Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Cape Coral, FL
VS
Lehigh Acres, FL
🏆 Cape Coral leads 14 of 18 categories
Cape Coral
Florida
14
wins
Cost of Living Index
104.9⚠ High
Median Household Income
$72,474 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
—
Population
198,912 ✓ Larger
Lehigh Acres
Florida
4
wins
Cost of Living Index
102.3⚠ High ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$59,733
Violent Crime Index
—
Population
124,440
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Cape Coral, FL
Pros
Households earn $12,741 more per year on average
Stronger job market — unemployment is 1.1 pts lower (4.4%)
Commutes run 8 min shorter each way
More college-educated — 24.6% hold a bachelor's or higher
Cons
Higher rents — median is $1,630/mo
Cost of living runs 3% higher than Lehigh Acres
Lehigh Acres, FL
Pros
Homes cost $71k less ($231,500 vs $302,400)
Rent averages $232/mo less ($1,398 vs $1,630)
3% cheaper overall cost of living than Cape Coral
Cons
Median income trails Cape Coral by $12,741/yr
Higher unemployment (5.5% vs 4.4%)
Longer commutes — 36.3 min average each way
Key Differences at a Glance
Cape Coral
Median Income
$12,741
$72,474 vs $59,733/yr
Cape Coral
Unemployment
1.1 pp lower
4.4% vs 5.5% unemployment
Lehigh Acres
Cost of Living
3% cheaper
COL index 102.3 vs 104.9 (100 = US avg)
Lehigh Acres
Median Home Value
$71k less
$231,500 vs $302,400
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Cape Coral, FL | Lehigh Acres, FL |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 104.9⚠ High | 102.3⚠ High ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $302,400 | $231,500 ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,630⚠ High | $1,398⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $72,474 ✓ Higher | $59,733 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.4%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 5.5%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 28.6 min⚠ High ✓ Shorter | 36.3 min⚠ High |
| Work From Home % | 11.1% ✓ Higher | 6.5% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | — | — |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | — | — |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | — | — |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | C+ (87) ✓ Better | C (81) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 20.5:1 | 20.5:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 24.6% ✓ Higher | 15.8% |
| High School or Higher | 92.8% ✓ Higher | 81.6% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | LEE | LEE |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 75.0°F ✓ Warmer | 74.7°F |
| Avg High — July | 91.6°F ✓ Warmer | 90.6°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 57.4" ✓ Drier | 62.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" | 0.0" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 198,912 ✓ Larger | 124,440 |
| Median Age | 48.2 ✓ Older | 34.3 |
| Homeownership Rate | 77.4% ✓ Higher | 67.0% |
| Under 18 | 17.5% | 27.4% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 24.7% ✓ More | 13.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Cape Coral's cost of living index is 104.9 vs Lehigh Acres's 102.3 (US average = 100).
Lehigh Acres is 3% less expensive overall.
Based on the 18 decided categories above, Cape Coral leads 14 of 18 categories. Cape Coral wins 14 and Lehigh Acres wins 4. The right choice depends on your priorities — use the Pros & Cons and full table above to weigh what matters to you.
Whether you're moving from Cape Coral to Lehigh Acres or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($302,400 vs $231,500 median home), income ($72,474 vs $59,733), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Cape Coral, FL and Lehigh Acres, FL are about 22 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.