Southwest Florida (SWFL) Communities
From the sunny tropical beaches of Sanibel Island and Fort Myers Beach along the Gulf of Mexico, to the revitalized historic downtown Fort Myers area, the Southwest Florida region, with a population over one million, is among the most desirable areas in the nation. The business center of the region is Lee County, which represents the Cape Coral-Fort Myers MSA.Lee County Fact Sheet
The City of Cape Coral and the community of Lehigh Acres in Lee County are fast growing areas for workforce housing. Both communities were designed with a large selection of platted lots, and homes are built one at a time through local builders. Community Highlights are presented below and community demographics may be accessed by clicking on the Area Fact Sheets.
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 Lee County |
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| Cape Coral |
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| Lehigh Acres |
Market Analysis:
Market area demographics continue to remain strong. About 30,000 people move into Lee County each year. The rapid price appreciation over the last few years has created a unique housing challenge. There is an oversupply of homes in the $300,000 plus price range due to heavy investment in the market during the real estate boom. There are not enough homes in the under $200,000 price range to service the workforce. Because of the oversupply of higher prices homes, new construction has almost come to a halt. The area continues to grow and attract new workers. The 18 to 44 age group is growing faster than the U.S. average. The average wage for nurses, police, school teachers, lawn maintenance and other service workers can support homes around the $200,000 price range, and the inventory of homes in this price range is very low. The market needs a supply of under $200,000 workforce homes to service the growing community. Cape Coral and Lehigh Acres have become the workforce housing prime areas of choice due to the affordability of lots.
Cape Coral
Cape Coral has a population of about 155,000 and is growing at the rate of about 11,000 new residents per year. Cape Coral's double digit growth is expected to maintain itself for the next 5 to10 years. The city was ranked the fifth fastest growing city with over 100,000 in population by the U.S Census Bureau. Cape Coral is the largest city between Tampa and Miami, and the third largest city by land mass in Florida. Cape Coral is only 31% built out. Cape Coral's taxable property values jumped 49% percent in the past year to over $14 billion, according to the Lee County Property Appraiser's office. The city is in the middle of a $200 million utility expansion project and new parks are planned throughout the city. Cape Coral Fact Sheet
Lehigh Acres
Lehigh Acres has a population of about 50,000 and is located approximately twelve miles east of Fort Myers with some of the lowest priced single family lots in Lee County. According to the Lee County Property Appraiser's office, taxable property values jumped from $2 billion to $4 billion in one year. Lehigh Acres boasts close proximity to the Southwest Florida International Airport, which has recently completed a major $450 million expansion. It is less than 10 minutes from Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida's newest public university, which is experiencing student population growth in excess of 25% per year. Lehigh Acres Fact Sheet
