Cape Coral vs Fort Myers compared
Cape Coral and Fort Myers sit on opposite banks of the Caloosahatchee River in Lee County, so several rows are shared: the same county insurance average, the same 6.5% sales tax, the same metro job market and the same nearby weather station. The differences are in prices, rents, city tax rates, commutes and the kind of housing each city is built around.
| Cape Coral | Fort Myers | |
|---|---|---|
| Zillow typical home value (Aug 2026) | $335,825 | $305,650 |
| 1-year change in value | -3.9% | -5.0% |
| Zillow typical rent (Aug 2026) | $1,949/mo | $1,745/mo |
| Property tax | 15.3806 mills total (2025) | 16.5034 mills total (2025) |
| Sales tax (2026) | 6.5% | 6.5% |
| Insurance context: Citizens HO-3 average, Lee County | $3,322 (Lee) | $3,322 (Lee) |
| Population (Census, July 2025) | 236,264 | 101,581 |
| Median household income (ACS 2020-24) | $78,104 | $63,732 |
| Average commute (ACS 2020-24) | 29.9 min | 25.2 min |
| Climate: Jan / Jul average high | 75.0°F / 91.6°F | 75.0°F / 91.6°F |
| Days a year at 90°F or hotter | 120.3 | 120.3 |
| Jobs | Cape Coral-Fort Myers metro: 311,300 nonfarm jobs (Aug 2026), +0.5% on the year; unemployment 5.2% (Jul 2026) | Cape Coral-Fort Myers metro: 311,300 nonfarm jobs (Aug 2026), +0.5% on the year; unemployment 5.2% (Jul 2026) |
Both millage figures are the totals for each city's main taxing district in the Lee County Property Appraiser's 2025 millage book. Parcels in other fire or special districts can differ slightly.
How the two cities differ on each factor
Home prices
Fort Myers is cheaper at the typical level. Zillow's typical value in August 2026 was $305,650 in Fort Myers and $335,825 in Cape Coral, about $30,175 apart. The Census owner-reported medians for 2020 to 2024 run the other way ($384,500 in Fort Myers, $373,500 in Cape Coral), which reflects the different mix of homes and condos in each city. Compare specific property types rather than city averages. Canal homes are covered on the Cape Coral waterfront homes page.
Price trend
Both markets have been falling. Fort Myers values dropped 5.0% in the year to August 2026 and Cape Coral's dropped 3.9%. Over five years Cape Coral is up only 3.5% and Fort Myers 9.3%, the two lowest five-year gains among the 23 Florida cities in Zillow's 200 largest US cities. For buyers that means more choice and room to negotiate; for sellers it means pricing carefully. The Cape Coral housing market page has monthly sale speed and inventory.
Rent
Typical rent was $1,949 a month in Cape Coral and $1,745 in Fort Myers. Cape Coral rents rose 1.0% on the year while Fort Myers rents fell 1.1%, widening the gap to about $204 a month.
Property tax rate
Cape Coral's main district paid 15.3806 mills in 2025 and Fort Myers' paid 16.5034. The city levies themselves were 5.1471 and 6.5 mills. On each city's typical value, a first-year homestead bill comes to about $4,522 in Cape Coral and $4,344 in Fort Myers ($5,165 and $5,044 without homestead). Fort Myers' lower values more than offset its higher rate. The Lee County property tax guide lists every city's rate.
Assessments outside the millage
Cape Coral bills also carry fire, solid waste and stormwater assessments that are not part of the millage, and areas reached by the city's Utilities Extension Project can carry special assessments for water and sewer lines. These can add meaningfully to the annual bill, so ask for the parcel's full tax bill and any payoff balance. Our Cape Coral utility assessments guide explains how they work. For a Fort Myers home, check the non-ad valorem section of the Lee County tax bill too.
Insurance and flood
Both cities share Lee County's Citizens average: $3,322 for a multi-peril homeowners policy on policies in force at April 30, 2025, with a recommended cut to $3,072 for 2026. That is close to the statewide Citizens average of $3,506. The bigger difference is site by site: canal lots, riverfront streets and low areas carry more flood exposure than higher inland ground. Check the FEMA zone, elevation certificate and the house's first-floor height. The Cape Coral flood zones page covers local maps.
Jobs
The two cities share the Cape Coral-Fort Myers metro, which had about 311,300 nonfarm jobs in August 2026, up about 1,500 on the year, with July unemployment at 5.2%. Fort Myers is the Lee County seat, so county government offices are on its side of the river. Southwest Florida International Airport, in the South Fort Myers area of unincorporated Lee County, handled about 11.2 million passengers in 2025.
Commute
Cape Coral residents have the longer average commute: 29.9 minutes against 25.2 in Fort Myers, according to the Census Bureau. Cape Coral is largely residential and many residents cross the river bridges to work, so test the drive at peak hours from the part of the Cape you are considering.
Climate
Weather is effectively the same. The nearest long-record station, Fort Myers Page Field, averages a January high of 75.0°F, a July high of 91.6°F and about 120 days a year at 90°F or more, with 57.41 inches of rain, most of it in summer.
Water and layout
Cape Coral was founded in 1957 and covers about 120 square miles laid out around more than 400 miles of navigable canals, so many homes have a dock behind them. Fort Myers is the older city, with a downtown river district on the Caloosahatchee. The choice often comes down to whether you want a canal lot or a more traditional town layout; see Gulf-access homes for how canal access types differ.
Size, growth and income
Cape Coral is more than twice the size, with 236,264 residents in July 2025 against 101,581 in Fort Myers. Since the 2020 base Cape Coral grew about 21.8% and Fort Myers about 17.5%. Median household income for 2020 to 2024 was $78,104 in Cape Coral and $63,732 in Fort Myers.
