We are renting a house on a canal with a pool and dock in Marco Island for a family group in March for a price in the same range as NeoPatrick's sister paid several years ago.
It is not on the beach but within walking distance. It has five televisions and a billiard table. We don't watch much tv ourselves, but there is little night life in Marco, again as Neo said.
Beachfront property in Naples: when we still owned a condo there, a property on Gordon Drive was going for $55 million. There are houses on canals in North Naples that might fit your budget but they are not large enough to fit your party nor are they on the beach.
Naples, west of US 41 and south perhaps of Vanderbilt Beach Road is a very, very beautiful small city. It has areas that are charming like Old [sic] Naples, areas that are imposing like Gordon Drive, areas that are beautifully laid out and landscaped like Pelican Bay, and areas that might not be done that way again if they could start all over like the area from Venetian Village to Doctors Pass.
Within this area are museums and cultural activities (music and theater), great food, both funky and high end, epic shopping, fabulous beaches, and very little traffic IF you avoid 41.
These may not be the amenities you are looking for, but they are high value amenities that make Naples Worth the Price for many people. You are paying for more than the name.
In this area, there are, to my perhaps out of date knowledge, no miniature golf, water parks, go carts, traditional souvenir shops (plenty of tacky art, though), biker bars, surf shops, outlets, or many other things that a lot of people want on vacation. I am not knocking these just trying to characterize in a fairly neutral way how the areas west of 41 differ from traditional beach communities.
I don't know where you are from, but but I think Naples is comparable to Carmel; Petoskey, or Harbor Springs, Michigan; Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard; Mount Desert or Dark Harbor, Maine.
Hope this helps!
Thinking of Moving to Fort Myers or Naples?
Discover what living in SW Florida is like.
Learn How Hurricane Ian is Impacting Fort Myers Real Estate
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 92,245, 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.
- 2022
- 2021
- 2020
Top 10 Reasons to Relocate to Fort Myers & Naples
- Fort Myers is the Fastest Growing City in America
In 2020, Fort Myers was ranked as the #1 Fastest-Growing City in the entire US by WalletHub. This study was based upon 15 important factors of both growth and decline over a period of 7 years from over 515 cities nationwide. Since the 2010 census with a city population at 62,298, Fort Myers has now grown to 92,245 (2021 data) which represents an overall 48.1% population increase.
- Fort Myers & Naples are Very Safe Places to Live
The Naples and Fort Myers areas have long been popular retirement destinations on Florida's west coast, but they are also very safe places to live. Recently, Naples and Fort Myers were recently ranked as the #1 and #3 safest cities to live in the country by US News & World Report for 2022-23. These rankings are based upon crime reports per 100,000 people of U.S. metro areas. View safest cities rankings list.
"TOP 5" SAFEST PLACES
TO LIVE IN THE U.S.
IN 2022-23Safest Places to Live in the US (2022-23)
#City, StateAverage Home PriceAverage Age 1 Naples, FL $629,230 65.4 2 Port St. Lucie, FL $411,712 42.7 3 Fort Myers, FL $389,168 40.9 4 Portland, ME $501,738 36.5 5 Lakeland, FL $300,529 40.8 Average Home Prices as of Oct 2022.
- 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 end of Sept 2022, the median home price in Fort Myers is $389,168 whereas the median home price in Naples is over 200K more at $629,230 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.
- 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.
- SW Florida Has a Strong Economy & Job Market
The SW Florida employment and job market has been very strong in recent years with unemployment at only 3.7 percent. 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.
- Top-Rated Fort Myers & Captiva Island Beaches
The beaches of SW Florida are among some of most beautiful and most popular in our state. Fort Myers Beach, lined with its waterfront restaurants and open-air bars, was recently ranked the as the 14th best beach in the US by TripAdvisor (2018). Sanibel, and nearby Captiva to the north, are consistently ranked among some of the best in the world for shelling. Shelling is the art of locating, observing and collecting sea shells. Fort Myers Beach | Sanibel Beach.
- 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!
- 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!
- 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 were ranked in 2016 as best hospitals in the state of Florida. View U.S. News & World Report Rankings
- 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 2018, WalletHub ranked Fort Myers as the #10 Best small city in the US (out of 1,200 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.
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!
License # SL3339999
The Fort Myers & Naples Real Estate Market
Market outlook, trends and relocation advice by Jenna Scharf.
We have a big demand for housing here in the Fort Myers/Naples area. Many people are fleeing the Midwest, New York, and New Jersey for better weather and lifestyle! Our housing inventory remains very low of roughly a two month's supply. In a healthy, normal market, we would have about a six months' supply. Unfortunately, the low inventory is not something that can or will be resolved quickly and may take several years to normalize. As such, there's no sign of a drastic market change anytime soon.
In conjunction with the already high housing prices, rising interest rates are now simply making it unaffordable for many buyers and we are observing where many are simply just pulling out of the market. With SW Florida home prices achieving all-time highs this year, we're now seeing where buyers that CAN buy, WON'T buy, as they simply can't justify the current prices. I truly think we've hit our peak in the first half of 2022.
My Outlook Heading into 2023
My outlook for the Fort Myers and SW Florida housing market, post Hurricane Ian, and heading into 2023 is that housing demand will continue to remain strong. As Hurricane Ian took a toll on our coastal areas of Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach, I expect to see a stronger preference for homes located in non-flood prone areas (east of US 41) as well as a newer construction homes as they are engineered for the strongest hurricane winds. Also, as interest rates have risen multiple times this year, I expect to see homes sitting on the market a little longer and for listing prices to slowly pull back a bit. Although price reductions likely won’t be significant, it’s a good sign of the change to come to help us get back to a more normal and balanced market.
Market Trends I'm Observing
Over the past couple of months, I've noticed many more financed offers getting accepted. My listings have also had fewer cash buyers mixed into the competition. This is a great sign overall for younger buyers and families that have had a hard time competing against the all-cash offer. Another positive sign of a shifting market!
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. Even with interest rates rising, they are still historically low by comparison. It's still a great time to buy and to achieve your goal of home ownership!
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 a top-selling community in the state of Florida. Discover Babcock Ranch
Babcock Ranch Entrance Sign
Babcock Ranch from Above
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
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 Beaches in Ft 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
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.
Fort Myers Relocation 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!" "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!"
View all Fort Myers Relocation Reviews
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