Southwest Florida State of the Arts
June 17, 2025 / RERI Research Team / Tag: Economics and Finance
Understanding the state of the arts in Southwest Florida first requires an understanding of the region the industry caters to. Southwest Florida is often characterized as an older population, with 14.5 percent of the total population nearing retirement and another 31.3 percent at least 65 years old in 2023. However, heterogeneity exists between races and ethnicities within the region. The share of the White, non-Hispanic population over the age of 55 totaled 55.0 percent in 2023, compared to only 24.3 of the Black, non-Hispanic population and 19.4 percent of the Hispanic population. On the flip side, 43.5 percent of the Hispanic population is between 25 and 54, compared to only 17.1 percent of the White, non-Hispanic population. This has implications for population forecasts through 2050. The region’s population is projected to grow to 2.3 million by 2050, growing by 46.4 percent compared to 2025. Over this period, the White, non-Hispanic population is projected to grow by 14.4 percent, while the Hispanic population is projected to grow by 116.9 percent. Growth in the White, non-Hispanic population is almost certainly to be driven by migration into the region over the next 25 years, while growth in the Hispanic population is more likely to be driven by a combination of both migration and endogenous growth.