Living in Treasure Island FL means a 3.5 mile Gulf beach out your door, a bridge to St. Petersburg a few minutes away, and a quiet island rhythm that runs on sunsets and canal docks. Treasure Island is a small city on a Pinellas County barrier island, with St. Pete Beach to the south across Blind Pass and Madeira Beach to the north across John's Pass. The 2020 census counted 6,584 residents, and the median age is about 60, so the pace here is relaxed most of the year.
The island is about 20 miles from Tampa International Airport as the crow flies. The Treasure Island Causeway carries you east across Boca Ciega Bay to St. Petersburg, and the two pass bridges link you to the rest of the beach towns along Gulf Boulevard.
We are grateful to help buyers find their place on the beaches every year, and this guide covers what daily life on Treasure Island looks like: the neighborhoods, the beach, the canals, what homes and condos cost, how the city handles flood insurance, and the rebuild that has brought new homes and new city projects in 2026.
Where Is Treasure Island and What Is It Like?
Treasure Island is a narrow island about three miles long, with the Gulf of Mexico on one side and Boca Ciega Bay on the other. Gulf Boulevard runs the length of it. West of the road are the beach, the resorts, and the Gulf front condos. East of the road are the canal neighborhoods and the small islands that fill the bay side.
The city is really a handful of distinct areas. Sunshine Beach sits at the north end near John's Pass. The middle of the island holds the main resort strip, Gulf Front Park, and the busiest stretch of sand. Sunset Beach curls around the south tip next to Blind Pass. On the bay side, Isle of Capri, Paradise Island, Isle of Palms, and Treasure Island's other finger islands are lined with seawalls and docks.
About 47 percent of housing units are owner occupied, which is close to half for a beach city where many homes are second homes and rentals.
The Treasure Island Causeway
The causeway first opened in 1939. The bridges you drive today were rebuilt between 2004 and 2007, and the new bascule drawbridge in the middle was dedicated in August 2007. The bridge is just over 1,000 feet long and meets Gulf Boulevard on the island side. The toll ended in 2006, so the drive is now free.
Which Neighborhood Fits Your Life?
On Treasure Island, the price of a home mostly comes down to two things: whether it sits on the water, and whether it was built or rebuilt to today's elevation rules. Here is how the main areas compare.
Area | What it looks like | Typical price range |
|---|---|---|
Sunset Beach | South tip between the Gulf and the bay, older cottages next to new elevated homes, beach trail and pavilion | About $800,000 to $1.5 million and up; few sales each year |
Isle of Capri | North end near John's Pass, canal homes with seawalls and docks, plus condos | Condos from about $190,000; homes up to about $1.85 million |
Paradise Island | About 447 homes on canals, single family homes and townhomes, park and tennis courts | Median about $910,000 |
Isle of Palms | Bay side canal neighborhood, single family homes, many with docks | Median about $800,000 |
Sunshine Beach | North Gulf front stretch near John's Pass, condos, resorts, and beach homes | Condos often $275,000 to $750,000; homes vary widely |
Gulf front condo buildings | Towers and low rise buildings along Gulf Boulevard and Paradise Boulevard | About $160,000 to $1.8 million |
These ranges come from 2026 sales and listings, and some areas only have a handful of sales a year, so one big sale can move the median a lot. A one bedroom condo can still be found under $200,000 from time to time, while a new elevated home on a wide canal can pass $2 million.
Sunset Beach
Sunset Beach is the island's sunset spot and one of its most loved neighborhoods. The homes on record here date as far back as 1935, with a median build year in the 1940s, and many of those cottages are now being replaced with raised homes. Only a few homes sell here each year. The 12 month median through September 2026 was about $1.5 million on just three sales.
Isle of Capri
Isle of Capri sits at the north end, close to John's Pass and Rosselli Park. It is a favorite for boaters because the pass and the Gulf are minutes away by water. One October 2026 listing here offered 75 feet of seawall, a private dock, and a jet ski lift. Condo buildings near the pass and the Key Capri area give buyers a lower price point in the same part of the island.
Paradise Island and Isle of Palms
Paradise Island is a community of about 447 homes with a median size of about 2,064 square feet. Most are single family homes, with some townhomes and condos mixed in, and about 70 percent are owner occupied. Isle of Palms is another bay side canal neighborhood, and it had a median sale near $800,000 over the past year. Both are canal neighborhoods where many homes have their own dock.
What Is the Beach Like?
Treasure Island has about 3.5 miles of Gulf beach, and it is wide, soft, and easy to reach from almost any street. Pinellas County finished a $125 million beach nourishment project in early 2026, and county leaders marked the finish by placing the final loads of sand on Treasure Island. Crews also built new dunes and planted sea grass to hold the sand in place.
