Venice, FL
Real Estate: Living In Venice
A sign welcomes visitors to the small retirement city of Venice, Florida along the West Coast, in gulf of Mexico. File photo: Kristi Blokhin, Shutter Stock, licensed.
Venice is a city in Sarasota County, Florida, just south of Sarasota. The city includes what is often referred to by local inhabitants as “Venice Island,” a section of land that is surrounded by a manmade intracoastal waterway that is accessed by a series of bridges.
The city of Venice has a total area of 16.6 square miles, of which 15.3 square miles is comprised of land and 1.4 square miles comprised of water. Venice has a humid, subtropical climate – bordering very closely on tropical – Savanna features alternating, excessively wet and dry seasons.
According to the 2020 Census, Venice had a population of 25,463. The median value of a single-family home is $487,638 and the median rent of a one-bedroom apartment is $1,615. The median household income is $61,953, with 6.8 percent of the population living behold the poverty threshold.
Venice is considered by many publications as the “Shark’s Tooth Capital of the World” due to the many fossilized shark’s teeth that can be found in its coastal waters; the city hosts a Shark’s Tooth Festival annually to celebrate this aspect of its culture.
The city has numerous locations that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Armada Road Multi-Family District; Blalock House; the Eagle Point, Edgewood, and Venezia Park Historic Districts; Hotel Venice; the Valencia Hotel and Arcade, and many more.
Venice is also home to the Venice Theatre, considered one of the largest community theaters in the United States; the theatre operates at one of the former buildings of the Kentucky Military Institute and suffered extensive damage in September 2022 due to Hurricane Ian’s passing.
U.S. Highway 41 runs north–south on the western side of Florida throughout the city; in addition, public transportation consists of buses through SCAT, the Sarasota County Area Transit system, the historic Venice Train Depot, which now serves buses, not trains and a village trolley.
Venice offers 14 miles of beaches, from Casey Key to Manasota Key and a plethora of recreational activities, including swimming, sunbathing, fishing and boating. Shelling is also a favorite pastime in the city, and golfers can enjoy the many excellent courses in the area.
Venice and has a vibrant and active downtown area, notable for its Italian-inspired architecture and boulevards.
