Cape Coral back to Community Profiles
IPIX 360° Images: Four Mile Cove
Surrounded by water, Cape Coral's natural beauty provides the perfect setting for fishing and boating enthusiasts. The Cape's extensive system of waterways for boating and sightseeing, includes more than 400 miles of saltwater and freshwater canals, lakes, basins and stunning Intracoastal waterfront areas.
Cape Coral also offers some of the best golf in the area. From top rated championship courses to the more relaxed "executive" courses, golfers will find a course to challenge every skill level. For the tennis buff, fine facilities throughout the city provide a range of options for an invigorating day on the court.
Known as an ideal location for family fun, Cape Coral offers a water park, a family sports amusement center, and a children's science center that truly makes learning fun. Visitors enthusiastically explore a diverse collection of local wares, from unique specialty shops to well-known national favorites. They round out the day dining at fabulous area restaurants that specialize in ethnic foods.
Whether you stay at a hotel, motel or private home, you'll find that this growing community maintains a friendly, small-town atmosphere, one which invites visitors to discover a wealth of exhilarating activities and attractions.
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City Profile & Demographics |
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Cape Coral is the most populous city between Tampa and Miami. More than 62 percent of the population is between the ages of 15-64 and residents under 25 outnumber residents over 65. Southwest Florida's 18-24 age group is growing at a faster rate than the state of Florida and almost triple that of the United States. |
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PERMANENT POPULATION* |
MEDIAN AGE** |
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Cape Coral |
2000 |
2005 |
2010 |
1980 |
1990 |
2000 |
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102,286 |
149,324 |
209,324 |
50.0 |
39.9 |
41.6 |
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FUNCTIONAL POPULATION PROJECTIONS* |
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Cape Coral |
2005 |
2010 |
2015 |
2020 |
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176,202 |
236,202 |
296,202 |
356,202 |
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RACE DISTRIBUTION** |
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Cape Coral |
White |
Black |
Asian |
Hispanic* |
Some Other Race |
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93.0 |
2.0 |
.9 |
8.3 |
2.2 |
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Hispanic is an Ethnic group and includes other races. Totals are not equal to 100%. |
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GENDER |
FEMALE |
MALE |
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Cape Coral |
1980 |
1990 |
2000 |
1980 |
1990 |
2000 |
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17,820 |
38,842 |
52,702 |
16,324 |
36,149 |
49,584 |
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AGE DISTRIBUTION** |
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Cape Coral |
0 to 14 |
15 to 24 |
25 to 44 |
45 to 64 |
65+ |
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18.8% |
9.5% |
26.8% |
25.3% |
19.6% |
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PERSONAL INCOME |
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD** |
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Cape Coral |
1980 |
1990 |
2000 |
2005 |
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$19,288 |
$33,999 |
$43,410 |
$54,100 |
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LABOR STATISTICS**** |
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Cape Coral |
Labor Force |
Persons Employed |
Persons Unemployed |
Unemployment Rate |
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70,273 |
68,489 |
1,784 |
2.5% |
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*Population statistics and projections provided by City of Cape Coral Economic Development Office. Functional population is a combination of both permanent and seasonal residents and is the figure used for long range planning.
**Median Age, Race Distribution, Gender, Age Distribution from U.S. Census 2000.
***Personal Income/Median Household from U.S. Census 2000 and City of Cape Coral Department of Community Development.
****Labor Statistics from State of Florida, Dept. of Labor & Employment Security as of December 2004. |
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Workforce & Education:
Florida's community colleges rank No. 1 in retaining and graduating students and have performed significantly higher in retaining and graduating students than the other 15 Southern states in the SREB* district, including Texas, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia.