- Gulf Front Park: at 10400 Gulf Boulevard, with restrooms, outdoor showers, and a MobiMat path about 400 feet long that makes the sand easier for strollers and wheelchairs.
- Sunset Beach Pavilion: restrooms, outdoor showers, a playground, and a rental hall used for weddings and neighborhood events. It reopened June 4, 2026.
- The beach trail: a paved path about a mile long that runs along the shoreline around Sunset Beach. It is a favorite for walking, jogging, biking, and watching the sun go down.
- Municipal Beach: at 11200 Gulf Boulevard, with restrooms and outdoor showers.
- Parking: the city has hundreds of beach parking spots along the length of the island.
Some rules to know: on the stretch from 99th Avenue to 85th Avenue, alcohol is not allowed on weekend days from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. from February through September, and on Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Labor Day.
John's Pass Village
John's Pass Village and Boardwalk sit just across the pass in Madeira Beach, a short drive or bike ride from the north end. It has shops, restaurants, a marina, dolphin cruises, and parasailing.
How Do Boaters Use the Canals and Passes?
Much of Treasure Island's bay side is built around canals, so a dock in the backyard is part of daily life for many owners. From those canals, boaters reach Boca Ciega Bay, the Intracoastal Waterway, and the Gulf through John's Pass to the north or Blind Pass to the south.
The John's Pass Sandbar, at the mouth of the pass, is a popular spot for boaters to anchor and swim. Fishing charters, dolphin tours, and parasail boats run out of the John's Pass marina, so those who do not own a boat can still get on the water easily.
What to look for in a canal home
Canal lots vary more than buyers expect. When touring canal homes, these are the things worth checking first:
- The seawall: its age, its condition, and whether it was repaired after the 2024 storms.
- The dock and lift: size, permits, and whether the lift fits the boat you have or plan to buy.
- The route to open water: how many turns, how far to the pass, and whether you need the causeway drawbridge to open.
- Elevation: whether the home was built or rebuilt to the city's current flood standard.
What Does a Normal Week Look Like?
A normal week on Treasure Island moves between the beach, the canal, and a few favorite spots for lunch and sunset.
Golf carts
Golf carts are a common way to get around the residential streets. A 2026 local guide lists carts as street legal on designated streets posted at 25 miles per hour or less, with registration through City Hall. Carts are not allowed on Gulf Boulevard itself. Low speed vehicles follow state rules, which call for registration, insurance, and a driver's license. City Hall can confirm which streets are open to carts before you buy one.
Dining and local spots
The island has a long list of casual, beachy places to eat. Caddy's, Shrimpy's Waterfront, Ricky T's, Middle Grounds Grill, Britt's Pizza, The Floridian, R Bar, and Sea Dog Brewing Co. all show up on 2026 guides to the island.
Parks, golf, and the library
Treasure Bay Golf and Tennis has a nine hole par three course, tennis courts, and pickleball. Rosselli Park at the north end has pickleball courts too. The Treasure Island Community Center can be rented for family reunions and parties. Residents use the Gulf Beaches Public Library, which the city helps fund along with its neighbors.
The yearly calendar
The city fills the calendar with simple, friendly events. The 2026 schedule includes a Fourth of July celebration with fireworks, a Halloween Spooktacular on October 23 at Community Center Park, the Sanding Ovations Master's Cup sand sculpting event on the beach in November, a holiday lighted boat parade, and New Year's Eve fireworks at Gulf Front Park. A spring sand and kite festival at Gulf Front Park has become a newer favorite.
What Do Homes Cost in 2026?
The median sale price on Treasure Island was about $620,000 in August 2026, down about 7 percent from a year earlier, with a median of 128 days on the market. That figure comes from Redfin and mixes condos with single family homes. In August, 69 homes sold, sellers got about 95 percent of their asking price, and about 42 percent of listings had a price cut.
Other sources tell the same story from different angles. A 12 month look at 170 closings put the median near $825,000, with condos making up about half of all sales. Zillow's typical home value for the 33740 ZIP was about $515,000 at the end of January 2026, down about 12.6 percent over the year.
Condos and townhomes
Condos are the easiest way into island life. In fall 2026, Redfin showed 117 condos for sale on Treasure Island with a median list price of about $425,000, and listings from about $158,000 to $1.8 million. Paradise Island Towers had a 12 month median near $289,000, Key Capri Condo near $300,000, Sunset Vistas near $631,500, and Lands End at Sunset Beach near $825,000.
