction for 21 Straight Years. Only 5 out of 21k+ Licensees (Gulfshore Life Magazine)
• #1 Team in Southwest Florida since 2012
• McGreevy and Comisar and their Domain Realty Group team have sold over $2.5 Billion in Real Estate
• McGreevy and Comisar alone have over $900 million in Sales
• Nationally Recognized Top Producing Realtors
• Platinum Sales Production Award Winners

Thinking of Selling Your Manasota Key Home? List With the #1 Team in Southwest Florida Since 2012

Selling on Manasota Key means selling into one of two markets: the Sarasota side recorded 25 qualified sales at a $2,200,000 median and the Charlotte side 67 improved sales at a $587,000 median, each in its own county's latest 12 months, so McGreevy and Comisar prices every listing from its own side's record, then markets, negotiates and closes.

If you are thinking, "I need someone to sell my house on Manasota Key," or you are searching for the best listing agent for a Gulf-to-bay home or an Englewood Beach condominium, McGreevy and Comisar helps homeowners price, market, negotiate and sell with a local strategy built for Manasota Key's two counties, its flood rules and its storm record. We lead Domain Realty Group, and the credentials you hire when you list with us are the same ones on every page we publish (about McGreevy and Comisar):

• Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008
• 5 Star Award for Customer Satisfaction for 21 Straight Years. Only 5 out of 21k+ Licensees (Gulfshore Life Magazine)
• #1 Team in Southwest Florida since 2012
• McGreevy and Comisar and their Domain Realty Group team have sold over $2.5 Billion in Real Estate
• McGreevy and Comisar alone have over $900 million in Sales
• Nationally Recognized Top Producing Realtors
• Platinum Sales Production Award Winners

RealTrends 2026 ranked the team the #5 real estate team in Florida, with 241 transactions and $157M+ in volume, and the #1 real estate team in Bonita Springs by sales volume and by transaction sides. Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar bring over 45 years of combined direct experience between them, and the Domain Realty Group team has closed 4,000+ transactions.

The Manasota Key Market Your Buyer Is Reading

A Manasota Key buyer's agent and an appraiser will look at the same county record we do. The Sarasota side figures are qualified sales (codes 01 and 02) of improved parcels over $1,000 from the Sarasota County Property Appraiser bulk parcel and sales file dated October 21, 2026 (sarasotapropertyappraiser.gov downloads), window October 15, 2025 to October 14, 2026.

Data updated: November 2026 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser bulk parcel and sales file dated October 21, 2026, qualified sales codes 01 and 02 over $1,000, window October 15, 2025 to October 14, 2026)

Data updated: November 2026 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser bulk parcel and sales file dated October 21, 2026, calendar years 2021 to 2025 and January 1 to October 14, 2026, qualified sales of parcels improved now)

The Charlotte side figures are qualified improved sales over $1,000 from the Charlotte County Property Appraiser roll dated November 5, 2026, with sales recorded through September 9, 2026 (Charlotte County Property Appraiser), window September 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026.

Data updated: November 2026 (Charlotte County Property Appraiser roll dated November 5, 2026, qualified improved sales over $1,000 recorded September 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026)

Data updated: November 2026 (Charlotte County Property Appraiser roll dated November 5, 2026 and sales recorded through September 9, 2026, calendar years 2021 to 2025 and January 1 to September 9, 2026)

Days on market, sale-to-list ratio, active listings, months of supply and rents: Information not available at time of publishing (checked November 14, 2026).

What the tables tell a Manasota Key seller:

• Each side has its own buyer pool and its own comparables. We never price a Sarasota-side home from Charlotte-side sales or the reverse, and we never average the two.
• Sarasota-side volume is thin, so each sale carries weight. Twenty-five sales in 12 months, ranging from $525,000 to $9,200,000, means the median moves with whichever houses happened to sell. We price from the closest frontage, lot size, elevation and build year.
• Charlotte-side sales volume picked up in 2026. All improved sales went from 24 in 2024 and 35 in 2025 to 55 from January 1 to September 9, 2026 (same file). More resales give buyers more to compare, and your building's documents become the difference.

What Is Your Manasota Key Home Worth? Get a Free Valuation in 60 Seconds.

Start with our free Manasota Key home valuation. It takes about a minute, and Jesse or Marc follows up with a value built from recorded Manasota Key sales on your side of the county line, your frontage or building, your flood zone and elevation certificate, and your storm and permit history, not an automated estimate.

Prefer to talk it through? Call or text Jesse McGreevy direct: (239) 898-6072, text or call. We respond same-day.

For recorded resales on both county sides, condominium resale rules, flood and coastal disclosures and a two-county cost sheet, read our guide to selling your home on Manasota Key. For the full listing process, pricing method and marketing plan, read our guide to selling your home in Englewood.

What a Recent Seller Said

★★★★★ "Their recommendation on pricing my unit was sound and proved prescient. I never questioned their integrity and found it easy to rely on their recommendations. I would work with them again in a heartbeat." Charlie Carroll, Verified Google review of McGreevy and Comisar

McGreevy and Comisar is a top-reviewed Southwest Florida realtor team, and that is the standard we bring to every Manasota Key sale. The full Seller Edition FAQ sits further down this page. These are the five questions Manasota Key sellers ask us first.

How Do I Price My Home When Manasota Key Is Two Markets?

Start with the county line and the property type, then narrow. A Sarasota-side single-family home prices against the 19 single-family sales in the Sarasota County file's last 12 months, a $1,870,000 median with the middle half from $1,500,000 to $3,585,000 and a $719 median per square foot of living area (Sarasota County Property Appraiser bulk parcel and sales file, October 21, 2026). That spread is wide because frontage, lot size and the age of the house vary so much: on the roll, Sarasota-side lots run from 5,922 to 129,441 square feet and homes from 557 to 12,789 square feet of living area (same file).

A Charlotte-side condominium prices against the 48 condominium sales in the Charlotte County roll's last 12 months, a $530,000 median with the middle half from $404,975 to $678,750 and a $443 median per heated square foot (Charlotte County Property Appraiser). Within that, the building decides more than the island: its age, its milestone inspection and reserve status, its rental rules and whether a special assessment is pending. We build the comparable set from your own building first, then the buildings nearest it in age and rules.

How Much Does It Cost to Sell a Manasota Key Home?

Selling costs come from the commission, which is negotiable and set in your listing agreement; Florida documentary stamp tax on the deed; title charges and prorations under your contract; and, for a condominium, the association's estoppel certificate. Your title agent's settlement statement gives the final figure.

Florida's deed tax is 70 cents on each $100 of consideration (Florida Statutes 201.02, read November 14, 2026). At the two side medians, that is $15,400 on a $2,200,000 Sarasota-side sale and $3,710 on a $530,000 Charlotte-side condominium (our arithmetic). Owner's title insurance is a promulgated rate: $5.75 per $1,000 for the first $100,000 and $5.00 per $1,000 above that up to $1 million (Florida CFO, title insurance overview, read November 14, 2026), or $2,725 on a $530,000 policy (our arithmetic); the rate above $1 million was not shown on that page. Who pays the owner's policy is set in your contract. There is no set or standard commission rate, and we do not publish one; we walk every seller through a net sheet before listing.

What Does My Condo Association Require When I Sell on Manasota Key?

Expect a sales application, an estoppel certificate and a document package for your buyer. Tamarind Gulf and Bay, for example, lists a Sales Application, Rental Application and Architectural Review Application on its forms page (Tamarind COA Forms, read November 14, 2026), and posts its quarterly dues, $3,775 per quarter for 2026, and its June 27, 2023 milestone inspection report on its site (Tamarind Gulf and Bay association site, read November 14, 2026). Other associations publish less; we ask the manager for the application, the approval timeline and the estoppel fee in writing at listing.

Have the milestone inspection, the structural integrity reserve study, the current budget and the last two years of minutes ready before you list. Florida's reserve and inspection laws mean a buyer's agent will ask for them on day one (Florida Statutes 553.899; Florida Statutes 718.112, both read November 14, 2026), and a package that is ready shortens the inspection period.

How Do My Flood Zone and Storm History Affect My Manasota Key Sale?

They are the first questions your buyer's lender and insurer will ask. Every Manasota Key point we checked read VE or AE, with base flood elevations of 8 to 11 feet (FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer, read November 14, 2026), and from January 1, 2027 every Citizens personal lines policy with wind coverage, other than a condominium unit-owner form, needs flood coverage whatever the zone (Laws of Florida, ch. 2024-179, read November 14, 2026). Put the elevation certificate, a wind mitigation form under five years old, the flood policy declarations and the repair permits from Helene and Milton in the listing file.

If the house was damaged, be specific about what was repaired and whether the county reviewed it under the 50 percent rule (Charlotte County, 50 Percent FEMA Rule; Sarasota County Property Appraiser, FEMA 50% Rule, both read November 14, 2026). If it is a lot or a teardown, the land market is its own: 4 such sales on the Sarasota side in the last 12 months, from $850,000 to $2,550,000, and one Charlotte-side vacant-land sale at $3,000,000 in that county's window (Sarasota County Property Appraiser bulk parcel and sales file; Charlotte County Property Appraiser).

When Is the Best Time to List a Manasota Key Home?

List when your side's recent sales support your price and your file is ready. The county record shows how lumpy the Sarasota side is: 12 qualified improved sales in 2024, 12 in 2025 and 21 from January 1 to October 14, 2026, with medians of $2,837,500, $2,316,700 and $2,000,000 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser bulk parcel and sales file, October 21, 2026). Those medians move with which houses sold, not only with value.

