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Southwest Florida Demographic Trends
- Southwest Florida includes the three coastal counties of Charlotte, Collier and Lee, plus the two rural counties of Hendry and Glades.
- The Five-County region adds approximately 22,000 new residents each year, which translates to approximately 9,000 new people entering the workforce each year.
- Southwest Florida reported over 880,000 people in the 2000 Census and is projected to reach more than 1 million by 2010.
Southwest Florida Estimated Total Population
| County | 1990 Census | 2000 Census | Change | % Increased | Projected 2010 |
| Charlotte | 110,975 | 141,627 | + 30,652 | 27.6 % | 171,576 |
| Collier | 152,099 | 251,377 | + 99,278 | 65.3 % | 343,514 |
| Glades | 7,591 | 10,576 | + 2,985 | 39.3 % | 12,821 |
| Hendry | 25,773 | 36,210 | + 10,437 | 40.5 % | 45,772 |
| Lee | 335,113 | 440,888 | + 105,775 | 31.6 % | 539,332 |
| Southwest Florida | 631,551 | 880,678 | +249,127 | 39.4 % | 1,113,015 |
Southwest Florida Population Growth by Age
Best Paying Occupations – Experienced New Hire
| Job Family | Average Hourly Wage | High Range | Low Range |
| School Administrators (Elementary and Secondary) | $ 25.03 | $ 26.45 | $22.88 |
| Construction Managers | $ 22.57 | $ 25.24 | $16.83 |
| Fire Captains or other Managers of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $ 21.40 | $ 26.44 | $18.91 |
| General and Operations Managers | $ 20.03 | $ 21.63 | $17.31 |
| Registered Nurses (Nurse Practitioners) | $ 19.61 | $ 23.00 | $16.00 |
| Cost Estimators | $ 18.80 | $ 20.19 | $18.75 |