Monthly cost of owning in each city
Using 10% down at 7.03% (Freddie Mac, September 24, 2026), estimated 2025 homestead tax and the Lee County Citizens recommended average:
| Per month | Cape Coral | Fort Myers |
|---|---|---|
| Principal and interest | $2,017 | $1,836 |
| Property tax with homestead | $377 | $362 |
| Homeowners insurance | $256 | $256 |
| Total before assessments and flood cover | $2,650 | $2,454 |
Fort Myers comes out about $196 a month lower on these figures. Cape Coral's fire, solid waste and stormwater assessments, and any utility assessment, would add to its column.
What is the 50% rule in Cape Coral?
The 50% rule is the federal flood-plain standard for "substantial improvement" and "substantial damage", enforced by the City of Cape Coral's building division. If the cost of improvements, or of restoring a damaged building to its before-damage condition, equals or exceeds 50% of the market value of the structure, the whole building must be brought up to current flood rules, which can mean elevating it. The cost counts all work needed to fully repair the structure. The threshold comes from National Flood Insurance Program rules, so ask the Fort Myers building department how it applies to a home there too. Before buying an older, lower home in either city, ask what its structure value is and how close past repairs came to the threshold.
Are people moving out of Cape Coral or Fort Myers?
Not on net. Census estimates show Cape Coral rising from 233,108 to 236,264 and Fort Myers from 100,153 to 101,581 between July 2024 and July 2025. The pressures people mention are measurable, though: prices down 3.9% to 5.0% on the year, insurance averages above $3,000 at Citizens, and flood rebuilding rules. Read Is Cape Coral a good place to live for a fuller look at the trade-offs.
Cape Coral or Fort Myers: weigh your priorities
- Lower typical price: Fort Myers, by about $30,175.
- Lower rent: Fort Myers, by about $204 a month.
- Lower millage: Cape Coral, though its separate assessments narrow the gap.
- Shorter average commute: Fort Myers.
- Canal and dock access: Cape Coral.
- Downtown and county offices close by: Fort Myers.
- Insurance, sales tax, jobs and weather: essentially the same.
Price two homes of the same age and size, one in each city, including the full tax bill and a flood quote. That comparison will tell you more than any citywide average. We can connect you with a local agent who works both sides of the river.
Common questions
What's nicer, Cape Coral or Fort Myers?+
That is a matter of what you want, not a data question. Cape Coral offers canal living, a lower 2025 millage and newer, mostly residential neighborhoods. Fort Myers offers lower typical prices ($305,650 against $335,825), lower rent, a shorter average commute and an older downtown on the river. Insurance, jobs and weather are shared.
Why are people moving out of Cape Coral?+
Census estimates show Cape Coral still gaining residents, from 233,108 in 2024 to 236,264 in 2025. Those who leave are not surveyed, but visible pressures include falling values (down 3.9% on the year), a Lee County Citizens average premium of $3,322, utility and other assessments on tax bills, and flood rebuilding rules.
What is the 50 rule in Cape Coral?+
It is the 50% substantial improvement or substantial damage rule. If repairs or improvements cost 50% or more of the building's market value, the City of Cape Coral requires the whole structure to meet current flood-plain rules, which can mean elevating it or rebuilding. The cost includes everything needed to restore the building to its before-damage condition.
Why are people moving out of Fort Myers, FL?+
Fort Myers is growing on Census estimates, from 100,153 residents in July 2024 to 101,581 in July 2025. People's reasons for leaving are not measured. The cost side is: Zillow's typical value fell 5.0% on the year, Lee County insurance averages are above $3,000 at Citizens, and the 2025 millage was 16.5034.
Is Cape Coral or Fort Myers cheaper?+
Fort Myers, on both buying and renting. Zillow's typical value in August 2026 was $305,650 against $335,825 in Cape Coral, and typical rent was $1,745 against $1,949. Cape Coral's millage is lower, but its bills also carry fire, solid waste, stormwater and sometimes utility assessments.
Do Cape Coral and Fort Myers share an airport?+
Yes. Southwest Florida International Airport, in the South Fort Myers area of unincorporated Lee County, serves both cities along with the Naples and Punta Gorda areas. It handled about 11.2 million passengers in 2025, a record for the airport.
Sources
- Zillow Research: ZHVI and ZORI data, August 2026
- US Census Bureau: City and town population estimates, Vintage 2025
- Census Reporter: ACS 2020-2024 median household income, gross rent and home value (B19013, B25064, B25077)
- Census Reporter: ACS 2020-2024 aggregate travel time and workers (B08013, B08303), used for average commute
- NOAA NCEI: 1991-2020 annual climate normals
- NOAA NCEI: 1991-2020 monthly climate normals
- BLS: Cape Coral-Fort Myers metro nonfarm employment (CES)
- BLS: Cape Coral-Fort Myers metro unemployment rate (LAUS)
- Citizens Property Insurance: 2026 recommended rate filing, average HO-3 premium by county (December 10, 2025)
- Florida Department of Revenue: Discretionary sales surtax rates, calendar year 2026 (DR-15DSS)
- Florida Department of Revenue: Sales and use tax
- Lee County Property Appraiser: 2025 taxing district millage book
- Florida Department of Revenue: 2025 municipal report (city millage by municipality)
- Florida Department of Revenue: Additional homestead exemption CPI adjustment
- Freddie Mac: Primary Mortgage Market Survey (30-year fixed 7.03%, September 24, 2026)
- City of Cape Coral: Flood protection (substantial improvement and damage, 50% rule)
- City of Cape Coral: Tax billed assessments (non-ad valorem)
- Wikipedia: Cape Coral, Florida (founding, area, canals)
- Wikipedia: Fort Myers, Florida
- Wikipedia: Southwest Florida International Airport (2025 passengers)