On the Charlotte side, the 2027 renourishment matters for timing. The county lists construction from January 1 to April 30, 2027, and Dredgewire reported a November 23, 2026 start with work to finish before March 1, 2027 (Charlotte County, Manasota Key Beach Renourishment; Dredgewire, November 9, 2026, both read November 14, 2026). A Gulf-front listing photographed after the new sand is placed shows a different beach than one photographed during the work. Days on market for Manasota Key reads: Information not available at time of publishing (checked November 14, 2026).

Ready to talk numbers? Request your free Manasota Key valuation or call Jesse at (239) 898-6072, text or call. We respond same-day.

What We Could Not Verify, and Exactly Where You Get It

Manasota Key's public record is split across two county appraisers, two tax collectors, two building departments and a state park, and some figures buyers and sellers want were not posted by any source our team could read on November 14, 2026. Each gap below says why it is open and which office, document or phone number holds the answer.

Which Manasota Key market numbers come only from the MLS?

Days on market, sale-to-list ratio, active listings, months of supply and rents: Information not available at time of publishing (checked November 14, 2026). Those fields live in the multiple listing service, not in a county sales record. The county files give closed prices only: on the Sarasota side, 25 qualified sales at a $2,200,000 median from October 15, 2025 to October 14, 2026 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser sales file, October 21, 2026); on the Charlotte side, 67 improved sales at a $587,000 median from September 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026 (Charlotte County Property Appraiser roll and sales files). We do not estimate MLS fields from either file, because a closed price says nothing about how long a home sat or what it was first listed at.

Data updated: November 2026 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser sales file of October 21, 2026, window October 15, 2025 to October 14, 2026; Charlotte County Property Appraiser roll of November 5, 2026 and sales through September 9, 2026, window September 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026; MLS-only fields checked November 14, 2026)

What is still unconfirmed about building height and setbacks on the Charlotte side?

The current height and density caps for the Charlotte part of Manasota Key could not be confirmed, so this guide prints no building height figure. The overlay posted on the county site, Charlotte County Code Section 3-9-53, measures height "from 0 feet NGVD to the top of the highest constructed element," but its internal file reference points to a 2013-era codification (Charlotte County, Manasota Key Zoning District Overlay). The November 18, 2024 Planning and Zoning agenda lists item TLDR-24-02 to revise the overlay's heights, side setbacks, landscape strips and disaster recovery rules (Charlotte County P&Z agenda, November 18, 2024), and a later amendment on height and freeboard definitions has been reported but could not be read from a county page. The adopted text of either was not read, and how height is now measured after the change was not confirmed.

Where to get it: the adopted ordinances from the Charlotte County Clerk (Board minutes of November 2024 onward), the current Municode text of the overlay, or Charlotte County Community Development at 941.743.1964. Confirm the height, setback and freeboard rules that apply to a specific lot before you sign a contract to build or rebuild.

What do Manasota Key condo dues, unit counts and rental minimums leave open?

Only one association's dues were published on its own site: Tamarind Gulf and Bay states "2026 dues are $3,775 per quarter" and posts a Karins Engineering Milestone Inspection Report dated June 27, 2023 (Tamarind Gulf and Bay association site). Its forms page lists a rental application but does not state a minimum rental term (Tamarind COA Forms). For Pelican Landing, Englewood Beach Place, Englewood Beach Condominium, The Boardwalk of Manasota Key and the other associations on the key, unit counts, dues, pet rules and rental minimums appeared only on listing sites or blocked directories, so none is printed here. Whether a given building has finished its milestone inspection or Structural Integrity Reserve Study was also not published for any building other than Tamarind's 2023 report.

Where to get it: the recorded declaration from the Charlotte County Clerk, the DBPR condominium search at myfloridalicense.com, and the association manager (Sunstate Association Management Group manages Tamarind). Ask each association for its current budget, reserve schedule, milestone inspection report, SIRS, insurance declarations and rental rules in writing.

Which tax and assessment figures are still missing?

Charlotte County's adopted 2026-27 millage for Manasota Key parcels: Information not available at time of publishing (checked November 14, 2026). The latest Charlotte figures read are the fiscal 2025-26 countywide operating rate of 6.0394 mills (Charlotte County final budget hearing, September 23, 2025) and the Manasota Key Street and Drainage unit at 0.7798 mills for FY2026 and FY2027 (Manasota Key MSTU FY26 adopted, FY27 approved budget); the Tax Collector's "current" mill code listing is the 2023 roll. Ask the Charlotte County Tax Collector at 941.743.1350 or read the parcel's TRIM notice.

Also open: the per-parcel dollar charge of the Manasota Key Beach Renourishment assessment (only the unit total, an estimated $4,001,933 for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2026, was read; Charlotte County sample public hearing notice), so call the MSBU Division at (941) 743-1914; the dollar rate of Sarasota County's "I051 Manasota Key Beach Restoration" assessment (Sarasota County Tax Collector 2026 millage), so ask Sarasota County Public Works; Charlotte fire, EMS and solid waste assessment rates for key parcels; and Charlotte County's Community Rating System class, since the county release returned an error. Sarasota County's unincorporated Class 5 rating, a 25 percent NFIP discount, was confirmed (Sarasota News Leader, January 16, 2025); check Charlotte on FEMA's CRS eligible communities list.

Which schools serve a Manasota Key address?

School zoning for Manasota Key addresses was not verified, and it differs by county side. Charlotte-side addresses on N Beach Rd and Gulf Blvd fall under Charlotte County Public Schools, which runs an address Boundary Locator (Charlotte County Public Schools); Sarasota-side addresses on Manasota Key Rd fall under Sarasota County Schools, whose back-to-school page is the starting point (Sarasota County Schools). Run or confirm the exact street address with the right district and keep a screenshot with your contract file. This guide names no school as zoned to the key and gives no ratings.

What is unconfirmed about bridges, roads and parks?

The north bridge on Manasota Beach Road (Sarasota County, CR 774): year built, length, traffic count and condition were not found; Sarasota County's pages and the Waterway Guide returned errors. Drawbridge opening schedules for it and for the Tom Adams Bridge sit in 33 CFR 117.287, whose current text was not retrieved; read it at ecfr.gov. Charlotte County's Tom Adams Bridge structural repair page lists a Notice to Proceed of August 17, 2026 and a forecast completion of December 15, 2026, with no lane closures listed (Charlotte County, Tom Adams Bridge Structural Repairs); the schedule can move, so check the page before a closing or a move.

Manasota Key Road: WWSB reported the road closed October 9, 2026 and reported it reopened after crews cleared sand (WWSB, October 12, 2026), while a second WWSB story dates the county's reopening to Saturday, October 10, 2026 (WWSB, October 10, 2026). No construction date for the permanent redesign was found. Parks: the official Florida State Parks page for Stump Pass Beach State Park, Sarasota County's park pages for Manasota Beach Park and Blind Pass Beach Park, and the current Englewood Beach parking fee status and space count could not be confirmed from the official pages; whether the state will fill "Milton Pass" was also not found. Call Sarasota County at 941-861-5000, Charlotte County Parks at 941.681.3742 and the state park at (941) 964-0375.

What history, census and hazard figures remain open?

The Manasota Key census-designated place covers only the Charlotte part of the key; its 2020 count of 1,326 people and 2,062 housing units, 63.2 percent vacant, comes from census-based secondary pages (City Population, Manasota Key CDP; Wikipedia, Manasota Key), because the data.census.gov profile did not render for our tools. The Sarasota part is not a census place, so no population figure exists for it without block-level counts. The island's length is given as about 11 miles by Wikipedia, while other sources differ. National Hurricane Center surge values for Manasota Key in Ian and Milton did not extract from the NHC reports, and the share of key parcels in Zone VE versus Zone AE was not computed; only single-address checks were run. Sarasota County's design wind speed for key addresses was not read. The current status and full text of the Manasota Key Conservation District Act (Chapters 71-904 and 94-453, Laws of Florida) were not read; the Manasota Key Association links a copy on its home page (Manasota Key Association).

What must you check address by address on Manasota Key?

Flood zone and base flood elevation per structure, the elevation certificate and any Letter of Map Change; whether the home is on Englewood Water District sewer or still on septic (a mid-2000s Charlotte plan counted 13 unconnected units on the key, and no current count was found; Manasota Key Community Plan); permits and any substantial damage determination after Helene and Milton; whether the Englewood Area Fire Control District boundary covers a Charlotte-side parcel (call the district at 941.474.3311); insurance quotes on the exact address; and, for any rental plan, the county rules plus the declaration or deed restrictions. Drive times in this guide are free-flow routing estimates without drawbridge openings, not published figures.

Your Local Real Estate Experts

Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar, founding partners of McGreevy and Comisar, lead a top-producing real estate team serving Estero, Bonita Springs, Naples, Fort Myers, and Charlotte County, Florida. They lead Domain Realty Group, the #1 real estate team in Southwest Florida since 2012, and they sell and buy homes in Englewood on both county sides.

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Jesse McGreevy co-founded both McGreevy and Comisar and the Domain Realty brokerage. He has personally won the Gulfshore Life Five Star award every year since 2006, part of the team's 21 consecutive years of that honor. Selling an Englewood home? Call Jesse first. Read more on Jesse's agent page.

Marc Comisar is a Broker Associate and a founding partner of McGreevy and Comisar. Buying in Englewood? Call Marc first. Read more on Marc's agent page.

