Lee County today
| Typical value | |
|---|---|
| Single family house | $350,000 |
| Condo or townhome | $264,000 |
What this means
Lee County home values slipped 3.2% in 12 months, now 18.2% below the Aug 2022 peak.
Builders are pulling back: 8,643 homes permitted so far in 2026, down 24%.
About 42% of homes sit in a FEMA high risk flood zone, where a mortgage requires flood insurance. Get a flood quote before you make an offer.
A specific house can rent above or below these figures, so pull rental comps for the address. Sources and method: how these figures are built.
Quick facts
| Lee County | Compared with Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Population, 2025 estimate | 875,607 | 3.7% of Florida |
| Growth since 2020 | 15.1% | +6.2 pts |
| Median home value | $362,200 | 1% higher |
| Median gross rent | $1,712 | 3% higher |
| Median household income | $76,107 | 2% higher |
| Owner occupied homes | 74.3% | +6.7 pts |
| Residents 65 and older | 28.9% | +7.6 pts |
| Average commute | 29 min | 5% higher |
| Homes built 2010 or later | 15.7% | +1.5 pts |
| Housing units permitted in 2025 per 1,000 residents | 15.5 | 104% higher |
| Veterans, share of adults | 7.7% | +0.3 pts |
| Median property tax paid | $2,858 | 5% higher |
| Average homeowners insurance with wind | $3,576 |
Census figures are 2020 to 2024 averages; see sources and methods.
Living in Lee County
What stands out about Lee County: many seasonal and vacation homes (18% of housing); heavy building (15.5 new units per 1,000 residents in 2025); and an older population (28.9% age 65 or older).
Southwest Gulf coast county where the Caloosahatchee River meets the Gulf, known for beaches and tourism. Fort Myers is the county seat, and the county dates to 1887.
Most people live in or around Cape Coral, Lehigh Acres and Fort Myers. Cape Coral alone has about 215,536 residents.
What anchors the area
- Colleges: Florida Gulf Coast University (Fort Myers); Florida SouthWestern State College (Fort Myers)
- Commercial airports: Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW)
- Economy: construction; retail; leisure and hospitality
- Known for: Fort Myers Beach; Sanibel and Captiva Islands; Cayo Costa State Park; Lovers Key State Park
Retirees are a big part of this market (28.9% of residents are 65 or older). Newcomers are common: 4.1% of residents arrived from another state in the past year.
Growth and where it is heading
From 760,827 residents in 2020 to 875,607 in 2025: that is 15.1%, compared with 8.9% statewide. In the latest year it gained 1.62%.
| 2025 building permits | Units |
|---|---|
| Single family | 9,962 |
| 2 to 4 units | 200 |
| 5 or more units | 3,385 |
| Total | 13,547 |
| Per 1,000 residents | 15.5 (well above Florida, 7.6) |
What the regional research shows
Cape Coral home values fell 6.8% in the year to May 2026 and sat 14.4% below the 2024 peak; HUD's 2026 fair market rent is $2,560 for a 3 bedroom (local summary of Zillow, Freddie Mac and HUD data). Insurance and flood costs rose after Hurricane Ian, and roof age and flood zone can move a payment by $300 a month or more.
More on corridors and rents: Southwest investor guide.
Risks to price in
| Year | Hurricane | Category at landfall |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Charley | 4 |
| 2022 | Ian | 4 |
Landfalls and named damage since 2000, from the state record.
Insurance runs about $298 a month here on average ($3,576 a year with wind, per state regulators).
Coastal county: check the flood zone and elevation of every address.
High rise exposure: 9.9% of housing is in large buildings, where reserves and assessments decide financing. Condo financing
Flood, storms and jobs
| Lee County | Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Homes in a FEMA high risk flood zone | 145,195 (41.8%) | 13.3% |
| Homes with federal flood insurance | 84,120 (24.2%) | 13.7% |
| Insured share inside high risk zones | 47.5% | |
| Flood insurance claims since 2000 | 46,000, $3,944,411,758 paid | |
| Costliest flood events for insured homes | Hurricane Ian ($3,384,413,850); Hurricane Milton ($216,785,261); Hurricane Helene ($195,477,356) | |
| Major federal disasters declared since 2000 | 17 (11 hurricane, 2 severe storm, 1 tropical storm) |
Good news for flood premiums: the county (unincorporated areas) earned CRS class 5, so policies in high risk zones get 25% off. Flood map date: 11/17/22.
Where people work: health care and social assistance (17%), retail (16%), hotels and restaurants (13%), out of 264,855 private jobs in Lee County (2023). Tourism signal: 13% work in hotels and restaurants, close to the state's 13%.
Buying a home in Lee County
| 2026 loan limit, one unit | Amount |
|---|---|
| FHA | $541,287 |
| Conforming (above this is jumbo) | $832,750 |
The median priced home fits under the FHA limit with room to spare. FHA limits
Homes cost 4.8 times the median household income here, versus 4.8 statewide.
