Osprey, FL
Real Estate: Living In Osprey
Osprey flying in from the Gulf at sunrise after an unsuccessful fishing trip. File photo: Steve Bower, Shutter Stock, licensed.
Osprey is a city located in Sarasota County, Florida, just south of the city of Sarasota. Osprey is a diverse community with both multi-million dollar homes and mobile home parks located on the Intracoastal Waterway.
Osprey has a total area of 6.1 square miles, of which 5.5 square miles is comprised of land and 0.6 square miles is comprised of water.
According to the 2020 Census, Osprey had a population of 6,395. The median value of a single-family home is $782,121 and the median rent of a one-bedroom apartment is $1,800. The median household income is $55,761, with 6.5 percent of the population living behold the poverty threshold.
Notable points of interest in Osprey includes Historic Spanish Point, a 30-acre museum and environmental complex; in addition to featuring a prehistoric archeological exhibit, a turn-of-the-century pioneer homestead museum, a chapel, boatyard, gardens, and nature trails. The grounds of Historic Spanish Point are also home to the Osprey Public Library, which is a converted 630 square-foot schoolhouse full of rich history.
Other significant places in Osprey are the Oscar Scherer State Park and the new Scherer Thaxton Preserve, both of which provide the few remaining protected habitats for the threatened Florida scrub jay. Also calling Osprey home is the Blackburn Point Bridge, a one-lane bridge listed on the National Register of Historic Places that crosses the Intracoastal Waterway.
Osprey infamously is also the site of the 1959 Walker family murders, in which Christine and Cliff Walker and their two children were murdered in their home; the case remains unsolved to this day.
The city of Osprey is bordered by Sarasota and Venice and features eight beaches and six fishing charters, along with many dining opportunities – ranging from fresh seafood, sports bar restaurants, pizza, and fine dining – along the seashore.
Shopping is also abundant along Tamiami Trail – US 41, with notable locations being the Osprey Village shops, Blackburn Point Plaza and The Shops at Casey Key.