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Contact McGreevy and Comisar

• Jesse McGreevy (selling): (239) 898-6072, text or call. We respond same-day. Start with a free home valuation.
• Marc Comisar (buying): (239) 287-5873. Read our buying guide.
• Office: 24031 S Tamiami Trl #101, Bonita Springs, FL 34134. Offices in Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero and Fort Myers.
• Message us: contact McGreevy and Comisar.

Licensed in Florida: Jesse Eli McGreevy P.A., license SL3101296, and Marc J Comisar P.A., Broker Associate, license BK3060671. Brokerage: Domain Realty (DOMAINREALTY.COM, LLC), license CQ1049052, 24031 S Tamiami Trl #101, Bonita Springs, FL 34134.

McGreevy and Comisar lead Domain Realty Group, a full-service Southwest Florida real estate team. Learn more at DomainRealtyGroup.com.

Looking for the best agents in the markets next door? See our guides to the best real estate agents in Port Charlotte and the best real estate agents in Punta Gorda.

Frequently Asked Questions, Manasota Key Buyer Edition

Manasota Key buyers ask most about which county a home is in, what it costs, flood zones, rental rules, the beach renourishment assessment and the bridges. Every answer below draws on the county property appraiser files, a county or state page, or a Florida statute, with the window or date beside each figure so you can check it.

How much do homes on Manasota Key cost?

It depends on the county side, and the two sides should never be averaged. On the Sarasota side, 25 qualified sales on Manasota Key Rd recorded a $2,200,000 median from October 15, 2025 to October 14, 2026 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser sales file, October 21, 2026). On the Charlotte side, 67 improved sales on N Beach Rd, Gulf Blvd and Manasota Key Rd recorded a $587,000 median from September 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026 (Charlotte County Property Appraiser roll and sales files). The gap reflects property type: large single-family lots to the north, mostly condominiums to the south.

What do Manasota Key condos sell for?

Condominiums sit almost entirely on the Charlotte side. There, 48 condo sales recorded a $530,000 median from September 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026, ranging from $250,000 to $1,300,000, with the middle half between $404,975 and $678,750 (Charlotte County Property Appraiser roll and sales files). The median price per heated square foot for those condo sales was $443. Building age, floor, Gulf or bay view, reserves and any pending assessment move a unit's price, so compare units in the same building first.

What do single-family homes on the Sarasota side of Manasota Key sell for?

Nineteen single-family homes on Manasota Key Rd sold at a $1,870,000 median from October 15, 2025 to October 14, 2026, ranging from $525,000 to $6,750,000, with the middle half between $1,500,000 and $3,585,000 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser sales file, October 21, 2026). Their median price per square foot of living area was $719. Lot width, Gulf-to-bay depth, elevation and the age of the house explain most of that spread.

What do single-family homes on the Charlotte side sell for?

Eleven single-family homes on the Charlotte side sold at a $950,000 median from September 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026, ranging from $680,000 to $1,850,000 (Charlotte County Property Appraiser roll and sales files). Their median price per heated square foot was $642. Two of those 11 were first sales of new homes, at $1,555,000 and $1,850,000, so new elevated construction sits at the top of that range.

What do Manasota Key homes sell for per square foot?

On the Sarasota side, the median sale price per square foot of living area was $775 across all 25 qualified sales and $719 for the 19 single-family sales, October 15, 2025 to October 14, 2026 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser sales file). On the Charlotte side, it was $453 per heated square foot across all 67 improved sales, $642 for single-family homes and $443 for condominiums, September 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026 (Charlotte County Property Appraiser). Lot value is part of every price, so per-foot figures run high on large waterfront lots.

Is Manasota Key in Sarasota County or Charlotte County?

Both. The north part of Manasota Key is unincorporated Sarasota County, and the south part, around Englewood Beach and Stump Pass, is unincorporated Charlotte County. Charlotte County's overlay code defines its Manasota Key as the land "south of the Sarasota-Charlotte County line, west of Sandpiper Key, north of Stump Pass Beach State Park and east of the Gulf of Mexico" (Charlotte County, Manasota Key Zoning District Overlay). Taxes, zoning, rental rules and school districts all follow the county line, so confirm the county on the parcel record first.

What ZIP code and mailing city do Manasota Key addresses use?

Every address on the key uses Englewood, FL 34223. Charlotte County lists Englewood Beach at Chadwick Park at 2100 N Beach Road, Englewood, FL 34223 (Charlotte County, Englewood Beach at Chadwick Park), and the Sarasota side's parks use Manasota Key Road addresses in the same ZIP. Because one ZIP spans both counties and the mainland, listing portals often mix mainland Englewood homes into "Manasota Key" searches; check the street and parcel.

How long is Manasota Key, and is it an island or a peninsula?

Wikipedia describes Manasota Key as an "11-mile-long (18 km) peninsula" that became a barrier island when the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway was cut, with Lemon Bay to the east and the Gulf of Mexico to the west (Wikipedia, Manasota Key). Stump Pass separates it from Don Pedro Island to the south. Sources measure the length differently, so treat 11 miles as approximate.

Are there condos on the Sarasota side of Manasota Key?

No residential condominium. On the October 21, 2026 Sarasota County roll, no parcel with a Manasota Key Rd address carries a residential condominium code; the 464 parcels include 285 single-family detached homes, 62 vacant land parcels and 13 hotel condo units (Sarasota County Property Appraiser). The Manasota Key Association states that "no lands within the District shall be used for commercial or multifamily purposes" in its Sarasota-side district (Manasota Key Association, Renting Your Property); a few older resort parcels exist.

How many homes and condos are on Manasota Key?

On the Sarasota side, the October 21, 2026 roll shows 464 parcels on Manasota Key Rd, with 298 single-family homes carrying living area (Sarasota County Property Appraiser). On the Charlotte side, the November 5, 2026 roll shows 1,259 parcels on N Beach Rd, Gulf Blvd and Manasota Key Rd: 885 condominium units, 173 single-family homes, 57 co-operative units, 43 multifamily parcels, 36 vacant residential lots and 46 common area or other parcels (Charlotte County Property Appraiser). That the Charlotte street set equals the Charlotte part of the key is our inference.

How old are the homes on Manasota Key?

On the Sarasota side, single-family homes were built from 1945 to 2025 with a 1983 median, and 44 date from the 1950s while 10 date from the 2020s (Sarasota County Property Appraiser, October 21, 2026 roll). On the Charlotte side, single-family homes were built from 1926 to 2025 with a 1972 median, and condominium units from 1958 to 2024 with a 1981 median; 503 condo units date from the 1980s (Charlotte County Property Appraiser, November 5, 2026 roll). Older homes raise roof, wind mitigation and elevation questions.

How big are Manasota Key lots and homes?

Sarasota-side single-family lots run from 5,922 to 129,441 square feet with a 34,825 square foot median, and living area runs from 557 to 12,789 square feet with a 2,868 median (Sarasota County Property Appraiser, October 21, 2026 roll). Charlotte-side single-family homes are smaller, with a 1,666 square foot median heated area, and condo units have a 1,176 square foot median (Charlotte County Property Appraiser, November 5, 2026 roll).

How have Manasota Key prices changed since 2019?

On the Sarasota side, the calendar-year median of all improved qualified sales rose from $1,302,500 (12 sales) in 2019 to $2,995,000 (20) in 2022, then recorded $2,316,700 (12) in 2025 and $2,000,000 (21) from January 1 to October 14, 2026 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser sales file). On the Charlotte side, the improved-sale median moved from $316,250 (74 sales) in 2019 to $695,000 (24) in 2024, $675,000 (35) in 2025 and $590,000 (55) from January 1 to September 9, 2026 (Charlotte County Property Appraiser). Small yearly counts and a shifting mix of homes make these medians context, not a trend line.

Can I rent out a Manasota Key home short term?

It depends on the side. The Manasota Key Association states that "The Sarasota County portion of Manasota Key does not allow weekly rentals" and that homes in its district "cannot be rented for periods of less than 30 days," while the Charlotte portion "allows multifamily dwelling units, weekly rentals, and commercial activity" (Manasota Key Association, Renting Your Property). Florida law bars local rules that limit vacation rental duration unless adopted on or before June 1, 2011 (Fla. Stat. 509.032). Confirm with the county and a real estate attorney before you buy for rental use.

Can a condo association on Manasota Key restrict rentals?

Yes. The state preemption on vacation rental rules limits local governments, not private associations, so a condominium declaration or its rules can set minimum lease terms, application steps and limits on the number of leases. Tamarind Gulf and Bay, for example, requires a Rental Application through its own forms page (Tamarind COA Forms). Read the declaration, bylaws, rules and any amendments before you sign, and ask the manager for the current leasing rules in writing.

What flood zone is Manasota Key in?

Every address we checked on Manasota Key fell in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area. On FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer, 6660 Manasota Key Rd and 8570 Manasota Key Rd returned Zone VE with base flood elevations of 10 and 11 feet, 7801 Manasota Key Rd returned Zone AE at 9 feet, and Charlotte-side addresses at 2600 N Beach Rd and 1855, 1600 and 1000 Gulf Blvd returned Zone AE at 8 to 9 feet (FEMA NFHL, checked November 14, 2026). Those are single-point checks; get the elevation certificate for the structure you are buying.

Do I need flood insurance to buy on Manasota Key?

If you finance with a federally backed mortgage on a home in a Special Flood Hazard Area, your lender will require it, and every Manasota Key address we checked was in Zone VE or AE (FEMA NFHL). Citizens Property Insurance also requires flood coverage on its personal lines residential policies on a phased schedule that reaches "all other personal lines residential property" for policies effective on or after January 1, 2027 (Laws of Florida, ch. 2024-179). Get flood and wind quotes before your inspection period ends.

