Population 216,942 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Cape Coral
Household size in Cape Coral
| Period | Cape Coral | Fort Myers area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.73 | 2.58 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.85 | 2.72 | 2.73 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.85 | 2.76 | 2.75 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.66 | 2.59 | 2.63 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.07 | +0.00 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Cape Coral average 2.66 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.73, in line with the national trend. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the north.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Cape Coral
| Period | Cape Coral | Fort Myers area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.8 | 44.0 | 40.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.6 | 46.2 | 42.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 47.3 | 48.3 | 43.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 48.1 | 48.5 | 43.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | +7.3 | +4.5 | +2.7 | +2.3 |
Cape Coral skews older: half of its residents are older than 48.1, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. The median age has climbed from 40.8 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Cape Coral
| Period | Cape Coral | Fort Myers area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.1% | 11.1% | 12.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.0% | 12.0% | 12.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.4% | 10.2% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.2% | 9.5% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.8 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in ten households in Cape Coral (9.2%), below the national share of 11.6%. The Fort Myers area as a whole looks much the same. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 2.8 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Cape Coral
Renters in Cape Coral
| Period | Cape Coral | Fort Myers area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.2% | 25.2% | 30.3% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.1% | 30.7% | 33.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.2% | 27.7% | 34.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 22.6% | 25.7% | 32.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | +0.5 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Cape Coral is largely a place of homeowners: only 22.6% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. About a third of owners (34.3%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is down 0.6 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Cape Coral
| Period | Cape Coral | Fort Myers area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.3% | 29.1% | 17.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.7% | 29.5% | 17.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 20.5% | 24.8% | 15.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.2% | 19.9% | 12.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | −8.0 pts | −9.2 pts | −4.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 16.2% of the housing in Cape Coral, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Still, the rate is lower than in the Fort Myers area as a whole (19.9%).
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Cape Coral
| Period | Cape Coral | Fort Myers area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1994 | 1991 | 1984 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1995 | 1992 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1995 | 1993 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1998 | 1997 | 1989 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +5 | +5 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Cape Coral is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1998, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1994 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the southeast has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Cape Coral
| Period | Cape Coral | Fort Myers area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,170 | $1,077 | $1,092 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,114 | $1,041 | $1,123 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,345 | $1,298 | $1,323 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,955 | $1,840 | $1,816 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$785 | +$763 | +$724 | +$606 |
Rent in Cape Coral runs $1,955 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $785 a month from 2006–10, a 67% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 37.7% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the southeast; the highest are in the west.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Cape Coral
Bachelor's degrees in Cape Coral
| Period | Cape Coral | Fort Myers area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.2% | 24.2% | 26.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.9% | 25.3% | 27.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.8% | 28.0% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 26.6% | 31.3% | 34.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.3 pts | +7.0 pts | +8.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are less common in Cape Coral than nationally: 26.6% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 6.3 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the center.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Cape Coral
| Period | Cape Coral | Fort Myers area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.7% | 86.4% | 85.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.2% | 86.8% | 86.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.9% | 88.3% | 88.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.0% | 90.2% | 90.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.3 pts | +3.7 pts | +4.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Cape Coral is above the national rate: 93.0% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 4.3 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Cape Coral
| Period | Cape Coral | Fort Myers area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.4% | 9.9% | 8.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 13.0% | 11.8% | 11.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.0% | 5.2% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.1% | 4.1% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.3 pts | −5.9 pts | −4.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Cape Coral runs below the national rate: 4.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 6.3 points, mirroring the country. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Cape Coral compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Coral | 2.66 | 48.1 | 9.2% | 22.6% | 16.2% | 1998 | $1,955 | 26.6% | 93.0% | 4.1% |
| McGregor | 2.31 | 55.5 | 5.5% | 20.5% | 22.6% | 1981 | $1,743 | 52.8% | 97.1% | 4.2% |
| Whiskey Creek | 2.36 | 55.4 | 1.2% | 9.6% | 18.0% | 1980 | $2,226 | 41.5% | 97.2% | 3.1% |
| North Fort Myers | 2.26 | 55.4 | 10.4% | 16.5% | 21.0% | 1986 | $1,496 | 23.0% | 87.6% | 5.0% |
| Cypress Lake | 1.85 | 56.8 | 3.6% | 24.7% | 25.3% | 1988 | $1,752 | 34.5% | 93.2% | 4.1% |
| Iona | 1.78 | 67.1 | 2.4% | 26.2% | 42.6% | 1995 | $2,095 | 40.8% | 94.1% | 3.9% |
| Villas | 2.06 | 53.1 | 12.2% | 36.2% | 19.9% | 1986 | $1,677 | 34.3% | 94.3% | 2.7% |
| Fort Myers area | 2.59 | 48.5 | 9.5% | 25.7% | 19.9% | 1997 | $1,840 | 31.3% | 90.2% | 4.1% |
| St. James City | 2.07 | 64.3 | 7.6% | 9.1% | 51.6% | 1986 | $2,911 | 23.6% | 97.3% | 13.7% |
| Bokeelia | 2.42 | 49.1 | 5.5% | 16.2% | 34.2% | 1990 | $1,240 | 30.7% | 80.9% | 3.8% |
| Gateway | 2.58 | 48.3 | 6.9% | 11.4% | 17.2% | 2008 | $1,999 | 48.2% | 96.3% | 4.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Fort Wayne, IN · Dallas, TX · Cypress, TX · Columbia, MD · Compton, CA · Covington, GA · Daly City, CA · Dallas, GA · Columbia, MO · Cleveland, TN
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Cape Coral. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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