Cape Coral-Fort Myers ranks #6 for women-owned businesses

03/25/2026

Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL ranks #6 among medium-sized U.S. metros in CoworkingCafe’s latest study on best locations for women-owned businesses. The ranking, based on a range of economic, workforce, and entrepreneurship metrics, highlights the area’s strong environment for women entrepreneurs.

Here’s what’s driving its performance:

  • A growing base of women-owned businesses Women-owned businesses account for 23.1% of all firms in the metro, ranking #8 among medium-sized metros for this metric. The solid representation reflects a steadily expanding community of women entrepreneurs contributing to the region’s business landscape.

  • Leader in business formation Cape Coral–Fort Myers stands out for entrepreneurial momentum. The metro ranks #1 among medium-sized markets for business formation rate (2,332 per 100,000 residents) and #3 for self-employment (14%). These figures point to a highly active startup environment where women are launching businesses at some of the fastest rates in its category.

  • Strong economic and population growth The region ranks #3 among medium-sized metros for GDP growth (45% since 2019), a sign of powerful economic expansion. At the same time, a 13.2% population growth since 2020 significantly expands the local customer base and labor pool.

  • Competitive pay equity and steady employment The metro ranks #4 in its category for women-to-men pay ratio (79.8 cents on the dollar), showcasing relatively strong pay equity. Moreover, women’s unemployment stands at 4.2%, a sign of workforce stability.

  • Accessible costs in a high-growth market The cost of living is slightly above the national benchmark (RPR: 102), showing the area’s rapid growth and desirability. Median coworking memberships are $218 per month, providing flexible workspace options for entrepreneurs building and expanding their teams.

As women continue to launch and scale businesses across the country, understanding which metros offer the strongest mix of representation, talent depth, and economic momentum is key. Cape Coral’s #6 ranking among medium-sized markets highlights its growing role as a hub for women-led entrepreneurship.