Does Citizens require flood insurance on a Manasota Key condo?

Not for the unit owner's policy. The 2024 law exempts Citizens policies "that provide coverage under a condominium unit owners form," and policies that do not cover wind (Laws of Florida, ch. 2024-179). The association still insures the building, so ask for the association's flood and wind declarations pages and confirm what the master policy covers before you buy.

What is the 50 percent rule, and how does it work on each side of Manasota Key?

Under the rule, if repair or improvement costs exceed 50 percent of the structure's market value, the building must meet current elevation and flood code. Charlotte County uses the structure's market value only, from an independent appraisal or the adjusted tax value; its example is a $250,000 structure with a $125,000 threshold (Charlotte County, 50 Percent FEMA Rule). The Sarasota County Property Appraiser explains one method as the pre-damage improvement value times 1.2, then 50 percent, so $100,000 gives a $60,000 threshold, and calls a state-licensed appraisal "the best option" (SCPA, Understanding the FEMA 50% Rule).

How high can I build on the Charlotte side of Manasota Key?

Confirm it with Charlotte County before you plan. The height and density caps sit in the Manasota and Sandpiper Key Zoning District Overlay, which measures height from 0 feet NGVD rather than from grade (Charlotte County overlay), and the county took up amendments to heights and setbacks in 2024, and later changes have been reported, whose adopted text we could not read (Charlotte County P&Z agenda, November 18, 2024). The posted code lists single-family densities of 1, 3.5 and 5 units per acre and multifamily densities up to 12 units per acre. Call Charlotte County Community Development at 941.743.1964.

What is the Manasota Key Conservation District?

It is the Sarasota-side district created by Florida special acts, Chapters 71-904 and 94-453, which the Manasota Key Association credits, along with county ordinances, for keeping that part of the key single-family (Manasota Key Association, Renting Your Property). The association advises buyers to review the zoning ordinances and the Act with a real estate attorney before buying. The association describes its area as running from the county line north to the Manasota Beach Road bridge.

What property taxes apply on the Sarasota side of Manasota Key?

The countywide rate for unincorporated Sarasota County, which includes the north key, was 11.4737 mills in 2025 and 11.3068 mills in 2026, per the Tax Collector's certified millage sheets (Sarasota County Tax Collector, 2025 millage; 2026 millage). That is about $1,130.68 per $100,000 of taxable value in 2026, our calculation, before non-ad valorem assessments such as Englewood Area Fire Control, stormwater, solid waste and the "I051 Manasota Key Beach Restoration" line. Read the parcel's own TRIM notice and bill.

What property taxes apply on the Charlotte side of Manasota Key?

Charlotte County's countywide operating rate for fiscal 2025-26 was 6.0394 mills, adopted September 23, 2025 (Charlotte County final budget hearing), and the Manasota Key Street and Drainage unit adds 0.7798 mills for FY2026 and FY2027 (Manasota Key MSTU budget). The full 2026-27 rate set for key parcels, including school and public safety levies: Information not available at time of publishing (checked November 14, 2026). Ask the Charlotte County Tax Collector at 941.743.1350 and add the beach renourishment assessment.

Will my Manasota Key tax bill match the seller's?

Often not. Florida assesses a property "at just value as of January 1 of the year following a change of ownership," so the seller's Save Our Homes cap does not carry over (Fla. Stat. 193.155). On the Sarasota side, 135 of 298 single-family homes carried a homestead exemption on the October 21, 2026 roll (Sarasota County Property Appraiser), so many current bills reflect capped values. Estimate your own taxes from the purchase price and the current millage.

What is the Manasota Key beach renourishment assessment?

It is a Charlotte County special assessment unit created by Ordinance 2015-052 to fund "nourishment, re-nourishment and prevention of erosion" of the beaches in the unit (Charlotte County, Manasota Key Beach Renourishment unit). For the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2026, the county estimated total revenue at $4,001,933, billed first on the November 2026 tax bill, with a recreational charge on all parcels and a nearshore charge on parcels close to the shore (Charlotte County sample hearing notice). Call the MSBU Division at (941) 743-1914 for a specific parcel.

When will the 2027 Manasota Key renourishment happen?

The county's project page lists an estimated construction start of January 1, 2027 and forecast completion of April 30, 2027, after the Board approved the contract on October 27, 2026 (Charlotte County, Manasota Key Beach Renourishment). Dredgewire reported a $29,348,880 contract with Great Lakes Dredge and Dock for about 590,000 cubic yards on Manasota Key, with an earlier start date and a goal to finish before turtle nesting resumes (Dredgewire, November 9, 2026). Sources disagree on the start, so check the county page.

Does the Sarasota side of Manasota Key pay for beach restoration too?

Sarasota County bills its own assessment line, "I051 Manasota Key Beach Restoration," listed on both the 2025 and 2026 Tax Collector sheets (Sarasota County Tax Collector 2026 millage). The dollar rate was not published there. The 2019 to 2020 joint project ran from Blind Pass Park in Sarasota County south toward Don Pedro, and its Sarasota segment cost about $8.1 million and placed about 309,000 cubic yards (CHNEP Water Atlas, April 15, 2019). Ask Sarasota County Public Works for a parcel's charge.

Is Manasota Key on public water and sewer?

The Englewood Water District, an independent special district that serves "portions of Sarasota and Charlotte Counties," provides water and wastewater (EWD FY2025 audited financial report), and a 2020 Water Atlas item says its service area "includes all of Manasota Key" (CHNEP Water Atlas). A mid-2000s Charlotte plan counted 13 units on the key not yet connected to sewer (Manasota Key Community Plan). Confirm sewer or septic for the specific home.

What do water and sewer cost on Manasota Key?

Englewood Water District's FY2025 monthly water charge was $22.21 per connection plus $2.64 per 1,000 gallons for the first 6,000 gallons, and wastewater was $32.32 plus $4.12 per 1,000 gallons (EWD FY2025 audited financial report). At 5,000 gallons a month that works out to about $88.33 before taxes and fees, our calculation from those rates. New connections pay capital capacity charges listed in the same report.

How do you get on and off Manasota Key?

By two road routes. In the south, Beach Road (CR 776) crosses the Tom Adams Bridge, a 1965 double-leaf drawbridge, to Sandpiper Key and then the 1980 Swepston Bridge onto the key (BridgeLookup, structure 010029; BridgeLookup, structure 010087). In the north, Manasota Beach Road (CR 774) crosses Lemon Bay from the Sarasota mainland (Wikipedia, Manasota). When Manasota Key Road is cut, the two ends cannot drive to each other along the island, and Fox 13 put that detour at about 45 minutes (Fox 13).

Is the Tom Adams Bridge being repaired?

Yes. Charlotte County's structural repair project covers generator replacement, pile jackets, fender and structural repairs and control panel updates, with a $2,423,899.80 construction budget; Titan Construction received Notice to Proceed on August 17, 2026 and completion is scheduled for December 15, 2026 (Charlotte County, Tom Adams Bridge Structural Repairs). The page lists no lane closures. A separate Milton emergency repair, budgeted at $201,000, is listed as complete (Charlotte County, Tom Adams Bridge Emergency Repair).

Is Manasota Key Road open, and does it flood?

It was open after the latest reported closure. Helene and Milton washed out about 2,000 feet north of Blind Pass Park in 2024; a temporary repair costing just over $2 million reopened the road in January 2026 (WGCU, January 12, 2026; Fox 13). Waves closed it again on October 9, 2026, and WWSB reported it reopened after crews cleared sand (WWSB, October 12, 2026). Fox 13 says the segment has washed out multiple times since 2017.

Is Manasota Key in a hurricane evacuation zone?

Yes, the first zone in both counties. Charlotte County's Hurricane Ian order evacuated Zone A (Red), naming Manasota Key among the barrier islands (Charlotte County news release, September 26, 2022). Sarasota County's evacuation map puts all barrier islands in Zone A (Your Observer, June 21, 2017), and before Milton the county closed bridge access to its barrier islands, including Manasota Key, at 7 p.m. on October 8, 2024 (Sarasota Magazine). Look up your address on the county map.

How did Hurricane Milton affect Manasota Key homes?

Severely on parts of the key. Fox 13 reported in October 2024 that on the south end some homes were pushed off their foundations and others washed away (Fox 13, October 15, 2024), and NBC News reported most homes had sand piled to the first floor (NBC News, October 13, 2024). On the Sarasota side, the October 21, 2026 roll still codes 13 Manasota Key Rd parcels as "vacant after calamity" (Sarasota County Property Appraiser). Ask any seller for repair permits and claim history.

What should I check before buying a Manasota Key condo?

Check the building's milestone inspection and its Structural Integrity Reserve Study. Florida requires milestone inspections for condo buildings three habitable stories or more at 30 years and every 10 years after (Fla. Stat. 553.899), and for budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, owners in an association required to have a SIRS "may not vote to provide no reserves or less reserves" for those items (Fla. Stat. 718.112). Also read the budget, minutes, insurance and rental rules, and ask about any special assessment.

What are condo dues on Manasota Key?

They vary by building, and most associations do not post them publicly. One that does, Tamarind Gulf and Bay at 2950 and 2955 N Beach Rd, states "2026 dues are $3,775 per quarter," payable January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1 (Tamarind Gulf and Bay association site). Treat that as one example, not a key-wide figure, and get the current budget and any special assessment schedule from the manager of the building you are considering.

Can I build a seawall on Manasota Key?

