Housing is in high demand, with Southwest Florida’s Cape Coral-Fort Myers area seeing the second-largest increase in single-family homes in the country and construction of new apartments also rising. In September, permits were approved for nearly 1,000 new units to be built throughout Southwest Florida, ranked near the top in the nation when comparing housing statistics from the first six months of 2020 to the first six months of 2021. 

A group that studies population says it is a good sign for the region, WINK News reports. “With your area being number two in the nation, it is remarkable in that sense, in that you’re leading the recovery and the bullishness in the new construction market,” says Andy Kerns, creative director of Digital Third Coast.