Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Fort Myers earns a D, ranked 570th of 634 in Florida, mostly because of safety. Its crime rate is higher than 78% of U.S. towns, with 457 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. What it does well: it is more walkable than 82% of U.S. towns. Fort Myers has 15 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Murphy-Burroughs House and Jewett-Thompson House. The typical home is worth about $305K, 4 years of the Cape Coral metro’s $76K median household income. Six Mile Cypress Preserve North, at 1,215 acres with 3.6 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
Where Fort Myers beats most towns.
Murphy-Burroughs House
Census counts: 575 in 1890, 86,395 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1858 and a map from 1981 on.
15 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Fort Myers is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Fort Myers, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 17, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Fort Myers.
Fort Myers draws workers from Cape Coral and beyond, has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
72,319 jobs are based in Fort Myers, 2.1 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. Jobs based here grew from 55,490 in 2013 to 72,319.
25% of working residents work locally in Fort Myers, against 5% in Florida’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. 16% of residents live below the poverty line in Fort Myers. Jobs based in Fort Myers grew to 72,319 in 2023, 16,829 more than in 2013.
| Fort Myers | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 25% | 5% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $64,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Lee school district. Three of its 38 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treeline Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 1,057 | B |
| Fort Myers High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,835 | B |
| Tanglewood Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 687 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
41 miles of trail in 39 parks and preserves. Fort Myers’ trail density is 0.8 miles per square mile, above both Florida’s towns (0.4) and U.S. towns (0.4).
| Fort Myers | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.8 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 6.7% | 3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Six Mile Cypress Preserve North | 3.6 mi | 1,215 |
| 2. Billy Creek Preserve | 1.2 mi | 48 |
| 3. Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium | 0.5 mi | 101 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
711 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 100 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 83% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 711 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Fort Myers.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Reported crimes fell from 2,191 to 1,552 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The violent crime rate in Fort Myers is 4.4 per 1,000 residents. Fort Myers reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 78% report less.
| Fort Myers | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.4 per 1,000 residents | 2.1 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 10.6 per 1,000 residents | 12.6 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The Punta Gorda 4 Ese weather station, 23 miles away, records that about 136 days a year reach 90°, more than in 98% of U.S. towns. January nights average 53°, milder than in 99% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 92°.
Fort Myers has warm winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. Fort Myers’ January low is 53°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Fort Myers | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 53°F | 51°F | 22°F |
| July high | 92°F | 91°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical value, about $305K, is 19% below its September 2023 peak.
49% of Fort Myers households own their home. The typical Fort Myers home is worth about $305,000, down 4.2% in a year, 19% below the Florida typical home. 62% of Fort Myers renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent.
| Fort Myers | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 49% | 72% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 62% | 59% | 48% |
| Median rent | $1,580 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Against the 9,684 U.S. towns with household incomes like Fort Myers’s, it is healthier than 56%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
Fort Myers beats the Florida average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 9.
| Fort Myers | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 14% | 8.1% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 15% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 23% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 12% |
| What stands out | Fort Myers | FL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 11% | 8.6% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 21.1% | 16.8% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 11.4% | 9.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Florida average. Fort Myers has grown 18% since 2020, to 101,581 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 32% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 34% across Florida.
| Fort Myers | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 23% | 20% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 19% | 20% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 32% | 31% | 29% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.2 points. Across Florida, 50.9% of residents are women. Median age: women 42.8, men 40.5.
| Fort Myers | FL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.8% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.3% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.9% | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.2% | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.4% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.6% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.7% | 13.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.2% | 11.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11% | 9.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 14.2% | 10.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.5% | 27.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.3% | 18.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.1% | 10.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.9% | 21.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.1% | 12.9% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Fort Myers. Close and well known come first.
in town MuseumEdison and Ford Winter Estates
13 mi Stadium & arenaHertz Arena
40 mi National PreserveBig Cypress National Preserve2.3M visitors a year14 mi State parkMound Key Archeological State Park
13 mi State parkKoreshan State Historic Site
26 mi State parkCayo Costa State ParkEdison and Ford Winter Estates: Rolf Müller (User:Rolfmueller), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Hertz Arena: Tthaas, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Big Cypress National Preserve: Gzzz, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Koreshan State Historic Site: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cayo Costa State Park: https://www.flickr.com/photos/andrea_pauline/, CC BY-SA 2.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Fort Myers
About 4 of every 100 Fort Myers residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
62,298 counted in 2010 and 86,395 in 2020; an estimated 101,581 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 17.5% since 2020, after 38.7% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
15 places in Fort Myers on the National Register of Historic Places.
51 notable people were born in Fort Myers.
City in Florida, United States
Fort Myers (or Ft. Myers) is a city in and the county seat of Lee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 86,395; it was estimated to have grown to 101,581 in 2025, making it the 25th-most populous city in Florida. Together with the larger and more residential city of Cape Coral, it anchors the Cape Coral–Fort Myers metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses Lee County and has an estimated population of 875,607 as of 2025. Fort Myers is a gateway to the Southwest Florida region and a major tourist destination within the state. The winter estates of Thomas Edison ("Seminole Lodge") and Henry Ford ("The Mangoes") are major attractions. The city takes it…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
10 towns share a border with Fort Myers.
| Town | FL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Myers | #570 | D | D− | C− | C+ | C+ |
| Tice | #385 | C | B+ | — | C+ | D |
| Gateway | #357 | C | D | — | C+ | A |
| Whiskey Creek | #308 | C | C− | — | C+ | A− |
| Buckingham | #410 | C | C− | — | C+ | B |
| Pine Manor | #585 | D− | C− | — | C+ | D |
| North Fort Myers | #320 | C | B | — | C+ | C+ |
| Cape Coral | #484 | C− | D | — | C+ | B |
Tice, Gateway, Whiskey Creek, Buckingham, Pine Manor, North Fort Myers and Cape Coral report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Fort Myers with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Fort Myers grades D overall, better than 6% of U.S. towns and #570 of 634 in Florida. It grades C+ for health, C− for safety and C+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
51 notable people were born here, including Haley Bennett and Mindy McCready.
