Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 251,377 people, 102,973 households, and 71,257 families residing in the county. The population density was 124 people per square mile (48/km²). There were 144,536 housing units at an average density of 71 per square mile (28/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 86.06% White, 4.54% Black or African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 6.19% from other races, and 2.23% from two or more races. 19.61% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 75.3% spoke English, 17.8% Spanish, 2.3% French Creole and 1.2% German as their first language.

As of 2005 68.6% of the population was non-Hispanic whites, 24.4% was Latino or Hispanic, 5.9% was African-American and 0.9% was Asian.

In 2000 there were 102,973 households out of which 22.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.10% were married couples living together, 7.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.80% were non-families. 24.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.79.

In the county the population was spread out with 19.90% under the age of 18, 6.60% from 18 to 24, 24.60% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 24.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 100.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $48,289, and the median income for a family was $54,816. Males had a median income of $32,639 versus $26,371 for females. The per capita income for the county was $31,195. About 6.60% of families and 10.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.20% of those under age 18 and 4.30% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Tourism is a major economic driver in the area. In addition, many seasonal residents live in the area during the winter months, as temperatures in south Florida stay very moderate during that time of year.

Attractions
Beaches in the following locales:

• Bonita Beach
• Cape Romano
• Fort Myers Beach
• Longboat Key, offshore from Bradenton and Sarasota
• Marco Island, offshore from Naples
• Naples
• Sanibel and Captiva Islands, offshore from South Fort Myers (renowned for the quality of shells that wash ashore)
• Sarasota
• Siesta Key
• Ten Thousand Islands
• Venice (renowned for sharks' teeth that wash ashore)

Attractions including:

• Brighton Seminole Indian Reservation (where the Seminole nation operates a sizable casino)
• Edison and Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers
• Lake Okeechobee renowned for fishing and ecotourism.
• Naples Botanical Garden
• Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens
• Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota
• St. Armand's Circle in Sarasota

Transportation
Southwest Florida is served by several major highways, including the Tamiami Trail (U.S. 41) and the Interstate 75 freeway, both of which connect the area to Tampa to the north, and Fort Lauderdale/Miami to the east. Long-term cooperative infrastructure planning is coordinated by the Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council (web site), and in heavily populated Lee County, the Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Greyhound Lines serves several locations in Southwest Florida, including Bradenton, Fort Myers, Naples, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda and Sarasota.

Southwest Florida International Airport, located in South Fort Myers, served over 7.6 million passengers in 2006 and offers non-stop flights to 3 cities in Europe and 2 in Canada, in addition to 36 domestic airports. The area's secondary airport, Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, served 1.42 million passengers in 2006.

The Port of Manatee provides a full range of port services for commercial, industrial and cruise ship purposes.

Seminole Gulf Railway provides freight services throughout Southwest Florida.