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Thinking of Moving to Fort Myers or Naples?

Discover what living in SW Florida is like.

If you're thinking about moving to the Fort Myers or Naples area and in the process of researching various locations around the state, you're in the right place. This page has been assembled to help you gain a better understanding of SW Florida, what Fort Myers and Naples offers residents in terms of lifestyle, amenities, employment and healthcare. We also encourage you to reach out to Jenna Scharf, our Fort Myers & Naples relocation expert as she is glad to answer any questions you may have about the area, including the real estate market, housing prices and annual living costs.

About SW Florida

The Fort Myers area is one of the fastest growing areas in the entire state. With a population of just under 96,000, Fort Myers is home to top-rated beaches, a thriving business environment, local museums and attractions, as well as an active events and social scene. With an average temperature of 74 degrees year-round and 271 sunny days each year, Fort Myers offers its full-time residents an outdoor playground to enjoy activities such as kayaking, stand-up paddle-boarding, golf, boating and fishing.

Experience Fort Myers, some of our local attractions as well as the beauty of nearby Captiva and Sanibel Islands. Make sure your volume is on.



SW Florida Awards & Accolades

The Fort Myers and Naples areas commonly receive awards and accolades for its top-rated beaches, strong business climate, quality healthcare and overall high-quality of life. Below are recent mentions per year.



Top 10 Reasons to Relocate to Fort Myers & Naples

  1. Fort Myers is the Fastest-Growing Place in the U.S.
    According to a recent study performed by U.S. News & World Report, Fort Myers was recently ranked as the #1 fastest-growing place in the entire U.S. for 2024 - 2025. This study analyzed net migration to respective meto areas over the past five years. View the fastest-growing places ranking list.
  2. Naples & Fort Myers are "Best Places" to Live in Florida
    The Naples and Fort Myers areas have long been popular retirement destinations on Florida's west coast, but they are also some of the "Best Places" to live in the sunshine state. Recently, Naples and Fort Myers were ranked as the #1 and #5 Best Places to live in Florida by US News & World Report for 2025. Rankings are based upon an analysis of public data as well as user opinions. View the Best Places to Live in 2025 list.

    # City, State Average Home Price Average Age
    1 Naples, FL $585,137 66.9
    2 Sarasota, FL $447,812 49.8
    3 Pensacola, FL $260,309 39.1
    4 Tampa, FL $375,010 35.5
    5 Fort Myers, FL $353,983 40.6
      Average Home Prices as of Nov 1, 2024
  3. Fort Myers Real Estate Offers Good Value
    Both Fort Myers and Naples have gorgeous waterfront property, top-selling master-planned residential communities (Babcock Ranch in Fort Myers and Ave Maria in Naples) and high-rise condos with breathtaking views of the Gulf and natural Florida. The biggest difference between the two communities is the affordability of the real estate. At the start of November 2024, the median home price in Fort Myers is $353,983 whereas the median home price in Naples is over 200K more at $585,137 which makes Fort Myers a great value by comparison. For exact housing prices and a list of available homes matching your criteria, contact Jenna Scharf, our Fort Myers and Naples relocation expert listed on this page.
  4. SW Florida is the Ideal Outdoor Year-Round Playground
    SW Florida is the perfect destination for outdoor enthusiasts with an average temperature of 74 degrees year-round and 271 sunny days each year. If you enjoy a great workout in the Florida sunshine, try kayaking or stand-up paddle boarding through natural mangroves and experience Florida wild birds and abundant sea life. There’s also lots of waterways, local islands and sand bars to explore by boat. Lastly, if you prefer to improve your golf game, SW Florida has lots of popular community golf courses to check out.
  5. SW Florida Has a Strong Economy & Job Market
    The SW Florida employment and job market has been very strong post pandemic with a current unemployment at only 3.7%, well below the national average of 4.1% (Nov 2024). The top industries in the region include hospitality and tourism, healthcare, education, trades, retail and professional services. The biggest and largest employers in Lee and Collier counties include Lee Health System, county school districts, local city governments, Publix Supermarkets, Anthrex, ACI worldwide and ASG Technologies.
  6. Top-Rated Fort Myers & Captiva Island Beaches
    The beaches of SW Florida are among some of most beautiful and most popular in our state and are commonly top-ranked by TripAdvisor, USA Today and other ranking pulications. Fort Myers Beach, lined with its waterfront restaurants and open-air bars, is a popular beach attraction for many. Sanibel, and nearby Captiva Island to the north, are home to some of the best beaches in the world for shelling. Shelling is the art of locating, observing and collecting sea shells. Fort Myers Beach | Sanibel Beach.
  7. SW Florida Offers Great Dining Options
    The SW Florida area offers a full array of casual outdoor eateries to elegant, five-star restaurants. There are also many new, trendy craft breweries and beer gardens to visit. These locations offer a very casual environment, are typically pet-friendly and many even offer daily live entertainment. Downtown Fort Myers, Cape Coral (near the bridge), Fort Myers Beach and downtown Naples are some of these trendy places to check out!
  8. Fort Myers & Naples Have Endless Events to Check Out
    SW Florida offers its residents an active scene of year-round events, great musical performances and outdoor festivals to check out. In addition, there are also many popular community events that take place each year including Artfest Fort Myers, The Southwest Florida Music Festival, Crafts on the River, The Craft Beer & Music Festival, The Fort Myers Beach Pirate Fest, The Naples National Art Festival, Baconfest Naples, The Everglades Seafood Festival and many more!
  9. SW Florida Offers Top-Rated Healthcare
    When moving to SW Florida, it's important to know that you have quality healthcare available to you for both emergency and preventative care. The top-rated hospitals in Lee and Collier Counties respectively are NCH Healthcare System and Lee Memorial Hospital. Both commonly rank as best hospitals in the state of Florida each year.
  10. Fort Myers is a Great Small City to Start a Business
    With a growing population, Fort Myers makes a great small city to start a new business. In 2022, WalletHub ranked Fort Myers as the #5 best small city in the US (out of 1,300 small-sized cities) to start a business based upon 18 important factors including average growth, number of small businesses already in the area, investor access as well as the cost of local labor. View the best small cities to start a business rankings list.

