Feeling crowded around here? It’s not just the snowbirds; Southwest Florida is among the fastest-growing regions in the country over the last decade, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. About 23% more people live in the Fort Myers and Naples metro areas in 2019 compared to the beginning of the decade. Fort Myers is the eighth-fastest-growing metro area in the country; Naples ranked 20th.
Southwest Florida has grown due to a steady migration to the Sunshine State from the Northeast and Midwest. Over the last decade, around 35 million people each year move to a new state, according to the census bureau. Florida had the highest net domestic migration in the country, at about 2.47 million since 2010.
