Moving to Ave Maria: Pros, Cons & What to Know
Moving to Ave Maria means moving into a genuinely new town -- built from raw farmland starting in 2005 around a Catholic university, with a still-young, still-filling-in population and a faith-affiliated, family-oriented identity unlike anywhere else in Collier County.
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Learn moreA young town, still filling in two decades after its founding
Ave Maria's population is generally estimated in the neighborhood of 14,000 residents as of the mid-2020s, per secondary-source aggregation (retrieved 2026-09-02) -- a lower-confidence estimate, since a precise, current Census figure wasn't independently verified this session. That figure is consistent with a town still under active build-out roughly two decades after its 2005 founding, per the base record.
Founded around Ave Maria University and its Oratory
Ave Maria was developed starting in 2005 around Ave Maria University, a Catholic university founded by Domino's Pizza founder Tom Monaghan (per the base record). The university enrolled roughly 1,250-1,335 undergraduates as of an April 2026 snapshot, per higher-education data aggregation (retrieved 2026-09-02), and the town center is anchored by the Ave Maria Oratory -- a landmark that gives the town its distinctly faith-affiliated identity.
Standard Florida moving mechanics apply
Florida requires a new driver's license and vehicle registration within statutory windows administered by FLHSMV -- confirm current deadlines directly with that agency. Florida has no state personal income tax, so there's no state withholding form to file when starting a new job.
Key takeaways
- Ave Maria's population is estimated at roughly 14,000 as of the mid-2020s -- a lower-confidence secondary-source figure, not an independently verified current Census count.
- Ave Maria University enrolled roughly 1,250-1,335 undergraduates as of an April 2026 snapshot.
- The town, founded in 2005 by Tom Monaghan (Domino's Pizza founder), is anchored by the Ave Maria Oratory and is still under active build-out.
- Standard FL licensing/registration rules apply; there's no state income tax to withhold for a new job.
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