Association fees are part of the math. About 29 percent of current listings carry an association fee, with a median near $1,006 a month. We recommend asking for the building's budget, reserves, and recent repair history before making an offer on a condo.
What Are the Costs of Living Here?
Treasure Island's city millage rate is 3.8129, and the city kept that rate the same in its proposed budget for fiscal year 2027. The city expects about $11.17 million in property tax collections next year. The city's share is only one part of the total bill once the county and other taxing districts are added.
As a rough planning number, one 2026 estimate put the yearly property tax on an $825,000 home at about $15,000 for a new owner before any homestead exemption. That is not a quote. The Pinellas County Property Appraiser can run the exact figure for any address.
Flood zones and insurance
Treasure Island holds a Class 6 rating in the federal Community Rating System, which gives flood insurance policyholders a 20 percent discount. The city has been part of the National Flood Insurance Program since 1971. New and rebuilt homes must sit 2 feet above the base flood elevation, which is one reason new homes here are raised so high.
Nearly every property on the island carries some flood exposure, so flood insurance is part of owning here. High risk zones are labeled AE and VE, and VE lots near the Gulf call for homes built on pilings. The best step is to pull the elevation certificate and get real flood and wind quotes during the inspection period. A newer elevated home with storm rated windows and a newer roof will usually price much better than an older ground level home.
How Has Treasure Island Rebuilt, and What Is New in 2026?
Treasure Island has spent the past two years rebuilding after Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024, and the island is coming back newer, higher, and stronger. By mid September 2025, the city had issued 3,443 building permits. Many older ground level homes are being replaced with elevated homes, often three stories, and the mayor has said he expects the island to build back gradually over about five years.
Buyers can now choose a renovated older home, a lot ready for a new build, or a new elevated home with parking below and views up high.
City projects
The city is rebuilding its own buildings to the same high standard. Plans for the 1.74 acre municipal campus at 100 108th Avenue include a rebuilt Public Works facility with an elevated field office, a new master wastewater pump station with an elevated electrical room and a backup generator, and a future headquarters for fire rescue and first responders on elevated upper floors. The state has committed $4 million toward that headquarters.
What reopened and what is coming
- Sunset Beach Pavilion: reopened June 4, 2026, after about $350,000 in repairs to floors, railings, and restrooms. It has served the neighborhood since 2003.
- Dune walkovers: the second phase of walkover rebuilding was nearly done in May 2026, with new walkovers at 124th, 121st, 102nd, and 99th Avenues.
- Beach nourishment: the county's beach rebuild finished in early 2026 with new sand and new dunes on Treasure Island.
- Thunderbird Beach Resort: the 1957 resort on Gulf Boulevard won site plan approval to rebuild as a four story, 106 room hotel that keeps its famous name and neon sign.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Treasure Island FL a good place to live?
People who want a wide Gulf beach, a canal dock, and a slower pace tend to love it. It is smaller and quieter than many beach towns, and the causeway puts St. Petersburg a short drive away.
How much does a home cost on Treasure Island?
Redfin put the median sale price at about $620,000 in August 2026, including condos. Condos start under $200,000, canal homes often run $800,000 to $1 million, and new elevated waterfront homes can pass $2 million.
How long is the beach on Treasure Island?
The city has about 3.5 miles of Gulf beach. It was rebuilt with new sand and dunes in a county project that finished in early 2026.
Can you drive a golf cart on Treasure Island?
Yes, on designated residential streets posted at 25 miles per hour or less, with registration through City Hall. Carts are not allowed on Gulf Boulevard. Check with City Hall for the current list of streets.
What flood insurance discount does Treasure Island get?
The city holds a Class 6 rating in the Community Rating System, which gives policyholders a 20 percent discount on flood insurance premiums.
What is the city millage rate on Treasure Island?
The city millage rate is 3.8129, and the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget kept it the same. County and other district rates are added on top for the full tax bill.
Are new homes on Treasure Island built higher?
Yes. New and rebuilt homes must sit 2 feet above the base flood elevation, so most new homes are raised, often with three stories and parking below.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Living in Treasure Island FL is about the simple daily things: a morning walk on the beach trail, a boat ride to the sandbar, a golf cart trip to lunch, and a sunset at Sunset Beach with your neighbors. We are honored to help buyers find the right home here, whether that means a Gulf front condo, a canal home on Isle of Capri, or a new elevated home on Paradise Island.
If you are thinking about a move to Treasure Island, reach out to Rocks Realty. We would be glad to tour the neighborhoods with you, run the real numbers on taxes and insurance, and help you choose your island home with confidence.