Loans made here in 2025
| Loan type | Loans | Share | Florida share | Average loan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional | 16,625 | 71.9% | 72.2% | $309,287 |
| FHA | 5,262 | 22.7% | 17.8% | $327,619 |
| VA | 1,243 | 5.4% | 9.9% | $391,710 |
| USDA | 8 | 0% | 0.2% | $198,750 |
| Purpose | Share of 2025 loans |
|---|---|
| Home purchase | 65.7% |
| Cash out refinance | 10.5% |
| Rate and term refinance | 9% |
| Home improvement | 6.2% |
That is up 4.1% from 22,228 loans in 2024. FHA share runs well above the state.
Loans that fit the local numbers
- Conventional: used for 71.9% of loans; mortgage insurance comes off later.
- FHA: lower scores and higher debt ratios allowed; limit $541,287.
- VA: veterans are 7.7% of adults (Florida 7.4%).
Down payment help and taxes
Assistance with cash to close is offered statewide by the Florida Housing Finance Corporation. Owners paid a median $2,858 in property tax (0.79% of value). Homestead and tax caps
Investing in Lee County
DSCR loans often price above this rate. Method. DSCR loans
Run your own numbers
Long term rentals
| Lee County | vs Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Renter occupied homes | 25.7% | -6.7 pts |
| Rent as share of renter income | 35.1% | -0.1 pts |
| Rental vacancy | 10.3% | +2.7 pts |
Short term rentals
| Item | Here |
|---|---|
| County tourist tax | 5% |
| Plus state sales tax | 6% (plus any county surtax) |
| Homes held for seasonal use | 18% (+10.2 pts vs Florida) |
| Commercial airport | Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) |
Vacation rental towns with guides: Cape Coral, Sanibel, Fort Myers Beach. Zoning, registration and HOA rules decide if a home can rent nightly. State rules
Property types
| Housing stock | Share |
|---|---|
| Single family detached | 55.4% |
| Buildings with 5+ units | 21.2% |
| Manufactured homes | 9% |
| 2025 loans on 2 to 4 unit properties | 2.88% |
Largest cities and towns in Lee County
Among places with at least 1,000 residents, Bonita Springs has the highest median value ($497,100) and North Fort Myers the lowest ($161,800); North Fort Myers shows the best rent to price ratio (9.31% gross).
| Place | Population | Median value | Median rent | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Coral | 215,536 | $373,500 | $1,858 | $78,104 |
| Lehigh Acres | 132,353 | $292,400 | $1,657 | $66,890 |
| Fort Myers | 95,051 | $384,500 | $1,580 | $63,732 |
| Bonita Springs | 55,904 | $497,100 | $1,882 | $95,210 |
| North Fort Myers | 44,993 | $161,800 | $1,255 | $56,261 |
| Estero | 37,858 | $461,900 | $1,920 | $104,102 |
| San Carlos Park | 19,159 | $325,000 | $1,715 | $85,952 |
| Villas | 13,644 | $248,700 | $1,695 | $58,413 |
| Iona | 13,631 | $322,800 | $1,913 | $66,827 |
| Cypress Lake | 13,032 | $258,900 | $1,756 | $62,590 |
Census places, including unincorporated communities. Linked places have their own guide.
Compare with neighboring counties
3 of its 4 neighbors are cheaper by median value.
| County | Median value | Median rent | Growth since 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County | $362,200 | $1,712 | 15.1% |
| Charlotte County | $328,900 | $1,464 | 16.3% |
| Collier County | $540,700 | $1,862 | 11% |
| Glades County | $137,000 | $886 | 9.4% |
| Hendry County | $219,200 | $1,003 | 21.8% |
Other Florida markets
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5 year estimates. 2020 to 2024.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates, Vintage 2025. July 1, 2025.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025 annual. 2025.
- FFIEC HMDA Data Browser, originated loans. 2025 and 2024.
- LendingTree: 2026 FHA loan limits in Florida by county (HUD figures). 2026.
- Florida Realtors: FHFA sets 2026 conforming loan limits. 2026.
- Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research: 2026 local option tourist tax rates. 2026.
- Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, July 2026 Insurance Stability Unit report (average homeowners premium with wind, as of March 31, 2026). March 31, 2026.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey. week of October 22, 2026.
- Wikipedia: List of counties in Florida. checked October 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file. 2024.
- Wikipedia county article and statewide lists (colleges, teams, airports); Florida Defense Support Task Force installation map. checked October 2026.
- Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), all homes, middle tier, smoothed and seasonally adjusted. September 2026.
- Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (county annual, metro and state quarterly, all transactions). through Q2 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, January to September 2026 and 2025. September 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Residential Penetration Rates. as of August 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims (2000 to 2026). as of September 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book (Community Rating System class). August 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries (2000 to 2026). October 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023. 2023.
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020 to 2024, median gross rent by bedrooms (B25031). 2020 to 2024.
- Hurricane landfalls: Wikipedia, List of Florida hurricanes (2000 to present). checked October 2026.
Estimates from public data; they change over time. General information, not investment, tax or legal advice, and not a loan offer. Methods and assumptions.