Not automatically. On May 12, 2026, WWSB reported that the Sarasota County Commission voted 3 to 2 against a seawall project for two beachfront homes on Manasota Key, with commissioners citing effects on neighboring properties and the beach (WWSB, May 12, 2026). Shoreline armoring seaward of the state Coastal Construction Control Line also needs state review, so ask the county and FDEP before you count on one.

What is the Coastal Construction Control Line, and does it affect my lot?

It is a state line set by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection; a permit is needed "to alter, excavate, or construct on property seaward of established coastal construction control lines" (Fla. Stat. 161.053). The statute also bars most major structures projected to be seaward of the seasonal high-water line within 30 years. On Gulf-front Manasota Key lots, the line shapes where and how you can build, so get a survey showing it (FDEP CCCL program).

Which public beaches are on Manasota Key?

From north to south: Manasota Beach Park at 8570 Manasota Key Road and Blind Pass Beach Park at 6725 Manasota Key Rd in Sarasota County (Visit Sarasota, Manasota Beach; VISIT FLORIDA, Blind Pass); Englewood Beach at Chadwick Park, a 12.67-acre Charlotte County park at 2100 N Beach Road (Charlotte County); and Stump Pass Beach State Park at the south tip. Blind Pass has free parking across the road, and Charlotte County lists 75 cents an hour at Englewood Beach.

Can I bring a dog to the beach on Manasota Key?

Not on the Charlotte side. Charlotte County states that dogs "are not permitted on beaches or fishing piers per County Ordinance," with service animals allowed (Charlotte County beaches). The Sarasota County rule for Manasota Beach and Blind Pass was not confirmed from a page we could read, so call Sarasota County at 941-861-5000 before you go.

Where can I launch a boat near Manasota Key?

On the key itself, Manasota Beach Park in Sarasota County lists boat ramps, docks and a canoe and kayak launch on the bay side (Visit Sarasota, Manasota Beach). On the mainland, Charlotte County lists ramps at Ainger Creek Park, Lemon Bay Sunrise Rotary Park and others (Charlotte County, Fishing Piers and amenities). Lemon Bay is an aquatic preserve whose water "rarely exceed[s] 6 feet in depth" (Florida Aquatic Preserves, Lemon Bay), so know your draft. The Charlotte overlay prohibits sport and resort marinas on its part of the key.

What are the sea turtle lighting rules for Manasota Key homes?

Sea turtle nesting season runs May 1 to October 31 in both counties (Visit Sarasota, share the sand). FWC lists Charlotte County's lighting ordinance in Chapter 3-5, Article XII, and Sarasota County's in Chapter 54, Article XXIII (FWC, Lighting Ordinances). Beachfront owners are asked to turn off outdoor lights visible from the beach, close drapes and remove beach furniture at night. Budget for turtle-compliant fixtures on any Gulf-front renovation.

How far is the nearest hospital from Manasota Key?

HCA Florida Englewood Hospital, a 100-bed hospital at 700 Medical Blvd in Englewood, is about 5.7 road miles from Englewood Beach and about 5.9 miles from Manasota Beach Park (Wikipedia, HCA Florida Englewood Hospital; OSRM routing, run November 14, 2026). Those are free-flow routing estimates without drawbridge openings, so allow more time in season.

Which schools serve a Manasota Key address?

It depends on the county side, and zoning was not verified for this guide. Run the exact address in the Charlotte County Public Schools Boundary Locator for N Beach Rd and Gulf Blvd homes (Charlotte County Public Schools) or confirm it with Sarasota County Schools for Manasota Key Rd homes, starting from the district's back-to-school page (Sarasota County Schools). Save the result with your contract file.

What does it cost to close on a Manasota Key home?

Florida's documentary stamp tax on a deed is 70 cents per $100 of consideration (Fla. Stat. 201.02), so a $2,200,000 sale carries $15,400. Promulgated owner's title rates are $5.75 per $1,000 for the first $100,000 and $5.00 per $1,000 from $100,000 to $1 million (Florida CFO, title insurance overview); rates above $1 million were not shown. Who pays each item is set by the contract, and lender, survey and inspection costs come on top.

How many people live on Manasota Key?

For the Charlotte part only, the Manasota Key census-designated place counted 1,326 people and 2,062 housing units in 2020, with 63.2 percent of units vacant on census day, which counts seasonal and second homes as vacant (City Population, Manasota Key CDP; Wikipedia, Manasota Key). The Sarasota part of the key is not in the CDP, so no census count covers the whole island.

Is Stump Pass Beach State Park open?

Florida Rambler reported the park reopened September 19, 2025, about 11 months after Milton by our count, with a $3 per car honor box, sunrise to sunset hours, temporary restrooms and about 30 to 40 parking spaces at 900 Gulf Blvd (Florida Rambler, Stump Pass Beach State Park). Milton also cut a new channel through the park's southern beach that locals call "Milton Pass." The official Florida State Parks page did not load for us, so call the park at (941) 964-0375 for current hours and fees.

Can I buy a lot and build new on Manasota Key?

Lots do trade, but rarely. On the Sarasota side, the October 21, 2026 roll shows 62 vacant land parcels on Manasota Key Rd, and four parcels with no living area sold from October 15, 2025 to October 14, 2026, at $850,000, $950,000, $950,000 and $2,550,000 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser). On the Charlotte side, the roll shows 36 vacant residential parcels and one qualified vacant-land sale, at $3,000,000, from September 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026 (Charlotte County Property Appraiser). Before you buy, confirm zoning, the CCCL, flood elevation and sea turtle construction windows.

Can I get help paying for wind mitigation on a Manasota Key home?

My Safe Florida Home, run by the Florida Department of Financial Services, offers free wind mitigation inspections by an authorized inspector and grants of "up to $10,000" for upgrades such as roof improvements, impact windows and doors, garage door reinforcement and a secondary water barrier (My Safe Florida Home). Eligibility, match rules and current funding were not shown on that page, so confirm before you plan around it.

Data updated: November 2026 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser file of October 21, 2026, window October 15, 2025 to October 14, 2026; Charlotte County Property Appraiser roll of November 5, 2026 and sales through September 9, 2026, window September 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026; county, state and statute pages read November 14, 2026)

Frequently Asked Questions, Manasota Key Seller Edition

Manasota Key sellers price against two different markets, Gulf-to-bay single-family homes on the Sarasota side and condominiums and older homes on the Charlotte side, plus storm history, flood rules and a new beach assessment. These answers use each county's own sales file and window, county pages and Florida statutes, each linked.

What is my Manasota Key home worth?

Your value comes from recorded sales of similar property on your side of the key, adjusted for lot, elevation, age, flood zone and condition. Sarasota-side single-family homes sold at a $1,870,000 median across 19 sales from October 15, 2025 to October 14, 2026 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser sales file); Charlotte-side single-family homes sold at a $950,000 median across 11 sales from September 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026 (Charlotte County Property Appraiser). Get a free, human-reviewed number from our Englewood home valuation page or call Jesse at (239) 898-6072.

What is my Manasota Key condo worth?

Charlotte-side condominium units sold at a $530,000 median across 48 sales from September 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026, with the middle half between $404,975 and $678,750 and a $443 median per heated square foot (Charlotte County Property Appraiser roll and sales files). Your building's reserves, milestone inspection status, insurance and any special assessment matter as much as square footage, so we price against recent sales in your own building and its closest neighbors first.

How many Manasota Key homes sold in the last year?

On the Sarasota side, 25 qualified sales on Manasota Key Rd closed from October 15, 2025 to October 14, 2026: 19 single-family homes and 6 multi-dwelling or other improved parcels (Sarasota County Property Appraiser sales file). On the Charlotte side, 67 improved sales closed from September 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026: 48 condominiums, 11 single-family homes, 4 co-op units, 2 multifamily and 2 other (Charlotte County Property Appraiser). Thin counts mean a single sale can move a median, so we read the sales themselves, not just the summary.

How wide is the price range on each side of Manasota Key?

Very wide on the Sarasota side: single-family sales ran from $525,000 to $6,750,000 from October 15, 2025 to October 14, 2026, with the middle half between $1,500,000 and $3,585,000 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser sales file). On the Charlotte side, single-family sales ran from $680,000 to $1,850,000 and condo sales from $250,000 to $1,300,000 from September 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026 (Charlotte County Property Appraiser). On a range that wide, an average says little; the closest comparable lot and house say a lot.

Is the Manasota Key market more active in 2026 than in 2025?

By recorded sale counts, yes on both sides. The Sarasota side recorded 21 qualified improved sales from January 1 to October 14, 2026 at a $2,000,000 median, against 12 in all of 2025 at $2,316,700 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser sales file). The Charlotte side recorded 55 improved sales from January 1 to September 9, 2026 at a $590,000 median, against 35 in all of 2025 at $675,000 (Charlotte County Property Appraiser). More sales at lower medians partly reflects which homes, and in what condition, are trading after the storms.

How have Sarasota-side prices on Manasota Key moved over longer windows?

The Sarasota side's median of all qualified improved sales was $2,175,000 across 34 sales over 24 months, $2,250,000 across 45 over 36 months and $2,500,000 across 81 over 60 months, each window ending October 14, 2026 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser sales file). The 12-month median was $2,200,000 across 25 sales. The longer windows include more of the 2021 to 2024 sales, when calendar-year medians ran from $2,150,000 to $2,995,000.

How have Charlotte-side condo prices on Manasota Key moved since 2019?