Jenna Scharf

Realtor®

Your Fort Myers & Naples Relocation Expert

239-222-8104

Please mention Moving to Florida Guide when calling so I can track my marketing efforts. Thanks! Treeline Realty Logo
License # SL3339999

The Fort Myers & Naples Real Estate Market

Market outlook, trends and relocation advice by Jenna Scharf.

We have continued demand for housing here in the Fort Myers/Naples area as many are fleeing the Midwest, New York, and New Jersey for better weather and lifestyle. Our housing inventory in early October of 2024 is now back to a nearly balanced level of 5.4 months as sellers are beginning to list their homes once again, which is giving buyers more options. At the same time though, we are also seeing where buyer demand has decreased a bit as some buyers are more challenged, or hesitant, to purchase with the now higher interest rates, even though they have pulled back a bit from their recent peak.

Fort Myers / Naples Market Outlook

My outlook for the Fort Myers and SW Florida housing market for latter 2024 and early 2025 is that demand will continue to remain fairly strong as our seasonal snowbirds and vacationers will soon return for the winter and spring months, as they typically do. Even though we’re experiencing a slight pullback in buyer activity, we still have a decent number cash buyers already living here in Southwest Florida that want their own piece of paradise, in addition to those relocating here, albeit at a slower pace than we saw previously with the lower rates.

Market Trends I'm Observing

Based upon current economic conditions, I am now seeing whereby most homes are sitting on the market for roughly 45 days before selling, which means better negotiating power for buyers. I'm also seeing more buyers asking for money towards their closing costs. This money can then be used to buy down their interest rate if they like, either permanently or with a temporary buy down.

My Relocation Advice

The biggest piece of advice that I can give buyers is if you're thinking of buying, don't wait! If you're financing, be pre-approved and ready to go. Know how much money you'll need to put down and talk to your agent about strategic ways to make your offer more appealing to sellers. Also, keep in mind that having a mortgage is simply having a set housing cost, unlike renting, which is subject to market conditions and continues to rise each year. Marry the house, date the rate. Buyers can always refinance down the road if/when interest rates begin to fall.



Fort Myers & Naples Relocation Reviews:

Read what Jenna's past clients are saying.

  • "Jenna was fantastic in our search for the perfect home. We were shopping from our home in NJ and she cleared her weekend and had several listing lined up for us to look at once we got to Florida. She was flexible and we revised our search as the weekend progressed - she was able to line up new properties for us to view. At the end of the weekend we found our perfect home."
    Scot E.
    Home Buyer
  • Read more reviews
  • "Jenna was great as she spent an entire weekend helping us find a home. We flew down from Wisconsin and by the end of our 3 days together Jenna helped us buy a home. Through the whole process with us in Wisconsin, Jenna was our eyes and ears made our purchase as stress free as she could us being 1500 miles away. She was great im so glad we got to work with such a great young lady. Thanks Jenna!"
    Bob B.
    Home Buyer
  • "My wife and I would highly recommend Jenna Scharf. We were searching for a winter home in Fort Myers and we were several states away. When we narrowed our search, we flew down and Jenna took us to several homes. She was amazing and incredible crafting our offer and making it happen fast. We could not have done this without her!"
    Past Client
    Home Buyer

  • View All Fort Myers & Naples Relocation Reviews

Meet Jenna

Your Fort Myers Relocation Specialist

SW Florida Area Map

Your Guide to Understanding the Greater Fort Myers Area

The following map displays the popular regions of Fort Myers that people are relocating to. Further down this page, the top residential communities and neighborhoods are listed, as well as SW Florida's popular beaches and local airport. When you connect with Jenna Scharf, our Fort Myers relocation expert listed on this page, she can show you the best housing opportunities matching your lifestyle preference, needs and overall budget.

Your Guide to Fort Myers Real Estate, Beaches, Local Attractions & Area Employers

Fort Myers Real Estate

Below are the top communities of the greater Fort Myers area that people are moving to. Many offer boating access, golf and country club amenities.


