Florida’s population grew 8.2% from 2020 to 2024 — faster than any other state — reaching 23.37 million residents, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau data. Southwest Florida counties outpaced even that rapid growth. Lee County added nearly 95,400 people to reach 860,959 residents (12.5% growth) during the period, while Charlotte County grew 12.8% to 212,122 and Collier County climbed 10.3% to 416,233. Among Southwest Florida cities, Cape Coral grew 19.2% to 233,025, Fort Myers rose 14.4% to 99,918, Bonita Springs increased 5.9% to 57,112, and Naples grew 5.3% to 20,168. Growth has been driven largely by international migration and relocations to the South, with Florida gaining more than 467,000 residents from 2023 to 2024 alone.