Lehigh Acres vs Fort Myers
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $292,400 in Lehigh Acres and $384,500 in Fort Myers.
- Fort Myers is growing faster: +17.5% since 2020 vs +0%.
- Commutes are shorter in Fort Myers (25 vs 38 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Lehigh Acres, FL | Fort Myers, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 132,353 | 101,581 |
| Growth since 2020 | n/a | +17.5% |
| People per square mile | 1,428 | 2,536 |
| Median age | 34.3 | 41.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14% | 32% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $66,890 | $63,732 |
| Median home value | $292,400 | $384,500 |
| Home value to income | 4.4× | 6.0× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,657 | $1,580 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 102.3 | 102.3 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 125.1 | 125.1 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $76,800 | $76,800 |
| Homeowners | 70% | 49% |
| Top state income tax | None | None |
| Combined sales tax | 6.98% | 6.98% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 38.2 | 25.2 |
| Work from home | 11% | 14% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.5% | 4.2% |
| Poverty rate | 17.1% | 16.3% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 75° / 54° | 75° / 54° |
| July high / low | 91° / 75° | 92° / 75° |
| Precipitation per year | 53 in | 57 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | n/a |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 119 | 120 |
| Nights below freezing | 0 | 0 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.0 | 99.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 76% | 76% |
| Home prices, past year | -0.9% | -0.9% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +27.8% | +27.8% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Lehigh Acres: November to April. Fort Myers: November to April.
Full monthly tables: Lehigh Acres weather by month and Fort Myers weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $76,800 in Lehigh Acres and $76,800 in Fort Myers. Moving from Lehigh Acres to Fort Myers, you would need about $75,000 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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