Living in Cortez, Florida
Cortez is an unincorporated community in Manatee County, with about 5,205 people.1 It feels suburban, at 2,333 people per square mile.1,3
Unincorporated: there's no city government; Manatee County provides roads, zoning and law enforcement.
Nearest 24-hour emergency room
Manatee Memorial Hospital, in Bradenton, about 6 miles away.2
Straight-line distance from the town's center; driving is longer. Freestanding ERs and urgent care aren't counted.
Life in Tampa Bay
The region's big-city option.
Hazards: Storm surge is the big one. The bay is shallow and funnel-shaped, so even a storm passing offshore can flood it: Hurricane Helene's eye stayed about 100 miles out in 2024, yet it drove up to 8 feet of water onto the Pinellas barrier islands, and 12 people died there.4,5
Visitor information
Manatee County's official tourism office: Bradenton Gulf Islands.6 Ask about local events, things to do and a free visitor guide, if they offer one.
Read the free Tampa Bay preview, including the region's state-certified visitor centers.
The full Cortez town card
Choosing Your Place has the complete card for Cortez and 779 other places:
- How its home values, rent, age and income compare with the rest of Tampa Bay
- Household income, and how many ER hospitals are within 15 miles
- The nearest airline airport and the nearest big airport
- The full region profile, side-by-side compare and the monthly-cost calculator
Other places in Manatee County
- Bradenton · 57,014 people · home value $309,400
- Lakewood Ranch · 43,945 people · home value $678,200
- South Bradenton · 25,990 people · home value $167,200
- Bayshore Gardens · 18,131 people · home value $181,400
- Palmetto · 13,588 people · home value $313,400
- Memphis · 9,185 people · home value $313,800
- Longboat Key · 7,539 people · home value $1,022,100
- West Samoset · 7,429 people · home value $212,800
- Samoset · 5,284 people · home value $196,800
- Ellenton · 5,133 people · home value $281,400
"Median" means half are above and half below. Figures are U.S. Census Bureau estimates for Cortez as a Census-defined place; the area a mailing address calls Cortez can be larger.
Notes
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024
- CMS Hospital General Information (Care Compare)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer files (places)
- Pinellas County QuickFacts (U.S. Census Bureau)
- Helene's storm surge in Pinellas (WUSF)
- County tourism office websites, each opened or confirmed 2026-11-05