Why you'd want to live in Naples

Nestled between the edges of the Everglades and the shores of the Gulf of Mexico sits Collier County, home to Naples, Immokalee and Marco Island, as well as a range of distinctly Florida flavors. Long known as a preferred retirement spot for the rich, powerful and cold-averse, the greater Naples and Marco Island area supplies pristine beaches, sprawling golf courses, and fine dining and shopping. Closer to the area’s rural interior, meanwhile, cattle graze and seasonal workers pick tomatoes in the fields around Immokalee, a farming community an hour’s drive outside of Naples. Although geared more toward the older demographic that tends to settle in the Naples and Marco Island area, the two beachside communities are located just more than a two-hour drive from bustling cities including Tampa and Miami. Much of the greater Naples and Marco Island area is subject to a seasonal ebb and flow as residents from cold-weather states – often called “snowbirds” – flock to the region during the winter months to enjoy Florida’s seemingly endless supply of sunshine and warm weather. Those seasonal residents leave their second homes in Naples and Marco Island as the sweltering summer months approach. But proximity to the beach, loads of sunshine and no state income tax come with drawbacks. Continued growth and development are exacerbating a lack of affordable homes, especially in the greater Naples and Marco Island area. And traffic, although nowhere near the levels seen in larger Florida metro areas, tends to choke roadways in the urban area during the winter months. via realestate.usnews.com