Slightly inland from the Gulf of Mexico, the riverside city of Fort Myers has been growing for decades. Although the city's full-time population is just under 100,000, the area receives between 3 million and 5 million visitors each year as snowbirds flock to the city during the peak season in winter and spring, before the summer heat arrives. In total, Lee County — which includes Fort Myers as well as its beachfront neighbor, Fort Myers Beach — has gained more than 200,000 full-time residents since 2011. "We're consistently ranked as one of the fastest-growing areas in the country," says Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson. "Despite the hurricanes and the rain and humidity, we still have pretty decent weather, the proximity to the water, the beaches, the islands, the Caloosahatchee River, the number of golf courses. You've got golfing, you've got fishing, you've got the beaches — it makes it an attractive area with a lot of outdoor activity."
When tourists depart, residents stick around for the year-round warm weather and outdoor recreation, plus a growing labor market in tourism and health care. Alongside the population growth, Fort Myers is also investing in water, transportation and housing infrastructure, including new water wells and refiguring traffic patterns to accommodate additional traffic.
Downtown Fort Myers has a concentration of low-profile buildings erected in the early 1900s.
Belle Vue is a part of unincorporated Lee County.
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Florida-style homes and townhouses
In classic Florida style, many builds feature stucco exteriors, tile roofs and a Spanish or Mediterranean influence. Gated single-family subdivisions and townhouse communities are common. "People move to Florida for the lifestyle — beaches, boating, fishing. They don't want to spend their weekends trimming trees," says Billee Silva, a Fort Myers resident of 31 years and a Realtor with Jones & Co. Realty. "So they're very much gravitating towards these master-planned communities where they do it all for you, and a lot of them are resort-style living." Popular communities include Colonial Country Club , Gateway and scenic McGregor Boulevard. The median single-family home price is $400,000, while the median townhouse price is $345,000. Homes built after 2003 must meet Florida's building code, designed to improve a structure's ability to withstand severe weather. That means insurance costs are typically much more expensive for older homes. And although the area is still growing, inventory in recent years has outpaced demand. On average, homes sell after 102 days, significantly higher than the national average of 44 days. "The real estate market was crazy [from 2020 to 2023]. It was like Black Friday every morning if you were working with a buyer. All offers had to be the highest and the best. But this past year has been one of the slowest years in real estate here in southwest Florida," Silva says. "We have more inventory than we've had in 10 years and fewer buyers in the market."
Mediterranean style homes line the streets of Arborwood's neighborhood.
Colonial Country Club neighborhood has a spectacular fountain with signage that welcomes you.
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Waterfront fun and nature preserves in Fort Myers
Fort Myers is known as the City of Palms for the 15-mile stretch of royal palm trees that line McGregor Boulevard. Thomas Edison, a frequent vacationer to the area, imported and planted the first 200 trees from Cuba. Henry Ford bought an estate next door to Edison, and their properties are now the Edison and Ford Winter Estates, which feature a museum and a botanical garden with some of their inventions.
Fort Myers is home to many other parks, preserves and nature centers, and voters recently approved a $75 million bond to improve and expand parks. Wildlife abounds, and spots like Manatee Park allow an up-close view of manatees and mangroves. Kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, fishing and boating are favorites among locals and visitors alike. Marinas are dotted with sailing tours and fishing charters as well. Golf and baseball are big pastimes, too. In fact, the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins report to Fort Myers for spring training at JetBlue Park and Hammond Stadium. Fort Myers Beach is 15 miles south. The islands of Sanibel and Captiva have some of the best shelling in the world, and Bunche Beach is popular with locals.
Edison, Ford, and Firestone are paid their respects in a Downtown Fort Myers fountain.
Manatee Park in Morse Shores is a popular attraction for tourists and locals alike.
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Lee County Public Schools and FGCU
Lee County Public Schools serve families in the Fort Myers area. The district earns a B from Niche and enrolls more than 100,000 students, making it the ninth-largest district in Florida, with 46 elementary schools, 17 middle schools, 15 high schools and 23 charter schools. As part of Florida's open enrollment program, middle schoolers and high schoolers rank which schools they'd like to attend, then a lottery system determines admittance. Many schools offer specialized programs, such as the International Baccalaureate or AP Capstone programs, and the district also offers 14 career and technical education career clusters. Fort Myers also has more than 30 private schools, including Canterbury School, the No. 1 private high school in Lee County, according to Niche. Florida Gulf Coast University offers 65 undergraduate degrees, most notably its nursing program and The Water School, which focuses on environmental sciences and water issues.