(*Southern Regional Education Board, December 2002)
The total labor force in the tri-county area of Lee, Charlotte and Collier is about 389,200. With several regional colleges and universities, businesses have a large pool of skilled workers. |
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SCHOOL ENROLLMENT PROJECTS |
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2005 |
2010 |
2015 |
2020 |
2025 |
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K-5 |
8,898 |
10,895 |
13,161 |
15,284 |
17,159 |
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6-8 |
4,694 |
5,747 |
6,942 |
8,062 |
9,051 |
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9-12 |
5,153 |
6,309 |
7,622 |
8,851 |
9,937 |
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Cost of Living |
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COST OF LIVING COMPARISONS |
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Metro Area |
Composite Score |
Housing Index |
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Atlanta, GA |
95.9% |
90.1% |
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Boston, MA |
135.9% |
180.5% |
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Cape Coral, FL |
106.4% |
107.3% |
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Charlotte, NC |
94.7% |
87.8% |
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Chicago, IL |
132.8% |
177.4% |
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Cleveland, OH |
104.5% |
97.9% |
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Philadelphia, PA |
N/A |
N/A |
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San Diego, CA |
137.6% |
197.3% |
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Sarasota, FL |
106.0% |
115.1% |
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New York, NY |
217.2% |
399.8% |
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Tampa, FL |
97.3% |
92.0% |
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Washington, DC |
134.8% |
188.9% |
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West Palm Beach, FL |
106.9% |
105.9% |
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Source: American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association; Urban Area Index; Second Quarter 2003, Published August 2003. N/A – Not Available |
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Housing Costs |
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Cape Coral has one of the nation’s hottest housing markets. The City issued more than 3,400 single-family housing permits in 2003. |
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MEDIAN SALES PRICE OF EXISTING SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES |
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CITY |
2002 |
2003 |
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Atlanta |
$146,500 |
$151,400 |
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Cape Coral/Fort Myers |
$133,600 |
$152,900 |
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Baltimore |
$179,600 |
$204,200 |
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Chicago |
$220,900 |
$241,900 |
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Newark |
$300,500 |
$328,900 |
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Los Angeles |
$286,000 |
$337,200 |
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Crime Index Information |
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Cape Coral is one of the safest cities in Florida, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. To view the most recent crime statistics, click here. |
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Why Choose Cape Coral, Florida? |
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Cape Coral is one of the largest master-planned communities in the nation. Founded in 1970, the city was designed to be a “water wonderland” that is strategically located between Tampa and Miami. The Cape is a widely renowned place to live and is a vibrant and youthful city, where businesses thrive, and life is rich with educational, cultural and recreational opportunities. Cape Coral is home to more than 138,000 residents, 4,000 businesses and the growth continues.
The Cape Coral Economic Development Office is available to assist owners in establishing a successful business, provide information on incentives, property location and direction as they navigate through the relocation and construction process.
Cape Coral Economic Development Office
Local: (239) 574-0444 Toll Free: 1-866-573-3089
Top Reasons Why Cape Coral Is the Right Fit
For Your Business
• Momentous Growth! Your market is here! Cape Coral is the fastest growing city in the Eastern United States and Florida for populations over 100,000. The growth rate for business is 12 percent.
• Strategic Location: Cape Coral is the midpoint city between Tampa and Miami. Almost 75 percent of Florida’s population is within 150 miles of Cape Coral and easily accessible via I-75. The Cape is 10 miles from I-75 and close to U.S. 41. Southwest Florida International airport is only 15 miles away.
• Youthful, Educated Labor force: About 55 percent of the population is age 44 or younger, and the median age is 41. The fastest growing population segment in Cape Coral is among the 18-24 age group. Businesses can choose from a pool of more than 383,000 skilled workers from the tri-county area.
• Investment Opportunities: With a total of 115 square miles of land, Cape Coral is the 3rd largest city in Florida in terms of land mass. The city offers three distinct investment zones (City Centrum, Pine Island Corridor and Downtown CRA), which have more than 70 square miles of unimproved land and two Free Trade Zones.
• Resource Availability: Aggressive plans are in place to provide water/sewer/irrigation. Telecom companies provide fiber optics and other advanced services all over the Cape. The Reverse Osmosis plant in Cape Coral offers a safe and reliable supply of potable water. Roadways are established, and traffic flows easily. In fact, the Cape Coral/Ft. Myers area was ranked No. 5 in the 2003 America’s Most Drivable Cities report by MSN House & Home.
• Affordable Cost of Living: The City of Cape Coral (as with all of Florida) has no personal income tax. Reasonably priced housing is available with the median house price is $200,483. Residents enjoy low taxes, efficient City services and a good economic climate.
• Quality of Life / Waterfront Living: Take pleasure in the Cape Coral lifestyle. The city has 400 miles of freshwater and saltwater canals, gulf access, waterfront sports, community activities and low crime rates. Cape Coral is the third safest city in Florida for populations over 100,000 according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
• Emerging clusters: Businesses and industries, such as aerospace, marine fabrication, defense contracting, transportation and the business services sector, make their home in Cape Coral.
• Pro-Business Attitude: The City of Cape Coral’s Economic Development Office works to create a pro-business climate that helps businesses to succeed and grow in an explosive market. For the second consecutive year, corporate real estate executives rank Florida as the 2nd best state offering a pro-business climate. (Site Selection, Nov/2002) and the Cape Coral/Ft. Myers area is ranked No. 3 on the Milken Institute’s 2003 list of Best Performing Cities Where Jobs are Created. |
