Fort Myers : Florida

As a retirement community Ft. Myers is old and new Florida at the same time. The population is 65,000 with many times that in the surrounding area. Located on the banks of the Caloosahatchee River on southwest Florida's coast, its roots go back to 1886. It has the charming Thomas Edison Museum and a beautifully restored downtown along the river. New developments go off in every direction; in the early 2000's day it seemed another ranch or forest was turned into an active adults 55+ development. Virtually every retail chain and franchise in America is represented here on Route 41 and other arteries. Ft. Myers Beach to the Southwest provides sensational beaches. Golf courses are everywhere, public and private. Ft. Myers is a dynamic city with a diverse population of all ages, including active adults 55+. Fort Myers is the capitol of Lee County. Nearby communities like Bonita Bay/Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Lehigh Acres (the subject of a negative New York Times article in 2009), and Estero offer similar alternatives.
Find out more about what it is like to retire in Florida or nearby Naples. Photo of McGregor Blvd. courtesy of Wikipedia in the public domain.

Fort Myers has many active adult living housing options. You can live in quiet neighborhood near the Gulf, in a high rise, or in every type of gated community.
Because the community is so large and diverse, there is a considerable range in real estate prices.  Beginning in 2006 demand went into a free fall and inventories  soared. According to the National Association of Realtors, the median Cape Coral/Fort Myers selling price in early 2012 had fallen to $117,600, about 1/3 the value of just 3 years earlier ($322,200).  Since then prices have rebounded with gusto -  the NAR reported median sale price in the Fort Myers/Cape Coral area to be $290,000 in the 3rd quarter of 2020, up over 13% from a year earlier.