Neighborhood · Sarasota, Florida
Bay Island
Waterfront living on Sarasota's most exclusive island
18
Homes for sale
$4,070,000
Median list price
—
Avg price / sqft
—
Median days on market
Bay Island sits just off Sarasota's mainland on the way to Lido Key, a small enclave where nearly every home is oriented toward the water. This is a place for buyers who want deep-water access, pools, and privacy within minutes of the beaches and the shops and restaurants around Five Points downtown. The scale is intimate — a handful of streets, no gated gates or golf courses, just custom coastal homes on generous lots.
The market here is decidedly high-end: 17 homes are active with a median list price of $4,250,000 and asking prices running from $750,000 to $17,650,000. Of the 17 listings, 16 are priced above $1M, 8 are waterfront, and 6 are new construction, so buyers are choosing between renovated legacy homes and freshly built ones. Homes take time to sell — a 90-day median on market and sellers netting about 93% of asking — which gives serious buyers real room to negotiate. If Bay Island's numbers stretch the budget, nearby Arlington Park and Indian Beach / Sapphire Shores offer other ways into the Sarasota market.
Bay Island is a community in Sarasota, Florida.
Quick facts
Drive times
On the market now
Homes for sale in Bay Island
Nothing active right now.
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Every active listing inside the Bay Island boundary
Open full map search →The numbers that matter
The Bay Island market
Bay Island vs Sarasota
Median list price
Median sold price — 3-yr, 3-mo rolling
▼ 12.7% yr/yr
Homes sold per month
Live Stellar MLS data — every listing and closed sale inside the Bay Island boundary. Rolling medians smooth single-month swings in small communities.
For the school run
Schools Bay Island is zoned for
Attendance boundaries overlapping this community — always verify zoning with the district.
What it really costs
Owning here
Owning the median Bay Island home
≈ $25,385/mo
$4,070,000 median · 20% down · 30-yr fixed at 6.9% · taxes/HOA from live listing data · insurance is a Florida estimate.
Population
531
Median age
61
Median income
$151,850
Median home value
$2,000,000
Beyond the listings
Living in Bay Island
Culture
Top 1% in the U.S.Sites to See
This population finds the most beautiful sites just by looking up. Sunrise, sunset or sometime in between, these people love to marvel at man-made and natural wonders.
Hobbies & Interests
Top 4% in the U.S.Wanderlust
Always thinking about their next destination, this population loves exploring new places abroad or right in their own backyard. They hold onto past trips by sharing their favorite memories and pictures year round.
Beliefs
Top 5% in the U.S.Conservation
Good stewards of the earth, this population advocates for a cleaner environment and responsible use of resources. They often encourage others to recycle and use clean energy.
Lifestyles
Top 7% in the U.S.Wealth Signaling
Interested in the finer things life has to offer, this population wants to display their lifestyle by discussing luxury products. Often references jewelry, cars, and home features.
Relationships
Top 10% in the U.S.Dating Life
With dating comes highs, lows, and lots of questions. You can find this population talking about dating advice, breakups and how to express their feelings.
Hobbies & Interests
Top 11% in the U.S.Natural Beauty
This population marvels at the beauty of nature, and they want to capture every breath-taking scene.
Straight answers
Bay Island FAQs
Is Bay Island a good place to live?+
It's a compact waterfront enclave right on the route to Lido Key's beaches, with easy access to downtown Sarasota's dining and shops. Homes are assigned to Phillippi Shores Elementary, Brookside Middle, and Sarasota High. There's no gated entry or golf course here — the draw is water access, pools, and privacy.
Is Bay Island expensive?+
Yes — it's one of Sarasota's top-tier addresses, with a median list price of $4,250,000 and 16 of 17 active homes priced above $1M. Prices run from $750,000 at the entry level up to $17,650,000, and the average works out to about $1,365 per square foot.
What do homes cost on Bay Island?+
Active listings range from $750,000 to $17,650,000 with a median of $4,250,000, and the typical home is around 4,086 square feet. Over the past 12 months 24 homes sold at a median price of $2,797,500, so closed prices tend to land below current asking.
How is the market on Bay Island right now?+
There are 17 active listings and homes are taking their time — the median days on market is 90, and sellers are getting about 93% of asking on average. That combination gives well-prepared buyers genuine negotiating leverage.
What are the HOA fees and property taxes like?+
The median HOA is just $10 a month, which is very low for a waterfront community. Property taxes run higher given the home values, with a median around $17,536 per year.
Keep exploring
More Sarasota neighborhoods
Neighborhood boundary by edgeAI; listings matched to the polygon. IDX information is provided exclusively for consumers’ personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. Data is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed accurate by Stellar MLS.
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