What is the rental vacancy rate in Fort Myers, FL?

Name: Vacancy rate in Fort Myers, FL, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

The rental vacancy rate in Fort Myers, FL is 11.4% (±1.8 points) (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

The homeowner vacancy rate is 2.1% (±0.9 points).

10,620 (±607) homes, 21.7% of all housing units, were vacant, a count that includes seasonal homes and homes being sold or rented.

In Fort Myers, the rental vacancy rate went from 8.3% in 2015–2019 to 11.4% in 2020–2024 (+3.1 percentage points), a measurable increase.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Rental vacancy rate: 11.4% (±1.8 points)
Homeowner vacancy rate: 2.1% (±0.9 points)
Vacant homes: 10,620 (±607)

Vacancy in Fort Myers against Lee County, its state and the nation

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	Fort Myers	Lee County	Florida	United States
Rental vacancy rate	11.4% (±1.8 points)	10.3% (±1.0 points)	7.6% (±0.2 points)	5.5%
Homeowner vacancy rate	2.1% (±0.9 points)	1.9% (±0.3 points)	1.4% (±0.1 points)	0.9%
Vacant housing units	10,620 (±607)	113,391 (±2,355)	1,503,660 (±20,826)	14,547,859

The rental vacancy rate is the share of rental homes that are vacant and for rent; it leaves out homes already rented but not yet moved into, and seasonal homes.

In Fort Myers, the rental vacancy rate is not measurably different from Lee County (10.3%).

It is also higher than in Florida (7.6%).

It is higher than the national figure (5.5%).

Rental vacancy rate in places near Fort Myers

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Fort Myers
Place	Distance	Rental vacancy rate	Compared with this place
Fort Myers	—	11.4% (±1.8 points)	—
Tice	3.9 mi	7.6% (±5.6 points)	Not measurably different
Pine Manor	4.3 mi	7.4% (±9.9 points)	Not measurably different
Whiskey Creek	4.9 mi	2.4% (±4.5 points)	Lower
Lochmoor Waterway Estates	4.9 mi	12.4% (±13.8 points)	Not measurably different
Villas	5.3 mi	19.4% (±6.8 points)	Higher
Buckingham	5.5 mi	23.7% (±40.5 points)	Not measurably different
Gateway	5.9 mi	6.4% (±10.4 points)	Not measurably different
Palmona Park	6.2 mi	0.0% (±24.1 points)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Whiskey Creek, FL (2.4%).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Villas, FL (19.4%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Rental vacancy rate across Lee County, place by place

Rank	Place	Rental vacancy rate
9	Villas	19.4% (±6.8 points)
10	Three Oaks	16.5% (±11.4 points)
11	Bonita Springs	16.4% (±4.7 points)
12 (tie)	Iona	16.3% (±7.8 points)
12 (tie)	Suncoast Estates	16.3% (±13.3 points)
14	Lochmoor Waterway Estates	12.4% (±13.8 points)
15	Fort Myers	11.4% (±1.8 points)
16	Fort Myers Shores	11.1% (±9.7 points)
17	North Fort Myers	10.5% (±4.7 points)
18	Cypress Lake	9.9% (±7.3 points)
19	Pine Island Center	9.4% (±14.0 points)
20	San Carlos Park	8.2% (±6.7 points)
21	Tice	7.6% (±5.6 points)

Showing 13 of 33 places in Lee County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Fort Myers

Is it hard to find a rental in Fort Myers?

The rental vacancy rate in Fort Myers, FL is 11.4% (±1.8 points); a low rate means few rental homes stand empty and for rent at any time, which usually means more competition for each one.

Is the rental market in Fort Myers tighter than it was?

In Fort Myers, the rental vacancy rate went from 8.3% in 2015–2019 to 11.4% in 2020–2024 (+3.1 percentage points), a measurable increase.

How many homes are vacant in Fort Myers?

An estimated 10,620 (±607) housing units, 21.7% of the total, including seasonal homes and homes waiting to be sold or rented.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Fort Myers city, Florida (place:24125, in state:12).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M, DP04_0004E, DP04_0004M, DP04_0003E, DP04_0003M, DP04_0003PE, DP04_0003PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.