Communities

CAPTIVA, UNINCORPORATED
Lee County Administration Building
2115 Second St.
Fort Myers, FL 33901
(239) 332-2737
www.lee-county.com
Population (2006 estimate): 462
2011 population projection: 537
Median age (2006 estimate): 56.5
Per capital income (2006 estimate): $70,511
Median household income (2006 estimate): $84,081
Median household disposable income (2006 estimate): $67,432
Number of employees (2006 estimate, daytime workers): 258
Median home sale price: N/A
Ad valorem tax: $15.9178
*Gasparilla Properties **Sum for Bokeelia, Matlacha, Pineland, Pine Island Center, Pine Island CDP, St. James City.
Sources: Decision Data Resources (Birmingham, Ala.) for demographic and income data; Michael Polly/Denny Grimes and Co. for median home price; Lee County Property Appraiser for ad valorem taxes

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Collier - The communities that comprise Collier County

EVERGLADES CITY

Close-up: Situated at the edge
of Chokoloskee Bay and
Everglades National Park, Everglades City retains an Old Florida feel, something that’s become hard to find in Southwest Florida. The town was founded in the late 1800s by George Storter and was a key in Barron Collier’s construction of the Tamiami Trail, which linked South Florida’s east and west coasts. After Hurricane Donna ravaged Everglades City in 1960, Naples became the new county seat. Today, tourism and real estate have replaced agriculture, hunting and fishing as economic staples for this once-secluded outpost.Visitors take airboat rides through the Everglades, browse through the Historic Smallwood Store or mail a letter at the Ochopee Post
Office, claimed to be the smallest post office in the United States. As a jumping-off point to the Ten Thousand Islands, it’s also a popular ecotourism spot. The 29-acre Everglades Airpark makes the town easily accessible for small planes and serves as the departure point for seasonal "flightseeing" tours. The annual Everglades City Seafood Festival draws visitors from miles around.

City Hall

206 Copeland Ave.
Everglades City, FL 34139
(239) 695-3781

Population (2006 estimate): 536

2011 population projection: 587

Median age (2006 estimate): 49.2

Per capita income (2006 estimate): $20,197

Median household income (2006 estimate): $41,481

Median household disposable income (2006 estimate): $36,044

Number of employees (2006 estimate): 105

Median home sale price (2006): $350,000

Ad valorem tax (per $100 valuation): $16.1439

GOLDEN GATE ESTATES

Close-up: About 10 miles inland from Naples, the affordability of property in this sprawling community—platted as residential lots by a 1960s-era developer—has drawn a wave of new homeowners. The demand, however, has pushed property values upward, and the unforeseen growth has increased pressure on infrastructure. Homes are served by well and septic, and residents commute to the western coastal areas for work, shopping and entertainment—creating traffic congestion and potential environmental damage. County officials are racing to address these challenges with road improvements, including a new overpass at the intersection of Golden Gate Parkway and Airport-Pulling Road.

UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITY
3301 Tamiami Trail E.
Naples, FL 34112
(239) 774-8999
www.colliergov.net

Population (2006 estimate): 23,136

2011 population projection: 25,160

Median age (2006 estimate): 27.9

Per capita income (2006 estimate): $16,347

Median household income (2006 estimate): $48,215

Median household disposable income (2006 estimate): $41,114

Number of employees (2006 estimate): 3,568

Median home sale price (2006): $359,900

Ad valorem tax (per $100 valuation): $12.9374

IMMOKALEE

Close-up: People know Immokalee for one of its largest employers, Seminole Casino, and for its continuing status as an agricultural center. Vegetables and citrus are the area’s leading crops, and migrant workers swell the population to more than 30,000 during harvest seasons. Immokalee has a lower-income population than its well-heeled coastal neighbors, and many residents travel to other parts of Collier and Lee counties for employment. But Collier County’s largest inland community is about to experience major change. The first phases of Ave Maria University and its accompanying town a few miles south of Immokalee are scheduled for completion this year and are expected to boost the area’s economic vitality. Also stirring new business activity are incentives at the Florida Tradeport, which consists of the Immokalee Regional Airport and Immokalee Industrial Park, including designations as a Foreign Trade Zone, Enterprise Zone, Foreign Entrepreneurial Investment Zone and a U.S. Port of Entry.

UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITY
3301 Tamiami Trail E.
Naples, FL 34112
(239) 774-8999
www.colliergov.net

Population (2006 estimate): 21,745

2011 population projection: 23,565

Median age (2006 estimate): 23.5

Per capita income (2006 estimate): $9,498

Median household income (2006 estimate): $27,390

Median household disposable income (2006 estimate): $24,869

Number of employees (2006 estimate): 4,006

Median home sale price (2006): $100,000

Ad valorem tax (per $100 valuation): $15.0410

MARCO ISLAND

Close-up: Surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico, Marco Island is the largest occupied island in the Ten Thousand Islands chain. Once inhabited by Calusa Indians, most of Marco Island was purchased in the 1920s by Barron Collier. The island was home primarily to fishermen who worked the abundant waters until the 1960s, when the Deltona Corp. began transforming the island from mangrove swamp into what it is today. Temporarily incorporated in 1927 and reincorporated in 1997, the resort community’s population more than doubles to about 35,000 during the winter months. As a result, its major employers are luxury resorts. Since incorporation, property values have more than tripled. About 2,000 vacant lots remain on the island, and new homes are constructed here at a rate of about 200 to 300 a year. The island’s South Collier Boulevard was recently widened and landscaped, and improvements to North Collier Boulevard are under way.

City Hall

50 Bald Eagle Drive
Marco Island, FL 34145
(239) 389-5000
www.cityofmarcoisland.com

Population (2006 estimate): 16,996

2011 population projection: 19,047

Median age (2006 estimate): 58.4

Per capita income (2006 estimate): $45,827

Median household income (2006 estimate): $68,268

Median household disposable income (2006 estimate): $56,116

Number of employees (2006 estimate): 7,043

Median home sale price (2006): $875,000

Ad valorem tax (per $100 valuation): $11.4486

NAPLES

Close-up: For more than a century, Naples has been a winter resort for the affluent. But in the past quarter-century, it has emerged also as an economic growth center. A renowned destination with an abundance of beaches, golf courses and cultural attractions, Naples has reached a level of wealth some compare with that of West Palm Beach. In recent years, the Naples area has ranked among the top spots in the nation for growth, much of it in the form of luxury housing and vacation-home development, which is reflected in the high real estate prices. Inc. magazine recently ranked the Naples-Marco Island area sixth—up two spots from 2006—on its annual "Best Cities for Doing Business" list. Redevelopment has brought new economic vitality to the downtown area, which is characterized by upscale boutiques and elegant restaurants, and the city has developed a lively arts scene with an assortment of galleries, performing-arts venues and other offerings.

City Hall

735 Eighth St. S.
Naples, FL 34102
(239) 213-1000
www.naplesgov.com

Population (2006 estimate): 23,000

2011 population projection: 24,884

Median age (2006 estimate): 59

Per capita income (2006 estimate): $62,449

Median household income (2006 estimate): $76,125

Median household disposable income (2006 estimate): $61,254

Number of employees (2006 estimate): 30,727

Median home sale price (2006): $1.7 million

Ad valorem tax (per $100 valuation): $11.4119

Sources: Decision Data Resources (Birmingham, Ala.) for demographic and income data; Collier County Property Appraiser for median home sale price and ad valorem taxes

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Charlotte - The communities that comprise Charlotte County

PORT CHARLOTTE

Close-up: Except for Punta Gorda, Charlotte County is unincorporated, but it has distinct communities, including El Jobean tucked along the Myakka River, the exclusive Palm Island and coastal Englewood, a beach town that straddles the Charlotte/Sarasota county line. In Port Charlotte, north of the Peace River, U.S. 41 is the main road. The corridor and its strip-center occupants within several miles of the river were hit hard by Hurricane Charley and are now the focus of public and private redevelopment. Affordable waterfront and easy boating access have accelerated the development of new high-end housing in the historically low-key region.