Region preview · 2027 Edition

Moving to Southwest Florida: what to know

Gulf beaches, warm dry winters and an older population. The region runs down the Gulf coast from Sarasota to Naples, with fast-growing inland towns such as North Port, Port Charlotte and Cape Coral.^3,4,5,6

Counties: Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee, Collier. Includes Sarasota, North Port, Port Charlotte, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples.

75° / 54°¹January high / low, Fort Myers

92° / 75°¹July high / low

57 in¹rain a year, wettest June to August

$362,200²median home value, Lee County

29.2%²aged 65 and over, Lee County

$76,107²median household income

Weather

Winters are mild and dry, November through April.⁷ Summers are hot and humid, with frequent afternoon thunderstorms in the rainy season. Freezes are rare.⁸¹

Storms and hazards

Storm surge is the biggest risk: Hurricane Ian came ashore in Lee County as a Category 4 in 2022, and Milton made landfall near Siesta Key in 2024.^7,9
Low coastal and canal neighborhoods flood, so flood insurance matters well beyond the beach.¹⁰
Red tide reaches Gulf beaches in some years and can irritate breathing.¹¹

See every hurricane near Southwest Florida since 1851, mapped

Who it suits

Our judgment, from the facts in the full profile.

Retirees and part-year residents
Boaters, anglers and beach people
Anyone who wants mild winters with no freezes

A few things to see

Siesta Key Beach: powder-white quartz sand⁹
The Ringling Museum and Ca' d'Zan, Sarasota^4,6
Edison and Ford Winter Estates, Fort Myers^1,5

Only in Florida

A state park in Estero preserves the village of a group that believed we all live on the inside of a hollow Earth.¹² They moved down from Chicago in 1894, about 200 strong.

Visitor information

The official, non-commercial places to ask about things to do, events and local services.^13,14 Many tourism offices also offer a free visitor guide.

County tourism offices

Collier County: Florida's Paradise Coast (Collier County)
Lee County: Visit Fort Myers (Lee County)
Charlotte County: Pure Florida (Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach)
Sarasota County: Visit Sarasota County

State-certified visitor information centers

Visit Sarasota County Downtown Visitor Center, 1945 Fruitville Road, Sarasota
Southwest Florida International Airport Visitor Information Center, 11000 Terminal Access Road, Fort Myers
Visit Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach Visitor Information Center, 1700 Tamiami Trail, Ste G-2, Port Charlotte
Sanibel-Captiva Islands Chamber Visitor Information Center, 1159 Causeway Road, Sanibel
Edison Ford Winter Estates Visitor Information Center, 2350 McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers

The full Southwest Florida profile is in Choosing Your Place

Every county's people, income, home value and rent
Costs, insurance, hospitals, getting around, jobs, culture and history
88 town cards for this region, each with home value, rent, median age and the nearest 24-hour ER and airport
Side-by-side compare with any other region, and the monthly-cost calculator

Get Choosing Your Place · $9.99 What's inside

Moving here for sure? Living Here & Staying Ready has Southwest Florida's county emergency and special-needs numbers, and a household plan. Get the Complete Edition for $19.99.

Written by Charles Squires, North Port, Florida. 40 years living in Florida, in eight places.

I've lived in Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte and North Port, where I live now, and called on schools from Sarasota to Fort Myers and Naples.

More about the author and how this manual is made

Towns in Southwest Florida

Free basics for each of the 88 places with 1,000 or more people: home value, rent and the nearest ER.

Alva · Ave Maria · Bee Ridge · Berkshire Lakes · Bokeelia · Bonita Springs · Buckingham · Burnt Store Marina · Cape Coral · Charlotte Harbor · Charlotte Park · Cleveland · Cypress Lake · Desoto Lakes · Englewood · Estero · Florida Gulf Coast University · Fort Myers · Fort Myers Beach · Fort Myers Shores · Fruitville · Gateway · Golden Gate · Grove City · Gulf Gate · Harbour Heights · Harlem Heights · Immokalee · Iona · Island Walk · Kensington Park · Lake Sarasota · Laurel · Lehigh Acres · Lely · Lely Resort · Lochmoor Waterway Estates · Manasota Key · Marco Island · McGregor · Naples · Naples Manor · Naples Park · Nokomis · North Fort Myers · North Port · North Sarasota · Old Miakka · Olga · Orangetree · Osprey · Palmer Ranch · Palmona Park · Pelican Bay · Pelican Marsh · Pine Island Center · Pine Manor · Pine Ridge CDP (Collier County) · Plantation · Port Charlotte · Punta Gorda · Punta Rassa · Ridge Wood Heights · Rotonda · San Carlos Park · Sanibel · Sarasota · Sarasota Springs · Siesta Key · South Gate Ridge · South Sarasota · South Venice · Southgate · St. James City · Suncoast Estates · The Meadows · Three Oaks · Tice · Vamo · Venice · Venice Gardens · Verandah · Verona Walk · Villas · Vineyards · Warm Mineral Springs · Whiskey Creek · Winding Cypress

Other regions: Tampa Bay · Central Florida · Heartland · North Central Florida · Northeast Florida · Space Coast and Daytona · Southeast Florida · Florida Keys · Big Bend and Nature Coast · Panhandle