Report: Lee County is fastest growing county in the state for 2018

Lee County was projected as the fastest growing county in the state for 2018.

The county is expected to see a 3.6 population increase this year, according to a report from Cushman & Wakefield Tampa, a commercial real estate group.

“The most number of people are coming to Southwest Florida really down I-75 from Chicago and Indiana, Kentucky, the whole Midwest,” company spokesman Gary Tasman said.

But the growth could create a bind when it comes to the rental housing market.

“Definitely, really high stress and it makes it really difficult to find a place you really want to stay in instead of taking one cause you found one,” Fort Myers resident Alexander Dixon said.

Dixon said finding an affordable apartment in Southwest Florida was not easy.

“I had a one bedroom up in Tampa which was around $800 and now I’m at around $1,200 dollars out here in Fort Myers,” Dixon said.

Lee County is expected to see more than 40,000 people move into the area over the next five years, according to experts.

While renters are facing challenges, people who already own homes could look forward to their property values increasing.

View the report from Cushman & Wakefield Tampa below: