Table 7. Median values (in dollars) of housing units for sale in the counties 

 of Southwest Florida in 1950, 1960, and 1970 (U.S. Department of Commerce 

 1961. 1971, 1981a). 



County 



1950' 



I960' 



1970 



Charlotte 



Collier 



DeSoto 



Hillsborough 



Lee 



Manatee 



Monroe 



Pasco 



Pinellas 



Sarasota 



Southwest Florida 



7,016 



9,765 

 10,632 



9,138^ 



12,014' 



15,980 



Median value not shown where base is less than 100. 

 .Median value not shown where base is less than 200. 

 'Median value does not include counties for which data are not given. 



Rental Units 



In 1970, almost one-third of the housing units in Florida were rentals 

 whereas only one-fourth of the units in Southwest Florida were rentals. The 

 demand for higher priced homes and condominiums in this part of Florida is so 

 great and profits so attractive that developers opt for building luxury class 

 homes rather than the less profitable moderate and lower priced homes and 

 apartments (Crew 1978). Among the ten counties, Monroe had the highest per- 

 centage (43.6%) of rental units (Table 8). 



The percentage of rentals among residences ranged from 15% to 29% among 

 the counties of Southwest Florida. The lowest percentages were in Pasco 

 (14.7%) and Charlotte (15.5%) Counties. In Naples (Charlotte County), the 

 rental problem is particularly acute because many renters now spend as much as 

 40% or more of their income for housing (Crew 1978). 



If the conversion of apartments to condominiums in Southwest Florida was 

 as rapid as in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area, the percentage of rental units 

 would likely decrease in most counties except Monroe County, where the economy 

 depends heavily on tourists, and DeSoto County, which will probably remain 

 rural for some time. If sizable oil and gas reserves were discovered, the 

 decline in available rental units would be of concern among workers who might 

 be expected to move into the area. 



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