Condo sale medians on the Charlotte side were $306,500 in 2019 (63 sales), $432,250 in 2021 (98), $600,000 in 2022 (46), $642,500 in 2023 (28), $667,500 in 2024 (16) and $587,000 in 2025 (27) (Charlotte County Property Appraiser). The 12-month condo median ending September 9, 2026 was $530,000 across 48 sales, and the 24-month median was also $530,000 across 67. Condo law changes on reserves and inspections, and storm repairs, sit behind part of that movement.

Why does the value on my tax notice differ from what homes sell for?

The roll value is a tax figure set as of January 1, not a list price. On the October 21, 2026 Sarasota roll, the median 2026 just value of Manasota Key Rd single-family homes was $1,953,500, with the middle half between $1,259,650 and $2,630,075 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser), while single-family sales from October 15, 2025 to October 14, 2026 recorded a $1,870,000 median. Recorded comparable sales, adjusted for your lot and house, set the price.

Can I sell a storm-damaged Manasota Key home as is?

Yes, and some owners do. On the Sarasota side, the October 21, 2026 roll codes 13 Manasota Key Rd parcels "vacant after calamity," and four parcels with no living area sold from October 15, 2025 to October 14, 2026, at $850,000, $950,000, $950,000 and $2,550,000 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser). Buyers will price in the 50 percent rule: if repairs exceed half the structure's value, the house must meet current elevation (SCPA, Understanding the FEMA 50% Rule; Charlotte County, 50 Percent FEMA Rule). Gather your permits, claim file and any substantial damage letter before listing.

Do new elevated homes set the price for mine?

They set the top of the range, not your price. On the Charlotte side, 2 of the 67 improved sales from September 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026 were first sales of new homes, at $1,555,000 and $1,850,000 (Charlotte County Property Appraiser), while the single-family median was $950,000. On the Sarasota side, the roll shows 10 homes built in the 2020s and 4 parcels coded "new construction not substantially complete" (Sarasota County Property Appraiser). An older home is compared with older homes, adjusted for elevation and condition.

How long will my Manasota Key home take to sell?

Days on market come from the MLS, not the county record. Information not available at time of publishing (checked November 14, 2026). We pull live MLS days on market for your side of the key, property type and size when we prepare your valuation; call Jesse at (239) 898-6072.

What sale-to-list ratio should I expect on Manasota Key?

Sale-to-list ratio is an MLS-only field. Information not available at time of publishing (checked November 14, 2026). Your list price should rest on recorded comparable sales on your own side of the key, which we pull for each valuation.

Who is the best realtor to sell my house on Manasota Key?

Hire the team with the strongest verified record and a plan for a two-county island market. McGreevy and Comisar lead Domain Realty Group, the #1 real estate team in Southwest Florida since 2012, are Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008, and have over $900 million in personal sales and over $2.5 billion sold as a team. Read more about us or see our guide to the best real estate agents in Englewood.

What does my condo association need when I sell?

Start early. Many Manasota Key associations require a sales application; Tamarind Gulf and Bay, for example, lists a Sales Application on its forms page (Tamarind COA Forms). Ask your manager for the application, the approval timeline, an estoppel letter showing what you owe and the current budget, reserve schedule, insurance declarations and rules, so your buyer's lender and attorney have them in the first week.

Will buyers ask about my building's milestone inspection and SIRS?

Expect it. Florida requires milestone inspections for condo buildings three habitable stories or more (Fla. Stat. 553.899) and Structural Integrity Reserve Studies with funded reserves for covered items (Fla. Stat. 718.112). A posted report helps: Tamarind Gulf and Bay posts a Karins Engineering Milestone Inspection Report dated June 27, 2023 (Tamarind Gulf and Bay). Gather your building's reports, reserve funding and any special assessment vote before you list, and let your attorney advise on disclosure.

Will the beach renourishment assessment affect my sale?

Buyers will see it. Charlotte County's Manasota Key Beach Renourishment unit estimated $4,001,933 in total revenue for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2026, billed first on the November 2026 tax bill, with a recreational charge on every parcel and a nearshore charge on parcels near the beach; the notice also states a maximum annual assessment for future years (Charlotte County sample hearing notice). Have your own notice ready, and point buyers to the 2027 project the assessment helps fund (Charlotte County project page).

Should I sell before or after the 2027 renourishment?

No public data shows how the project changes Manasota Key prices, so we do not time a sale around it. What is known: the county's project page lists construction from an estimated January 1, 2027 to a forecast April 30, 2027 (Charlotte County project page), and a Gulf-front owner may have equipment on the beach for part of a showing season. Plan photos and showings around the work schedule.

Does the Manasota Key Street and Drainage unit affect my buyer?

It is part of every Charlotte-side tax bill on the key. The unit levies 0.7798 mills for FY2026 and FY2027 and funds street, drainage and sidewalk work, including about $3,421,001 of sidewalk construction in its FY2026 budget (Manasota Key MSTU FY26 adopted, FY27 approved budget). Show buyers your current bill so they see the line.

Will my flood zone affect my Manasota Key sale?

Yes. Every key address we checked fell in Zone VE or AE, with base flood elevations of 8 to 11 feet (FEMA NFHL, checked November 14, 2026), and Citizens requires flood coverage on all other personal lines residential policies effective on or after January 1, 2027, condo unit-owner forms excepted (Laws of Florida, ch. 2024-179). Find your elevation certificate and current flood declarations page; a buyer's insurance quote often decides the offer.

Should I get a wind mitigation inspection before listing?

It helps buyers price insurance, especially on older homes, and the Sarasota side's median single-family home was built in 1983 while the Charlotte side's was built in 1972 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser; Charlotte County Property Appraiser). My Safe Florida Home offers free wind mitigation inspections to eligible owners (My Safe Florida Home). Hand the report to buyers with your disclosures.

Will my buyer's property taxes match mine?

Often not. After a sale the property is assessed "at just value as of January 1 of the year following a change of ownership" (Fla. Stat. 193.155), so a buyer loses your Save Our Homes cap. On the Sarasota side, 135 of 298 single-family homes carried a homestead exemption on the October 21, 2026 roll (Sarasota County Property Appraiser). Give buyers an estimate at the new price so the tax change does not surprise them at inspection.

Can I take my Save Our Homes savings to my next Florida home?

Yes, through portability. Florida's Department of Revenue says a homestead owner can "port" all or part of the assessment difference to a new Florida homestead (Florida DOR, property tax exemptions), under rules in Fla. Stat. 193.155. Apply with the new homestead in the county where you buy, and ask that county's property appraiser for its deadline.

Can I market my Sarasota-side home to rental investors?

Carefully. The Manasota Key Association states that homes in its Sarasota-side district "cannot be rented for periods of less than 30 days" (Manasota Key Association, Renting Your Property), and Sarasota County's existing rental rules predate June 1, 2011 and survive state preemption only if left unchanged (Sarasota News Leader, April 9, 2026). The county began studying a rental registration program on April 7, 2026. Do not advertise weekly rental income; let buyers confirm the rules with counsel.

Can I market my Charlotte-side property to rental buyers?

Usually, subject to your association. The Manasota Key Association states the Charlotte portion "allows multifamily dwelling units, weekly rentals, and commercial activity" (Manasota Key Association), and no Charlotte County vacation rental registration ordinance was found. A condo declaration can still set minimum terms, so pull your building's leasing rules before you list and give them to every buyer.

What closing costs does a Manasota Key sale carry?

Florida's documentary stamp tax on the deed is 70 cents per $100 of price (Fla. Stat. 201.02), so a $1,870,000 sale carries $13,090 and a $530,000 sale $3,710. Owner's title insurance follows promulgated rates of $5.75 per $1,000 for the first $100,000 and $5.00 per $1,000 up to $1 million (Florida CFO, title insurance overview). Who pays each item is negotiated in the contract; ask us for a net sheet.

Does Manasota Key Road's history affect Sarasota-side sales?

Buyers ask about it. The road washed out about 2,000 feet north of Blind Pass Park in 2024, reopened in January 2026 after a temporary repair of just over $2 million, and closed again after wave overwash on October 9, 2026 (Fox 13; WWSB, October 12, 2026). A permanent design and construction was expected to take at least four years (Sarasota News Leader, March 2025). We address it up front with the facts and your home's route to the north bridge.

Does the Tom Adams Bridge work affect showings?

Probably little. Charlotte County lists the structural repair with a Notice to Proceed of August 17, 2026 and completion scheduled for December 15, 2026, and the page lists no lane closures (Charlotte County, Tom Adams Bridge Structural Repairs). The bridge is a drawbridge, so we add time to showing schedules for openings.

My Manasota Key home is on septic. What should I tell buyers?

Tell them early and give them the records. The Englewood Water District serves the key (CHNEP Water Atlas), and a mid-2000s Charlotte plan counted 13 units on the key not connected to sewer (Manasota Key Community Plan). New connections pay EWD capital charges, including $5,817 per ERC for the wastewater collection system in FY2025 (EWD FY2025 audited financial report). Ask EWD what a connection would cost at your address.

Do I need a survey or elevation certificate to sell?

Neither is always required by law to list, but buyers, lenders and insurers will ask for both on Manasota Key. The Charlotte overlay requires surveyed spot elevations for reconstruction over 50 percent of a structure's replacement value (Charlotte County overlay), and Gulf-front buyers will want the CCCL location (FDEP CCCL program). Find your existing survey and elevation certificate now.

Does the 2020 renourishment history matter to a Sarasota-side buyer?

It answers a common question. The 2019 to 2020 joint project ran from Blind Pass Park south, and its Sarasota segment included 50 beachfront homes, cost about $8.1 million and placed about 309,000 cubic yards (CHNEP Water Atlas, April 15, 2019). Sarasota County bills a separate Manasota Key Beach Restoration assessment, code I051 (Sarasota County Tax Collector 2026 millage). Show buyers your bill and your shoreline's history.

