Cape Coral–Fort Myers Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is the official federal metro area for Southwest Florida’s Lee County core.
Official definition
- OMB name: Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area
- CBSA code: 15980
- Current delineation: OMB Bulletin No. 23-01 (July 21, 2023)
- Counties included: Lee County only
- It is not Collier County (that is the separate Naples–Marco Island MSA).
An MSA is a core urban area of 50,000+ people plus adjacent counties with strong commuting/economic ties. Here the entire MSA is one county.
Population
| Year | Population | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 Census | 618,754 | Census |
| 2020 Census | 760,822 | Census |
| July 1, 2024 | 861,667 | Census estimate |
| July 1, 2025 | 875,607 | Census / FRED |
That is about +15% since 2020 and +41% since 2010. It is typically ranked around 6th among Florida MSAs (behind Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, and North Port–Sarasota).
Cape Coral city itself is estimated around 236,000 (2025) — the largest city in the MSA. Fort Myers is the historic county seat and employment center.
Combined Statistical Area (larger region)
The MSA is part of the Cape Coral–Fort Myers–Naples, FL Combined Statistical Area (CSA):
- Cape Coral–Fort Myers MSA (Lee) — ~876,000
- Naples–Marco Island MSA (Collier) — ~417,000
- Clewiston μSA (Hendry + Glades) — ~63,000
CSA total ≈ 1.36 million (2025).
Snapshot (ACS / recent estimates)
- Median age: about 48 (older than the U.S.)
- Median household income: about $84,000 (ACS 2024)
- Households: ~337,000–366,000 depending on vintage
- Poverty: ~11–12%
- Hispanic or Latino: roughly 20%+ of the 2020 Census count (173,161)
- Age 65+: a large share (retirement / seasonal population)
- Housing: high vacancy by national standards because of seasonal/second homes
- Commute: mean travel time ~32 minutes
What it is used for
Federal agencies, HUD housing studies, labor stats, media market rankings, and “growth pays for growth” planning all treat Lee County = this MSA. City of Cape Coral policy (UEP, taxes, growth) sits inside this metro, not a multi-county metro government.
Bottom line: The Cape Coral–Fort Myers MSA is Lee County, ~876,000 people as of mid-2025, one of Florida’s fastest-growing metros, and the core of a ~1.36 million CSA that also includes Naples and Hendry/Glades.