Fort Myers High School is an above average high ranking 7/10 school.
Canterbury School in Ft. Myers has a spirit of college guidance and optimism.
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Downtown has art and music walks every month
Florida's warm weather means residents can enjoy outdoor events all year long. The first Friday of every month is reserved for Art Walk in downtown Fort Myers, where local and regional artists line First Street. Downtown is alive with music every third Friday for the Fort Myers Music Walk, which features musicians and performers. Every February, the three-week Edison Festival of Light celebrates the namesake inventor, highlighted by the Grande Parade, a light-filled spectacular known as the largest night parade in the Southeast.
Live music can be found all over Downtown Fort Myers, making the town lively and fun.
A local artist chats with patrons as she paints a new work of art.
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Fort Myers is getting a “diverging diamond” intersection
With a growing population and a sharp increase in visitors during the peak season, one of the main challenges Fort Myers faces is traffic. "We cannot construct roads large enough to handle peak traffic," Mayor Anderson says. "One of our challenges as a city is the main corridors are either county or state roads, so we have to rely on them to make the necessary improvements to help traffic in the city. They're both good partners, but there's a lot of need for roads and expansion, and that's throughout the state." One ongoing project to improve traffic flow is a diverging diamond interchange near the intersection of Interstate 75 and Colonial Boulevard, expected to wrap in 2025. While the area does have bus stops and a seasonal trolley during the peak season, most people drive. U.S. Route 41, known as the Tamiami Trail, connects to Tampa and Miami, and Southwest Florida International Airport is the area's primary hub for flights.
Shop and dine in the River District
The brick-paved streets of Downtown Fort Myers , also known as the River District, are lined with bars, restaurants and boutiques. This walkable shopping and dining district has a small-town vibe with locally owned spots and longstanding favorites. Reservations are a must during the peak season. A trip downtown calls for a quick slice at Downtown House of Pizza, affectionally called "D-Hop" by locals, or a sit-down meal at Ford's Garage, a nod to the area's history. Seafood is a way of life here, and local pink Gulf Coast shrimp are a favorite. There's also a flourishing nightlife scene. Dive bars like Cowboy Up and City Tavern have dedicated regulars, while classy cocktails are the specialties of spots like Hogwash or 86 Room, a Prohibition-era-themed speakeasy. Publix is the king of groceries in southwest Florida, and there are plenty of them throughout Fort Myers. For retail shopping, most folks head to outdoor malls like Gulf Coast Town Center or The Forum in Fort Myers, or Coconut Pointe and Miromar Outlets in Estero, about 20 miles away.
Restaurants on First Street take advantage of the South Florida weather with outdoor seating.
The main stretch of Downtown Fort Myers offers a variety of local retailers.
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Hot summers, hurricanes and holistic tactics to reduce crime
Hot, humid summers and mild winters are typical. Near-daily afternoon rain showers are common during hurricane season, which runs from June through November. "You can expect it to rain every day between three and four o'clock," says resident Jon Wenning. "It might only be for 15 or 30 minutes, but you can count on it happening every day from June until September." Despite damage from Hurricane Ian in 2022, the community has remained resilient. "Ian was a great example of a community devastated but pulling themselves up and coming together and helping out our neighbors," Mayor Anderson says.
Crime stats specific to Fort Myers are limited, but the Fort Myers Police Department Investigative Services Bureau reports violent crimes slightly increased and thefts decreased from 2022 to 2023. Mayor Anderson — who served on the Fort Myers Police Department for 24 years — says the department is trying holistic tactics to reduce crime. "One approach they take is they look at someone who's prone to commit crime because of their circumstances in life, and they try to work with those people to say, 'Let us get you some education, let us get you a job. Let us get you out of this situation so that you don't have to be involved in crime.' People think you can arrest your way out of these problems. You really can't," Anderson says. "You got to change the environments and the circumstances, so we invest heavily in the schools, working with kids, trying to help them be successful."
On average, homes in Fort Myers, FL sell after 109 days on the market compared to the national average of 49 days. The median sale price for homes in Fort Myers, FL over the last 12 months is $397,000, up 2% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