How do McGreevy and Comisar market a Manasota Key home?

We price from recorded sales on your own county side, prepare flood, elevation, wind, permit, association and assessment documents before the first showing, answer the road, bridge and renourishment questions with sourced facts, and negotiate with the partners who lead Domain Realty Group. See how we sell homes in Englewood, start with a free valuation, or call Jesse at (239) 898-6072, text or call.

Data updated: November 2026 (Sarasota County Property Appraiser file of October 21, 2026, window October 15, 2025 to October 14, 2026; Charlotte County Property Appraiser roll of November 5, 2026 and sales through September 9, 2026, window September 10, 2025 to September 9, 2026; county, association and statute pages read November 14, 2026)

Downloadable Documents

Manasota Key's key records are public: the Charlotte County overlay code and community plan, the renourishment project and assessment notice, both county tax and appraiser files, FEMA flood data, evacuation guidance, the Stump Pass inlet plan and the Florida statutes on condos, coastal construction and rentals. Each link below was read on November 14, 2026.

Data updated: November 2026 (document links read November 14, 2026)

Sources and Authoritative References

Every source below was read between October 21 and November 14, 2026, and each figure on this page carries its own date and window beside it in the text. Sarasota side sales and parcel figures come from the Sarasota County Property Appraiser bulk parcel and sales file dated October 21, 2026, whose newest qualified sale is October 14, 2026. Charlotte side figures come from the Charlotte County Property Appraiser roll dated November 5, 2026, with qualified sales recorded through September 9, 2026. No listing site or valuation aggregator was used for any sales figure on this page.

