Northeastern-born residents swelled to 139,195 in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers area in 2007, according to Census Bureau estimates released today, surpassing the 135,607 of those born in the Midwest.
Corn-fed state transplants have held majority sway over Southwest Florida as Interstate 75 is the nearest escape route for Midwesterners fleeing the cold while sun-or-bust Northeasterners hop on I-95.
The approximate increase of more than 11,600 Northeasterners from 2006 to 2007 outpaced the gains seen in the immigrant population. There was a roughly 2,800 increase in foreign-born residents from 2006, making the total 89,677 in 2007 in Cape Coral and Fort Myers.
The latest estimates reflect a significant slowdown in the immigrant population when compared to the 15,210 foreign-born people increase in the area from 2005 and 2006.
That mirrors what’s happening nationally as the economy has sputtered and the government has stepped up immigration enforcement.
The nation added about a half million immigrants in 2007, down from more than 1.8 million the year before, according to estimates.
“The U.S. is still a beacon for many people who want to come here for all kinds of reasons,” said William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution who analyzed the numbers. “But what this shows is that the economy plays a big part in it.”
In the Fort Myers and Cape Coral area, the number of Spanish-speaking households continued to grow. Roughly 81,550 residents spoke the language or Spanish Creole at home, up nearly 4,000 residents from 2006 figures.
Perhaps the most startling language spike locally was people speaking Chinese at home, which is anticipated to have more than quadrupled from about 374 residents in 2006 to 1,540 people in 2007.
Lisa Ying Cooke, who runs Southwest Florida Chinese Language School, has noted an increase in American citizens bringing over significant others they have met in China or online.
“The world has become so small now,” says Ying Cooke, who speaks to her 14-year-old daughter in Chinese. “I actually see a lot of Chinese move through this channel.”
The Census figures also showed an upswing in the percentage of people using public transportation to commute to work.
Commercial Real Estate Listings
Stephen A. Cunningham; MAI, CCIM
Managing Director
| Email: | scunningham@landqwestcommercial.com |
| Office Phone: | 239-275-4922 ext. 225 |
| Fax: | 239-275-4699 |
| Mobile Phone: | 239-910-4085 |
Professional Affiliations/Community Activities: MAI Member of The Appraisal Institute, CCIM Designee of the CCIM Institute, Member of the International Council of Shopping Centers, Florida State Certified General Real Estate Appraiser #RZ300, Florida Licensed Broker.
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