Cape Coral, FL

This city of 246,797 residents needs 25,413 more housing units over the next five years. Cape Coral is a CDBG-entitlement community, see how the ROAD to Housing Act could change that funding. Cape Coral is part of the Lee County MPO.

Housing snapshot

Population
246,797 (2026)
Households
88,468
Median household income
$88,112 (2026)
Typical home value
$337,791
Owner-occupied
64%
Five-year housing need
25,413 units

Comparison to other Florida municipalities

Cape Coral: $88,112 Median income (2026 estimate)
<$22K >$160K
Cape Coral: 0.54 jobs to household ratio
<0.06 >3.04
Cape Coral: Permits since 2021 represent 19.8% of housing
<0% >25.1%
On this page

How affordable is this community?

At $337,791, typical home prices in Cape Coral, FL are close to the Florida average of $334,647. Cape Coral, FL's median household income of $88,112 puts the typical home within reach for most households.

This chart tracks whether housing prices are keeping pace with local incomes. The gap between what homes cost and what households can afford reveals affordability trends over time.

How is the population changing?

Cape Coral, FL has a population of roughly 215,536, growing steadily at 3.0% per year.

Population growth patterns reveal how communities are evolving. This chart shows historical population changes by age group and projects future trends based on demographic patterns.

How has employment changed over time?

Jobs by industry sector since 2012. Switch between local jobs — counted where the jobs are located — and resident jobs, counted where the workers live. On the local view the most recent year is a nowcast: it grows the latest local LODES job mix forward using recent county employment growth from QCEW and the BLS local employment series, so the newest point tracks today's economy instead of data that is roughly two years old.

How are households changing by income?

Cape Coral, FL is a growing community of roughly 88,468 households, with population increasing at 3.0% per year.

Understanding how households at different income levels are growing or declining helps identify which groups face the greatest housing pressure and where new housing is most needed.

Who lives here today?

The housing stock in Cape Coral, FL is heavily oriented toward detached single-family, which makes up 79% of units. Homeownership is the norm in Cape Coral, FL, with 64% of units owner-occupied.

Households may have different structure type preferences depending on characteristics such as household size, income, employment, presence of children, age of individuals, and lifestyle choices. Understanding the housing stock in corresponding terms helps assess how well existing units align with existing households' ideals.

What does the housing stock look like?

The mix of housing types and ownership patterns shapes a community's character. This chart breaks down housing units by structure type and whether they're owner-occupied or rented.

How much new housing supply is needed?

To keep up with growth and fill current housing shortages, Cape Coral, FL needs 25,413 new units over the next 5 years.

24,860
Units needed to keep up with expected growth
Projected total household growth from 2026 to 2031.
28.1%
Projected household growth rate
Expected increase in total households from 88,468 in 2026 to 113,328 in 2031.
553
Units to address shortages in existing housing stock
Production needs to address vacancy rates and other factors.
481
Replacement housing
Effective annual loss rate is 1.0 per 1,000 units.
72
Rental vacancy adjustment
Rental vacancy is 7.1%. This is below the minimum stable target of 7.4%.
25,413
Total 5-year housing production need (2026-2031)
5,083
Annual production pace
Average units needed per year to meet 5-year need
25.2%
Total housing unit growth
Percent increase in housing stock over 5 years
5.0%
Annual housing unit growth
Average percent increase in housing stock per year

Build Now Act: how could CDBG funding change?

The Build Now Act (Section 213 of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act) ties a CDBG entitlement community's grant to how much housing it is building. This is a CommunityScale estimate from public ACS data, not HUD's official determination — HUD calculates from Census Master Address File block counts.

How does this place compare to similar communities?