Just 26% of residents in Cape Coral are renters, among the lowest shares in the nation.
Cape Coral, FL, in Southwest Florida just west of Fort Myers, is known for sunny and warm weather, 400 miles of canals, and beautiful scenery. Water is a huge part of life in the city, with easy access to beaches, waterparks, rivers, and the warm ocean. Residents can enjoy parks like Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve and Rotary Park while being within minutes from Gulf Coast beaches.
Due to its relatively affordable house prices and great weather, Cape Coral’s population has increased by an average of 7% annually over the past ten years. This boom isn’t expected to stop anytime soon, either. Even though the city just hit 200,000 people, another 60,000-70,000 are expected in the next 10 years. New construction is happening everywhere you look.
But what’s happening with the rental market? And why do so many people own a home in Cape Coral? Read on to learn everything you need to know.
74% of Cape Coral residents are homeowners; 26% are renters
73.7% of Cape Coral residents own their home – among the highest share in the country. Cape Coral has actually seen some of the highest homeownership rates over the past five years, most notably in 2023, when 86.7% of residents were owners. Just 26.3% of Cape Coral’s population are renters.
A major reason for the high homeownership rate is likely the housing market. House prices have been consistently rising across the country, but have remained relatively affordable in Cape Coral. The median sale price for a home in Cape Coral is $385,000, well below the national median of $442,000.
In part because of their relative affordability, many metros across the Sun Belt have seen a surge in demand since the pandemic. This was especially true in Florida. Miami, Tampa, Sarasota, and more have all been among the top migration destinations for relocating homebuyers. This rush pushed house prices up by nearly 40% in some places, but has yet to deter some homebuyers from making the move.
Renters, on the other hand, have the potential to find a better deal in cities like Miami and Tampa, where rent prices are falling. Insurance costs due to climate risks are becoming a major factor, though.
What’s happening with nationwide rentership rates?
Nationwide, the rentership rate rose 1.9% year over year to 34.4% in the second quarter of 2024, meaning over one-third of Americans are renters. In contrast, homeownership saw a modest 0.6% increase, but remains much more common at 65.6%.
This is the third-straight quarter that rentership outpaced homeownership. The last time this happened was in 2022, when mortgage rates rose to the highest level since 2008. Rentership consistently outpaced homeownership from 2006-2017, as well.
Rentership rates vary widely throughout the country and are generally correlated to house prices – the more expensive houses are, the more people will be pushed into renting. If house prices are lower, people generally have more freedom to choose if they want to rent or buy.
As such, one reason for the increase in rentership is because homeownership is historically unaffordable and showing little sign of improving. Another reason is because rental supply has more or less kept up with increasing demand. However, in places where housing is particularly affordable, homeownership tends to be the more popular option.
Which U.S. metros have the lowest share of renters?
In particularly affordable metros, like Worcester, MA (23%) and North Port, FL (23%), rentership rates are the lowest. A lack of rental inventory and zoning restrictions could also play a role.
Metros with the lowest share of renters
| Metro | Rentership rate | Homeownership rate |
| Worcester, MA | 23.2% | 76.8% |
| North Port, FL | 23.3% | 76.7% |
| Albany, NY | 25.6% | 74.4% |
| Rochester, NY | 25.7% | 74.3% |
| Syracuse, NY | 26.2% | 73.8% |
| Cape Coral, FL | 26.3% | 73.7% |
| Cincinnati, OH | 26.8% | 73.2% |
| Hartford, CT | 27.2% | 72.8% |
| Richmond, VA | 27.7% | 72.3% |
| Albuquerque, NM | 27.7% | 72.3% |
Which U.S. metros have the highest share of renters?
Rentership rates are the highest in expensive coastal metros like Los Angeles (53%) and San Diego (52%), where house prices regularly surpass $1 million. Prices are also tied to available rental supply.
Metros with the highest share of renters
| Metro | Rentership rate | Homeownership rate |
| Los Angeles, CA | 53.0% | 47.0% |
| San Diego, CA | 52.4% | 47.6% |
| New York, NY | 50.1% | 49.9% |
| Fresno, CA | 49.0% | 51.0% |
| Austin, TX | 46.3% | 53.7% |
| San Jose, CA | 44.8% | 55.2% |
| Honolulu, HI | 42.5% | 57.5% |
| San Francisco, CA | 41.8% | 58.2% |
| Las Vegas, CA | 41.6% | 58.4% |
| San Antonio, TX | 40.9% | 59.1% |
Methodology
Based on a Redfin analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data for the 75 largest U.S. metros. A renter household is defined as one where the head of the household reports to the Census that they are renting out the property. A homeowner household is one where the head of household reports they own the property.