Babcock Ranch
The Top Master-Planned Community in Fort Myers

Babcock Ranch, located east of I-75 in northeast Fort Myers, is the #3 best-selling community in Florida for 2023. Discover Babcock Ranch

solar powered buildings overlooking large florida lake Babcock Ranch town center

Top Communities in Fort Myers

  • Cascades at River Hall
  • Crown Colony Golf & Country Club
  • Reflection Lakes
  • Seven Lakes
  • Gulf Harbor Yacht & County Club
  • Sanibel View

Top Communities East of I-75 (Gateway Area)

  • Pelican Preserve
  • Botanica Lakes
  • Colonial Country Club
  • The Forum

Top Communities in Lehigh Acres

  • Country Club
  • Majestic Golf & Country Club
  • Town Lakes
  • Westminster Golf & Country Club

Top Communities in Estero

  • Wild Blue
  • Belle Lago
  • Shadow Wood Country Club
  • Pelican Sound
Expand Top Communities List

Top Communities in Bonita Springs

  • Audubon Country Club
  • Bonita Bay
  • Pelican Landing
  • Mediterra
  • Highland Woods Country Club
  • Cedar Creek

Top Communities in Fort Myers Beach

  • Siesta Isles
  • Palm Isles
  • Medallion Tides
  • Island Shores

Top Communities in Cape Coral

  • Emerald Cove
  • Tarpon Gardens
  • Palaco Grande
  • Belle Vida
  • Cape Royal
  • Savona

Top Communities on Sanibel Island

  • Sanibel Harbours
  • Sanibel Isles
  • Gulfside Place
  • Sanibel Estates

Top Communities on Captiva Island

  • Captiva Shores
  • Captiva Landings
  • South Seas
  • Captiva Village

Top Beaches in Fort Myers

SW Florida is home to many top-rated beach in the state including the following.

  • Sanibel Beach
  • Bowman's Beach
  • Captiva Beach
  • Fort Myers Beach
  • Naples Beach

Popular Fort Myers Area Attractions

  • Calusa Nature Ctr & Planetarium
  • JC Sightseeing River Cruises
  • Edison & Ford Winter Estates
  • Imaginarium Science Center
  • Everglades Wonder Gardens
  • Railroad Museum of South Florida
  • Sun Splash Waterpark
  • Zoomers Amusement Park

Fort Myers Shopping

The Fort Myers area has many brand name retail and specialty stores at popular, local shopping destinations including the following.


Fort Myers Dining

The Fort Myers area has many great casual and fine dining restaurants to enjoy out around the downtown River District and Fort Myers Beach including the following.

  • Capone's Coal Fired Pizza
  • Ford's Garage
  • The Standard
  • The Lodge
  • The Firestone
  • Izzy’s Fish & Oyster Bar

Fort Myers & Naples Employers

The Fort Myers area is home to many top companies in Lee County, and several are headquartered in the region. Also included are the largest companies in Lee and Collier County (to the south).

Top Medical Companies in Fort Myers & Naples

  • Arthrex
  • NCH Healthcare System
  • Lee Health System

Top Healthcare Companies in Fort Myers & Naples

  • Shell Point Retirement Cmty
  • Vi at Bentley Village
  • HOPE Hospice Healthcare

Top Hospitality Companies in Fort Myers & Naples

  • Ritz-Carlton Naples
  • Marriott International, Inc.
  • Naples Grande Beach Resort

Top Business Solution Companies in Fort Myers & Naples

  • Gartner, Inc.
  • Source Interlink Companies
  • Alorica, Inc.
  • LYNX Services

Top Technology Companies in Fort Myers & Naples

  • IT Vantage
  • Comcast
  • CenturyLink

Top Manufacturing Companies in Fort Myers & Naples

  • Shaw Development LLC
  • Raymond Building Supply
  • D&D Machine & Hydraulics, Inc.
  • TSO Products

Largest Companies in Lee County

  • Lee County School District
  • Lee County Administration
  • Lee Health System
  • Publix Super Markets
  • Chico's FAS, Inc.
  • Wal-Mart
  • Lee County Sheriff's Office
  • Florida Gulf Coast University
  • City of Fort Myers
  • Lee County Public Safety
  • Shell Point Retirement Comm.
  • Hope HealthCare Services
  • Target
  • Comcast

Largest Companies in Collier County

  • NCH Healthcare System
  • Collier County Public Schools
  • Publix Supermarkets
  • Arthrex Inc.
  • Comcast
  • Ritz-Carlton Naples
  • Garquilo Produce
  • Collier County Sheriff's Office
  • City of Fort Myers
  • Hope HealthCare Services
  • City of Naples
  • Marriott
  • Bentley Village
  • Naples Grande Beach Resort
  • Wal-Mart Stores

How Do Fort Myers and Naples Compare?

Click below to see how Fort Myers and Naples compare. Also check out our pages to discover Florida's west and east coasts.
Fort Myers vs Naples skyline images
Fort Myers vs. Naples    
tall condos overlooking marina on a sunny fl day
Discover Florida's West Coast
tall beach condos on the Atlantic costline
Discover Florida's East Coast