• BridgeLookup, structure 010029: https://bridgelookup.com/bridge/79871
• BridgeLookup, National Bridge Inventory record 010087: https://bridgelookup.com/bridge/79913
• Business Observer, November 27, 2025: https://www.businessobserverfl.com/news/2025/nov/27/sarasota-county-resort-blends-old-with-new
• Charlotte County Property Appraiser: https://www.ccappraiser.com
• Charlotte County, Manasota Sandpiper Key Advisory Committee: https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/boards-committees/manasota-sandpiper-key-advisory-committee
• Charlotte County, Manasota Key Community Plan: https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/core/fileparse.php/267/urlt/ManasotaKeyCommunityPlan.pdf
• Charlotte County, Manasota Key Zoning District Overlay: https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/core/fileparse.php/267/urlt/ManasotaKeyZoningDistrictOverlay.pdf
• Charlotte County, Residential Roof Permit Top Mistakes: https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/core/fileparse.php/363/urlt/ResRoofPermitApplicationTopMistakes.pdf
• Charlotte County news release, September 26, 2022: https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/core/fileparse.php/476/urlt/ian-evacuation-zone-a-news-release.pdf
• Charlotte County, 50 Percent FEMA Rule: https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/departments/community-development/building-construction/50-percent-fema-rule.stml
• Charlotte County, Englewood Beach at Chadwick Park: https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/departments/community-services/parks/all-parks/englewood-beach-at-chadwick-park.stml
• Charlotte County, Fishing Piers: https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/departments/community-services/parks/amenities/fishing.stml
• Charlotte County, Beaches: https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/departments/community-services/parks/beaches.stml
• Charlotte County, Know Your Zone: https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/departments/emergency-management/know-your-zone.stml
• Manasota Key Beach Renourishment FY26 adopted, FY27 approved budget: https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/file/1030/Manasota-Key-Beach-Renour-FY26-ADOPTED-FY27-APPROVED-1.pdf
• Charlotte County, Manasota Key Beach Renourishment FY26 Q2: https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/file/1030/Manasota-Key-Beach-Renourishment-FY26-Q2.pdf
• Charlotte County notice: https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/file/340/Manasota%20Key%20July%2022nd%20Sample%20PHN.pdf
• Manasota Key MSTU FY26 adopted, FY27 approved budget: https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/file/600/Manasota-Key-MSTU-FY26-ADOPTED-FY27-APPROVED.pdf
• FY26/FY27 preliminary budget: https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/file/600/Manasota-Key-MSTU-FY26-FY27-Budget-PRELIM.pdf
• Charlotte County P&Z agenda, November 18, 2024: https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/file/954/20241118-pz-agenda.pdf
• Charlotte County MSBU/MSTU: Manasota Key: https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/msbu-mstu/manasota-key/
• Charlotte County, Manasota Key Beach Renourishment unit: https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/msbu-mstu/units-without-advisory-boards/manasota-key-beach-renourishment.stml
• Charlotte County, Stump Pass Dredging unit: https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/msbu-mstu/units-without-advisory-boards/stump-pass-dredging.stml
• Charlotte County, Bridge Scour Study and Countermeasures: https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/projects/bridge-scour-study-and-countermeasures-.stml
• Charlotte County, Disaster Recovery Site, Manasota Key, Don Pedro, Knight Island Beach Erosion: https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/projects/disaster-recovery-site-manasota-key-don-pedro-knight-island-beach-erosion.stml
• Charlotte County, Disaster Recovery Site Tom Adams Bridge: https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/projects/disaster-recovery-site-tom-adams-bridge.stml
• Charlotte County, Manasota Key Beach Renourishment: https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/projects/manasota-key-beach-renourishment.stml
• Charlotte County, Tom Adams Bridge Emergency Repair, Hurricane Milton: https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/projects/tom-adams-bridge-emergency-repair-hurricane-milton.stml
• Charlotte County, Tom Adams Bridge Structural Repairs: https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/projects/tom-adams-bridge-structural-repairs-.stml
• CHNEP Water Atlas, April 15, 2019: https://chnep.wateratlas.usf.edu/news/details/18204
• CHNEP Water Atlas: https://chnep.wateratlas.usf.edu/news/details/19144
• City Population, citing the U.S. Census Bureau: https://www.citypopulation.de/en/usa/places/florida/charlotte/1242750__manasota_key/
• Coastal Wildlife Club: https://coastalwildlifeclub.org/
• CommunityPay directory: https://www.communitypay.us/directory/florida/englewood/the-boardwalk-of-manasota-key-condominium-association-inc/
• FWC Red Tide Report, July 20, 2018: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/FLFFWCC/bulletins/20016c3
• data.census.gov profile: https://data.census.gov/profile/Manasota_Key_CDP,_Florida?g=160XX00US1242750
• hearing script: https://data.charlottecountyfl.gov/Agenda/20250923/1b.pdf
• Charlotte County resolution package: https://data.charlottecountyfl.gov/Agenda/20250923/1c.pdf
• DredgeWire: https://dredgewire.com/charlotte-county-fl-signs-29-3-million-contract-with-gldd-to-rebuild-manasota-key-south-beach/
• Dredgewire, November 9, 2026: https://dredgewire.com/charlotte-county-oks-29m-dredging-deal-to-rebuild-manasota-keys-storm-battered-shore/
• Wikipedia, Englewood, Florida: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Englewood,_Florida
• Wikipedia, Florida State Road 776: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_State_Road_776
• Wikipedia, HCA Florida Englewood Hospital: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HCA_Florida_Englewood_Hospital
• Wikipedia, Manasota, Florida: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manasota,_Florida
• Wikipedia, Manasota Key, Florida: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manasota_Key,_Florida
• Wikipedia, Sarasota Bradenton International Airport: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarasota_Bradenton_International_Airport
• Wikipedia, Southwest Florida International Airport: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southwest_Florida_International_Airport
• Wikipedia, Tom Adams Bridge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Adams_Bridge
• Wikipedia: Woodmere, Florida: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodmere,_Florida
• Englewood Area Fire Control District: https://englewood-fire.specialdistrict.org/assessments-fees-charges
• Englewood Review: https://englewoodreview.com/sarasota-county-repairs-for-manasota-key-road-on-hold/
• FEMA: https://www.fema.gov/flood-insurance/risk-rating
• FEMA, Community Rating System: https://www.fema.gov/flood-insurance/rules-legislation/community-rating-system
• Englewood Water District FY2025 annual financial report: https://flauditor.gov/pages/specialdistricts_efile%20rpts/2025%20englewood%20water%20district.pdf
• Florida Condo Directory: https://florida-condo-directory.com/condo/boardwalk-of-manasota-key-the-condo-pr1s011016/
• Florida Aquatic Preserves, Lemon Bay: https://floridaaquaticpreserves.org/managed-areas/aquatic-preserves/lemon-bay-aquatic-preserve
• Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, Blind Pass Beach Park: https://floridabirdingtrail.com/site/blind-pass-beach-park/
• FDEP CCCL program: https://floridadep.gov/rcp/coastal-construction-control-line
• FDEP Stump Pass Inlet Management Plan: https://floridadep.gov/sites/default/files/StumpPass-IMP.pdf
• Florida Division of Emergency Management copy of OIR-B1-1802: https://floridadisaster.org/globalassets/swaw/wind-mitigation-inspection-fillable-form.pdf
• Florida History: Englewood: https://floridahistory.org/englewood.htm
• Florida Rambler, Stump Pass Beach State Park: https://www.floridarambler.com/beaches/stump-pass-beach-state-park/
• Florida DOR, property tax exemptions: https://floridarevenue.com/property/Pages/Taxpayers_Exemptions.aspx
• Florida DOR Table 1, Charlotte: https://floridarevenue.com/property/dataportal/Documents/PTO%20Data%20Portal/County%20Municipal%20Reports/Table%201-Comparison%20of%20Levies/25table1/Charlotte%20Table%201.pdf
• Florida Statutes 627.0629: https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/627.0629
• Florida Statutes 627.351: https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/627.351
• Florida Senate, HB 913 (2025): https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/913
• Punta Gorda Airport: https://www.flypgd.com/
• FOX 13, May 27, 2026: https://fox13news.com/news/manasota-key-home-elevation-couple-reports-damage-delays
• FOX 13, March 31, 2025: https://fox13news.com/news/manasota-key-residents-concerned-communitys-future-after-devastating-hurricanes
• FOX 13, October 9, 2025: https://www.fox13news.com/news/manasota-key-residents-still-working-rebuild-restart-year-after-hurricane-milton
• FOX 13, January 13, 2026: https://www.fox13news.com/news/manasota-key-road-reopens-sarasota-county-eyes-permanent-solution-continued-storm-damage
• FOX 13, October 15, 2024: https://www.fox13news.com/news/some-manasota-key-homes-wiped-away-many-others-destroyed-following-hurricane-milton
• FOX Weather, October 18, 2024: https://www.foxweather.com/extreme-weather/southwest-florida-keys-hurricane-recovery-rebuild
• FPL rates: https://www.fpl.com/rates.html
• Census Geocoder: https://geocoding.geo.census.gov/geocoder/locations/onelineaddress
• FWC Boating and Angling Guide: https://gis.myfwc.com/boating_guides/Charlotte_Harbor/pages/boat_ramps/ainger_creek/index.html
• FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer: https://hazards.fema.gov/arcgis/rest/services/public/NFHL/MapServer/28
• Hermitage Artist Retreat: https://hermitageartistretreat.org/hermitage-receives-12000000-gift-of-land-and-property-on-manasota-key/
• Laws of Florida ch. 2024-179: https://laws.flrules.org/2024/179
• Florida Statutes 161.053: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0100-0199/0161/Sections/0161.053.html
• Florida Statutes 193.155: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0100-0199/0193/Sections/0193.155.html
• Florida Statutes 196.031: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0100-0199/0196/Sections/0196.031.html
• Florida Statutes 201.02: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0200-0299/0201/Sections/0201.02.html
• Florida Statutes 509.032: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0500-0599/0509/Sections/0509.032.html
• Florida Statutes 553.899: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0500-0599/0553/Sections/0553.899.html
• Florida Statutes 718.112: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0718/Sections/0718.112.html
• Lemon Bay Historical Society: https://lemonbayhistory.com/?p=1062
• Lemon Bay Historical Society, Englewood History: https://lemonbayhistory.com/englewood-history/
• Manasota Key Association: https://www.manasotakeyassociation.org/
• Manasota Key Association, Renting Your Property: https://www.manasotakeyassociation.org/info.php?pnum=562aa3d1ad2bd8
• Florida CFO, title insurance overview: https://myfloridacfo.com/division/consumers/understanding-insurance/title-insurance-overview
• FWC lighting ordinance table: https://myfwc.com/conservation/you-conserve/lighting/ordinances/
• FWC statewide red tide status: https://myfwc.com/research/redtide/statewide/
• My Safe Florida Home: https://mysafeflhome.com/
• WWSB, May 12, 2026: https://www.mysuncoast.com/2026/05/12/manasota-key-homeowners-denied-seawall-save-homes-erosion/
• WWSB, June 24, 2026: https://www.mysuncoast.com/2026/06/24/discovering-forbidden-zone-suncoast/
• WWSB, October 9, 2026: https://www.mysuncoast.com/2026/10/09/manasota-key-road-closed-after-flooding/
• WWSB, October 10, 2026: https://www.mysuncoast.com/2026/10/10/i-was-nervous-resident-recounts-evacuating-manasota-key-road-flooding/
• WWSB, October 12, 2026: https://www.mysuncoast.com/2026/10/12/manasota-key-road-reopens-after-flooding-sand-cleared-pavement/
• NBC News, October 12, 2024: https://www.nbcnews.com/weather/hurricanes/hurricane-milton-helene-florida-barrier-islands-rcna175024
• NBC News, October 13, 2024: https://www.nbcnews.com/weather/hurricanes/manasota-key-utterly-devastated-hurricane-milton-made-landfall-nearby-rcna175215
• NHC Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Helene: https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL092024_Helene.pdf
• NHC Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Milton: https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL142024_Milton.pdf
• Punta Gorda History Center, June 9, 2020: https://puntagordahistorycenterblog.blogspot.com/2020/06/punta-gorda-beach-and-incredible-story.html
• Geoconnex, place 1242750: https://reference.geoconnex.us/collections/places/items/1242750?f=html
• OSRM routing: https://router.project-osrm.org/
• OSRM routing: https://router.project-osrm.org/route/v1/driving/-82.3535,26.9378;-82.3530,26.9640?overview=false
• SandBar Tiki and Grille: https://www.sandbartikigrille.com/
• Sarasota County 311, Beach and Parking Hours: https://sarasotacountyfl.qscend.com/311/knowledgebase/article/1010
• sarasotacountyschools.net: https://www.sarasotacountyschools.net/backtoschool
• Sarasota Magazine, October 2026: https://www.sarasotamagazine.com/arts-and-entertainment/2026/10/two-years-post-hurricanes-hermitage-artist-retreat-still-awaits-county-repairs
• Sarasota Magazine, October 8, 2024: https://www.sarasotamagazine.com/news-and-profiles/2024/10/access-to-barrier-islands-close-hurricane-milton
• Sarasota News Leader, October 22, 2020: https://sarasotanewsleader.com/2020/10/page/6/
• Sarasota News Leader, January 16, 2025: https://sarasotanewsleader.com/2025/01/page/46/
• Sarasota News Leader, March 2025: https://sarasotanewsleader.com/2025/03/page/35/
• Sarasota News Leader, April 9, 2026: https://sarasotanewsleader.com/2026/04/page/59/
• Sarasota News Leader: https://sarasotanewsleader.com/cutsinger-wins-commission-colleagues-approval-of-plans-for-duplex-development-on-manasota-key/
• Sarasota County Property Appraiser, Understanding the FEMA 50% Rule: https://www.sarasotapropertyappraiser.gov/appraisal-info/damage-reporting/understanding-the-fema-50-rule/
• Sarasota County Property Appraiser: https://www.sarasotapropertyappraiser.gov/downloads/download-data/
• Sarasota County Tax Collector, 2025 millage: https://www.sarasotataxcollector.gov/docs/2025Millage
• Sarasota County Tax Collector, 2025 and 2026 millage: https://www.sarasotataxcollector.gov/docs/2026Millage
• Sarasota Memorial Hospital: https://www.smh.com/news/smh-venice-new-patient-care-tower-opens-easing-capacity-constraints
• Steube Community Project Funding letter: https://steube.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Manasota-Key-FedNex.pdf
• Tamarind Gulf and Bay association site: https://www.tamarindgulfandbaycondo.com/
• Tamarind COA Forms: https://www.tamarindgulfandbaycondo.com/coa/coa-forms/
• Tamarind 2024 annual minutes: https://www.tamarindgulfandbaycondo.com/files/minutes/TAM%20Minutes%202024-02-22%20Annual.pdf
• Charlotte County Tax Collector, mill code listing: https://taxcollector.charlottecountyfl.gov/documents/tax/mill-code-listing-current.pdf
• Charlotte County Tax Collector: https://taxcollector.charlottecountyfl.gov/property-tax
• Bradenton Times: https://thebradentontimes.com/stories/sunday-favorites-midnight-and-milton-passes-here-to-stay,113883
• Visit Florida, Blind Pass: https://www.visitflorida.com/travel-ideas/articles/beach-guide-blind-pass-manasota-key
• VISIT FLORIDA, Englewood Beach guide: https://www.visitflorida.com/travel-ideas/articles/beach-guide-englewood-beach/
• Visit Sarasota, Share the Sand: https://www.visitsarasota.com/article/share-sand-its-sea-turtle-nesting-season-sarasota-county
• Visit Sarasota, Manasota Beach: https://www.visitsarasota.com/beaches-parks/manasota-beach
• WGCU, January 12, 2026: https://www.wgcu.org/section/transportation/2026-01-12/manasota-key-road-repaired-reopened-after-2024-hurricanes
• WINK News: https://www.winknews.com/news/lee/popular-manasota-key-restaurant-reopens-after-storm-damage/article_50fedc79-03b4-5ad8-8e81-9a5ef4d28ec2.html
• WUSF, November 4, 2024: https://www.wusf.org/environment/2024-11-04/people-closed-midnight-pass-coastal-waterway-siesta-key-hurricanes-blew-it-open
• WUSF, March 2, 2018: https://www.wusf.org/news/2018-03-02/ancient-burial-site-found-in-gulf-of-mexico-off-florida
• WUSF, April 30, 2025: https://www.wusf.org/weather/2025-04-30/sarasota-county-hurricane-evacuation-zone-map-shelter-information
• Palm Beach Post via Yahoo News: https://www.yahoo.com/news/hurricane-milton-postmortem-45-tornadoes-090104280.html
• Herald-Tribune via Yahoo, October 2, 2022: https://www.yahoo.com/news/no-storm-surge-manasota-key-182813215.html
• yourcharlotteschools.net: https://www.yourcharlotteschools.net/73177_3
• Charlotte County Public Schools, Controlled Open Enrollment: https://www.yourcharlotteschools.net/80572_3
• Charlotte County Public Schools, school taxes: https://www.yourcharlotteschools.net/school-taxes
• Your Observer, June 21, 2017: https://www.yourobserver.com/article/evacuation-zones-updated-for-2017