HousingPermits

Metro area in Florida · part of the Cape Coral-Fort Myers-Naples, FL combined area

Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL

The Cape Coral-Fort Myers metro area authorized 13,547 new housing units in 2025, the second-largest total of the 55 metro areas of 500,000 to 999,999 residents. Relative to population, the rate was 15.5 units per 1,000 residents in 2025, the fourth-highest rate of the 387 US metro areas. The housing bust cut annual permits by 97%, from 29,330 at the 2004–2006 high to 944 in 2009, the fourth-deepest drop among the 387 US metro areas.

08,00016k24k32k2004: 20,395 units (14,958 single-family, 1,423 in 2–4 unit, 4,014 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 29,330 units (22,211 single-family, 222 in 2–4 unit, 6,897 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 18,746 units (14,700 single-family, 227 in 2–4 unit, 3,819 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 5,905 units (4,356 single-family, 76 in 2–4 unit, 1,473 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 1,602 units (1,216 single-family, 54 in 2–4 unit, 332 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 944 units (906 single-family, 24 in 2–4 unit, 14 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 1,276 units (1,175 single-family, 16 in 2–4 unit, 85 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 1,587 units (1,262 single-family, 62 in 2–4 unit, 263 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 2,043 units (1,806 single-family, 116 in 2–4 unit, 121 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 3,176 units (2,531 single-family, 208 in 2–4 unit, 437 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 4,095 units (3,112 single-family, 233 in 2–4 unit, 750 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 6,879 units (3,819 single-family, 218 in 2–4 unit, 2,842 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 5,417 units (4,092 single-family, 362 in 2–4 unit, 963 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 6,954 units (4,841 single-family, 413 in 2–4 unit, 1,700 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 9,721 units (5,803 single-family, 691 in 2–4 unit, 3,227 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 9,105 units (5,633 single-family, 526 in 2–4 unit, 2,946 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 10,673 units (6,828 single-family, 556 in 2–4 unit, 3,289 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 13,394 units (11,020 single-family, 639 in 2–4 unit, 1,735 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 13,621 units (9,145 single-family, 369 in 2–4 unit, 4,107 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 13,556 units (8,654 single-family, 319 in 2–4 unit, 4,583 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 15,411 units (10,554 single-family, 171 in 2–4 unit, 4,686 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 13,547 units (9,962 single-family, 200 in 2–4 unit, 3,385 in 5+ unit buildings)200420072010201320162019202220252005 high · 29,330015k30k45k2004: 20,395 units (14,958 single-family, 1,423 in 2–4 unit, 4,014 in 5+ unit buildings)2005: 29,330 units (22,211 single-family, 222 in 2–4 unit, 6,897 in 5+ unit buildings)2006: 18,746 units (14,700 single-family, 227 in 2–4 unit, 3,819 in 5+ unit buildings)2007: 5,905 units (4,356 single-family, 76 in 2–4 unit, 1,473 in 5+ unit buildings)2008: 1,602 units (1,216 single-family, 54 in 2–4 unit, 332 in 5+ unit buildings)2009: 944 units (906 single-family, 24 in 2–4 unit, 14 in 5+ unit buildings)2010: 1,276 units (1,175 single-family, 16 in 2–4 unit, 85 in 5+ unit buildings)2011: 1,587 units (1,262 single-family, 62 in 2–4 unit, 263 in 5+ unit buildings)2012: 2,043 units (1,806 single-family, 116 in 2–4 unit, 121 in 5+ unit buildings)2013: 3,176 units (2,531 single-family, 208 in 2–4 unit, 437 in 5+ unit buildings)2014: 4,095 units (3,112 single-family, 233 in 2–4 unit, 750 in 5+ unit buildings)2015: 6,879 units (3,819 single-family, 218 in 2–4 unit, 2,842 in 5+ unit buildings)2016: 5,417 units (4,092 single-family, 362 in 2–4 unit, 963 in 5+ unit buildings)2017: 6,954 units (4,841 single-family, 413 in 2–4 unit, 1,700 in 5+ unit buildings)2018: 9,721 units (5,803 single-family, 691 in 2–4 unit, 3,227 in 5+ unit buildings)2019: 9,105 units (5,633 single-family, 526 in 2–4 unit, 2,946 in 5+ unit buildings)2020: 10,673 units (6,828 single-family, 556 in 2–4 unit, 3,289 in 5+ unit buildings)2021: 13,394 units (11,020 single-family, 639 in 2–4 unit, 1,735 in 5+ unit buildings)2022: 13,621 units (9,145 single-family, 369 in 2–4 unit, 4,107 in 5+ unit buildings)2023: 13,556 units (8,654 single-family, 319 in 2–4 unit, 4,583 in 5+ unit buildings)2024: 15,411 units (10,554 single-family, 171 in 2–4 unit, 4,686 in 5+ unit buildings)2025: 13,547 units (9,962 single-family, 200 in 2–4 unit, 3,385 in 5+ unit buildings)2004200820122016202020252005 high · 29,330

Single-family2–4 units5+ units

Boom, bust and since

Cape Coral authorized the most units in 2005 (29,330); 2025 reached 46% of that. Its peak year is shared by 105 other metro areas, among them Lakeland, El Paso, Allentown. The 2021–2025 pace of 13,906 units a year is 39% below the 2004–2006 pace. Permits rose 6 years in a row up to 2015. From 2024 to 2025 the count fell 12%.

Busiest permit offices

Across the metro area, 7 permit offices authorized new housing in 2021–2025. The busiest was Lee County (unincorporated), with 36,752 units or 53% of the total, followed by Cape Coral with 19,945. Among the three largest, Fort Myers put 79% of its units in five-plus buildings, Lee County (unincorporated) 16%.

  • Lee County (unincorporated)53% (36,752 units)
  • Cape Coral29% (19,945 units)
  • Fort Myers11% (7,615 units)
  • Bonita Springs4.5% (3,152 units)
  • Estero village2.2% (1,561 units)
  • Fort Myers Beach town0.5% (315 units)
  • Sanibel0.3% (189 units)

Share of the units authorized in the metro area, 2021–2025.

The wider Cape Coral-Fort Myers-Naples region

The Census Bureau groups Cape Coral with one neighboring metro area in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers-Naples, FL combined area. Metro areas in it authorized 18,338 units a year in 2021–2025 (micropolitan parts not counted); Cape Coral accounted for 76%. The other, with its yearly average: Naples (4,432).

Houses or apartments

In Cape Coral, 71% of the units authorized in 2021–2025 were single-family houses and 27% were in buildings of five or more units, against 34% nationally. The closest match in building mix among the 386 other metro areas is Peoria (26% in five-plus buildings).

2021–202571.0%71%2.4%26.6%27%2004–200675.8%76%2.7%21.5%22%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%2021–202571.0%71%2.4%26.6%27%2004–200675.8%76%2.7%21.5%22%US, 2021–202562.6%63%3.5%34.0%34%

Similar in size

Metro area2004–20252025 unitsPer 1,000 a year5+ share
El Paso, TX2,0502.87.4%
Columbia, SC6,0707.017%
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL13,54716.527%
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL8,23613.821%
Boise City, ID9,43812.324%

Rates and shares: 2021–2025.

Put Cape Coral beside Lakeland

Every yearly figure behind the chart, split by building size: yearly-units.csv. State view: Florida. Counting rules.